Headlines, September 10, 2018

Monday, September 10, 2018

Publisher of The Korea Post media and Founder of World Clean Mind Movement

Grand Hilton GM hosts luncheon for journalist, religious leaders

General Manager Berhard Brender of the Grand Hilton Hotel in Seoul hosted a luncheon at the classy buffet restaurant of the hotel for Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post media on Sept. 7, 2018. Lee came together with Ven. Yu Jae-hak, chairman of the World Clean Mind Movement Headquarters, two managers of the Movement (Chief Secretary Lee Deok-hyeong and Special Secretary Ms. Lee Youn-ok), and Reporter Ms. Song Young-gwang. Chairman Yu is interested in learning the best five-star hotels in Seoul, where he could host a large religious and civic gatherings under the wing of the Headquarters.

General Manager Bernhard Brender of the Grand Hilton Seoul is flanked on the left by the Ven. Yu Jae-hak (chairman of the World Clean Mind Movement Headquarters) and Polisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of *The Korea Post* media on the right. At far right is Chief Secretary Lee Deok-hyeong of the Movement and Special Secretary Ms. Lee Youn-ok.

For further details and pictures, please visit:
English version: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=7519
Korean version: http://www.koreapost.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=37595

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Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies today

And from international media:

The Korea Post media (www.koreapost.com) in English, (www.koreapost.co.kr) in Korean.

Gov't holds emergency meeting to discuss MERS outbreak
The government held an emergency meeting of Cabinet ministers Sunday to discuss measures to stem the spread of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) following the country's first MERS case in three years.
Health authorities said Saturday that a 61-year-old man was confirmed to be infected with the lethal virus after returning from a business trip to Kuwait via Dubai of the United Arab Emirates. It marked the first case of the disease here since 2015.

CJ Cheiljedang eyes expanding exports of traditional Korean sauces
CJ Cheiljedang Corp., South Korea's leading processed food-maker, is pushing to expand exports of traditional Korean sauces to fast growing halal and other overseas markets.
The affiliate of food and entertainment giant CJ Group said the company is in the final stage of its three-year joint research with the Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food to develop halal gochujang, or red chili paste.

Samsung Electronics launches AI research center in New York
Samsung Electronics Co. has launched its sixth artificial intelligence (AI) research center, located in New York, which will focus on robotics research, the company said Sunday.
The tech giant is seeking to strengthen its AI capabilities and has opened research institutes in South Korea, Britain, Canada, Russia and Silicon Valley of the United States.

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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

S. Korea Raises MERS Alert Level
South Korea has raised its Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) alert level by one notch following the outbreak of the country's first MERS case in three years.
The government on Sunday raised the alert from the lowest "blue" to "yellow" or "watch" after a 61-year-old man was diagnosed with the highly infections respiratory disease on Saturday.

S. Korea's Spy Chief Departs for Japan to Brief on N. Korea Trip
The chief of South Korea's intelligence agency departed for Tokyo on Sunday to brief Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the outcome of last week's trip to North Korea by South Korea's presidential delegation.
National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon is set to meet Abe on Monday in the capacity of President Moon Jae-in's special envoy to explain the outcome of his latest trip to Pyongyang.

Steelmakers Fined over Price Fixing
South Korea's antitrust watchdog plans to fine six steelmakers over 100 billion won for colluding to fix prices of steel reinforcement products.
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said Sunday that Hyundai Steel and five other steelmakers will be fined a combined 119 billion won for rigging prices between May 2015 and December 2016.

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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

N. Korea tones down anniversary military parade: reports
North Korea staged a large-scale military parade on Sunday but did not showcase intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking the United States in what appeared to be a low-key event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its founding, media reports showed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who presided over the event at Kim Il-sung Square in central Pyongyang, also skipped giving an address to the people gathered there, according to the reports.

Chinese official in Pyongyang conveys Xi's letter to N. Korean leader: report
A high-ranking Chinese official who is currently in Pyongyang, North Korea, to attend a national ceremony conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday, a Chinese news report said.
Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, gave the letter to Kim in a meeting with him on Sunday on the occasion of his attendance at the North Korean military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the country's founding, according to China Central Television (CCTV).

Depression affecting 16 pct more S. Koreans in 5 years
The number of South Koreans treated for depression last year rose 15.8 percent from five years before, government data showed Sunday.
Some 681,000 patients were treated for depression last year, up from 588,000 tallied in 2012, according to the data compiled by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS).

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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

No ICBM, Kim speech at North Korea military parade
North Korea on Sunday celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding with a massive military parade in Pyongyang, but the event was largely understated with the absence of intercontinental ballistic missiles and a speech by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The military parade held in Pyongyang involved tanks, artilleries and goose-stepping troops walking past Kim and his foreign delegates, but ICBMs were not displayed during the two-hour event that ended in the morning.

More than 400 to be monitored after first MERS case in three years in Korea
A total of 22 people, including four medical professionals and a cab driver, have been quarantined at home after the country’s first Middle East respiratory syndrome case in three years was reported, health authorities said. Some 440 people who had indirect contact with the patient will be monitored, they added.

S. Korea sends envoys to China, Japan to explain Pyongyang visit
South Korea is working to bolster cooperation in regional security with China and Japan, briefing them on the outcome of its envoys recent trip to Pyongyang, as it hopes to see the early resumption of denuclearization talks between the US and North Korea.

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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Moon to visit Pyongyang Sept. 18-20 for summit
Third summit to test Moon again as negotiator
The third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, slated for Sept. 18 to 20 in Pyongyang, is posing a challenge for Moon in finding a breakthrough and speeding up the North's denuclearization progress.

First MERS case detected in three years
The 61-year-old man, whose personal information was withheld for privacy reasons, was diagnosed with the disease at about 4 p.m. Saturday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.

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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

Age Brings No Wisdom for Elderly Criminals
The proportion of geriatric criminals committing violent crimes like murder and rape has surged 24 percent per year over the past five years. That was way ahead of the increase rate of the elderly population as a whole at 4.5 percent and six times the overall increase of violent crime at 4.2 percent.

More Talks Needed to Sort out Details of Cross-Border Summit
Officials from the two Koreas will meet in the truce village of Panmunjom early next week to finalize the details of their next summit on Sept. 18-20, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.

Carmakers Face Heavier Fines for Covering up Defects
Automakers will be slapped with a hefty fine equivalent to three percent of their sales if they cover up or downplay defects in their cars.

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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Moon’s approval ratings slip below 50% for first time
President Moon Jae-in’s governance approval rating has slipped below 50 percent for the first time since he took office, a recent survey shows.
The tumble is seen as reflecting the addition of a recent controversy over rising home prices in the greater Seoul area on top of existing discontent over jobs, the minimum wage, and other livelihood and economy issues.

World renown South Korean academic diverts patent funds to his own company
A former Seoul National University (SNU) professor seen as a world-class figure in his scientific field diverted hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of global patents to a company where he was majority shareholder during his tenure.

South Korea to raise penalties to 3% of sales for carmakers that conceal defects
The South Korean government plans to impose penalties amounting to three percent of sales for automobile companies that cover up or downplay production defects and increase the maximum compensation to “five to ten times the associated damages” from its current three times in the wake of a series of fires involving BMW vehicles.

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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)

N. Korea celebrates 70th anniversary with no display of ICBMs
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly conveyed to the U.S. President Donald Trump through a letter his willingness to discuss additional denuclearization measures if Washington takes part in a negotiation table for declaring an end to the war. Accordingly, the Trump administration is reconsidering its original plan to send Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang, which had been canceled last month, in a move that signals the resumption of nearly stalled denuclearization talks.

Samsung Electronics opens 6th global AI center in New York
Samsung Electronics said on Sunday it opened a global artificial intelligence research center in New York. It is the electronics giant’s sixth global AI research center after launching its first AI research center in Korea in November last year.

Gov’t raises alert to ‘caution’ in the wake of first MERS outbreak in 3 years
A patient infected with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been reported for the first time in three years in Korea, after the disease caused 39 deaths in 2015 in the country. Critics say that the patient who passed the airport quarantine service without proper quarantine measures was diagnosed with MERS more than four hours later, revealing loopholes in the nation’s infectious disease quarantine system.

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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)

North holds parade sans ICBMs
North Korea on Sunday staged a major military parade featuring over 10,000 soldiers and rows of tanks rolling through Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, but it held back from showing off intercontinental and medium range missiles to avoid upsetting the United States.

First MERS patient in 3 years is quarantined
The first case of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in Korea in three years was confirmed on Saturday.
A 61-year-old man who recently returned from a trip to the Middle East tested positive for the deadly infection.

Companies gloomy about economy’s direction
The majority of Korean companies believe the country is entering an economic recession, a recent survey by a business lobbying group showed.

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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)

Kim Jong-un Pledges "Denuclearization Within Trump's Term." Now Time for the U.S. to Answer
Kim Jong-un, chairman of the North Korean State Affairs Commission, met with the special envoys of President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang on September 5 and expressed his willingness to denuclearize the nation by the end of U.S. President Donald Trump's first term in office. On September 6, Chung Eui-yong, chief of the Cheong Wa Dae National Security Office and the leader of the special delegation said, "He (Kim) expressed his determination to end the seventy-year history of hostility between North Korea and the U.S., improve relations with Washington and achieve denuclearization by the end of President Trump's first term." This is the first time that Chairman Kim has officially announced a time schedule for denuclearization. He displayed strong determination for denuclearization, so strong that it wiped away any further doubt. We expect this to be a catalyst for the negotiations between North Korea and the United States, which is currently at a standstill.

Prosecution Seeks 20-Year Prison Term for Lee Myung-bak, Now for the Court's Stern Judgment
The hearing of former President Lee Myung-bak, arrested and prosecuted on sixteen charges including bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion involving a hefty sum of money, has concluded. In the final hearing on September 6, the prosecution defined the case as "corruption involving a person in power, which clearly revealed all the corrupt activities of the nation's seventeenth president, the chief leader of our nation," and sought a twenty-year prison sentence from the judges. The request corresponded to the behavior of the former president, who betrayed the sovereign people and abused the country’s highest position as a means to pursue his personal interests.

Envoys Visit North Korea] Inter-Korean Relations Trying to Keep Pace with North Korea-United States Relations: The Inevitable Dilemma of South Korea
The special delegation of government officials visited North Korea on September 5 to discuss ways to develop inter-Korean relations, including the schedule and agenda for the inter-Korean summit, and to seek an opportunity to resume talks between North Korea and the United States, currently at a standstill.

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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)

S. Korean food giant publicly apologizes for causing mass food poisoning
Pulmuone, picked by many South Korean consumers as a reliable provider of healthy foods for daily meals, apologized for causing mass food poisoning that left more than one thousand students sick after eating chocolate cakes at school canteens.

President Moon to send envoys to China and Japan
President Moon Jae-in will send his envoys to China and Japan to explain the outcome of talks between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean officials in Pyongyang this week.

Prosecutors demand jail term for stage director for sexual abuse
Prosecutors demanded a six-year prison term for Lee Youn-taek, a prominent stage director, for habitual sexual abuse, accusing him of reigning like a king in South Korea's theatrical world

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Maeil Business News Korea ( http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)

KOGAS kicks off construction of FLNG facility in Mozambique
South Korea’s state-run Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) said Friday it kicked off the construction of floating platform to process natural gas extracted from a field located in offshore Mozambique.

S. Korean President Moon’s approval rating falls below 50% for first time
South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s approval rating dived below 50 percent for the first time since taking office in May 2017 amid growing doubts over his economic policies.

Posco wins U.S. environmental certificate for PosMAC
South Korean steel giant Posco has earned an environmental product declaration (EPD) certificate for its rust-free, corrosion-resistant PosMAC steel in the United States, a move that is expected to accelerate sale of the newly developed steel product in overseas markets.

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com