Headlines, January 18, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, January 18, 2019

Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today

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

U.S. calls N.K. threat 'extraordinary' as Kim envoy set to arrive

North Korea's nuclear missiles continue to a pose an "extraordinary threat" to the United States despite efforts to build peace with the recalcitrant regime, the Pentagon said in a new report Thursday. U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the 2019 Missile Defense Review at the Pentagon as a top North Korean official was only hours away from arriving in Washington to discuss details of a potential second summit between Trump and the North's leader, Kim Jong-un. Trump did not mention the North Korean threat in his remarks. But he did take credit for starting "negotiations with North Korea" that he said should have been handled by previous administrations.

U.S. remains silent hours ahead of top N.K. official's visit

The United States has yet to confirm that a top North Korean official is en route to Washington to discuss a second summit, with only hours to go before he lands. Kim Yong-chol, known as a close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, boarded a flight in Beijing on Thursday and is expected to arrive at Dulles International Airport near Washington at 6:50 p.m. While here, he would meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and depending on how that goes, pay a courtesy call on U.S. President Donald Trump to deliver a new letter from Kim, according to news reports.

S. Korea, China seek continued momentum in N. Korea talks

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and China agreed Thursday on the need to maintain momentum in efforts to resolve the North Korea issue. In talks here with China's Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou, Lee Do-hoon, Seoul's chief delegate to the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear program, said 2019 will be an important year to pull off substantive progress in denuclearization and the establishment of a peace regime on the peninsula.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Korean Official Kim Yong-chol Arrives in Washington

A top aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Washington for high-level talks with U.S. officials to finalize details of the anticipated U.S.-North Korea summit. Kim Yong-chol, the vice chairman of the Central Committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party, arrived at Dulles International Airport just outside Washington at around 6:30 p.m. Thursday via a United Airlines flight from Beijing.

S. Korea, Japan Likely to Hold Foreign Ministers' Talks Next Week in Switzerland

South Korea and Japan are likely to hold a foreign ministers' meeting next week in Switzerland. A Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said Thursday that final coordination is under way between the two nations to hold the meeting next Wednesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos set to open next Tuesday. Japan's Kyodo News also reported Thursday that the foreign ministers' talks will be held on the sidelines of the Davos forum, quoting multiple sources familiar with bilateral relations.

Moon Promotes "Hydrogen Economy" Campaign in Automotive City

The government has revealed its plan to build what it calls the "Hydrogen Economy." At an event held in the southeastern car manufacturing city of Ulsan, President Moon Jae-in said the hydrogen car industry will lead the Korean economy's transformation.

Hong Suhryung has more. President Moon Jae-in said the nation's new growth engine will come from the so-called "Hydrogen Economy."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Korean official in D.C. for talks with Pompeo

A senior North Korean official arrived in Washington on Thursday apparently for negotiations with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on a second summit between the two sides. A plane from Beijing carrying Kim Yong-chol, known as one of the closest aides to leader Kim Jong-un, and his entourage touched down at Dulles International Airport. It's the first time that a North Korean government official has flown directly into the U.S. capital without any stopover in another U.S. city.

S. Korean firms in India expresses concern over trade regulations

South Korean companies operating in India have cited various trade barriers, including tariffs, as major hurdles of doing business there, industry sources said Friday. During the conference hosted by Seoul's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in Ahmedabad, the economic hub of the Indian state of Gujarat, firms operating on the subcontinent claimed that there should be an improvement made to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). South Korea and India implemented CEPA, a type of free trade agreement that emphasizes two-way economic cooperation on top of opening markets, in January 2010.

N. Korean leader plans state visit to Vietnam

Vietnam is preparing to greet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Reuters reported Friday amid talk of a possible summit between him and President Donald Trump there in the coming weeks or months. Quoting a source familiar with the matter, the news outlet said Kim will travel to Vietnam for a state visit "after the Feb. 4-8 lunar new year" holiday. Another source confirmed Kim's trip but did not give any dates. The sources stopped short of clarifying if Kim's trip would be related to his much-anticipated summit with Trump. Vietnam's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.

.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Ministries to work together to combat sex abuse in sports

Amid the snowballing revelations of coaches’ sexual misconduct, the government on Thursday unveiled its scheme to root out sexual abuse in the sports community.“The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will form a consultative group with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Education in February to formulate measures to combat sexual abuses in the sports community,” Gender Ministry Vice Minister Lee Sook-jin said during a briefing Thursday.

KB, Shinhan first Korean companies to join Bloomberg’s 2019 Gender-Equality Index

South Korea’s top two finance and banking groups have joined Bloomberg’s fledgling Gender Equality Index, signaling the sector’s rising commitment to promoting gender equality and female-friendly policies in the workplace.

Senior North Korean official to deliver letter to Trump

North Korea’s chief negotiator in US-North Korea talks, Kim Yong-chol, is expected to deliver a letter to US President Donald Trump during his visit to Washington this weekend, according to media reports Thursday. Kim, vice chairman of the ruling Workers’ Party Central Committee, is expected to arrive in the US capital on Thursday. He will meet Trump at the White House, following a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

China's envoy to Canada warns Huawei 5G ban would have repercussions

China's envoy to Canada on Thursday warned Ottawa there would be repercussions if it banned technology firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from supplying equipment to Canadian 5G networks, the latest blast in a deepening bilateral dispute. Ambassador Lu Shaye, speaking at a news conference, did not give details. Canada is currently studying the security implications of 5G networks, but unlike some allies has not announced Huawei equipment will be excluded.

Government unveils roadmap for hydrogen-powered economy

The government unveiled its vision for a hydrogen-powered economy Thursday, saying hydrogen-powered cars and fuel cells would create 43 trillion won ($38.2 billion) in economic value and 420,000 jobs by 2040. Under the roadmap, the government plans to foster an increase in the number of hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road to 6.2 million in 2040 from 2,000 in 2018, and boost the number of charging stations from 14 to 1,200 nationwide over the same period.

Companies rushing to apply for regulatory exemption

Companies are rushing to apply for the "regulatory sandbox" program, a new system that went into effect Thursday to enable firms to start new businesses without being subject to existing regulations. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Thursday 19 companies applied for the sandbox program on its first day of operation. The firms include big players such as Hyundai Motor, KT and Kakao alongside regular startups.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Intelligence Chief Makes Secret Visit to U.S.

National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon secretly flew to Washington D.C. last weekend and met with CIA Director Gina Haspel to discuss the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit.Haspel will be among U.S. officials to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's right-hand man Kim Yong-chol, who arrived in Washington on Thursday to discuss the agenda and venue of the summit. Officials from the three countries are fine-tuning details of the summit, which is expected in mid-February. A diplomatic source in Washington said the purpose of Suh's visit "was to hold discussions with U.S. intelligence officials."

New York State Honors Korean Independence Movement

The state of New York has decided to honor Korea's March 1 Independence Movement and female independence fighter Yu Gwan-sun to mark the centennial of the resistance against Japanese colonial rule in Korea. The state's Senate and Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution designating a memorial day for the movement in a unanimous vote.

Cheong Wa Dae Hopes Kim Jong-un Can Visit on March 1

Cheong Wa Dae hopes that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un can visit Seoul around March 1 Independence Movement Day. The hope is that the visit will coincide with cross-border celebrations of the movement's centenary. President Moon Jae-in said in his New Year's address on Jan 10, that the leaders of the two Koreas will have to "sit face to face and share and discuss the results of the U.S.-North Korea summit" after Kim meets with U.S. President Donald Trump.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Kim Yong-chol to land in Washington, DC, for two-day visit

Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea and director of North Korea’s United Front Department, is arriving in Washington, DC, for a two-day visit that appears likely to include high-level talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The possibility of North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui meeting with US State Department Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun also cannot be ruled out. North Korea-US dialogue channels are moving with urgency ahead of a possible second summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump.

S. Korea-Japan military talks on patrol aircraft’s flyby conclude with no resolution

The dispute between South Korea and Japan over a low-altitude flyby by a Japanese patrol aircraft and a South Korean warship’s alleged targeting of the aircraft with its signal tracking and illumination radar (STIR) appears poised to drag out. Military authorities from both sides met in Singapore on Jan. 14 for working-level talks but were unable to bridge their differences.

S. Korean foreign minister hints US may offer end-of-war declaration as corresponding measure

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that the corresponding measures the US may offer in response to North Korean progress toward denuclearization could include “an end-of-war declaration, humanitarian aid, and a permanent channel for dialogue between the US and North Korea.” During a New Year’s briefing for domestic journalists that was held at the main office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Seoul on Jan. 16, Kang said that South Korea and the US are holding “a range of discussions about corresponding measures.” Her remark about a “permanent channel for dialogue between the US and North Korea” is presumed to be a reference to a liaison office.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Chinese national team coach Lippi admits defeat to Team Korea

Chinese national soccer team head coach Marcello Lippi admitted defeat to the Korean team in a press conference on Thursday after the third round of group league of the Asian Cup. “Frankly Korea is faster and more technically advanced than us,” he said. "We played with Korea, the best team of our league, which beat other teams as well."

Sons of Hu Yaobang and Deng Xiaoping criticize Chinese leadership

Hu Deping, the late reformist General Secretary Hu Yaobang whose 1989 death ultimately led to the Tiananmen Square crackdown, said that the fall of the Soviet Union was attributable to highly centralized power and a rigid economic system, adding that the Chinese leadership needs to learn from the lessons of the Soviet Union.

S. Korea joins research project on Thwaites Glacier

The increasingly erratic climate patterns are accelerating the melting of glaciers in the South Pole. A joint research team from University of California, Irvine and Utrecht University found that as much as 252 billion tons of continental icebergs in the Antarctic are vanishing every year. The pace has made a six-fold increase over the past four decades (from 40 billion tons per year). The findings were published on Monday in an international science journal called Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

The ‘hydrogen economy’ is our big hope: Moon

The government hopes the so-called hydrogen economy will create 420,000 jobs by 2040. On Thursday, the government laid out a roadmap to making hydrogen-related technologies a key new growth engine for Korea. The government wants to boost the hydrogen economy, which is currently valued at 1 trillion won ($890 million), to 16 trillion won in 2022, 25 trillion won by 2030 and 43 trillion won by 2040. Jobs in the industry are supposed to grow from the current 10,000 to 100,000 in 2022 and 200,000 in 2030.

Fine dust came from China: stats

The thick smog that blanketed most of the country over the weekend was largely from pollutants from China, the JoongAng Ilbo reported exclusively Thursday after analyzing the Korean and Chinese governments’ data on fine dust movements in the atmosphere. The paper analyzed the Air Quality Index (AQI) in cities and regions in China put out by the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the PM2.5 fine dust levels across Korea put out by the Korean Ministry of Environment’s National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER).

Kim-Trump summit may be in March or April in Vietnam

U.S. President Donald Trump may soon announce that a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could take place in March or April, likely in Vietnam, according to a U.S. media report. Kim Yong-chol, the vice chairman of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, was set to arrive in Washington Thursday evening local time, probably carrying a letter from the North Korean leader. An announcement will hinge on what sort of message Kim Yong-chol, who doubles as director of the North’s United Front Department which is responsible for inter-Korean relations, delivers to Trump.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Meet Trump 2.Finalize Date for Summit 3.Obtain Corresponding Measures from the U.S.

North Korea and the United States are both speeding up efforts to hold a second bilateral summit. Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea, is expected to visit Washington D.C. If Kim does meet U.S. President Donald Trump, it is likely for the two countries to finalize the date and venue of the second summit between North Korea and the U.S. Experts believe that the possibility of a second summit depends on how the two countries negotiate the agenda--denuclearization from North Korea and corresponding measures from the U.S.

Lawmakers Requested Favors in Trials Challenging the Spirit of the Constitution Head on

A prosecutors' investigation revealed that ruling and opposition party lawmakers had requested Im Jong-heon, former assistant director of the National Court Administration, for certain trial outcomes when the court abused its authority under Yang Seung-tae. The Prosecution Service deemed that Im had intervened, delivering the requests to the relevant judges, in order to introduce the final appeals court, a long-cherished wish of Yang Seung-tae, former chief justice of the Supreme Court, and added the charges against him. Im, who oversaw all the work concerning the abuse of court authority, is already being prosecuted for over forty charges. But the latest charge is not simply an "extra" issue. It revealed a shocking situation, where the legislative and judicial branches, which should have been strictly independent according to the Constitution and the separation of powers, actually made a secret pact.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AJU Business Daily (http://www.ajudaily.com)

S. Korean battery industry lags behind China and Japan in global competitiveness: survey

The global competitiveness of South Korean battery makers for electric vehicles fell behind China and Japan due to growing competition that has undercut profitability, according to a survey published by a private research institute. In a survey of 25 experts, the Korea Economic Research Institute found that South Korea lagged behind Japan in technological competitiveness and China got ahead of South Korea in growth potential. In terms of market share and business environment, South Korea was ranked lowest.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

S. Korea determined to promote hydrogen economy with fuel-cell car

South Korean government has set a target to ramp up local annual production of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles to 100,000 units in six years from current fewer than 2,000 units as part of its efforts to lead a so-called hydrogen economy in the country. The government in a meeting attended by President Moon Jae-in and Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Sung Yun-mo in Ulsan on Thursday unveiled its roadmap for fostering a hydrogen economy, one of the country’s three key new growth engines for the economy along with artificial intelligence and big data.

Hyundai Motor releases new Ioniq with upgraded safety features

South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. on Thursday released the new Ioniq with upgraded external and interior designs, and safety and eco-friendly features, three years after the country’s popular green car first hit the market. The new facelift vehicle has a infortainment system with an 8-inch display that is comparable with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, mobile connectivity software.

LG Chem joins global blockchain pilot for responsible sourcing of cobalt

Korea’s LG Chem joined four multinationals in a project to employ blockchain technology to trace and validate ethically sourced minerals to back human rights and environmental protection and also bring more transparency into global mineral supply chains. The other four on the alliance are U.S.-based IBM and Ford Motor Company, China’s Huayou Cobalt and UK’s RCS Global.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What’s ticking around the world at this second?
See what the world media around the world have to report:

Use us!
The Korea Post media are more than eager to be used, and to serve you—with the following five news outlets, 34 years old this year!

Korean-language Internet edition: http://www.koreapost.co.kr
English-language Internet edition: http://www.koreapost.com
Korean-language print newspaper:
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3801.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3802.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3803.pdf
http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php?category=&syear=2018&smonth=03&sday=26&hosu=40
English E-daily: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=7211
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.co.kr