Headlines, May 22, 2019

SPECIAL NOTICE:

Due to the Saturday on May 25, 2019, if the driver of the Embassy takes his day off and therefore Your Excellency has to take a taxi to and from the venue of the HWPL Peace Meeting and Luncheon in Seoul on Saturday 25 May 2019, the Host pays the taxi transportation expense.

Please send the taxi ride receipt to the Host and the transportation cost will be fully reimbursed.

For full details, please scroll down to the bottom of this Report.

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, May 21, 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.

N. Korea slams Biden for slandering leader Kim, calls him 'fool of low IQ'

North Korea's official news agency has bristled angrily at former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's criticism of leader Kim Jong-un as a dictator and tyrant, lashing out at the Democratic presidential hopeful as a "fool of low IQ." Biden made the remark during a campaign speech over the weekend, claiming that the United States shouldn't be embracing "dictators and tyrants" like Russian President Vladimir Putin and the North's Kim, as President Donald Trump does.

U.S. underscores sanctions enforcement after N.K. envoy's call for return of seized ship

The U.S. Department of State on Tuesday stressed U.N. member countries' enforcement of anti-North Korea sanctions after Pyongyang's top envoy to the world body renewed calls for the return of a seized ship suspected of violating sanctions. But it said that Washington is still open to nuclear negotiations with the North, which have hit an impasse since the second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without a deal in Hanoi in February.

S. Korea, Denmark hold forum on sustainable development

South Korea's foreign ministry and the Danish embassy hosted a bilateral forum on environmental cooperation and sustainable development in Seoul on Tuesday, the ministry here said. On the occasion of the official visit to Seoul by Danish Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, the two sides arranged the "Green Round Table" forum, which involved officials from relevant government agencies, academia and private enterprises.

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

Former KT Chief Ordered Recruitment of Lawmaker's Daughter

KBS has learned of key testimony hinting at why former KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae provided favors to a daughter of Rep. Kim Sung-tae, a member of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, during the company's hiring process in 2012. Kim's daughter was hired by KT in 2012 even though she did not submit an application by the deadline and failed the personality test.

Renault Samsung Union Rejects Tentative Wage Deal

Unionized workers at Renault Samsung Motors voted to reject a deal on wages and working conditions that the union reached with the company last week. Of the two-thousand-219 union members present for Tuesday's vote, 51-point-eight percent voted against the deal while 47-point-eight percent voted in favor. Last Thursday, the company and union announced that they had reached a tentative deal after eleven months of tough negotiations.

Rival Parties Fail to Normalize Parliament

The vice floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party(DP) and the two opposition parties discussed ways to normalize parliament but failed to reach any agreement. The first vice floor leaders of the DP, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party(LKP) and the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party held a meeting on Tuesday at the National Assembly amid the parliamentary impasse over key reform bills fast-tracked earlier this month.

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

OECD cuts growth outlook for S. Korea's economy to 2.4 percent

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Tuesday cut its growth outlook for South Korea's economy this year to 2.4 percent due to weak domestic demand and a slowdown in global trade. The OECD's latest forecast represented a drop from its previous forecast of 2.6 percent in March. It said the South Korean economy would grow 2.5 percent in 2020, down from its previous forecast of 2.6 percent.

S. Korea, U.S. consider 'various ways' to resume talks with N. Korea

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Tuesday that South Korea and the United States are considering "various ways" to resume the stalled denuclearization negotiations with North Korea. Speaking at a press briefing, Kim also stressed the importance of humanitarian aid to the impoverished North regardless of politics, citing a famous quote by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan that "a hungry child knows no politics."

BTS ranks high on Billboard album chart for 5th week

K-pop boy band BTS' latest album "Map of the Soul: Persona" ranked high on the Billboard main album chart for the fifth week in a row this week, chart updates showed Wednesday. "Persona" came in at 17th on the Billboard 200 for the week ending May 25, the fifth week it has appeared on the chart since it landed atop in late April, according to the chart updates.

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

Moon highlights value of Korea-US alliance

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday highlighted the importance of the South Korea-US alliance, saying the alliance remains firm and serves as the foundation of his drive for peace. The meeting was attended by South Korean Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo and Gen. Robert Abrams, chief of the US Forces Korea.

N. Korea's top envoy to UN repeats calls for US return of seized cargo ship

North Korea's top envoy to the United Nations on Tuesday redoubled calls for the United States to quickly return a North Korean cargo ship seized on suspicion of violating international sanctions. Kim Song, the North's permanent representative at the UN, also said that Pyongyang will "sharply watch every move of the US" while stressing that the US should think about the consequences the seizure could have on future developments.

Global startup community leaders take Daejeon by storm

All eyes are on Daejeon, South Korea’s fifth-largest metropolitan city, as it moves to put together leaders of the global startup community through Exit Daejeon 2019. The three-day conference, also known as Global Startup Festival Daejeon, kicked off at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Daejeon Convention Center, hosting some 300 participants in this city some 140 kilometers south of Seoul.

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

North Korea: US should consider consequences of ship seizure

North Korea's U.N. ambassador said Tuesday the Trump administration should consider the possible consequences that the recent U.S. seizure of a North Korean cargo ship could have on relations between the two countries and immediately return the vessel.

Kim Song said at a news conference the ''outrageous act'' of seizing the ship was aimed at bringing maximum pressure on North Korea to make it ''kneel down.''

In music, there's no such thing as generational gap

Teenagers have fun with listening to music online with running fingers through old LP records. They touch and watch music, and even display it in the room as well as enjoy listening to it. Such scenes of consuming music in an analogue way are rare in a digital age because music has gone digital for a long time ago and streaming services gain the upper hand in the market. A long queue of people in different age groups gathered on "Record Box Day," a music shop organized by Universal Music Korea at ODE PORT, Shinsa-dong, Seoul on May 11.

Trump officials to Congress: Goal is deterring Iran, not war

Tamping down talk of war, top Trump administration officials told Congress on Tuesday that recent actions by the U.S. deterred attacks on American forces. But some lawmakers remained deeply skeptical of the White House approach in the Middle East. After a day of closed-door briefings on Capitol Hill, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said their objective over recent days has been to deter Iran. Now they want to prevent further escalation, Shanahan said.

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

N.Korean Boasts of Thriving Economy Despite Sanctions

North Korean state media on Tuesday claimed that department stores are overflowing with goods that meet customer demand, quoting foreign media and visiting tourists. In an article titled "[North Korea] that is displaying its socialist might based on rapid economic development," the official Rodong Sinmun wrote, "You shouldn't lend your ear to fake propaganda campaigns by Western countries, but look squarely at [North] Korea that is doing what it should do in defiance of sanctions."

S.Korea Delays Deployment of New Stealth Fighters

The South Korean military is delaying plans to deploy a first batch of new F-35A stealth fighter jets warfare-ready until the second half of this year, a spokesman said Tuesday. "A ceremony had been planned to deploy them warfare-ready before June, but the schedule is being delayed," the spokesman said. "It will highly likely be held after July." Two of the fighter jets were delivered from a plant in the U.S. to an air base in Cheongju in March.

Another Hiking Trail Opens Near N.Korean Border

A new hiking trail has opened in the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas. The trail in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province was opened on Monday, the second after a trail in Goseong, Gangwon Province that opened to the public on April 27. The trails were set up as part of an agreement between the two Koreas in September last year, and those interested in walking the routes need to apply for entry passes.

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

Man devotes his life to uncovering military’s secret burials of Gwangju Democratization Movement victims

The bodies could be seen in the pile of dirt dug up by the excavator. There were 11 of them. His eyes went to one that had the number “1” painted on it in white. Seeing the pants and handkerchief, he confirmed that the body belonged to his younger brother. The life of Jeong Su-man, now 70 and a former president of the May 18 Victims’ Family Members Association, was forever changed after June 2, 1980, the day his brother’s body was found buried at the 101 firing range within the ROK Army Training & Doctrine Command (Gwangju Sangmudae Military Complex). Then 31 years old, his brother Ji-yeong had gone out into the streets out of anger over the heavy-handed suppression tactics used by the airborne units; now his body lay cold and dead. Unable to comprehend his brother’s death, Jeong organized a memorial the following May at the former May 18 Cemetery in Gwangju’s Mangwol neighborhood, which led to his arrest and an eight-month prison sentence. They were harsh times.

Japan requests formation of arbitration committee for forced labor ruling

The Japanese government has asked the South Korean government to set up an arbitration committee to deal with a judicial decision awarding damages to Koreans who performed forced labor for Japanese companies during Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea. “More than four months have passed since we requested [bilateral] deliberations based on our claims agreement on Jan. 9. Despite repeating this request several times, the South Korean government has declined to take part in the deliberations. In accordance with our agreement, we have notified South Korea that we are referring this matter to an arbitration committee,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on May 20.

Nuclear reactor kept running for 12 hours after it should have been shut down

According to South Korea’s nuclear power regulator, a nuclear reactor whose thermal output exceeded safety limits was kept running for nearly 12 hours when it should have been shut down manually at once. Furthermore, the regulator said, an individual who wasn’t licensed to operate the reactor was holding the control rods, which regulate the reactor’s output, at the time. A continuing increase in output could have led to a thermal runaway, potentially causing the reactor to explode.

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

Japanese minister calls for Moon’s response to forced labor issues

Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Taro Kono made a mentioning of the forced labor issue on Tuesday at a regular press conference, requesting South Korean President Moon Jae-in take the main responsibility for responding to the issue. It is the first occasion for a Japanese government official to call on President Moon to take direct action regarding the forced labor issue.

Anti-U.S. sentiment rises in China amid trade war with U.S.

Amid escalating tensions over the U.S.-China trade war, this reporter visited a Huawei store located in Sanlitun, Beijing, on Tuesday morning. A Chinese woman surnamed Liu in her thirties came out of the store and told this reporter that “I’m not buying Huawei products out of patriotism. The quality of iPhones isn’t like the old days. I would use anything with good quality, be it either a Huawei phone or an iPhone.” “I don’t agree on a thought that we should boycott Apple products to be patriotic,” she added. A 25-year-old consumer surnamed Zhao who also visited the Huawei store pointed out that “Being a patriot and buying a smartphone are separate matters. Buying domestic products is not an act of patriotism.”

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

No Punishment for the Death of Jang Ja-yeon

A Justice Ministry committee on past cases handled by the Prosecution Service acknowledged the truth of some notes by Jang Ja-yeon, which recorded the fact that she was forced to drink and entertain the son of a Chosun Ilbo president, but concluded that they lacked the requirements of a criminal offense. The committee did not recommend another investigation on grounds of the statute of limitations and lack of evidence. It will no longer be possible to criminally punish the person responsible for the death of Jang.

Supreme Court Ruling Holds Outside Directors Responsible for Compensation of "Wrong Investment"

The Supreme Court told seven people including six outside directors of Gangwon Land, who voted in favor of the board's decision to invest 15 billion won in O2 Resort뾩argest shareholder is Taebaek-si, Gangwon-do--to pay 3 billion won in compensation. The court claimed that the directors should be held responsible for the loss suffered by Gangwon Land, because they voted to make the investment despite that the losses were obvious. The Supreme Court's ruling is significant, for it is the first ruling that forced members of the board to personally compensate for the losses suffered by the company due to their decision. Even if the company's donations were provided for the purpose of public interest, if the contribution to society is not sufficient, then the members of the board who decided to make the donation must personally compensate for the losses.

Hwang Kyo-ahn’s True Thoughts on May 18, Put to the Test Again

On May 18, Hwang Kyo-ahn (62), leader of the Liberty Korea Party swung his right fist and arm up and down singing "March for the Beloved" along with the other participants at a ceremony commemorating the 39th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising at the May 18 National Cemetery. This was quite a change from 2016, when he attended the May 18 ceremony as a prime minister. Back then, he neither sang, nor swung his fist.

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

Lotte taps MBK Partners-Woori Bank consortium to sell credit card unit

Lotte Group chose a consortium of MBK Partners and Woori Bank its new exclusive candidate to sell its credit card unit after failing to strike a deal with earlier choice, Hahn & Co. within the deadline. Lotte Corp., the holding entity of the South Korea’s fifth largest conglomerate, announced in a disclosure Tuesday that it named MBK Partners a new preferred buyer for Lotte Card, as it failed to end the deal with its original preferred bidder Hahn & Co. within the exclusive bargaining period that had expired on May 13.

S. Korea’s economy remains intact despite external downside risks: Moody’s

Moody’s Investors Service on Tuesday reiterated that the export-reliant South Korean economy would take a hit from the slowing growth in Chinese economy, intensifying U.S.-China trade war, and potential auto tariffs by the United States but ensured the country’s economic fundamentals remain intact. In a media briefing on Tuesday, Christian de Guzman, Moody’s vice president and senior credit officer, said that Korea’s economy that depends highly on exports is facing with a great challenge of softening demand for Korean products abroad.

U.S. lowers tariffs on Posco’s cold rolled steel plates to 3.23%

The United States imposed lighter tariffs on Posco’s cold rolled steel plates in its final antidumping and countervailing review while slapping other Korean steel exporters with double-digit levies. The U.S. Department of Commerce issued its final ruling on Korean-made cold rolled steel plates, according to industry sources on Tuesday. Tariffs on South Korea’s largest steelmaker Posco were set at 3.23 percent, lowered from the 4.51 percent in the preliminary ruling announced last October.

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Invitation to attend the Opening of the Peace Walk

And a Gala Luncheon at the plush Seoul Olympic Parktel

Chairman Man-hee Lee of the Heavenly Culture, World Peace Restoration of Light Program, in cooperation with The Korea Post media, cordially invites Your Excellency and Madam to a Gala Luncheon at the Seoul Olympic Parktel in Seoul at 12:00 hours, Saturday May 25, 2019.
The Luncheon follows the 6th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of World Peace and Peace Walk starting at 9:45 a.m. of the same day.
Participation in the walk is not a requirement for the Ambassadors and Madams.
Immediately after the opening ceremony, Your Excellency and Madam are invited to a gala luncheon at the

The Korea Post media, publisher of five media outlets (3 in English, 2 in Korean), including www.koreapost.com and www.koreapost.co.kr, fully cover the event for the promotion of understanding, relations and cooperation between the esteemed country of Your Excellency and Korea.

The Ambassadors’ attendance at the meeting will be fully covered by all five media outlets of The Korea Post, including www.koreapost.com (English) and www.koreapost.co.kr (Korean).

Invitation has already been forwarded to Your Excellency, and I would appreciate being advised of Your Excellency's convenience on both occasions.

My phone number is: 010-5201-1740 or 2298-1740/2.

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
The Korea Post media

Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com