Headlines, May 27, 2019

Expression of Gratitude:

Excellencies, Madams and Senior Diplomat Couples who attended the HWPL meeting the day before yesterday:

My profound gratitude for your kind attendance at the HWPL meeting and luncheon at the Intercontinental Hotel the day before yesterday!

With the warmest regards

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
The Korea Post media

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The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Monday, May 27, 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.

Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' wins Palme d'Or at Cannes

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho grabbed the highest honor at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his black comedy movie "Parasite." Bong became the first South Korean director to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Before him, Park Chan-wook was awarded the Grand Prix, the second-highest prize at the festival, for his thriller "Old Boy" in 2004.

Parliamentary speaker Moon set to visit Russia, Baltic states

Listed firms' debt ratio worsens in Q1

South Korea's listed firms saw their financial health worsen in the first quarter of the year, data showed Monday, amid an economic slowdown. The average debt-to-equity ratio of 640 companies listed on the main KOSPI bourse, came to 110.7 percent as of end-March, sharply up 6.37 percentage points from the end of last year, according to the data by the Korea Exchange.

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

White House: Trump Has Confidence in N. Korean Leader

The White House said on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump feels he still has good relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in spite of the North's missile launches earlier this month. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that President Trump feels good that Kim will stay firm with the commitment that he made to the president and move towards denuclearization.

Cooling Rains Falling Across S. Korea

Most parts of South Korea are seeing rain on Monday, cooling down summer-like heat experienced by many across the country in recent days. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that southern coastal regions including Jeju Island will receive 30 to 80 millimeters of rain, Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces ten to 40 millimeters, and Seoul, Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces up to 20 millimeters on Monday.

S. Korea Begins New Civilian-Military Exercise Monday

South Korea will stage a new unilateral civilian-military exercise this week, replacing the larger-scale U.S.-South Korea joint drill Ulchi Freedom Guardian(UFG). The Defense Ministry said the inaugural Ulchi Taegeuk exercise will take place from Monday to Thursday and involve members of the armed forces, government officials and civilians. The scaled-down exercise will combine two existing programs: the Taegeuk command post exercise led by the South Korean military and the government's Ulchi exercise, which was part of UFG.

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

Trump says he's still confident of N. Korean leader's promise to denuke

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he is not disturbed by the latest missile launches by North Korea and still has confidence that the country's leader Kim Jong-un will keep his denuclearization promise. "North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me," Trump tweeted while on a state visit to Japan. "I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me," he said.

N.K. outlet urges Seoul to focus on 'fundamental' issues, rather than humanitarian aid

A North Korean propaganda outlet renewed calls on Monday for South Korea to stop talking about humanitarian assistance and instead focus on resolving "fundamental" issues to improve inter-Korean relations. "They (South Korea) are talking about humanitarian aid and cooperative exchanges as if they are interested in carrying out the declarations," DPRK Today said, referring to the agreements the leaders of the two Koreas reached during their three summits last year.

Cannes-winning 'Parasite' hits No. 1 in presale tickets

The Cannes-winning film "Parasite" is on its way to creating a sensation in South Korea, as its presale tickets outnumbered big-name movies. With three days to go before the movie's opening, the data from the Korea Film Council showed that the flick has already sold more than 90,000 presale tickets as of Monday morning. That accounted for 42.3 percent of all tickets reserved as of 9:10 a.m., while Walt Disney's live-action film "Aladdin" posted 19.6 percent. Local crime action movie "The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil," which has attracted more than 2.7 million viewers, came in third with 8.4 percent.

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

Bong Joon-ho bags Palme d'Or in Cannes milestone for Korea

Bong Joon-ho’s social satire “Parasite” made history Saturday by becoming the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or, the top award at the Cannes Film Festival. According to the jury president Alejandro Inarritu, the nine-person jury had made the decision based on a unanimous vote. “The film has been an astonishing journey, which was made possible with the artists that stood by my side. Above all, I wouldn’t have been able to shoot a single scene without great actors, and I thank them for that,” Bong said, adding that he “never imagined that he would one day touch the trophy. He called the award a “very great gift” from the Cannes festival, noting that this is the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema.

Europe-wide vote fragments center as far right, Greens gain

The European Union's traditional center splintered in the hardest-fought European Parliament elections in decades, with the far right and pro-environment Greens gaining ground on Sunday after four days of a polarized vote. Turnout was at a two-decade high over the balloting across the 28 European Union countries. The elections were seen as a test of the influence of the nationalist, populist and hard-right movements that have swept the continent in recent years and impelled Britain to quit the EU altogether. Both supporters of closer European unity and those who consider the EU a meddlesome and bureaucratic presence portrayed the vote as crucial for the future of the bloc.

Trump brushes off concerns over N. Korea missile tests

US President Donald Trump on Sunday downplayed the potential danger of North Korea’s missile launches in early May, just a day after national security adviser John Bolton called the tests a clear breach of UN resolutions. “North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me,” Trump tweeted during a four-day state visit to Japan that started Saturday.

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

'Don't be too optimistic': Huawei employees fret at US ban

While Huawei's founder brushes aside a US ban against his company, the telecom giant's employees have been less sanguine, confessing fears for their future in online chat rooms. Huawei CEO Ren Zhengfei declared this week the company has a hoard of microchips and the ability to make its own in order to withstand a potentially crippling US ban on using American components and software in its products. "If you really want to know what's going on with us, you can visit our Xinsheng Community," Ren told Chinese media, alluding to Huawei's internal forum partially open to viewers outside the company.

On North Korea, Trump seems to undermine a senior adviser

Seemingly contradicting his national security adviser , President Donald Trump on Sunday played down North Korea's recent missile tests and said they were not a concern for him. The comments tweeted during his trip to Japan were sure to unnerve leaders of the U.S. ally that is directly threatened by short-range weapons from its Asian neighbor. While America is not, there are tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Japan and South Korea.

Parliamentary speaker Moon set to visit Russia, Baltic states

National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang was set to embark on a 10-day trip to Russia and the Baltic nations in an effort to promote parliamentary diplomacy over peace on the Korean Peninsula. Moon will depart on a three-day trip to Russia that will be followed by visits to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, according to his office. He plans to appeal for Russia to play a constructive role in maintaining the momentum for dialogue between North Korea and the United States amid stalled denuclearization talks.

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

Xi Calls off June Visit to Seoul

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called off plans to visit Korea in June as a trade war with the U.S. intensifies. The government here had hoped that Xi would visit either before or after the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on June 28-29. A diplomatic source in Seoul said Friday, “China feels there is very little to gain from a visit to Seoul for the time being.” The tides changed abruptly after the Trump administration cut off all trade with Huawei and pressured allies to join its boycott of the Chinese electronics and telecom giant. "China wants to focus all its efforts on dealing with the U.S. for now," the source said.

Parents to Be Banned from Physically Disciplining Kids

The government wants to revise the law so parents no longer have the right to corporal punishment of their children, a spokesman said Thursday. The current law allows parents to discipline their children as they see fit. Only a handful of countries like Japan still allow parents to punish their children physically. But in March the Japanese government announced a plan for a debate to decide whether that should be banned. Korea in principle bans guardians from inflicting "physical or psychological pain" on children. But habitual abusers sometimes cite the right to discipline their children under the separate civil law.

Don't Gulp Down Cold Water After Exercise

Ice-cold water seems to be one of the best thirst-quenchers after a hard workout, but doctors say it can cause not only indigestion but actually hinder your muscles from relieving fatigue. The digestive ability of the stomach slows down right after exercising because blood supply is focused mainly on the muscles instead of the digestive organs. Drinking cold water overtaxes already weak digestive functions.

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

Who is responsible for carrying the candlelit government forward?

“While there’s a lot this administration hasn’t done very well, isn’t it right to focus on redistributing more with the lower class? For decades, now, the income of the companies and the wealthy has shot up, while the income of workers and the lower class has stagnated. Just because a few policies are problematic doesn’t mean we upset the applecart. That would ultimately mean going back to the era of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. It’s awful just to think about that. I want this administration to do well, so that I can keep living under a liberal government.”

China using freon gas violating intl. agreement in destruction of ozone layer

Studies have demonstrated that China has been producing and using freon gas in violation of an international agreement banning the substance as destructive to the ozone layer. An international research group, which included a team of researchers led by Park Seon-young, professor of earth systems science at Kyungpook National University (KNU), announced on May 23 that analysis of observation data from South Korea and Japan confirmed much of the world’s recently increased concentrations of freon gas in the atmosphere to have been emitted in China’s northeast. The team’s findings were published in the May 22 issue of the science journal Nature.

George W. Bush gives address at commemorative ceremony for Roh Moo-hyun

“He was a bold leader who spoke out courageously. And the President of the United States was no exception to the things he spoke out about. President Roh spoke with a willingness to do anything for the national interest.” These words were delivered by former US President George W. Bush in a eulogy during a May 23 memorial for the 10th anniversary of the death of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. Bush also gave a self-painted portrait of Roh to widow Kwon Yang-sook and other family members of the former president while meeting with them just before the ceremony at 2 pm that day. “As I painted the portrait, I thought of a president who dedicated himself to human rights. I painted a kind and sympathetic man. I painted a man who respected fundamental rights of all citizens,” he recalled.

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

S. Korean film director Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' wins top honor at Cannes

A South Korean movie has won the top honor at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in the 100 years of the country’s film history. Director Bong Joon-ho grabbed the Palme d'Or at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Saturday (local time) for his black comedy movie “Parasite.” Bong rejoiced at the honor, calling the award a “great gift” to mark the 100 years of Korean cinema this year. Noting that the film “Parasite” was an “amazing adventure” to him, the South Korean director gave the credit to the movies’ actors by saying that the artists who worked with him made the film possible. He also turned the spotlight to the leading actor, Song Kang-ho, calling him “the greatest actor and his partner.” Song said, “I give this honor to all respected actors in Korea who taught me patience, wisdom and passion.”

Pyongyang rejects Seoul’s offer to provide rice, demands cash instead

South Korea offered to North Korea in January this year that it would double the amount (than the value of cash) if it provides rice in lieu of dollars, under the condition that the Koreas resume South Koreans’ tours to Mount Kumgang and reopen the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Park. However, the North reportedly rejected the offer. This reveals that Pyongyang is taking more seriously a decline in North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s coffers for governing the Stalinist country due to sanctions against the North, rather than food shortages.

Korea's local festivals thanks to their own features

The Dong-A Ilbo, Dong In & Com, the International Festivals and Events Association’s Asia chapter held a seminar on the globalization of festivals in Korea on Saturday at the Artee Hall of Sejong Cultural Center, Seoul in celebration of the K-Festival 2019. The meeting shared successful stories of Boryeong Mud Festival, Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival and Gimje Jipyeongseon Festival, which all are equipped with factors of globe-wide festivals.

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

Prosecutors Restored Recording of Lee Jae-yong's Phone Call in Samsung BioLogics's "Vice Chairman" Folder

The voice of Lee Jae-yong (pictured), vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, was discovered among the recordings of phone calls stored in the "Vice Chairman Calls" folder, which Samsung Bioepis, a subsidiary of Samsung BioLogics, deleted in preparation for a prosecutors' investigation last year. Prosecutors confirmed the voice of Lee after restoring the files with digital forensics. Prosecutors believe the recording of Lee is evidence that the vice chairman personally managed issues concerning Samsung BioLogics, including the accounting fraud and the controversial call option. They are concentrating their investigation on identifying Lee's role in the destruction of evidence by Samsung.

Is Food Aid to North Korea Humanitarian?

One thing is clear. Food aid to North Korea by the South Korean and U.S. governments has never been provided without political consideration. That is why we feel uncomfortable each time these two governments claim that food aid to North Korea has nothing to do with the political situation. In 1985, when Mengistu's socialist regime caused massive casualties by suspending food and medical support to rebel areas in Ethiopia, which was under his iron-fisted rule at the time, the U.S. Ronald Reagan administration decided to provide food aid to Ethiopia despite domestic opposition. At the time, President Reagan left a famous phrase saying, "A hungry child knows no politics." But the fact that this expression is still mentioned today only shows that it is that rare for one country to be involved in another country’s humanitarian crisis brought on by political actions and not natural disasters, purely on a humanitarian level.

Tenth Anniversary of the Death of Roh Moo-hyun: Recalling the Dream of a "World for People"

A decade has passed since former President Roh Moo-hyun hastily left us. Nearly 10 million people have visited Bongha Village in the past ten years since 2009. People miss “the fool,” Roh Moo-hyun and sympathize with the ideals he embodied. Their aspiration to succeed his wishes has grown stronger despite the passing of a decade. The fact that people still summon him, not by his name alone, but by expressions such as the “Roh Moo-hyun spirit,” and “Roh Moo-hyun values” signifies that the dream of a "world for people," which he had pursued, is still alive in our time.

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

S. Korea under pressure to join U.S. anti-Huawei campaign

South Korea faces another economic and diplomatic test as it falls under increasing pressure to join the U.S. sanctions on China’s Huawei, the world’s biggest maker of networking gear, in the sprawling cold war between the two superpowers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday that the U.S. has stressed the importance of ensuring the security of 5G telecom equipment and that the Korean government was well aware of such concerns. The ministry admitted that the two governments were in talks about the issue but refrained from going into details.

Greater Bay plan part of China’s ambitions to become superpower: Gary Liu

China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA) Initiative, along with the global Belt and Road Initiative, is an ambitious project undertaken by Beijing to assert itself as a global superpower, said Gary Liu, chief executive of South China Morning Post. “With a collaborative effort between these 11 cities (under the GBA initiative), we can expect enhanced cross-border movements of capital, people, goods, services, and technology, leading to significantly elevated regional industries,” Liu said Thursday at the Maekyung Hong Kong Forum hosted by South Korea’s Maekyung Media Group in the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong.

Market Kurly nets additional $29.4 mn, bringing Series D to $113.4 mn

South Korea’s online door-to-door grocery service Market Kurly has raised an additional 35 billion won ($29.4 million) in Series D funding from China’s private equity fund Hillhouse Capital, after bagging 100 billion won from existing investors last month. The total 135 billion won will be spent on advancing its logistics system, enhancing supply chain and hiring more employees to maintain service quality, said Market Kurly operator Kurly on Friday.

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com