Headlines, June 26, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday June 26, 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.

Seoul considering extending tax benefits on eco-friendly cars: finance minister

South Korea is considering extending a temporary tax cut on purchases of all-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric cars, the finance minister said Tuesday, in the latest move to help eco-friendly cars expand their presence here. Since 2017, the government has waived a 5 percent special excise tax on purchases of all-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric cars. The temporary tax cut is set to end in December this year.

Stature of N.K. leader's sister appears elevated: Seoul's spy agency

The stature of Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, appears to have been elevated, the chief of the parliament's intelligence committee said Tuesday, citing the spy agency's closed-door briefing. Rep. Lee Hye-hoon made the remarks, revising her earlier explanation that the standing of Kim Yo-jong appears to have been bolstered to a "leadership level." She admitted that the explanation "does not match the reality" in the North, where Kim Jong-un is the sole, supreme ruler.

GM investment shows commitment in S. Korea: executive

General Motors Co.'s recent facility investment in South Korea and plans to launch new vehicles show the U.S. carmaker's strong commitment in the market, a GM executive said Tuesday. Early this year, the Detroit carmaker began to build a paint shop at the Changwon plant, one of its three car assembly lines in Korea, to support the local production of a crossover utility vehicle in 2023.

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

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

Monsoon Rains to Arrive Wednesday

Korea’s annual summer rainy season is set to begin as seasonal rains are expected to arrive Wednesday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as much as 100 millimeters of monsoon rains are expected for Jeju Island, southern coastal regions and Mount Jiri areas.

Trump Says He'll Meet Kim 'At Some Point'

U.S. President Donald Trump said that he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "at some point." Trump made the remarks during an interview with the Washington-based political newspaper The Hill when asked about the letter that he recently received from Kim.

LKP Under Fire After Rejecting Deal to Normalize Parliament

Anchor: The main opposition Liberty Korea Party(LKP) is under fire after it dismissed a deal reached by party floor leaders, including its own Na Kyung-won, to hold an extra session in June that would have ended a months-long impasse over legislative and procedural disagreements. Choi You Sun has more. Report: The ruling Democratic Party(DP) and three minor parties denounced the main opposition Liberty Korea Party(LKP) for rejecting a deal struck between party floor leaders on Monday to normalize the National Assembly.

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

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

S. Korea to provide 70 tln won to nurture service sector

South Korea will provide 70 trillion won (US$60.5 billion) to nurture the service sector in the next five years, the finance minister said Wednesday in the latest move to revitalize the economy. Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, made the comments in a meeting on boosting the country's service industry.

Trump says he will meet with Kim 'at some point'

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "at some point," further casting doubt on a possible summit during his trip to the peninsula this week. Trump will visit Seoul on Saturday and Sunday after attending a Group of 20 summit in Japan, prompting speculation that a Trump-Kim meeting could be arranged at the inter-Korean border.

No summit between S. Korea, Japan at G-20: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korean President Moon Jae-in won't meet bilaterally with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Group of 20 summit this week, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Tuesday amid a drawn-out spat between the neighboring countries over their shared history. South Korea is "always" ready for such a separate summit, but Japan doesn't seem to be, the official told reporters in a briefing on Moon's schedule for the two-day G-20 session to open in Osaka, Japan, on Friday.

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

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

S-Oil broadens horizons with preeminent chemicals projects

South Korea’s leading oil refiner S-Oil is getting closer to its “Vision 2025,” in which it aspires to become the most competitive and admired energy and chemical company in the Asia-Pacific region. It is swiftly responding to rapid changes in the business environment brought on by the shale boom and emergence of electric vehicles.

North Korea, historical issues hang over Moon as he heads to G-20 Summit

set to be held in Osaka, Japan, later this week -- will be an opportunity to further his agenda on dealing with North Korea and to strengthen and mend ties with G-20 countries. Moon has a number of bilateral summit talks scheduled on the sidelines of the event, including meetings with leaders of Canada, China, Indonesia and Russia.

Glimpse into S-Oil’s RUC/ODC project

S-Oil is slated to hold an inauguration ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the successful completion and beginning of operations of its residue upgrading complex and olefin downstream complex, or RUC and ODC, built at a cost of 5 trillion won ($4.3 billion). The RUC/ODC project, which began operations in November last year, relies on low-value residue oil as feedstock to produce high-value petrochemical products.

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

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

Biegun to visit Seoul ahead of Trump

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will visit Seoul, Thursday, for talks with officials here on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to the U.S. State Department. His visit takes place two days before U.S. President Donald Trump's planned trip to the South this weekend. Trump will hold a summit with President Moon Jae-in and discuss measures to resume the suspended nuclear disarmament negotiations with North Korea.

Gov't to sell Woori shares by 2022

The government will sell its remaining 18.3 percent stake in Woori Financial Group by 2022, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said Tuesday, Regardless of whether the stock price goes up or down, the state-run Korea Deposit Insurance Corp. (KDIC) will start liquidating its Woori shares in 2020.

Chungha abandons comfort zone with new release 'Flourishing'

Many people anticipated that K-pop diva Chungha would return with a refreshing tropical song, just like she did last summer. But she defied expectations, choosing to leave her comfort zone with her fourth mini-album "Flourishing," released Monday. "I want to display a different color of music and show my growth with the fresh EP," Chungha said during Monday's press event at Sogang University's Mary Hall, Seoul. "I hope I can mark a turning point in my career."

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

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

Koreans Buy Their 1st Home Later in Life

Koreans now have to wait until an average age of 42 before they can afford to buy their first home. They borrow an average of 38 percent of their home value from banks. According to report by the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements on Monday, the average age of first-time homeowners, be it by purchase or inheritance, was 43.3 in the past four years.

Moon, Abe Won't Meet on Sidelines of G20

President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will not meet one-on-one on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka on Thursday and Friday. The U.S. State Department tried to get Seoul and Tokyo to mend frayed ties, but the two leaders could not even agree to an informal "pull-aside" on the sidelines.

Tips to Avoid Chronic Insomnia

Many people have trouble falling asleep, especially when they have a lot going on in their daily life. The danger is that temporary insomnia can become chronic unless you are careful and avoid some common traps. The first danger is worrying too much about sleep. The more you force it, the harder it gets to go to sleep, so if sleep will not come it is better to resign yourself to staying awake and relax.

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

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

report- Part IV]Samsung’s systematic dismantlement of its first overseas labor union
‘Union-free workplace’ is the keyword that links Samsung’s factories around the world together. Since late Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul proclaimed that unions would be allowed “over my dead body,” this principle has remained in place across three generations. However, this anachronistic management policy is out of touch with global standards and continues to lead to discord with the present Samsung that has already grown into a global enterprise. This reality can be seen through the case of Indonesia, the first Samsung overseas factory to set up a legal labor union. Zulherman, 39, a former engineer at the Samsung Electronics factory in Cikarang, Indonesia, still vividly remembers October 21, 2012. That was the day that the first legal labor union at an overseas Samsung Electronics production facility came into existence. “I submitted the certificate of union registration to the company myself,” Zulherman said. The manager’s face immediately took on a displeased look, and it seemed that he was very surprised.” But even at that point, Zulherman could never have predicted the tribulations that lay ahead for him and his colleagues.

Trump to visit S. Korea for summit with Moon on June 29-30
US President Donald Trump will be visiting South Korea on June 29–30 for a bilateral summit with President Moon Jae-in. A senior government official also said a possible visit to the DMZ by Trump during his visit is “under consideration.” Blue House Spokesperson Ko Min-jung said on June 24 that Trump “is paying an official visit to South Korea for two days from June 29 to 30.”

Pompeo expresses hopes for working-level talks with N. Korea
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed high hopes for a resumption of working-level talks with North Korea following President Donald Trump’s response to a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Meanwhile, Stephen Biegun, the US State Department special representative for North Korea, was confirmed to have pushed his arrival date in South Korea back to June 27 after previous reports what he would visit on June 24 to attempt working-level communication with Pyongyang. Speaking to reporters on June 23 ahead of a visit to the Middle East, Pompeo said, “I am hopeful that this [letter from Trump to Kim] will provide a good foundation for us to begin to continue the important discussions with the North Koreans to denuclearize the [Korean] peninsula.”

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

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

S. Korea-Japan relations stay strained despite efforts

A potential summit between South Korea and Japan in light of the G20 summit to be held in Osaka, Japan from June 28 did not come to fruition. Experts say that there should be more efforts made to restore the relations between the neighboring countries through G20 as there is a growing concern over the further extension of strained bilateral relations. “There will be no summit between Seoul and Tokyo (during G20). While we are ready to have bilateral talks, Japan does not seem to be,” said a high-level official of the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae during a meeting with reporters on Tuesday. To the question asking if there was a proposal for a summit by the Japanese government, he said “There was no proposal from the Japanese side. We told Tokyo that we were ready to meet, yet there was no response from the other end.”

Naver to develop high-precision map for auto driving in Seoul

Naver Labs, an R&D subsidiary of South Korea’s largest internet portal and search engine Naver, revealed on Tuesday the “A-city” roadmap for the commercialization of autonomous driving. A-city is a name coined by Naver, which is a new city environment where various types of machines move around by themselves like self-driving robots to create a new kind of connection. “The explosive increase of high-performance sensors and AI robots is breaking down the wall between the physical space and the virtual space,” Naver Labs CEO Seok Sang-ok said at the Naver meet-up event held at the Seoul Dragon City in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. “Various information services of Naver that are only available online via computers or smartphones at the moment will expand to all corners of people’s lives,” he added.

Warner Bros names Ann Sarnoff as its first female CEO

BBC executive Ann Sarnoff was named CEO of American entertainment company Warner Bro. (WB) on Monday (local time). A female CEO is going to lead the company for the first time in its history since its foundation in 1923. Former WB CEO Kevin Tsujihara stepped down in March for allegedly having a sexual relationship with an actress after promising her to offer her acting roles in films. After studying at Georgetown University and Harvard Business School, Sarnoff has gained experience overseeing strategy and program sales as head of BBC America and BBC Worldwide. It has been recognized that she played a key role in increasing the number of subscribers for BBC, for example, by helping Doctor Who merchandise reach over 100 million U.S. dollars (approx. 120 billion won) at retail.

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

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

Liberty Korea Party Agreed to Resume Parliamentary Affairs, Then Threw the Opportunity Out the Window

Discussions to resume parliamentary affairs had nearly reached an agreement on June 24, but ultimately collapsed when the Liberty Korea Party overturned the agreement during a general meeting of the party's lawmakers. The floor leaders of the ruling party and two opposition parties announced an agreement on the Fast Track bills, the supplementary budget and a roundtable discussion on the economy. However, Liberty Korea Party lawmakers failed to ratify the agreement, which ended up as a bundle of paper in the garbage can in just two hours. Public criticism of the irresponsible behavior by the major opposition party, which overturned an agreement they publicly announced and opted to extend a National Assembly that refused to work, is growing.

Education Ministry's Audit of Private Universities: May It Lead to the Development of Our Private Schools

On June 24, the Ministry of Education announced plans to launch a comprehensive audit of sixteen universities that had not received a government audit since the schools' founding. The government will also launch efforts to root out long-established bad practices in private schools, including an amendment of the Private School Act. The education ministry practically declared that it would no longer turn a blind eye to the embezzlement and accounting fraud, which had been openly carried out by private schools under the excuse of college autonomy. This appears to be another effort by the Moon Jae-in government to reform private schools, following its sweeping changes to private kindergartens. Sixteen universities in Seoul and other areas including Kyunghee University, Korea University, Sogang University, Yonsei University, the Catholic University of Korea, Konyang University and Youngsan University will be subject to the audit by the education ministry, which will begin next month and end in 2021. All the schools have more than six thousand students and have never been subject to a comprehensive audit by the government since the foundation of the school. Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Education Yoon Eun-hye explained the background for the decision to conduct the audits and mentioned that actions that go against good common sense and principles were taking place in some of the private colleges, which receive nearly seven trillion won in government funding. According to the figures presented by the ministry, of the 278 private colleges nationwide, 111 schools (61 universities, 50 vocational colleges) have not been subject to a comprehensive audit since the founding of the school. This is 40% of all private colleges. It is surprising to see that more than a handful of private colleges have remained in the blind spot of audits for decades despite receiving huge government funding each year.

Shattered Trust Between Labor and the Government: Angry Waves Ahead

The arrest of Kim Myung-hwan, head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, has led the relationship between labor and the government into a fierce storm. The tug-of-war between the government and the confederation, which began with the expansion of items included in the minimum wage calculations last year, ended up with the arrest of Kim. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions is now set to launch a battle for the survival of the organization rather than focus on social rights, such as the ratification of the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The complete restoration of social dialogue, which the Moon Jae-in government had been devoted to, seems unlikely within the government's term. Some experts claim this is deja vu of the Roh Moo-hyun government, which claimed to "wipe the tears of the workers," but failed to reconcile with labor after they parted over a truck drivers’ strike shortly after inauguration. On June 22, the day after the arrest of Kim, the confederation held a meeting and finalized plans to launch a battle against the government including a general strike in July. All twelve advisors including former heads of the confederation Kwon Young-ghil, Dan Byung-ho, Lee Soo-ho and Han Sang-kyun attended the general meeting and delivered the message, "Since Kim was arrested in the process of struggling for all workers by resolving labor issues and expanding basic labor rights, we should overcome this obstacle by uniting and fiercely fighting back." Therefore, rallies are expected to be held simultaneously nationwide, along with a national workers' congress this month, followed by a strike by irregular workers in the public sector and a general strike next month.

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

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

Seoul to sell remaining stake in Woori Financial Group by 2022

The South Korean government plans to fully cash out of Woori Financial Group by selling the remaining 18.3 percent stake by 2022 regardless of the stock price. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said Tuesday it would divest the stake in two to three stages starting from 2020, offloading up to 10 percent in each tranche. This would complete the privatization of Woori, once a wholly-owned government entity formed through a merger of major lenders following the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Hyundai Mobis’ short-range radar recognized for contributing to Korean technology development

South Korea’s leading auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis Co. has been awarded the grand prize of the 37th Chung Jin-ki Media and Culture Award in the science and technology category for developing the country’s first key sensor for autonomous vehicles. The Chung Jin-ki Media and Culture Foundation on Tuesday announced the winners of 37th Chung Jin-ki Media and Culture Award garnered to individuals and groups that contribute to the development of the national economy through creative science and technology research and publication of economics and business books.

Majority of South Koreans skeptical of NK giving up nuclear arms

Eight out of 10 South Koreans doubt Pyongyang’s sincerity in giving up nuclear weapons and younger Koreans are less avid in the idea of unification, according to a poll timed with the June 25, 1950 breakout of the Korean War. In the survey conducted by Maeil Business Newspaper and Hankook Research from June 12 to 17 on 1,203 Koreans aged over 19, 76.7 percent was skeptical about North Korea surrendering nuclear arms versus 13.4 percent positive answer. The other 9.9 percent said they did not have an opinion on the issue.

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

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=9392
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lee kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com