The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday July 11, 2019

Why hide all the wonderful things of your country?!

Excellency, why hide all the wonderful things of your country, which the Korean people are eager to learn?
Why not follow the suit of the other ambassadors?

Special Report on United Arab Emirates in English:
http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=7898
Special Report on Bangladesh in English:
http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=8729

Special Report on Fiji in the Korean language:
http://www.koreapost.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=40870
Special Report on Colombia in Korean:
http://www.koreapost.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=36871

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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.

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan hold phone talks over Japan's export curbs, N.K.

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States have held phone talks to discuss Tokyo's recent export control measure against Seoul and diplomacy for North Korea's denuclearization, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. During the 15-minute talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday night, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha voiced concerns over Japan's restrictions on the exports of key high-tech materials to South Korea.

U.S. says it seeks elimination of N.K. WMDs that begins with freeze

The United States wants to see the complete elimination of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction that begins with a freeze on their production, the State Department said Tuesday. The comment comes ahead of the expected resumption of negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, and could signal the U.S.' openness to adopting a step-by-step approach to its dismantlement.

Moon presses Japan to halt export curbs before reaching 'dead end'

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ratcheted up the pressure on Japan to stop heading toward a "dead end" with "politically motivated" export restrictions against South Korea. Speaking at a meeting with dozens of local business leaders at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, he stressed that the government is doing its best for a diplomatic resolution to the problem. "I hope the Japanese government will respond to it," Moon said. "I hope it will no longer go toward a dead end."

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

Top Diplomats of S. Korea, US Discuss Japan's Trade Restrictions

The top diplomats of South Korea and the U.S. on Wednesday discussed relations between Seoul and Tokyo in the midst of a trade row between the two Asian neighbors. Seoul's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held discussions on Tuesday night over the phone. Kang expressed concerns that Japan's trade restrictions would not only damage South Korean businesses but could also negatively impact world trade by disrupting global supply.

Sources: UNC Seeks to Include Japan as Official Member

The American-led United Nations Command(UNC) in South Korea is reportedly seeking to include Japan as an official member, a move that would invite Japanese military involvement in the event of an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula. Multiple government sources in Seoul said on Thursday that the U.S. is actively seeking to expand the UNC's roles on the peninsula and that it hopes Japan will join 18 other countries that send human and physical assets to support South Korea’s national security.

Minimum Wage Commission Meeting Ends Again Without Agreement

Labor and business representatives have again failed to form a consensus on next year's minimum wage. The Minimum Wage Commission, a panel consisting of business, labor and government officials, held its eleventh general meeting in Sejong city on Wednesday to discuss new wage proposals put forth by labor and business. In the latest talks, the labor side proposed an hourly minimum wage of nine-thousand-570 won, or a 14-point-six percent hike from this year’s rate.

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

UNC seeks to include Japan as official member: sources

The U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC) is seeking to include Japan as an official member, sources said Thursday, a move likely to inflame public sentiment in South Korea amid renewed historical tensions with Tokyo. Should Japan participate as part of the UNC's "sending states," its membership would pave the way for its military involvement in the event of an armed conflict on the peninsula -- a scenario unthinkable for most Koreans harboring grievances stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

S&P cuts growth outlook for S. Korea's economy to 2 percent

Global rating agency Standard & Poor's has sharply slashed its growth forecast for South Korea's economy this year to 2 percent due to rising uncertainty about the global trade outlook and weaker consumption. The latest estimate represented a sharp downward revision from its previous forecast of 2.4 percent in April.

Preliminaries in diving, artistic swimming scheduled on day of opening ceremony

The 2019 FINA World Championships will kick off with an opening ceremony Friday evening, but preliminary events for diving and artistic swimming have also been scheduled for earlier in the day in Gwangju. Preliminaries for the men's 1-meter springboard diving will begin at 11 a.m. at Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center. Host South Korea will send Woo Ha-ram and Kim Yeong-nam. The two will compete in their fourth consecutive world championships.

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

Japan’s export curbs fuel political feud in S. Korea

Japan’s decision to impose export restrictions on key hi-tech semiconductor and electronics materials to South Korea is having a political fallout here. President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday reiterated Seoul’s position that the measures are politically motivated, while criticizing Japan’s attempt to justify its actions by linking them to sanctions on North Korea.

Moon likely to go ahead with appointment of top prosecutor

President Moon Jae-in was set to request a report from the National Assembly on Wednesday on the confirmation hearing of Prosecutor General nominee Yoon Seok-youl -- a report that two opposition parties have refused to adopt, accusing Yoon of perjury. A Cheong Wa Dae official told Yonhap News that the president would make the request Wednesday.

China likely to benefit from Japan’s export curbs

If Japan-imposed restrictions on exports of key tech materials to South Korea are extended in the long term, the curbs would benefit China while hurting both the Korean and Japanese economies, according to experts on Wednesday. Industry and economic experts here say that China would benefit the most from the Korea-Japan spat, as Chinese players would get a chance to step into the broken supply chain of the global electronics industry that has been led by Korean companies.

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

Moon warns Japan not to aggravate row

President Moon Jae-in warned Japan, Wednesday, not to aggravate a bilateral trade row by making unfounded claims against Korea, and underlined the need for a diplomatic solution in the aftermath of export regulations imposed by Tokyo that are feared to damage the nation's IT sector. Moon underlined once again that the decision was politically motivated. "Carrying out measures to hurt Korea's economy and linking them to sanctions against North Korea without any grounds are not at all desirable for friendship and security cooperation between the two countries," he said at the start of a meeting with top executives of the country's leading conglomerates.

Teaching Korean at height of raging K-Wave

Satchukorn Kaewchuay, a high school Korean language teacher in Thailand, has no trouble keeping his students focused in class. "I use examples that refer to EXO or BTS and the students perk up and participate," Kaewchuay told The Korea Times at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, central Seoul, Tuesday. Kaewchuay and 130 other Korean language instructors and education officials from 38 countries arrived in Seoul this week to attend the 17th International Conference of Korean Educators Abroad, which runs from Tuesday to Saturday. "If I simply read the example in the textbook, such as 'Why do you study Korean? Because I like Korean food!' no one would pay attention," he said.

[INTERVIEW] 'Rich, accurate data fosters K-beauty'

B2LiNK, a Seoul-based startup founded in 2014, has since provided a sales platform and marketing consultation for local skincare and makeup brands that want to export their products. CEO Lee So-hyung said his company plays a bridging role for Korean beauty brands to make inroads abroad, noting that the role of the company is similar to that of publishers in the game industry or distributors in the movie industry. The K-beauty IT platform provider first targeted the Chinese market and then moved on to the U.S., achieving meaningful results in both. In 2018 alone, the startup had an aggregate turnover of 100 billion won ($85 million).

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

Singles Change Retail Market

The growing number of single households is changing the way companies package and market goods and services. One industry that is benefiting from the rise is food deliveries. Mister Pizza has joined hands with food delivery app Yogiyo to market a new smaller pizza for singles which is only the size of around two slices of an ordinary pizza. Delivery is available in areas of Seoul where singles are concentrated like the financial district of Yeouido and Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul.

Korea Complains About Japan to WTO

The government on Tuesday raised an urgent complaint about Japan's export restrictions on materials vital to Korean IT giants at a World Trade Organization meeting in Geneva. The move came after Japan rejected President Moon Jae-in's calls to withdraw the new export curbs on three core materials for semiconductors, smartphones and TVs on which Japan has a virtual monopoly. Japan, meanwhile, warned of further retaliation in a spat over compensation for wartime forced labor victims unless Korea agrees to set up an arbitration panel from a third country by July 18.

How to Wean Your Kids off Smartphones

More and more young children learn how to use a smartphone before they can even stand up, and many parents are stumped how to prevent them from spending all their time staring at a screen. The Chosun Ilbo asked experts what parents can do to prevent terminal brain melt in their children and found that the only way is to keep them on a short leash. The World Health Organization advised in April not to show infants and toddlers cartoons or other TV programs on smartphones and to expose them to as little as possible to the devices until the age of two. Once they can no longer be stopped, the WHO advises letting them use the devices for no more than an hour at a time.

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

The intentions behind Abe’s export controls

With South Korea-Japan relations thrown into turmoil by the Abe administration’s imposition of controls on exports of semiconductor and display materials to South Korea, a critical question is whether the election in Japan’s House of Councillors on July 21 will lead to a breakthrough or whether the trade dispute will keep dragging on. This question is directly linked to what Japan hopes to achieve from the export controls.

Tokyo’s shifts justification for export controls to ambiguous claims about “inappropriate issues”

When the Japanese government imposed retaliatory measures on exports to South Korean government, its initial justification was that bilateral trust had been damaged. But when it became clear that this was a poor legal justification in light of international trade norms, Tokyo has shifted to a new reason, namely that there have been “inappropriate issues” in the management of exports of strategic materials. Experts think that Japan has settled on a strategy of buying time by making ambiguous claims about “inappropriate issues” without providing any kind of evidence, based on its belief that an attempt to resolve this conflict on an international level will become protracted.

US adopts hands-off approach to S. Korea-Japan trade dispute

The US Donald Trump administration is adopting a wait-and-see approach on the deepening conflict between South Korea and Japan, refraining from any particular statement of a position on the latter’s controls on semiconductor material exports. Despite the major emphasis the US has placed on trilateral coordination to achieve North Korea’s denuclearization and contain China, it now appears to be holding back from intervening as it watches to see what effects the situation has on itself.

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

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin allows no run at All-Star Game

South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers stepped onto the mound as the first pitcher of the National League at MLB All-Star Game held at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday (local time). He allowed only one hit and no run during the first inning throwing 12 pitches against four batters in front of the 36,747 spectators.

U.S. views N. Korea's nuclear freeze as beginning of denuke

The U.S. Department of State made it clear on Tuesday (local time) that a freeze on North Korea's nuclear program is the beginning but not the final goal of the North Korea-U.S. denuclearization negotiations. The statement is a reiteration of the U.S. stance that the North's nuclear freeze is the "entrance" to the denuclearization talks, not the "exit." It is interpreted that the message is aimed at rebutting the argument that Washington would lower its goal of the North's denuclearization to a "small deal," which is considered a nuclear freeze.

Hyundai E&C wins plant order worth 3.2 trillion won in Saudi Arabia

Hyundai Engineering & Construction (E&C) has won a 3.2-trillion-won plant contract from Saudi Arabia. Hyundai E&C said on Wednesday that it signed a 2.7-billion-dollar deal that includes Package 6 and Package 12 development projects in Marjan at Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (local time).

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

[Lee Dae-geun's Column] Lesson Learned from Abe

A crisis does not always sneak up on you. Some problems approach in long, slow strides. That was the way it was with the crisis in South Korea-Japan relations, highlighted by Japan's trade retaliation. This crisis cannot be described as a single case of trade retaliation; it is an old problem. It was a universal phenomenon, spread wide and deep in the relationship between the two countries during the past seven years.

Government Skeptical of Arbitration Committee on Forced Labor. July 18, a Critical Day in South Korea-Japan Conflict

The economic dispute between South Korea and Japan, triggered after Japan tightened its export regulations, is expected to face the first hurdle in the next ten days. Japan may release additional retaliatory measures sometime around July 18, the deadline for South Korea’s response on the establishment of an arbitration committee of third-country members, which Japan requested concerning the South Korean court's ruling on compensation for forced labor. Reportedly, the government is not expected to accept the request for arbitration.

The Reason Why Abe Mentioned Sanctions on North Korea

The Japanese government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (pictured) mentioned North Korea when speaking of economic retaliation on South Korea. They hinted at the possibility of some strategic goods exported to South Korea flowing into North Korea. They also tried to justify Japan’s retaliation with the issue of North Korea and security, which are sensitive issues in the Japan, but the Japanese government has also been criticized for making a risky move, one that even aims to readjust Japan’s relationship with South Korea.

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

Hyundai E&C wins $2.7 billion plant deal in Saudi Arabia

Hyundai Engineering & Construction has bagged a $2.7 billion contract to build gas and crude oil-processing facilities in Saudi Arabia, according to the company on Wednesday. The South Korean builder said it won the construction order for two major packages (No. 6 and 12) of an oil field incremental development project led by Saudi Aramco in Marjan, northeast Saudi Arabia.

KOGAS issues $500 mn in 10-yr sustainable bonds

South Korea’s state-run Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) has successfully sold $500 million worth of long-term U.S. dollar-denominated bonds after the rare long-term debt sale backed by high credit ratings drew great interest from international investors. According to KOGAS on Wednesday, it on Tuesday sold 10-year global bonds worth $500 million with a maturity of 10 years expiring July 16, 2029 at a coupon rate of 2.978 percent, 92.5 basis points above the 10-year U.S. government treasury yield.

S&P cuts Korea’s economic growth outlook for 2019 from 2.4% to 2.0%

Global credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) revised down South Korea’s economic growth outlook this year to 2.0 percent from 2.4 percent, becoming the latest in turning more negative about Asia’s fourth largest economy. “High inventories, particularly in the electronics sector, and rising uncertainty about the global trade outlook will continue to weigh down production and private investment,” the agency said in a report released on Wednesday. “Meanwhile, the labor market remains relatively weak, leading to weaker consumption,” it added.

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

USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com
The New York Times www.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com
Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com support@wsj.com, service@wsj-asia.com
Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com
The Times www.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk
The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk
Chinese People's Daily www.people.com.cn kf@people.cn
China Daily www.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn
GwangmyeongDaily www.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn
Japan's Yomiuri www.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com
Asahi www.asahi.com customer-support@asahi.com
Mainichi www.mainichi.jp
Le Monde www.ilemonde.com
Italy LaRepubblica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com
Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitung www.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de
SüddeutscheZeitung www.sueddeutsche.de forum@sueddeutsche.de
Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports http://colombiareports.com
Bogota Free Planet http://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english
Andes http://www.andes.info.ec/en
Ecuador Times http://www.ecuadortimes.net
The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com
LSM.lv http://www.lsm.lv/en
The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais http://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html
Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net
Daily News Hungary http://dailynewshungary.com
Budapest Times http://budapesttimes.hu
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The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.
Azerbaijan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM
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Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
And many other countries.
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