The Korean daily media headlines and humor

They are also invited to toll the Peace Bell of the World which was made with the expended bullets and shells donated by many countries of the world where there have been conflicts as a token of expression of hopes for peace in the world.

Nestled between the town of Hwacheon and the mountains, the Hwacheon River is not only covered by a thick layer of ice, but also by thousands of festival participants.
Ambassadors and families are invited to attend the Festival on Friday January 17, 2014.

Ambassadors and senior diplomats are invited with their spouses and families to attend the Festival on Thursday January 17, 2014. Individual invitation has already been transmitted to the Ambassadors and the senior diplomats. In the event of our transmission failure, please contact Ms. Kim Jeong-mi at Tel 2298-1740/2, 010-3388-1682 or edt@koreapost.com. English-speaking callers please contact David Chung at the same number and email address.
(Further details and photos are at the end of this Headlines.)

This morning we have the wonderful Facebook share of His Excellency former Ambassador Mustafa Kamal of Bangladesh in Seoul:

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Dr. Sang-Ki Hahn's African wise-sayings:

If a polygamist is ill, he is starved to death.
-A Ghanaian proverb

The hen knows dawn, but she leaves the crowing to the cock.
-A Ghanaian proverb

One cannot tie a knot without the thumb.
-A Ghanaian proverb

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Humor from Korean-language economic dailies this morning:

Seoul Kyungje

Two fellows were sitting in a coffee shop.
Suddenly the Town's Fire Alarm went off. And then one jumped up and headed for the door.
His friend shouted, "Hey, Tom, I didn't know you were a fireman!"
Tom replied, "I'm not, but my girlfriend's husband is."

Hankuk Kyungje
Very Pregnant Woman
One Friday afternoon, the officer enforcing the high occupancy vehicle lanes of a county highway pulled over a car with only a driver in it. After nine years as a police officer, he thought he had heard every excuse motorists have for violating the requirements that cars in the designated lanes hold at least three occupants.
As he approached, he saw a very pregnant woman behind the wheel. She pointed to her midsection bulge and declared, “Twins!”
He let her go.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

Seoul to Pay More to Keep American Forces in S. Korea
Seoul and Washington have agreed on a new Special Measures Agreement (SMA) to adjust their financial burden of keeping American forces in South Korea.

Pope Francis to Appoint Seoul Archbishop as Cardinal
The archbishop of Seoul Andrew Yeom Soo-jung has been named a cardinal by Pope Francis.

Bill Submitted in Senate to Extend S. Korea-US Nuke Energy Deal
A bill has been submitted to the U.S. Senate to extend the South Korea-U.S. bilateral atomic energy agreement ahead of its expiration in March.

US to Dispatch 12 F-16 Fighters to S. Korea
The US Air Force will send 12 F-16 fighters to one of its bases in South Korea this month.

Confusion Clears over French Foreign Minister's Position on Yasukuni
A controversy has developed over a Japanese media report on remarks the French foreign minister made concerning the Japanese prime minister’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine.

Park Says BOK Cannot Directly Intervene in FX Market
In an interview with Bloomberg News on Friday, President Park Geun-hye said the Bank of Korea can obviously not directly intervene in the foreign exchange market.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Pope names 19 new cardinals including Seoul archbishop
Pope Francis will elevate 19 prelates to cardinals, including the archbishop of Seoul, next month, the Vatican said Sunday.

More than 1,500 N. Korean defectors arrive in S. Korea in 2013
More than 1,500 North Korean defectors arrived in South Korea last year, the unification ministry said Monday, despite Pyongyang's crackdown to stem the flow of defections.

U.S., China discussed contingencies in N. Korea: report
The United States and China had discussions on the possibility of a regime collapse in North Korea and other contingencies well before the death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, according to a U.S. congressional report.

S. Korea, U.S. reach deal on sharing defense cost
After months of tough negotiations, South Korea has agreed to pay 920 billion won (US$866 million) to the United States this year in their latest deal on sharing the cost of keeping American troops here, the foreign ministry said Sunday.

Pentagon guarded about Korea's return of Japanese ammo in S. Sudan
Pentagon officials often say defense cooperation between South Korea and Japan shouldn't be affected by often prickly political and diplomatic ties be..

Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers
The following are the top headlines in major South Korean newspapers on Jan. 13.Korean-language dailies-- Pope names Yeom Soo-jung as new cardinal (Kyunghyang Shinmun)-- ..
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

Korea agrees to pay 5.8% more to host U.S. troops
South Korea on Saturday agreed to pay 920 billion won ($867 million) this year for the upkeep of 28,500 U.S. troops here...

Archbishop of Seoul to be appointed cardinal
Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the current Korean Roman Catholic Archbishop of Seoul, has been included ...

Hyundai Motor weighs buying Dongbu HiTek
Speculation is mounting on Hyundai Motor’s possible acquisition of Dongbu HiTek, a Dongbu grou...

Doctors threaten to strike in March
The Korea Medical Association vowed Sunday to go on an all-out strike on March 3 if the government pushes ahead with its plan to allow telemedicine and for-profit medical subsidiar...

U.S., China discussed contingencies in N...

Pentagon guarded about Korea's return of...

Orbital's cargo ship makes rendez-vous w...

Hasina sworn in for 3rd time as Banglade...

Korea's tea imports spike in 2013

Gay 'prisoner of conscience' dies in Cam...

Male infertility rate on the rise

NongHyup denies its role over Lee's susp...

3-D printing set to break out of niche

Japan to enhance Dokdo claim in school t...

U.S. taxpayer group urges clear Bitcoin ...

Savings banks, small-cap lenders involve...

Seoul bourse expected to remain bearish ...

Opposition divided over Seoul mayorship

Stay-at-home moms more stressed: report
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Yeom to be appointed cardinal
Pope Francis has appointed Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, 71-old archbishop of Seoul, as cardinal, the Vatican said Sunday.

Korea to pay W920 bil. for USFK cost-sharing
Korea has agreed to pay 920 billion won ($866 million) for the upkeep of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) this year, the foreign ministry said Sunday.

Hana chief pushes for global expansion
Hana Financial Group aims to increase its profits from overseas operations nine-fold by 2025 to become one of the top five financial groups in Asia and top 40 in the world.

Doctors vow to strike on March 3  
Doctors announced Sunday that they will stage a strike on March 3 unless the government withdraws ... 

Rain's video criticized for element of racism 
A video from singer Rain’s new album, “Rain Effect,” is drawing criticism for what some call a rac... 

More personal data leaks suspected  
Financial regulators said Sunday they suspect personal data of hundreds of thousands of customers ... 

Old friends become today's enemies  
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo has decided to field his own candidate for the Seoul mayoral seat during the Ju... 

AB Inbev to buy OB for $4 billion 
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) will likely buy back Oriental Brewery (OB) this year, a source who... 

India offers Korea space partnership 
Indian Ambassador to Korea Vishnu Prakash said his country is willing to partner with Korea’s spac... 

'Showbiz needs regulatory makeover' 
In recognition of the power, potential and pitfalls of K-pop, Korea is revising its laws to foster... 

Samsung, LG lead innovation 
LAS VEGAS - Samsung and LG fared well in this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (ICES... 

Hyundai Heavy vows to root out corruption 
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) said Sunday it has launched a campaign to root out corruption.
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Dong A (http://english.donga.com)

Japan seeks to put Dokdo islets in secondary curriculum
The Japanese government plans to stipulate in teaching manuals for the Course of Study that the Dokdo islets (the Takeshima islets in Japanese) are its inherent territory. The decision is expected to worsen the...

A sea of pink flamingos
Walking lightly with slim and long legs, taking one step ahead and another backward and gently fluttering the pink wings. The elegance is not that of a beautiful lady, but that of a flamingos, the most beautiful birds...

Protracted weak yen raises alert for Korean construction firms
The Korean consortium, which was said to have a competitive edge over other contenders in the nuclear power plant construction bid by Finnish nuclear power company TVO, is struggling due to an unexpected obstacle: the...

IOC website highlights ice queen Yu-na 
Is the International Olympic Committee betting on Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na becoming an Olympic legend?

Call for U.S. consideration on pending issues amid Korea`s concessions
Korea and the U.S. have concluded 10 rounds of negotiations over annual defense costs that will be applied over the next five years. Korea has agreed to pay 920 billion won (867 million U.S. dollars) to the U.S. this year...

Why World Economic Forum focuses on science and technology
The World Economic Forum 2014 will take place in the remote village of Davos in next week. I made a presentation on “10 Emerging ...

Protracted weak yen raises alert for Korean construction firms
The Korean consortium had a competitive edge over other contenders in the nuclear power plant construction bid by Finnish nuclear power company TVO in early 2013, but it is struggling due to an unexpected obstacle: the... 
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

Korea's Share of U.S. Forces Upkeep Rises to W920 Billion
Korea has agreed to pay W920 billion for the upkeep of U.S. troops here, up 5.8 percent from 2013, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The new cost-sharing deal will last until May 2018. Over the next four years, the increase will be decided on inflation but not exceed 4 percent.

Samsung Plans to Release Galaxy S5, New Smartwatch
Samsung Electronics will release its Galaxy S5 smartphone in March or April, the company's vice president Lee Young-hee said in an interview with Bloomberg at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 6.

Dongdaemun Never Sleeps
Nestled on the boundary between the central Jung and Jongno districts of downtown Seoul, Dongdaemun Market straddles a 585,700 sq.m area and is home to around 35,000 stores that employ some 150,000 people.

Hollywood Kicks off 2014 Awards Season with Golden Globes
In a year widely regarded as a bountiful one for high-quality films and acting, the Golden Globes weigh in on Sunday with the first big honors of the Hollywood awards season,...

Pope's Choice of New Cardinals Puts Emphasis on Poor

Interim Iran Nuclear Deal to Take Effect Jan. 20

Israelis Mourn Ariel Sharon, Prepare Funeral

Fire Destroys Ancient Tibetan Town

To prevent a water meter from breaking in freezing weather 
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Hankyoreh (http://english.hani.co.kr)

[Feature] Many years later, charcoal is still the “people’s fuel” in Korea
Most households have stopped using charcoal for heat due to health risks, but plenty still using coal to keep warm in winter
Just thirty years ago, coal cartridges were the “people’s fuel.” These days, they have been replaced by gas and oil, leaving them mostly a fading memory. But some 200,000 struggling households in South Korea still depend on them to get through the winter cold. The worse the economy, and the fiercer the chill, the more the impoverished class relies on coal cartridges to stay warm.

[Feature] Young entrepreneurs revitalize fading underground shopping center
In November of last year, young people congregated in the underground shopping center in Jongno 4-ga, Seoul. In a place where commercial activity has diminished, the young people have nested in empty stores to run their own businesses selling their own items. Will those who challenged themselves to do ‘what they enjoy’ achieve their dream and help the underground shopping center recapture its vigor?

Labor groups rally to protest S. Korean involvement in Cambodian crackdown
A recent bloody crackdown on striking workers at a Cambodian clothing factory reported reportedly took place after the South Korean government and companies urged the local government to address the strike. Representatives of 26 human rights and civic groups, including Korean House for International Solidarity, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, gathered in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on the morning of Jan. 10 to decry the bloodbath.

Korea’s growing dementia crisis
At 9:40 pm on Jan. 7, the body of a man surnamed Kim, 53, was found hanging in an apartment in the West district of Daejeon. Kim’s mother, surnamed Lee, 96, was also found dead. She had been strangled. Kim left a suicide note behind. “If I’m gone, there will be no one to take care of my mother, who is suffering from dementia,” the note said.
The police said that it appears that Kim killed his mother and hanged himself after losing 150 million won (US$141,300) in stock investing and finding it difficult to make ends meet.
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Joong Ang (conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)

Gov’t condemns doctors over March strike threat
Walkout threatened over reforms
In a swift response to the Korean Medical Association’s call for a nationwide walkout on March 3, the government yesterday vowed to take stern action against the association, calling the potential strike “illegal” and “unacceptable.” …

Bill to maintain U.S. forces jumps to $867M in 2014
Seoul and Washington have agreed on a five-year cost-sharing plan for maintaining the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in Korea, in which Seoul will pay 920 billion won…

Three scandal-plagued nuclear plants back online
On a warm Friday afternoon on the southeast coast of Korea, the atmosphere at the Gori nuclear power site, which covers parts of Ulsan and Gijang County, Busan…

Pyeongchang budget lacks plan for after Games
A stunning 12.8 trillion won, or $12 billion - that is how much the government is set to spend on Pyeongchang to host the 2018 Winter Olympics…

Proposed inheritance law would help spouses
The government is taking steps to introduce a law that would enable a surviving spouse to inherit more assets from a departed spouse and pay less inheritance tax…

Parties readying for June elections
With local elections slated for June, both ruling and opposition parties are already in high gear, furiously signing up new members and getting candidates ready…

Supporting fellow Cambodian workers
Migrant workers from Cambodia stage a rally yesterday at the Bosingak belfry in Jongno, central Seoul, condemning the Cambodian government for cracking down…

GE’s man in Korea sells country’s ‘unique capability’
Last week, Khang Sung-wook, president and chief executive of General Electric Korea, flew to Florida to attend the 2014 GE Global Leadership Meeting…

Bumper crop, but farmers can’t grow income
“How can one throw away crops that are like his children?” 70-year-old farmer Jeong Gil-nam says with a sigh. Jeong grows radishes on his 66,000-square-meter…

Hana chairman unveils global push
As part of an aggressive strategy geared toward global expansion, Hana Financial Group Chairman Kim Jung-tae announced the group’s goal is to boost…

HHI chief vows to right the company’s ethics ship
Korea’s big three shipbuilders said they are committed to making a fresh start with regard to ethics in 2014 after getting hit with bribery scandals last year…

Companies see labor volatility
Most Korean companies think that this year’s labor-management relationship will be more volatile than last year’s, according to a survey by the Korea Employers Federation…

Somerset Palace goes Orthodox for New Year
From top: Borsh (traditional Ukrainian soup with pork, tomatoes, cabbage, red beets and onions), Golubtsy (cabbage wraps with meat, carrots and onions stewed…
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Edaily (http://eng.edaily.co.kr/Stock/)

[Table- Weekly Market] Weekly Fluctuation of World Index
01.06~01.10 this is the weekly fluctuation of world index. [table] Weekly fluctuation of world index ...

[US the closing price]The U.S. Dow Jones Index, -7.71p(-0.05%) slightly down.
The U.S. Dow Jones Index Closing (At 2014.01.10) The Dow closed at 16,437.05p, slightly down -7.71p(-0.05...

[Table- Weekly Market] Weekly Fluctuation of Interest Rate
01.06~01.10 this is the weekly fluctuation of interest rate. [table] Weekly fluctuation of interest rate ...

[Table]Exchange Rate Quotation
This is Exchange rate Quotation offered by Korea Exchange Bank. [table] Exchange Rate Quotation Offered by KEB ... 

[Table- Weekly Market] Weekly Fluctuation of Exchange Rate
01.06~01.10 this is the weekly fluctuation of exchange rate. [table] Weekly fluctuation of exchange rate ...

[Table]Exchange Rate Currency Crossrate
2014.01.13 08:10(Korean time), this is Currency Crossrate of major 12 countries. [table] FX Cross Currency ...
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Maeil Kyungje (neutral-oriented conservative, economic/business): (http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)

Outdated regulation stifles corporate investment, job creation
18 years have passed since Denmark-based Lego Group attempted to build a “Legoland” in Icheon, Gyeonggi province, with $200 million investment in 1996, but was confronted with regulation in the Seoul metropolitan area and gave up the project. At that time, public servants had said only one 10th of the company’s proposed area was eligible for construction and cited water pollution, blocking the investment. In the end, Lego Group built its theme park...

S. Korea, China inch closer to FTA deal
South Korea called for the outright abolition of tariffs on display and machinery at the Free Trade Agreement negotiations with China. The two sides agreed on joint framework agreement, starting the countdown of the conclusion of Korea-China FTA negotiations

Independent body for textbook to be set up
South Korea’s Ministry of Education mulls creating an independent body responsible for elementary, middle and high school textbooks’ compilation criteria and authorization.

SMBs to receive tax benefits for sale of non-business land this year
Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) in South Korea would be better off by selling the land for non-business purposes within this year if they intend to do so.