February 4, 2014

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

  

Good morning, Excellency!
Here are The Korea Post news, African proverbs, humor from Korean-language economic dailies, and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media this morning:
/s/
        
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
Korea Post Media
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The Korea Post notice:

Is your National Day coming up soon? Or is the Head of State of your esteemed country visiting Korea soon?

You may have the portrait painting of your Head of State painted by a famed Korean portrait artist who has painted the portraits of President George W. Bush, President Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae, President Park Chung-Hee, the then First Lady Park Geun-hye and various other most important persons of Korea and the world.
Price of the portrait painting is normally 30 million won (US$30,000) for 30 Ho (90cm x 72cm) which, however, is discounted to mere two to five million won (US$2,000 to US$5,000) for the same size because the balance is covered by the promotional coverage of the artist involved provided by the four media units of The Korea Post (one print monthly and three electronic media).

These famed Korean artists are also famous for their landscapes, figure painting (including nudes) and still life works. Please visit the following sites of The Korea Post Internet for sample paintings.

Please directly call Chairman Lee of The Korea Post at 010-5201-1740 for immediate contact with the artists.

http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=3http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=11http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=1

President Park Geun-hye (right) shakes hands with President Xi Jinping of China

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Humor from Korean-language economic dailies this morning:

Seoul Kyungje

Two men talking:
"Have you heard John has married a widow?"
"I would never want to be the second husband for a widow."
"Would you prefer to be the first one?"

Hankuk Kyungje
American Aid
One day after the World War Two, the cabinet of a certain country met to consider the nation’s grave financial difficulties. After much futile talk, one of the ministers suggested they declare war on the US. “Of course, we would be quickly defeated, but then the rich Americans would shower money and supplies upon us, and we would then be over our difficulties.”
“But,” interjected the prime minister, “suppose by any chance we won the war? Then we would be in a terrible cirisis.”
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

Koreas Agree to Hold Talks on Family Reunions This Week
South and North Korea have agreed to hold a working-level meeting on Wednesday to discuss the reunion of families torn apart by the Korean War.

Government Unveils Local Tourism Promotion Measures
The government has unveiled measures to boost domestic tourism in South Korea.

New Case of AI Detected in N. Chuncheong Province
Authorities are investigating an additional case of bird flu detected in South Korea's central region.

Kerry to Visit South Korea in February
Anchor: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to visit South Korea this month, a trip he hasn’t made since April of last year.

Opposition Chief Pushes Plan for Lawmaker Reform
The head of main opposition party has proposed reform measures to limit the privileges of lawmakers and make their incomes more transparent.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Virginia bill on 'East Sea' in home stretch
Use of the name East Sea in textbooks won approval Monday from a Virginia legislative committee, leaving just two steps before a longtime dream of the local Korean-American community comes true.

S. Korea's consumer prices grow 1.1 pct on-year in January
South Korea's consumer price growth stayed in the 1-percent range in January thanks to the stabilization of farming product prices, a government report showed Tuesday.

U.N. chief to address IOC meeting in Sochi
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will attend the opening of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, later this week, his office confirmed Monday.

Prosecutors seek 20-year prison term for leftist lawmaker
Prosecutors on Monday sought a 20-year prison term for a leftist lawmaker accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

Fuel ration seems to have been dismantled in N. Korea: report
A fuel ration system in North Korea seems to have been dismantled due to a chronic fuel shortage, a report said Monday.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

Prosecution seeks 20 years in jail for Lee Seok-ki
Prosecutors on Monday asked judges to sentence leftist opposition lawmaker Rep. Lee Seok-ki to 20 years in prison on cha...

News ListOnce-thriving art and music institutes now beleagured
Kim Jung-ryun remembers her piano institute being packed with children 10 years ago. Since then...

Koreas expected to meet Wednesday on family reunions
The two Koreas on Monday agreed to hold working-level talks on Wednesday to prepare for the fir...

Parliamentary wrangling stalls data protection bills
Personal information protection is high on the National Assembly’s agenda, but it remains unce...

Fuel ration seems to have been dismantle...

EU, U.S mull aid for Ukraine as presiden...

Student kills two in Moscow school hosta...

Olympic great Ian Thorpe in rehab

Park urges support for domestic tourism,...

DP leader announces political reform pla...

State firms put buildings on sale

Shares, currency lose ground on Fed stim...

Eyeing sanctions thaw, delegates race to...

BKL sets new precedent for law firms’ s...

Prosecution seeks 6-year prison term for...

Yeosu oil spill 200 times bigger than fi...

Vice foreign minister tapped as head of ...

English institute focuses on ‘tailor-ma...

Syrian forces step up deadly attacks on ...
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

20-year jail term wanted
Prosecutors Monday demanded a 20-year jail term for leftist lawmaker Lee Seok-ki of the minor Unified Progressive Party (UPP) on charges of trying to overthrow the government by means of leading an armed insurrection. “Lee led u...

Seoul, Tokyo compete for Obama's visit
All eyes are on U.S. President Barack Obama’s itinerary for his planned trip to Asia in April as Korea and Japan are now embroiled in a fierce historical and territorial battle of nerves. Obama is widely expected to visit Southe...

Schindler considers selling stake in Hyundai Elevator  
Schindler Holding AG Monday hinted at selling its 30.89 percent stake in Hyundai Elevator, crying ... 

Gov't may intervene with LG-Huawei deal 
The government may intervene with LG Uplus’ purchase of equipment from Huawei Technologies.

 

Reunion talks slated for Wednesday  
South and North Korea will hold working-level talks Wednesday on restarting the long-stalled inter... 

DP chief proposes 'lawmaker recall'  
Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil Monday proposed introducing recall elections so th... 

GS Caltex draws fire for downplaying spill  
Criticism stirred against GS Caltex, an oil-refiner using the pipelines which ruptured and spilled... 

Kerry to visit Korea this month over NK  
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will visit South Korea later this month to discuss North Korea ... 

Rules on casino investment to be eased  
The government said Monday that it will ease regulations on the issuance of casino licenses to int... 

Lawmakers gather together for group picture  
Lawmakers gathered together Monday to pose for a rare group photo against the backdrop of the Nati... 

Hallyu-themed exports make big jump  
"Hallyu" or Korean wave-themed exports have been on the rise. 

Will they ever get it? 
It’s entirely inappropriate for 21st century television to feature people wearing blackface makeup...  
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Dong A (http://english.donga.com)

One credit card contains some 100 personal information
The biggest reason why customer data leaks repeatedly occur in the financial sector is because financial institutions collect too much personal information. According to the Dong-A Ilbo`s coverage, financial authorities...

KOSPI, Korean currency in roller coaster ride
The won/dollar exchange rate soared to 1,084.5 on Monday in the wake of the U.S. decision to further reduce its monetary stimulus. In the dealing room at Korea Exchange Bank in central Seoul, the trade closing figures...

Top U.S. officials to visit S. Korea in succession in February
Top U.S. officials are paying visit to South Korea in succession. They are visiting South Korea not only to address North Korean issues but also to hold consultation with Seoul on deteriorating South Korea-Japan...

U.S. Fed taper decision impacts Korea`s financial markets
Korea`s stock prices and value of won plunged Monday due to adverse global conditions including economic distress in emerging market economies. The U.S. decision to further reduce monetary stimulus sent further pressure...

Confident and sexy Disney princess attracts adult viewership
Disney’s “Frozen” has attracted six million viewers in 18 days since the release in Korea. According to the Korean Film Council, it has set a new record of 6,004,181 viewers in Korea in animations as of Feb.2, beating...

Woody Allen, the debauched genius artist
When Woody Allen, 80, was honored at the 2014 Golden Globes last month, Dylan Farrow, the genius artist’s adoptive daughter, 28, curled up on her bed and cried. He recounted the nightmare of being molested by her adoptive father at age seven. Dylan, who now lives under a different name, still suffers from a severe post traumatic disorder. Dylan is an adoptive daughter of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, a famous actress.

Pyongyang must give up nuke to gain Mt. Kumgang tour
Working-level contact between South and North Korean authorities to arrange reunions of separated families is set to take place on Tuesday after many turns and twists.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

Starting a Small Business Remains Mired in Red Tape
It costs W3.5 million in administrative charges to start a business in Korea, 29 times more than in Auckland, New Zealand, where it costs just W120,000. And a start-up takes 5.5 days to launch here, 10 times longer than the half-day required in Auckland.

Pentagon Willing to Be Flexible in Troop Control Handover
The U.S. Defense Department last Tuesday said it will let circumstances determine the timing and conditions for the transfer of the full-time operational control of South Korean troops to Seoul.

New York Police Bust Korean Escort-and-Drug Ring
Police and prosecutors have busted a high-end escort and drug service in New York's Koreatown. Authorities raided the operation's base in an apartment on 34th Street in Manhattan last Thursday, and arrested 18 people including suspected pimps, prostitutes and drug dealers. Sixteen of them are Koreans.

ParkChu-young Debuts as Late Sub for Watford
Striker Park Chu-young made his debut for Watford in England's second-tier Championship on Sunday against Brighton. Park joined Watford on loan from Premier League side Arsenal..

Multilingual Coke Commercial Sparks Debate
While the general consensus was that this year's Super Bowl ads were mediocre, an ad from soft drink giant Coca-Cola sparked a lively conversation. Coke's ad features the song..

Seattle Crushes Denver to Win Super Bowl
The Seattle Seahawks' ferocious defense shut down the Denver Broncos and record-setting quarterback Peyton Manning in a 43-8 rout on Sunday to claim their first Super Bowl...
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Hankyoreh (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Big corporations still receiving generous government support
Highly profitable big corporations, instead of SMEs, are still the main beneficiaries of state funding
How much of the government’s money is going to the country’s largest corporations each year? It’s an important question that is closely tied to the amount of resources it can afford to spare for other players in the economy - smaller companies and the middle and working classes.

For rail workers, holidays are the worst time 
Kang Da-jung hates the holidays. Hundreds of extra trains are scheduled for travelers heading to their hometowns, but Korail Tourism Development, the Korail affiliate where she works as a KTX guide, has only a fixed staff to handle the increased traffic. While everyone else is celebrating, the workload of Kang and her colleagues only grows.

Comfort women comic expo in France creates controversy
At the 41st Angouleme International Comics Festival in France - the world’s largest event dedicated to comics - the truth about the horrors faced by the so-called comfort women (sex slaves for the Japanese military during World War II), was expressed and condemned in pieces by Korean comic artists. The exhibition, titled “The Flower That Doesn’t Wilt: I’m the Evidence,” successfully opened after encountering some trouble, with a preliminary press conference being canceled.

NK ambassador says Jang Song-thaek was executed for misusing public funds
Hyun Hak-bong, North Korean ambassador to the United Kingdom, told the UK’s Sky News that Jang Song-thaek, former head of the administrative division of the Korean Workers’ Party, was executed for misappropriation of public funds.

S. Korean companies’ shameful self-portrait in Southeast Asia
Forgetting can be bliss. Many South Koreans today have no memory of the role that long hours and low wages played in laying the groundwork for economic growth four decades ago. The appeal of “made in Korea” clothing of the 1960s and 1970s lay in its cheapness. As South Korean wages rose, companies began looking elsewhere.
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Joong Ang (conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)

North Korea breaks reunions silence
Emotion dominates event
Breaking a week of silence, North Korea yesterday offered to meet with South Korean officials on Wednesday or Thursday for working-level preparations on the upcoming reunions for families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War…

Lenovo swells into IT challenge
The rapid growth of Lenovo is posing a direct threat to Korean mobile-device manufacturers, local analysts say - and even to Samsung Electronics…

Emerging market panic hits Kospi, Korean won
The Year of the Horse seems to be bringing volatility to the Korean financial market. Both the country’s securities market and currency plummeted on the first day…

Closing arguments made in rebellion trial
During the final hearing in the trial of Representative Lee Seok-ki, prosecutors yesterday condemned the leftist lawmaker for plotting to subvert the government…

Korea-Japan talks still up in the air
A short meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum last month in Davos, Switzerland, between President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe…

Japanese man’s death is a mystery; details scant
The circumstances surrounding the death and disappearance of a 30-year-old Japanese man last month remain unclear and have continued to mystify authorities…

On Obama’s Asia visit, information is unclear
U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to fly to Asia in April and is considering a state visit to Japan. However, according to a diplomatic source…

Unesco pushed on Korean cuisine
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has set a goal of having hansik, or Korean cuisine, recognized by Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity…

Google again tops survey of international careers
Korean job seekers once again picked Google Korea as the most attractive foreign employer, followed by Apple Korea and Starbucks Korea…

Auctions popular in improving property market
Mothers with toddlers on their backs and senior citizens with canes were among around 300 people gathered at Seoul’s largest court auction of real estate…

Surviving against Korea’s retail giants
One of the most frequent questions I have received from clients over the past three years as head of commercial property management is…

Automakers get into gear in the first month of 2014
Korean automakers started the new year on a positive note with rising domestic sales, although their overall sales dropped slightly as a result…