Feb. 27 2015
The Korean daily media headlines Friday, February 27, 2015 Your Excellency: Here are The Korea Post news, humor from a generous former Asian ambassador in Korea and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media this morning: Lee Kyung-sik Publisher-Chairman Korea Post Media P.S.: 1. To see the desired site, press down the Control key and click the blue URL of the media. 2. If received by a person other than the intended recipient, please kindly convey the mail to His/Her Excellency. ------------------------------------------- The Korea Post news: At the summit meeting at Cheong Wa Dae President Park, Prime Minister Sobokta agree on strategic partnership President Park Geun-hye and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka of the Czech Republic had a summit meeting at the Presidential Mansion of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Feb. 26, 2015, and adopted a joint statement concerning the establishment of Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The Czech Republic is the 20th country to form the strategic partnership with Korea. More: /news/view.html?section=158&category=166&no=854 ------------------------------------------- Today’s humor: Humor from a generous former Asian ambassador Thin and fat A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?" The gym gained popularity & business soared as ladies wanted to be like a mermaid. This continued till a lady (clothing size unknown) saw the pic & caption and wrote her response & pasted it alongside the pic. It read as follows: "Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active & raise their children with great tenderness. They entertain like crazy with dolphins & eat lots of prawns. They swim all day & travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia. They sing incredibly well & sometimes even are on cds. They are impressive & dearly loved animals, which everyone defend & admires. Mermaids do not exist. But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish? They would have no sex life & could not bear children. Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely & sad. And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side? Without a doubt, I'd rather be a whale. At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat & drink and have fun with my friends. We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom & knowledge that there isn't enough space in our heads & it spreads all over our bodies. We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated. Just sit back & Enjoy Yourself" (Editor’s note: Thank you, Excellency, for your kind contribution. People are becoming more and more health-conscious in Korea and around the world, and reports indicate that hearty laughing delays ageing, promotes health and even prevents cancer and other fatal diseases.) ------------------------------------------- Top headlines of major news media of Korea this morning: KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/) Constitutional Court Abolishes Adultery Law The Constitutional Court of Korea has stricken a controversial criminal statute banning adultery. In a landmark ruling on Thursday, seven judges of... N. Korea Notifies S. Korea of 5.18% Minimum Wage Hike at Gaeseong Factory Park Number of Newborns Falls 0.3% Last Year Land Minister Nominee Apologizes for His Son's False Registration of Address Tax Hike Emerges as Biggest Issue in Parliament's Interpellation Session Shin Wolsong Reactor 2 Succeeds in Producing Power for First Time Household Debt Rises 68 Tln Won Last Year KOSPI Slightly Up on Foreign Buying Researchers from Two Koreas to Meet Friday in Sweden N. Korean Shipping Firm Renames Vessels to Skirt Sanctions Young S. Korean Adults Pessimistic of Their Future N. Korea Foreign Minister to Attend Disarmament Conference in Geneva US Asks Japan to Follow 1995 Apologetic Statement Constitutional Court Abolishes Adultery Law Government to Expand Pilot Telemedicine Program Government to Bolster Animation, Character Next Year to Have 66 Holidays Monthly Tutoring Costs for Elementary School Spring Flowers Likely to Bloom 1~3 Days Earlier This Year Group of Doctors, Nurses Infected with SFTS Korean Peninsula Suffering from Worst Winter Yellow Dust in 5 Years Speed Skater Park Seung-hi Honored as Top Athlete of 2014 S. Korea's Sin Da-woon Wins 1,000m Event at ISU World Cup S. Korea Ranks Second in Granada Winter Universiade ------------------------------------------- Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr) Five middle powers set to hold senior officials' meeting SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and four other middle powers were set to hold a senior officials' meeting in Seoul on Friday in the run-up to a meeting of the countries' foreign ministers slated for late May, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Manufacturers' March sentiment improves from 18-month low SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean manufacturers' sentiment for March rebounded from an 18-month trough a month earlier but still remained flagging amid lingering uncertainties, a poll showed Friday. N. Korea has already taken steps toward fielding KN-08 ICBM: U.S. intelligence chief WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- The United States believes North Korea has already taken steps toward deploying the KN-08 road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, feared to be capable of reaching American territory, the U.S. intelligence chief said Thursday. U.S. should embrace possibility of 'limited war' with N. Korea: U.S. expert WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- Nuclear weapons could embolden North Korea to freely engage in various military provocations and the United States should be prepared for the possibility of limited war with the communist nation, a U.S. expert said Thursday. (EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on Feb. 27) (EDITORIAL from Korea Herald on Feb. 27) Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers (LEAD) N. Korea unilaterally ups Kaesong workers' wages N. Korea decides 5.6-pct hike in Kaesong workers' wage PM says sanctions removal can be discussed if Koreas hold .. N. Korea yet to miniaturize nukes: Seoul Yonhap news advisory for Friday, Feb. 27 (EDITORIAL from Korea Times on Feb. 27) Top headlines in major S. Korean newspapers Nuclear watchdog decides to extend life span of 32-year-ol.. Today in Korean history Gov't to invest 380 bln won in animation, character indust.. Slow start for S. Korean clubs at AFC Champions League Thursday's weather forecast Ex-setup man for Nexen Heroes sets modest goal as starter Nuclear watchdog decides to extend life span of 32-year-old nuclear reactor S. Korea repeals anti-cheating law ------------------------------------------- The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr) Anti-adultery law passes into history The 62-year-old “anti-cheating law” has been abolished. In a decisive seven-to-two vote, the nine-member Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that Article 241 of the Criminal Code which makes adultery a crime was no longer valid.... NK nuke test likely in October North Korea is likely to conduct its fourth nuclear test in October to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Workers’ Party, according to analysts Thursday. “The ability to place a nuclear weapon on a missile w... Actor apologizes over sex scandal Actor Lee Byung-hun has apologized over a recent blackmail scandal. “I should have apologized earlier, (but couldn’t),” he said Thursday at Incheon International Airport, after returning from the U.S. “I am in debt to my family ... Number of births hits 10-year record low Lee Hyo-jung, a housewife in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, agreed with her husband that they would have only one child. Rep. Na to lead Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Na Kyung-won of the ruling Saenuri Party was endorsed as the first chairwoman to lead the Nat... Hyundai Motor loses subcontract suit The Supreme Court backed a lower court’s ruling that ordered Hyundai Motor to hire four former sub... Charmzone gives up duty free shop business Charmzone, a domestic cosmetic maker, has given up the right to run its duty free shops at Incheon International Airport due to a cash shortage. Koreans ambivalent about Apple's yellow emoji Netizens here showed mixed reactions toward Apple’s soon-to-be-released emojis, or facial characte... Galaxy S6 to pack ultrafast memory Samsung Electronics has started mass producing 128-gigabyte universal flash storage (UFS) chips fo... Korea, Czech Republic enter strategic partnership Korea and the Czech Republic agreed Thursday to upgrade their bilateral ties into a strategic part... Toyota vows to be top hybrid brand Toyota pledged Thursday to become the most “respected” car brand in Korea by developing more eco-f... Korean Researcher named OECD nuclear energy director A researcher at the Korea Atomic Energy Institute (KAEI) has become the first-ever Korean director... Samsung heir seeks new business in US Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong flew to the United States late Thursday with senior... ------------------------------------------- DongA Ilbo (http://english.donga.com) 3 Koreans made Forbes list of 2015 Asia`s Power Businesswomen Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun, Boryung Pharmaceutical Group CEO Kim Eun-seon and Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin have been named on the list of the most powerful business women in Asia for 2015, which is annually... Ruling party chief lashes out at Seoul mayor over public servants` pension reform Kim Moo-sung, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, criticized Seoul mayor Park Won-soon for calling for a careful approach to the proposed reform of the pension system for government employees. Kim`s criticism seems to... Once troubled French weekly sees surging sales following terror attacks Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical weekly newspaper that went under a terrorist attack by Muslim extremists last month, has emerged as a symbol of the media defending the freedom of expression?. The Wall Street... Families of comfort women create association to disclose Japan’s brutality The families of comfort women will launch an association to help military sex slave victims under the Japanese colonial rule. According to a civilian shelter in Gwangju in Gyeonggi Province on Thursday, the families of... Oldest catcher Jin Gab-yong’s 7 champion rings Samsung Lions’ catcher Jin Gab-yong still receives balls from young pitchers. At the Samsung Lions’ spring training camp in the Akama Athletic Park in Okinawa on Thursday, Jin was sweating in training with other players... 90% of people aged 55-79 believe they are younger than their actual age by 9 years "Get out of my way, the time. I am still young.” This is a part of lyrics from Korean pop singer Oh Seung-geun’s ‘I Am Still Young,’ one of the most popular songs that Koreans love to sing. As the lyrics goes, nine out... Korean ice dancers` dreaming about Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Ex-maritime officer sentenced to prison for poor initial response to Sewol sinking Controversies over N. Korean leader’s call for ‘highest-level’ talks Ki Sung-yueng, Son Heung-min as promising Korean soccer players New year’s wishes change over time France drops its super tax on millionaires Samsung’s mobile phone beats Apple to top ACSI ------------------------------------------- Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com) N.Korea Resumes Tests for Smaller Missile Warheads North Korea has resumed high-explosive tests believed to be aimed at making smaller and more powerful warheads for ballistic missiles, a government source said Wednesday. The North conducted no fewer than 139 high-explosive tests between the early 1980s until 2002. Gangnam Station Still Busiest in Seoul The busiest of the 302 subway stations in Seoul was Gangnam Station, which saw 135,642 users a day. It has been the busiest station in the capital for 18 years. The second-busiest stop was Hongik University Station, where 107,000 people got on or off a day. Troubled New Lotte World Mall Slashes Rents The new Lotte World mall in southern Seoul has announced a W10 billion support package for troubled vendors including cheaper rents. Lotte Group said Wednesday that vendors will get a 30-percent discount in their rent until operations normalize. How Many Nukes Will N.Korea Have 5 Years from Now? N.Korea 'Making Progress Toward Nuclear Warheads' Top Brass Discuss Asymmetric Threat from N.Korea Missile Defense Discussion Is a Dire Mess No Need for Moscow Trip Just to Meet Kim Jong-un Stop Provinces Biting Off More Than They Can Chew S.Korea Must Give Defectors Real Opportunities Gangnam Station Seoul's Busiest Spot on Fridays Gangnam Sees Most Commuters in Korea Seoul Subway Line No. 2 Becomes Major WiFi Hotspot New Lotte Mall to Be Monitored for Safety 24/7 Seoul Surveying Subsidence Near New Lotte Mall Lotte Opens Landmark Shopping Mall in Southeastern Seoul Korea, China Initial FTA Lifestyle Patterns Change as Couples Live Longer Uber Offers Free Rides Throughout Seoul FIFA Women's Trophy Stops By in Korea Flag Carrier Passengers Can Print Own Boarding Passes Samsung Ends Chelsea Sponsorship Deal Constitutional Court to Tackle Adultery Law Yet Again ------------------------------------------ Hankyoreh Shinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr) Forced Korean laborers get less than two bucks for more than a year of work “I’m so shocked that I’m at a loss for words.” “Does this even make sense?” asked Kim Jae-rim, 84, who lives in Neungju Township, Hwasun County, South Jeolla Province, as tears... A source of financial relief for minor criminals burdened by fines Loans of up to 3 million won (US$2,730), available immediately, with no collateral or interest, to be repaid in full from six months to a year later. On Feb. 25, the Jean Valje... Fined protestors said they’d rather toil then put up their money Protesters fined for their campaigns against a naval base in Jeju Island and transmission tower construction in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province are opting to perform labor in... S. Korea-China FTA could change the game for Kaesong Industrial Complex The most salient differences between the South Korea-China free trade agreement deal reached in November and the agreement initialed this week are in the sweeping recognitions o... [Editorial] Don’t rush to ratify the FTA with China The South Korean and Chinese governments initialed a free trade agreement (FTA) on Feb. 25. The same day, Seoul announced the specifics of tariffs that were being pulled for var... [Editorial] NIS must be held responsible for their besmirching of former Pres. Roh Testimony has been given that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) exaggerated parts of its investigation into former president Roh Moo-hyun and intentionally leaked the info... [Photo] Late repenting by religious leaders Leaders of the Korea Conference of Religions for Peace, composed of representatives from South Korea’s seven major religions, announced a movement to live as good people, reflec... [Photo] Special anniversary event for Pres. Park The police are now investigating flyers that were scattered in front of the Blue House on Feb. 25, the second anniversary of Park Geun-hye’s inauguration as president. The text ... [Photo] Former couple‘s fight over property ends in shooting Police investigate the scene where three people were shot to death with a shotgun at a convenience store in Sejong City, Feb. 25. Police said a 50-year-old man surnamed Kang sho... For the elderly, medical cost burden getting heavier every year Medical costs for elderly South Koreans are skyrocketing every year. People over 65 account for 12% of the country‘s population, but spent 35% of all medical costs last year - a... ------------------------------------------- JoongAng Ilbo (conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/) Uber tries to win over city of Seoul with freebies Uber, the app-driven taxi service, is now offering totally free rides in Seoul to try to get the city government to accept the brave new world of a “sharing economy” that companies like it and Airbnb are pioneering.Since Wednesday afternoon, drivers for the Uber X service, one of its three service… Korean adultery decriminalized after 62 years The Constitutional Court on Thursday struck down the long-standing adultery law that made Korea one of a very few non-Muslim countries that punish cheating husbands… Korea-Turkey FTA gets more robust Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Yoon Sang-jick, right, and his Turkish counterpart Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci shaking on the service sector FTA agreement… Ominous low birth rate continues Korea’s birth rate has maintained a record low for two consecutive years, a government report on Thursday showed, as more women marry later and have only one child… Record household debt nears 1,090 trillion won Record high household debt, including credit cards, edged closer to 1,090 trillion won ($994.3 billion) in December largely due to the central bank’s cut in the benchmark… KEF leader to promote true market economy Park Byung-won, former head of the Korea Federation of Banks, was inaugurated Wednesday as the sixth chairman of the Korea Employers Federation (KEF),… Charges fly over pension reforms Ruling Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moon-sung denounced Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon for a remark in an interview earlier this week that pensions… North Korea unilaterally raises wages at Kaesong Pyongyang has unilaterally notified Seoul of its decision to hike minimum wages of workers at the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex by 5.18 percent starting from next week,… Foul play suspected in the death of 88-year-old Police on Thursday requested that the court grant an autopsy in an investigation into the death of an 88-year-old woman.… Na to lead foreign affairs committee Na Kyung-won, a high-profile Saenuri Party lawmaker, was elected Thursday as the first female head of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee. … Decision on fate of Wolseong 1 nuclear plant hangs in balance The country’s nuclear authority failed to decide as of press time Thursday whether to restart Wolseong 1, the country’s second oldest nuclear power plant, … Survey sees dim prospects for new college graduates There’s some bad news for college graduates. With another tough year forecast for the nation’s economy, most businesses are hesitant to hire new employees… Yellen effect boosts bourse for second day Korean shares were steady Thursday and able to stay above the 1,990 mark thanks to reduced concerns about early interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve.… Samsung’s washer with a sink is the hot new item A new washing machine from Samsung Electronics that has a built-in sink has sold three times more than earlier new models in the first three weeks after its launch. … LTE networks are getting speedier The downloading speeds of Korea’s Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks are about to get up to eight times faster. Korean mobile carriers on Thursday… McDonald’s, Orion get in on honey butter fad Joining in the sweetened potato trend started Korean confectionery manufacturer by Haitai-Calbee’s Honey Butter Chips,… IoT test cities will be technology proving grounds The government plans to designate two cities where local and foreign companies developing businesses related to Internet of Things… ‘Empire’ is all about the lust, not history A plot that combines a fierce power struggle with a tangled love story in the early Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) has led to high expectations for… U.K.’s Brit Awards see Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran win LONDON - Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran each won a pair of prizes Wednesday at Britain’s leading music awards - but it took Kanye West to introduce some edge,… Paris named host city for International Jazz Day 2015 NEW YORK - Jazz musicians from around the world will gather this April in Paris for International Jazz Day, an event UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock… -------------------------------------------- Maeil Kyungje (neutral-oriented conservative, economic/business): (http://news.mk.co.kr/english/) S. Korea throws out anti-adultery law South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled Thursday the anti-adultery law is unconstitutional as it violates individuals’ freedom to choose their sexual partners and their right to privacy. As a result, the anti-cheating law has disappeared in history in 62 years. In a 7-2 decision, the nine-member bench ruled that the Article 241 of the criminal code is unconstitutional. The article of two-year imprisonment punishment will be invalid immediately. Th.... Opposition party leader says will propose inter-party summit on economy an.. Moon Jae-in, chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, said he would suggest inter-party summit to President Park Geun-hye to discuss the issues of economy .. Number of newborns hits second lowest last year The number of new babies born in South Korea last year hit the second lowest since the compilation of the statistics, data showed. The government desperately attempted.. S. Korea throws out anti-adultery law South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled Thursday the anti-adultery law is unconstitutional as it violates individuals’ freedom to choose their sexual partners and t.. Maekyung Media and Israeli Embassy to co-host ‘Creative Economy Contest’ Maekyung Media Group and the Israeli Embassy in South Korea will jointly host ‘Creative Economy Contest’ aimed at raising awareness of the creative economy, the nati.. S. Korea-China FTA : Kaesong complex goods qualify for S. Korea “country .. Goods manufactured at Kaesong Industrial Complex will be eligible for preferential tariff under the South Korea-China free trade agreement (FTA) which recognizes most .. Regulations force Lotte World Mall to provide $9mn aid to hard-pressed sho.. The second-generation Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, Seoul, bit the bullet to give over 10 billion won ($9.1 million) worth of support for their struggling shops, which a.. Deception of superlight magnesium bicycle Humelic, a company located in Sucheon, Jeonnam, became famous after successful development of a superlight magnesium bicycle in 2009 with the government support. It ap.. Gov’t R&D projects bark up wrong tree According to Korea Intellectual Property Strategy Institute (KIPSI), only 3.8 percent of the government-funded R&D projects achieved technology transfer abroad in 2013.. Samsung Electronics-Chelsea sponsorship deal ends Samsung Electronics is set to terminate its sponsorship of the English Premier League leader Chelsea. According to sources from the local sports industry and Japanes.. Consumer sentiment up for 2nd month South Korea’s composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI), a gauge of consumers’ overall sentiment about the economic situation, showed an upward trajectory for two co.. An experiment of Meriz Securities Park says economic revitalization shoul.. Minister Choi says, “our good old days.. Naju on track to transform itself into .. Parliament endorses PM nominee Lotte to make largest investment in his.. ------------------------------------------ The Kyunghyang Shinmoon (http://english.khan.co.kr/) Amnesty International, "Two Years under Park Geun-hye, Regressive Trend in Human Rights" On February 25, the international human rights group, Amnesty International assessed that the realization of human rights showed a regressive trend under the Pa··· [Editorial] NIS Manipulated the Press Coverage on 'Rice Paddy Watch' Lee In-kyu, former head of the Central Investigation Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office met with Kyunghyang Shinmun reporters and revealed that the st··· [Editorial]We Welcome the National Election Commission's Recommendation to Double the Number of Seats Through Proportional Representation Yesterday, the National Election Commission submitted to the National Assembly its views on the amendment of the Political Relations Act including reforms to th··· NIS, 'Kim who Disappeared in Turkey Is Training with ISIS'Kim, 18, who went missing in Turkey on January 10, has reportedly joined the armed extremist group, ISIS and is currently receiving training. According to mu··· [Two Years of the Park Geun-hye Government] The Third Year in Office Will Also Miss 'Three' and Have the 'Trio' During the two years under the Park Geun-hye government, cabinet appointments resulted in the "missing three": balance, change, and expertise. Among the ei··· [Editorial] Reflections on Past History by Japan's Crown Prince Should Be Reflected in Abe's Statement The Crown Prince of Japan Naruhito held a press conference in Tokyo on his fifty-fifth birthday on February 20 and said that Japan should remember and not forge··· [Two Years of the Park Geun-hye Government] Trust-Building Process on the Korean Peninsula Marches in Place as Government Insists on Principles The Park Geun-hye government received relatively high marks for its administration of state affairs in the field of inter-Korean relations and foreign affairs.B··· [Editorial] Political Discussions of 'Cheap Cigarettes' Making a Fool of the People During the Lunar New Year holiday, a heated debate raged on over the introduction of "cheap cigarettes" first suggested by ruling and opposition politicians.A··· ------------------------------------------ Attention, Trade Representatatives, Commercial Ministers, Counsellors, Officers! 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