April 19, 2016
The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Your Excellency:
Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:
/s/
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.
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Special notices:
Send your latest Embassy news releases toThe Korea Post for publication
Your Excellency:
Please transmit your latest press release(s) to edt@koreapost.com or korpost@chol.com for publication by the five media outlets of The Korea Post, including the Korean-language Internet newspaper (www.koreapost.co.kr), English website (www.koreapost.com) and the Korean-language newspaper (http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/13/1301.pdf).
Very Respectfully Yours
/s/
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman of The Korea Post
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A quick roundup of major news stories from Korean media:
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
38 North: N. Korea May ‘Slow Roll’ 5th Nuke Test
A U.S. Web site dedicated to analyzing clandestine activities in North Korea has asserted that the North may “slow roll” preparations for a fifth nuclear test.
BOK Keeps Benchmark Rate at 1.5% for 10 Months
The Bank of Korea(BOK) has frozen the nation’s key interest rate at one-point-five percent for the tenth consecutive month.
Park Pays Respects to Victims of April 19 Revolution
President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday paid respects at the April 19th National Cemetery in northern Seoul to mark the 56th anniversary of the April 19th Revolution, a massive pro-democracy uprising, in 1960.
Competition Heating up in The Minjoo over Party Chair Post
RFA: N. Korea Recalling Overseas Students in China
Saenuri Floor Leader Hopes for Speedy Establishment of Emergency Leadership
BOK Lowers Economic Growth Outlook to 2.8%
BOK Keeps Benchmark Rate at 1.5% for 10 Months
Moody's: Delays in Structural Reforms Would Weaken S. Korea's Growth Potential
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Twins' Park Byung-ho hits 3rd homer of season
Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins hit his third home run of the season Monday against the Milwaukee
BOK trims 2016 growth outlook to 2.8 pct
South Korea's central bank cut its growth outlook for the economy on Tuesday, mainly blaming a slowdown in the global economy and trade.
BOK holds key rate steady despite signs of slowing growth
The Bank of Korea (BOK) kept its policy rate frozen for another month Tuesday, despite continuing signs of a further slump that many say requires a rate cut to bolster growth.
Top court upholds damages payment over hostage killing
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a lower court ruling that ordered the state to pay 96.16 million won (US$84,000) in damages to the family of a murdered college student in a 2010 kidnapping incident, citing improper measures by the police.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
President accepts Saenuri defeat as people's message
President Park Geun-hye said Monday that she “humbly accepted” the result of last Wednesday’s general election, in wh...
Aid flows quake-hit Ecuador
Aid began to flow in Sunday to areas devastated by Ecuador's strongest earthquake in decades an...
Seoul: N.K. might conduct underground nuke test
The Defense Ministry said Monday that North Korea’s next provocation was likely to involve an ...
Traders dig in heels at Noryangjin Fish Market
On a Sunday afternoon, fishmongers cheerfully call out to customers in several languages to lur...
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Foreign medical tourists flock to Korean clinics
While the number of foreign tourists who receive medical treatment in Korea is increasing, patient...
Two Chinese caught cheating on tour guide test: police
Two Chinese were caught cheating on the test for those seeking to become a tour guide for foreign ...
Seoul nervous about US report on currency manipulators
The U.S. Treasury Department will release its semiannual report on the foreign exchange policies of its trading partners as early as this week, making the lat...
BBQ meat causes low birth weight: research
Pregnant women who eat red meat cooked over an open flame or fried in oil are at high risk of deli...
Starbucks speculation brews in Pyongyang
A recent photo of a person holding a Starbucks cup in front of a picture of former North Korean le...
Activity continues at N. Korea's nuclear test site: watchdog
Recent satellite imagery shows that activity is continuing at North Korea's nuclear test site, the website 38 North said Monday, amid heightened concern the c...
Concerted pressure can make N. Korea rethink: deputy FM
North Korea appears bent on holding on to its nuclear weapons no matter what happens, but concerted international sanctions and pressure can lead to the commu...
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Dong AIlbo (http://english.donga.com)
Brazilian House passes presidential impeach bill amid deep economic slump
A bill seeking impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Vana Rousseff passed the House in the Latin American country on Sunday (l…
Samsung refrigerator at the White House
# Take 1. Frustrated, First Lady of the United States Claire Underwood heads to her kitchen at the White House and opens the door…
Park Hae-jin stamp to be issued in China
The Korean Wave top star in China? Is it Park Hae-jin, not Song Joong-ki or Kim Su-hyun?A post stamp that has actor Park's face
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Record Numbers Sit Korean Language Test
Learning Korean is all the rage in many countries where K-pop and Korean soaps have captured hearts and minds. A record 72,295 applicants took the 46th Test of Proficiency in Korean, which was administered at 164 locations in 45 countries last Saturday.
Kim Jong-un's Aunt Reappears in Propaganda
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s aunt has reappeared in the country's state media after a long absence from the screens since her husband Jang Song-taek was executed in an internal power struggle.
More Than 850 People Homeless in Seoul
Over 850 homeless people subsist around the subway stations of the capital. The Seoul Metropolitan Government quoted research from the Korea Center for City and Environment Research that there were 855 homeless people in Seoul as of 2014.
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HankyorehShinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)
After general election victory, opposition looking to next year’s presidential vote
Even before the shock and excitement about the outcome of the general elections on Apr. 13 have subsided, the opposition parties have already started thinking about how to handle the 2017 presidential..
On peace agreement, does Kim Jong-un hold his father’s position?
The issue of a peace agreement on the Korean Peninsula is a polarizing one. Opponents claim a withdrawal of US forces following a peace agreement would lead to South Korea going communist. Proponents ..
UN condemns North Korea’s failed ballistic missile launch
On Apr. 15, the UN Security Council released a press statement in which it declared North Korea’s test launch of a mid-range Musudan ballistic missile to be a violation of previous sanctions resolutio..
Anti-Terror Act would allow outside deployment of military troops
The enforcement decree for the Anti-Terror Act that the South Korean government announced on Apr. 15 contains a number of problematic passages, including one about deploying troops outside military fa..
IMF Managing Director says S. Korea has “ample fiscal space”
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pointed to South Korea alongside Germany and the Netherlands on Apr. 17 as a country with “ample fiscal space.” The remarks, which came ..
Two N. Korean restaurant workers stuck in China after not joining group defection
Two employees at an overseas North Korean restaurant told Chinese authorities they could not go back to North Korea after failing to join a group of 13 defectors who arrived in South Korea last week. ..
Movement detected at North Korean nuclear site
Some movements has been detected at North Korea’s nuclear facility at Yongbyon in North Pyongan Province suggesting that the North has either started reprocessing spent nuclear fuel in order to extrac..
First case of released dolphin giving birth in the wild
Sampal, an Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin that was released into the wild in 2013 after being in a whale show, has given birth to a child, a research team from Jeju and Ewha Womans universities has c..
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JoongAngIlbo(conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)
3 parties agree to open a session
The three main parties agreed on Monday to hold a legislative session starting this week to conclude the final month of the 19th National Assembly. Floor leaders of the Saenuri Party, Minjoo Party of Korea and People’s Party met in the morning along with National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa to discuss the legislative schedule for the final month of the 19th National Assembly…
Park promises to work with the new Assembly
The ruling party’s humiliating defeat in last week’s general election was an opportunity to contemplate the people’s will…
5 years later, Lotte apologizes for humidifier sterilizer deaths
More than five years after humidifier disinfectants killed more than 100 people, including infants and toddlers…
Chinese media moguls turn to Korea
China and Korea are forming an unstoppable alliance - in the realm of entertainment. As Chinese companies…
Hollywood rolls out the red carpet for buyers from the East
Chinese companies are spending billions of dollars to buy their way into Hollywood to fast-track production…
FSS plans car insurance reforms
The nation’s financial watchdog plans to overhaul the auto insurance fee system to make fines proportional…
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The KyunghyangShinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Not eating ‘More’ but eating ‘Well’…I’m no longer crying on count of malnutrition
Clementine (28), mother of a 3-year-old baby named Kevin, lift her son in arms with a troubled look. However, she smiled after checking graduation of a scale be···
Ban Ki-moon Reported U.S. Views on Kim Dae-jung's Return: U.S. Refused Chun Doo-hwan Government's Request for Support of Constitution
When former President Kim Dae-jung, who sought political asylum in the U.S., decided to return to Korea in January 1985 against the advice of the Korean governm···
Court Orders the Fried Chicken Joint, 'Louisvui Tondak' to Cough up 14.5 Mn Won
A restaurant owner who changed and used the name of a global luxury brand will have to pay over 10 million won for not following a decision by the court, which ···
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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)
Japanese Earthquake May Affect Korean Car Makers
Due to the earthquake in western Kyushu, Korea's auto makers are rushing to find out whether it might have a negative impact on their operations as some of the critical automotive parts suppliers were affected by the tremors. According to industry sources on April 18, a Kumamoto plant of Aisin Seiki...
March Sales of Hyundai and Kia Cars in China Pick up Slightly
The sales of Hyundai and Kia cars in the Chinese market have recovered somewhat this month. This is largely thanks to new car models launched recently, including the new Avante. According to Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors on April 18, 100,549 Hyundai cars were sold in China in March, following 75,236 ...
Gongcha Korea Acquires Global Headquarters
Gongcha Korea, a tea-specialized franchise, is set to acquire its global headquarters Royal Tea Taiwan. This will be the second case in which a Korean local branch acquires the parent following the previous Smoothie King Korea’s acquisition of its global parent in 2012. According to industry source...
Doosan E&C Selected as Preferred Bidder to Songdo Fuel Cell Power Plant Project
Doosan Engineering & Construction said on April 18 that it was selected as a preferred bidder to an EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) project to build a fuel cell power plant in Incheon's Songdo business district, which is commissioned jointly by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, Samchully...
Korea’s Exports to China Down 15% in 1Q, the Biggest Drop in 7 Years
Korea’s shipments to China for the first quarter of this year marked the biggest drop in seven years, primarily due to the decrease in China’s demand for Korean intermediate goods, including semiconductors. According to the preliminary statistics of the Korea International Trade Association on Apr...
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AJU Business Daily(http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
Nuclear test possible on short notice in North Korea: 38 North
The site for North Korea's underground nuclear test is well maintained, demonstrating its ability to conduct detonations "on short notice by slow rolling preparations", 38 North…
South Korea leader warns of North Korea's fresh nuclear test
South Korean President Park Geun-hye warned Monday of a possible nuclear test by North Korea, saying it can stage any provocation to "avoid isolation and consolidate internal un…
President Park's job approval rating falls to record low
President Park Geun-hye vowed Monday to step up economic reform and deregulation as a poll showed her job approval rating has tumbled to the lowest level since she too…
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ETNEWS(http://english.etnews.com/)
Samsung Electronics to Supply NAND-Flash Memories to Apple
Samsung Electronics’ DS (Device Solution) Memory Business Department is planning to supply NAND-Flash memories to Apple for iPhones. It has been 4 years since it stopped dealing with Apple.
Proportional Representative of South Korean Parties Agree on Establishment of Deputy Prime Minister for ICT
Number 1 candidates of proportional representative from 3 government parties that were elected on general election (election of National Assembly), which took place ...
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MaeilBusinessNewsKorea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/ )
Lotte Mart set to compensate victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants
Lotte Mart Co. has made an official apology to the victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants sold under its own brand, promising ...
Cosmax aims to become leader in U.S. ODM market
Cosmax Inc., a South Korea’s leading original design manufacturer (ODM) of cosmetics, has already attracted 40 customers just ...
S. Korea’s food delivery app operator Woowa Brothers secures $50 million
South Korea’s Woowa Brothers Corp., a Seoul-based startup that runs a food delivery mobile application (app) “Baedal Minjok” ...
LGFriends.com is open to assist LG Electronics’ G5 users
South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. launched website lgfriends.com on Monday to promote its new premium smartphone G5 and its ...
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The Korea Post is at your service.
The Korea Post is 31 years old this year and has 5 media units. They are all at your service.
The Korea Post, established 31 years ago in 1985, operates five news media outlets, two in the Korean language and three in English. They are all at your service. You can email all your English and Korean press releases and feedback for free publication to edt@koreapost.comor korpost@chol.com. The five media outlets are:
(1) A Korean print newspaper (http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php),
(2) A Korean Internet (www.koreapost.co.kr),
(3) An English Internet (www.koreapost.com),
(4) An English print monthly (http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/magazine/index.html), and
(5) An English e-daily (/rankup_module/rankup_notice/notice_list.html)
Send your news releases and feedback:
Send the Embassy news releases to edt@koreapost.comfor publication by all its five media units, including one Korean (www.koreapost.co.kr) and one English (www.koreapost.com) Internet dailies, which are updated real-time.(Call 010-5201-1740 for further details.)
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Special report:
Only 12.4% support the former ruling Saenuri Party of President Park
Some 77% of young people vote for opposition candidates
Which political parties do the young voters support in Korea?
In the last general elections on April 18, nearly 77% of the voters in their 20s supported the opposition parties. Only 12.4% supported the ruling Saenuri Party of President Park Geun-hye.
Specifically, 28.5% of the young voters supported the Minju Party of new leader Kim Jong-in, 26.8% the People’s Party of Ahn Cheol-soo, 21.6% the progressive Justice Party of Sim Sang-jung and the meager balance (12.4%) to the ruling Saenuri Party of President Park. This was reported by a major Korean-language daily Joong-Ang Ilbo on April 18 based on a survey a total of 153 typical young voters in the 20s.
Asked how they thought President Park Geun-hye has been running the affairs of the state, 95.4% said that she was doing it the wrong way. Asked why they thought so, 47.1% said that she was dogmatic, 15.7% her economic policies failed and 9.8% she did not honor her public promises.
The young voter turnout this year was bigger than in many previous years. According to tallies by three major broadcasting stations, KBS, MBC and SBS, in their exit surveys, 49.4% of the eligible younger voters cast their ballots. This is 7.9% higher than 41.5% recorded in the general elections of 2012.
On the cause of the ‘Youth Revolt,’ Prof. Jang Deok-jin of Seoul National University said, “The two consecutive conservative governments in the past eight years have created an economic environment and a labor market that gave the young people in Korea dissatisfaction and frustration.”
According to Office of Statistics, the young jobless rate that was 8% in 1913, which rose to 9% in 2014 and then to 9.2% in 2015. This year the youth jobless rate has already reached 12.5% (as of February).
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Replacing the ruling party with one with a very slight margin
People give the present government, political leadership a telling message
The 20th National Assembly elections on April 13, 2016 ended with the birth of a three-party political system in South Korea?changing the ruling party with a very slight margin. The new ruling party, Minjoo, has only one more winner than the former ruling party, Saenuri. Perhaps the bigger change is the fact that now Korea is in a three-party system with a powerful newcomer, the People’s Party led by Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo).
The Korean people have given the political arena a telling message, “We are fed up with you two guys endlessly fighting with each other and producing nothing!”
So the people gave birth to a powerful third party to control the ‘two big guys’ so that they would not fight with each other endlessly paying little attention to the all-important affairs of the state and issues that demand an immediate attention.
Now neither the former ruling party nor the new majority party can belittle the enormous power of the people (voters).
As soon as Minjoo won the elections over the Saenuri Party with the extremely slight margin, Chairman Kim Jong-in of Minjoo Party said, “The people power held the ruling party wholly responsible for the economic failures.”
However, the stronger reason seems to be that the people saw the ruling party as being overly arrogant, self-righteous and incompetent.
Korea is having a critical time economically. The International Monetary Fund brought the economic growth forecast of Korea to 2.7% from the 3.2% of last October. The new National Assembly where now the opposition parties are stronger than the ruling camp should try to make an all-out effort to save the sagging Korean economy aloof?and there is no time for any partisan strife.
There were so many surprises during the last parliamentary elections. The ‘political monopoly’ that the Saenuri Party had enjoyed for the past 26 years in Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do region disappeared in the recent elections. Saenuri suffered a telling defeat where it lost five seats to the Minju in Busan and three in Gyeongsangnam-do. The reason seems to be the voters’ disagreement with Saenuri’s decision of indiscriminate 100% re-nomination of the incumbent local lawmakers.
Some political observers term the results of the National Assembly elections an ‘impeachment against the incumbent President and the ruling party.’
It appears that this is the first time in the Constitutional history of Korea where the ruling party lost as many as 30 seats and the parliamentary leadership. This is all the more so because the election conditions this year were the best ever for the ruling party whereas the opposition camp was split between Minjoo and the People’s Party and furthermore there was a marked growth in the number of senior voters who are normally on the side of the party in power.
Chairman Kim Moo-sung and other leading members of Saenuri have expressed their desire to leave the leadership positions in assumption of this situation. However, there is no appropriate political leaders fit to replace the present leadership of the party.
On this situation, Saenuri Chairman Kim Moo-sung said: “This happened because we had forgotten to fear the people (voters) and we have only ourselves to blame.” It appears that Kim has correctly seen the situation. It appears that the voters have given their verdict seeing the arrogance in the ruling party and the President.
Many people say that President Park has repeatedly made mistakes in her personnel selection and management known as “Decisions made according to the President’s notebook” under which most of the important government and party posts are occupied by the people from Taegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, the favorite region of the President, and most of the important decisions are made by them.
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Humor from a former Central Asian ambassador:
Why Condoms come in packs of 3s, 6s and 12s?
A man walked into a drug store with his 8-year-old-son.
They happened to walk by the condom display, and the boy asked: What are these, Dad?
To which, the man matter-of-factly replied: Those are called condoms, son. Men use them to have safe sex.
Oh, I see, replied the boy pensively. I’ve heard of that in health class at school.
He looked over the display and picked up a package of 3 and asks: Why are there 3 in this package?
The dad replied: Those are for high school boys. ONE for Friday, ONE for Saturday and ONE for Sunday.
Cool, said the boy.
He noticed a pack of 6s and asked: Then, who are these for?
Those are for college boys, the dad answered. TWO for Friday, TWO for Saturday and TWO for Sunday.
Wow! exclaimed the boy.
Then, who uses THESE?: he asked, picking up a pack of 12s.
With a sigh and a tear in his eye, the dad replied: Those are for married men. ONE for January, ONE for February, ONE for March.
(Editor’s note: Contribute the humor of your own country or region and help your incumbent and former colleagues chuckle and remember you. Send the tradition and/or current humor of you country or region to edt@koreapost.com or korpost@chol.com to be shared with your colleagues and Korean friends.)
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Whom did the overseas Koreans support in the last NA elections?
Which party does the Korean residents overseas favor most?
The overseas Koreans chose Minju Party most (59%) followed by Saenuri (24%), Ahn Cheol-soo's People's Party (9.1%) and Democratic Justice Party (2.4%). Centrist Ahn's Party had been only two months old when it joined the elections and it is expected that the new party will gain much more with the passage of time.
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