Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Jeju Gov. Won Hee-ryong seeks to create 40,000 new jobs through New Deal plan
“Through the Jeju-style New Deal plan, Jeju Province plans to discover and foster future new industries and create 40,000 new jobs,” Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Won Hee-ryong said.
In a written interview with the Korea Post on Oct. 15, Gov. Won said, "Jeju has been trying to transform itself into a low-carbon society for the past decade. Jeju's Green Big Bang strategy centered on the Carbon Free Island 2030 project and the low-carbon strategy have resulted in the nation's best renewable energy ratio of 14.4 percent, along with the change in supplying more than 30% of electricity with renewable energy.”
LG Group Chairman Koo seeks 'LG plan for 2021’ with CEOs of affiliates
Beginning Oct. 19, LG Group will hold a briefing session on its business plan for 2021. The group plans to hold a business report meeting for about a month starting with LG Household & Health Care on Oct. 19, business sources said on Oct. 16.
LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo will preside over the meeting and CEOs and business heads of each affiliate will attend to finalize their business plans and management strategies for next year.
LG Wing gains favorable reviews ahead of full-scale release in the U.S. market
LG Electronics will release its strategic smartphone called 'LG WING' through Verizon, the largest mobile carrier in the U.S., on Oct. 15 to target the U.S. market in earnest.
Foreign media also presented favorable reviews ahead of its full-scale launch. "LG Wing is best for customers who enjoy mobile videos or dream of becoming a YouTuber with their smartphones," said GIZMODO, an IT media outlet. "It is the most interesting smartphone that was released this year."
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea Reports 58 New COVID-19 Cases
South Korea's daily new COVID-19 cases remained below 100 for the fifth consecutive day.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said on Tuesday that 58 additional cases were confirmed throughout Monday, bringing the accumulated caseload to 25-thousand-333.
The daily figure dropped by 18 from the previous day and remained in double-digits for five consecutive days. Health authorities, however, remain alert amid continued cluster infections at nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals, and sporadic outbreaks at call centers and bars.
SK Hynix to Buy Intel's NAND Business for 10.3 Tln Won
South Korea's SK Hynix will buy a memory-chip unit of U.S. tech giant Intel for ten-point-three trillion won.
SK Hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip maker, said on Tuesday that it has signed a nine-billion-dollar deal to purchase all of Intel's NAND flash business except for its Optane memory business.
Report: Russian Hackers Targeted 2018 Winter Olympics
The U.S. and British governments reportedly said on Monday that Russian intelligence agency hackers were responsible for cyberattacks on the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
According to Reuters and CNN, the U.S. Justice Department indicted six Russian military intelligence officers for cyberattacks that targeted the electric power grid in Ukraine, the 2017 French elections and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
New virus cases under 100 for 5th day; virus fight still in peril over cluster infections
South Korea's new coronavirus cases rose by double digits for a fifth consecutive day Tuesday, but health authorities remain vigilant over cluster infections at risk-prone facilities such as hospitals.
The country added 58 more COVID-19 cases, including 41 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,333, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Pupils take more in-person classes amid eased social distancing rules
The Ministry of Education's expansion of in-person classes at schools went into effect Monday amid a growing concern over a widening learning gap and a recent drop in new coronavirus cases.
The ministry raised the attendance cap, previously at one-third for elementary and middle schools, and two-thirds at high schools, to two-thirds for all schools on Oct. 11, in line with the government's decision to relax social distancing guidelines nationwide.
SK hynix to buy Intel's NAND memory chip unit for US$9 bln
SK hynix Inc., South Korea's No. 2 chipmaker, said Tuesday that it has agreed to buy a memory chip unit from U.S. semiconductor giant Intel Corp. in a deal worth 10.3 trillion won (US$9 billion).
SK hynix said it will acquire all of Intel's NAND flash business, except its Optane memory unit. The deal includes Intel's solid state drive (SSD) business and its factory in Dalian, China.
The deal will make SK hynix the world's second-largest NAND flash chip producer.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
SK hynix to buy Intel's NAND memory chip unit for $9b
SK hynix Inc., South Korea's No. 2 chipmaker, said Tuesday that it will buy the NAND business of US semiconductor giant Intel Corp. in a deal worth 10.3 trillion won ($9 billion) to expand its presence in the memory sector.
SK hynix said it will acquire all of Intel's NAND flash business, except its Optane memory unit. The deal includes Intel's solid state drive (SSD) business and its factory in Dalian, China.
New virus cases under 100 for 5th day; virus fight still in peril
South Korea's new coronavirus cases rose by double digits for a fifth consecutive day Tuesday, but health authorities remain vigilant over cluster infections at risk-prone facilities such as hospitals.
The country added 58 more COVID-19 cases, including 41 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,333, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Opposition parties double down on calls for fund scandal special probe
Opposition parties doubled down on their calls for an independent counsel to look into financial fraud scandals that cost investors several trillion won, after hearing testimony alleging corrupt ties between the financial companies and the government and ruling party.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
New virus cases under 100 for fifth day
South Korea's new coronavirus cases rose by double digits for a fifth consecutive day Tuesday, but health authorities remain vigilant over cluster infections at risk-prone facilities such as hospitals.
The country added 58 more COVID-19 cases, including 41 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,333, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The figure marked a drop from 76 daily cases reported Monday and 91 from Sunday. It was also the lowest since 47 added on Friday.
Russia found behind cyberattacks on PyeongChang Olympics
Russia's military intelligence unit was found to have been behind cyberattacks against the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea's alpine town of PyeongChang, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday.
The Justice Department, together with the FBI, charged six officers of the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate's (GRU) Military Unit for "disruptive, destructive and destabilizing activities in cyberspace.
SK hynix to buy Intel's NAND memory chip unit for $9 billion
SK hynix Inc., South Korea's No. 2 chipmaker, said Tuesday that it will buy the NAND business of U.S. semiconductor giant Intel Corp. in a deal worth 10.3 trillion won (US$9 billion) to expand its presence in the memory sector.
SK hynix said it will acquire all of Intel's NAND flash business, except its Optane memory unit. The deal includes Intel's solid state drive (SSD) business and its factory in Dalian, China.
SK hynix it will pay Intel 8 trillion won by 2021 to first acquire its Chinese production facility and SSD unit.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
S. Korea, US look to rekindle negotiations with N. Korea via Tokyo Olympics
Top foreign policy and national security officials in South Korea and the US are reportedly in agreement about using the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo, as a springboard for ending the deadlock in North Korea-US relations, leading to speculation about the feasibility of such a plan. US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien has also announced plans to visit South Korea in November. But any attempt to recreate the diplomatic success of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang will have to overcome the variables of the COVID-19 pandemic and the US presidential election next month.
Conflict between justice minister and prosecutor general heats up with release of letter about Lime Asset scandal
A conflict between Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl has been heating up once again after the release of a letter written by former Star Mobility Chairperson Kim Bong-hyun, a key figure in the recent Lime Asset scandal. Some observers are predicting the clash could end up turning into a “chicken race” between the two.
In a position statement on Oct. 18, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) took aim at Yoon with a message hinting that it might undertake a separate investigation from the one by inspectors. In Kim Bong-hyun’s self-penned “overview of the situation” released on Oct.
Overseas Korean adoptee untied with birth family after 44 years of separation
“Sang-ae! Meeting you is a dream come true. If I hadn’t met you, I don’t think I could have found peace beyond the grave,” said Lee Eung-sun, 78. She had to stop talking, choked up by her tears. The South Korean woman had just been connected by video with the daughter she’d lost 44 years ago.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Millennials Save for Dream of Own Home
Millennials are becoming obsessed with the idea of buying a home one day even as their hopes fade amid escalating housing prices, a straw poll suggests.
Mirae Asset polled 700 people between 25 and 39 across the country in May this year. Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers.
Asked about their top financial priority, 61 percent said they save money to buy homes. Next came preparation for retirement (50 percent) and for marriage (29 percent).
Gov't to Stimulate Consumption with Discount Coupons
The government will resume discount programs to promote museums, cinemas and gyms and stimulate consumption. Some 3.5 million discount coupons are offered to those who visit museums and art galleries, 1.76 million for movie theaters, 1.8 million for venues for concert or other performance halls, and 400,000 for gyms
"We are cautiously resuming the discount coupons that had been halted," Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo told reporters Sunday.
Movie Industry Losses Surpass W1 Trillion
Korea's movie industry has suffered an estimated W1 trillion in losses due to the coronavirus epidemic (US$1=W1,146).
According the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, cumulative box-office sales from January to September totaled W424.3 billion, down 70.7 percent from W1.45 trillion for the whole of last year.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Trump closes the gap with Biden in swing states
U.S. President Donald Trump is chasing challenger Joe Biden close in polls in Pennsylvania and Florida, the two key swing states for the November presidential election in the United States. Trump’s surge in Pennsylvania, which accounts for 20 out of 538 votes in the electoral college, is considered to be highly unusual as it is the hometown of Joe Biden and a long-standing stronghold of the Democrats. In fact, Trump won Pennsylvania narrowly four years ago even after lagging in the polls.
Deployment of Global Hawk carried out behind closed doors
It has become belatedly known that the South Korean military decided to give the high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (HUAV) brought in the nickname Global Hawk (RQ-4), the same nickname used by the U.S. armed forces. Normally, weapons imported from the U.S. were given their own South Korean nicknames in order to symbolize our military operational capabilities, such as countering threats from North Korea. Some point out that the South Korean military not only did not give the newly introduced weapon a new South Korea nickname but also did not make it public since North Korea is sensitive to South Korea’s deployment of strategic assets.
SHI succeeds in remote autonomous operation trial of 300-ton ship
The commercialization of technology that is capable of operating a remote and autonomous ship from a lab 250 kilometers away is approaching.
South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) said on Monday that it succeeded in testing its independently-developed remote autonomous navigation system called SAS. The demonstration, where the 38-meter-long, 300-ton tugboat “Samsung T-8” was operated via SAS from a ground control center in Daejeon, took place in waters off the SHI shipyard on Geoje Island on Wednesday.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Another Courier Dies: The Third Death This Month Alone, the Tenth Death This Year
Another courier lost his life. This was the tenth death of a courier this year, and the third death this month.
According to the Taekbae Union on October 18, Gim (36), who worked at the Dongdaemun, Seoul branch of Hanjin Logistics, was found dead on October 12.
According to the union, Gim’s colleague went to Gim’s house, after he failed to show up for work and found out about Gim’s death.
“Let’s Put Our Heads Together,” Lee Nak-yeon Speaks with Suga’s Aide
On October 18, Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Nak-yeon (Lee Nak-yon) met with Chief Secretary of the South Korea-Japan Parliamentarians’ Union Takeo Kawamura, a close aide of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The two men agreed to cooperate and put their heads together to improve the relationship between South Korea and Japan.
Methodist Church Declares a 2-Year Suspension of a Pastor Who Blessed Sexual Minorities: Reverend Lee Dong-hwan to Appeal the Decision
In a church trial, the Korean Methodist Church suspended Reverend Lee Dong-hwan from his clerical position for two years for blessing sexual minorities at the Queer Cultural Festival.
The judicial committee of the Gyeonggi branch of the Korean Methodist Church made the decision in a hearing at Onnuri Keunbit Church in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do on October 15. The committee said, “His (Reverend Lee) attending the queer festival in clergy vestments and publicly blessing sexual minorities is proof that he supports homosexuality,” and further explained the reason for the decision saying, “The phrase, ‘the Methodist church and queers together,’ which was on the poster (promoting the blessing), is also strong evidence.”
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
SK Hynix acquires Intel’s memory chip unit for $9.03 bn
SK Hynix Inc. announced Tuesday it is acquiring the non-volatile memory chip operation of Intel Corp. for 10.3 trillion won ($9.03 billion) to strengthen its NAND competitiveness and balance its product portfolio overly reliant on DRAM.
The deal that includes the American chip giant’s solid disk drive, NAND flash memory and wafer operations and a fab in Dalian, China, will be completed by March 2025 after handing over the first $7 billion by the end of 2021, the Korean chipmaker disclosed.
Hyundai Motor, LG Chem, Hyundai Glovis to recycle EV batteries under sandbox
South Korea’s largest auto maker Hyundai Motor Co. and No. 1 battery maker LG Chem Ltd. will recycle electric vehicle (EV) batteries as energy storage systems (ESS) for photovoltaic energy or EV rapid charging stations under the government’s regulatory sandbox.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Monday granted the green light to Hyundai Motor Co. as well as Hyundai Glovis, LG Chem, and KST Mobility to carry out projects to recycle used EV batteries to develop energy storage systems and create new business models.
Korea’s auto industry marks double-digit growth in output, shipments
South Korea’s automobile industry may have passed its worst from pandemic crisis, with output and domestic and overseas shipments all in double-digit rebound.
According to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the country’s auto exports surged 14.8 percent on year to 193,081 units in September in the first monthly on-year growth since the outbreak of Covid-19.
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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
AustraliaBrisbaneTime www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Sydney Morning Herald www.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports http://www.colombiareports.com
BogotaFree Planet http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com bfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english
Andes https://www.redaktionstest.net/andes-info-ec/
Ecuador Times https://www.ecuadortimes.net/
The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com/
LSM.lv https://www.lsm.lv//
The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.com, lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais https://english.elpais.com/
Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net/
Daily News Hungary https://dailynewshungary.com/
Budapest Times https://www.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
Sri Lanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
And many other countries.
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