The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Your Excellency:

Here are The Korea Post notices and around up of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

Korea Post Media

The Korea Post News

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What’s ticking at The Korea Post media site today?

Park absent again from impeachment trial

South Korean President Park Geun-hye was again absent from her impeachment trial Thursday as the Constitutional Court proceeded to review the critical case.

Park, whose presidential powers have been suspended pending the court's decision, was asked to appear to give testimony after she failed to show up for the first formal hearing Tuesday. The law does not require her attendance and her lawyers have said she is unlikely to appear for future proceedings.

(For further details visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2185)

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Other major topics on The Korea Post website (www.koreapost.com) this morning:

GM Korea employee found dead in apparent suicide amid corruption scandal

A 54-year-old employee at GM Korea Co. was found dead in an apparent suicide Thursday, police said, amid an ongoing investigation by state prosecutors into allegations that some company executives and members of its labor union were selling job openings.

Professor questioned about daughter of woman at center of political scandal

A local professor was questioned by special prosecutors Thursday over suspicions he was involved in giving undue favors to the jailed daughter of a woman at the center of South Korea's political scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment.

S. Korea aims for $510 bln in exports in 2017

South Korea will post a total of US$510 billion in exports for 2017 through reorganizing its industrial portfolio and focusing on higher-added-value consumer goods and services, the government said Thursday.

S. Korea set to introduce self-driving public bus this year

South Korea plans to become one of the world's first countries to put autonomous cars to actual use this year, introducing its first self-driving bus, a government report showed Thursday.

Chinese FM calls for S. Korea to halt THAAD deployment

China's top diplomat called Wednesday for South Korea to halt the planned deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system when he met with a group of South Korean opposition lawmakers, according to the legislators.

Professor questioned about daughter of woman at center of political scandal

A local professor was questioned by special prosecutors Thursday over suspicions he was involved in giving undue favors to the jailed daughter of a woman at the center of South Korea's political scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment.

Regulator to focus on structural change in household debt

South Korea's financial authorities said Thursday that they will place top priority on reining in household debt this year through a "structural shift" in the borrowing practice.

Samsung Electronics aims to connect more products to Internet

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. aims to connect more products to the Internet this year, company officials said Wednesday, bolstering its push for the next major evolution of the Internet that could change how people live and work.

People's Party hopes to recruit Ban if he's 'conservative reformist'

The floor leader of South Korea's minor opposition People's Party on Thursday invited former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to join in the party's in-house competition to pick its presidential candidate.

Minor parties say Moon responsible for death of Roh

South Korea's minor parities on Thursday claimed Moon Jae-in, former head of the Democratic Party, is responsible for the death of ex-President Roh Moo-hyun, continuing their attack on the leading presidential candidate from the main opposition.

Seoul stocks start higher on Wall Street gains

South Korean shares opened slightly higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains in the Wall Street after the U.S. central bankers hinted the possibility of faster rate hikes down the road to fend off higher inflation.

New party lawmaker condemns opposition's visit to China on THAAD

Rep. Yoo Seong-min, a presidential hopeful from the proposed New Conservative Party for Reform, condemned the visit by opposition lawmakers to China on Thursday, stressing that talks with Beijing on the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system is tantamount to "betrayal."

Ban files complaint at press-arbitration body on rumors

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon filed a complaint against a local magazine on Wednesday at a press-arbitration body after it reported that Ban received bribes worth US$230,000.

For up-to-the-minute Korea-language news, please visit www.koreapost.co.kr. ther major topics on The Korea Post website (www.koreapost.com)

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What’s ticking in Korea today? Here is a quick roundup of important news stories from the major Korean news media today:

KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

NIS Document Suggests Gov't Artist Blacklist

KBS has secured a document suggesting that the National Intelligence Service(NIS) was involved in the drafting of an alleged antigovernment artist blacklist. The NIS document proposes cutting state financial assistance to what it calls leftist cultural foundations to put them under government control.

Kim Bum-soo has more.

Opp. Lawmakers Meet Chinese Foreign Minister over THAAD Conflict

A group of lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party(DP) has requested China to stop its retaliatory measures on South Korea over the scheduled deployment of a U.S. THAAD battery. The call came during the delegation's visit to China, which drew strong backlash from the conservative camp.

Mina Cha has more.

Key Member of Park Loyalists Asks Interim Leader to Leave Party

Representative Suh Chung-won of the ruling Saenuri Party has asked the party’s interim leader In Myung-jin to leave the party in protest of In’s move to remove staunch loyalists to President Park Geun-hye.

Banks Expect Household Credit Risk to Hit 13-Year High

Businesses and households will likely have difficulties borrowing money from banks this year.

Local banks projected that households’ credit risk will hit a 13-year high in the first quarter of this year, the highest since the third quarter of 2003.

KOSPI, KOSDAQ Close up on Wednesday

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) on Wednesday advanced point-zero-eight percent to close at two-thousand-45-point-64.

The tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained half-a-percent to 639.

Nearly 63% of S. Korea's Stock Rich Inherited Their Wealth

Nearly 63 percent of South Korea's richest from investing in the stock market were found to have become wealthy through inheritance.

CEO Score, a Web site that evaluates the business performances of firms, made the finding after studying the 2007 to 2017 assets held by 40 of the most stock rich in South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and China. The assets were based on figures disclosed annually by U.S. business magazine Forbes.

Trump Administration May Consider Military Option Depending on N. Korea's Provocations

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se says the incoming U.S. administration may consider a military option against North Korea depending on the nature of its provocations in the future.

But he said it’s hard to predict the U.S.’ response because the Trump administration’s policy on North Korea has not been released.

S. Korea's Deputy National Security Adviser to Visit US for Talks on N. Korea

South Korea's Deputy National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong will visit the United States this week to take part in the fifth round of U.S.-Korea strategic consultations.

The presidential office said on Wednesday that Cho will visit Washington from Thursday to Saturday for talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

U.S. watching N. Korea very closely: State Department

The United States takes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's rhetoric on intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities seriously and is keeping a close watch on the communist nation, the State Department said Wednesday.

Chinese FM calls for S. Korea to halt THAAD deployment

China's top diplomat called Wednesday for South Korea to halt the planned deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system when he met with a group of South Korean opposition lawmakers, according to the legislators.

Hyundai, Kia see U.S. sales fall slightly in Dec.

Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate, Kia Motors Corp., saw their combined sales in the United States fall slightly in December, but their annual sales in 2016 were the best-ever, industry data showed Wednesday.

Seoul to move closer to U.S. on N. Korean provocation: FM

South Korea's Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Wednesday Seoul seeks to expand ties with the United States, as Pyongyang could seek to make provocations amid the transition of administration in Washington.

Ban files complaint at press-arbitration body on rumors

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon filed a complaint against a local magazine on Wednesday at a press-arbitration body after it reported that Ban received bribes worth US$230,000.

Japan not taking issue with acting president joining summit: official

Japan doesn't seem to take issue with South Korea's acting president possibly joining a summit of three Asian neighbors that could happen early this year, a senior foreign ministry official said Wednesday.

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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

Seoul aims to offset leadership vacuum, up NK pressure

Despite a leadership vacuum, Seoul is seeking to step up efforts to minimize its impact on diplomacy and security this year while intensifying sanctions and pressure over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

Rise of ‘Candle Citizens’ to reshape democracy in 2017

South Koreans rewrote the nation’s history of democracy in 2016 by relentlessly taking to the streets for more than two months against scandal-ridden President Park Geun-hye, with the New Year’s Eve protest bringing the cumulative number of protestors to 10 million.

Samsung, LG to spar over flagship televisions at CES 2017

Korea’s two tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are slated to show off their latest television technologies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which opens Thursday.

Samsung is touting its new quantum dot QLED TV series as the next big TV technology, ditching its super-ultra high-definition brand that it has used for the last two years.

‘Guardian,’ popular but controversial

In the popular TV drama series “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” the male lead is, quite literally, a god.

Based on the Korean folklore of dokkaebi, a higher spiritual being roughly translated as goblin, the drama series features actor Gong Yoo as Kim Shin, a warrior born centuries ago who, after being impaled with a sword, is transformed into an immortal dokkaebi with endless wealth.

Ban underlines communication ahead of presidential bid

Communication is the top value which former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon seems to have chosen to distinguish himself from other potential contenders in the upcoming South Korean presidential election.

Push to lower voting age to 18 gains momentum

The prospect of South Korea allowing 18-year-olds to vote has brightened Wednesday after four of the five political parties, controlling an absolute majority of the parliament, agreed to push for it.

A newly-minted conservative party -- tentatively named the New Conservative Party for Reform, decided in a party meeting early Wednesday to join the campaign, led by three liberal opposition parties, to amend the country’s election law that grants suffrage to those 19 years old or older.

UNSC website provides data on N. Korea's coal trade

The UN Security Council has begun providing information on member states’ imports of North Korean coal on its website in line with its latest sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs.

The UNSC's sanctions committee has recently added a section to offer up-to-date data on North Korea's coal trade detailing member states' procurement volume and value. It also has a table showing the amount of coal that individual companies buy from the North both monthly and annually.

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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Seoul's low-key approach on defense cost stirs controversy

The government's low-key approach on sharing the cost of stationing the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) here is coming under scrutiny as the new U.S. government is likely to demand more money.

Korea and the United States hold negotiations on cost-sharing for the upkeep of 28,000 American troops every five years under the Special Measures Agreement (SMA).

2017 a 'Golden holiday' year in Korea

Koreans are set to enjoy the most holidays since 2005, and by adding some personal vacation days ― annual leave that companies regularly give to employees ― vacations (checked in red below) it can be extended.

Hair-raising 'hippie' notice riles Incheon cops

Who would have thought that America's hippie culture of the 1960s would cause a "conflict of interests" in Korea's Incheon police force a half-century later?

The clash revolves around a notice issued by Incheon Seobu Police Station chief Cho Eun-soo to officers on Jan. 1. It included conduct codes on grooming and uniforms "to realize the reliable, devotional police force image," and quickly spread on Facebook.

Why Korea lags in Nobel prizes

Last February, I retired as a school teacher and entered Korea National Open University to study Japanology. My scattered knowledge of Japan's politics, economy, society, culture and history began to come together and producing new, dense branches of knowledge. Naturally, Japan came to me more clearly than before. I was very happy when I was rewarded with a scholarship thanks to studying hard. I have also been making remarkable progress in Japanese.

Seoul to set up special unit to remove N. Korea wartime leadership

South Korea will set up a special unit this year tasked with removing the North Korean leadership including its leader Kim Jong-un in the case of a war, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.

Voting age likely to be lowered to 18

The voting age is likely to be lowered to 18 for the 2017 presidential election.

The New Conservative Party for Reform (NCPR), created by lawmakers who left the Saenuri Party, said Wednesday that it will seek to lower the voting age from 19 to 18 and apply it to the next election.

'Oil crisis' shocks food businesses

Restaurants specializing in fried foods have suffered from the recent price hike of soybean oil, which was caused by the short supply of soybeans in South America, hit by severe flooding last summer, industry observers said Wednesday.

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Dong-AIlbo (http://english.donga.com)

S. Korean military to set up special unit to strike at N. Korean wartime leadership

South Korea plans to launch this year a special unit tasked with incapacitating North Korea's wartime leadership including the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who can order the use of nuclear weapons.

A closer look at evacuation practice of U.S. civilians in Korea

On a day in late October 2016, in front of an evacuation control center on a U.S. military base in Yongsan, Seoul, people were lining up, wearing padded jumpers and fur hats, carrying travel bags or luggage. A score of 60 people were standing as if they were heading out on a trip. However, children covered up their faces with white masks and most of the grown-ups looked stiff. They were practicing a noncombatant evacuation exercise in case of a war in Korea.

Demential danger increases 40% when sleeping more than 8 hours a day

Research shows more sleep leads to increased danger of dementia. A team led by Professor Myung Seung-kwon of National Cancer Center International Caner Graduate School and another team led by Professor Kim Hong-bae of Myongji Hospital family medicine department announced the results of their research on 10 sleep and cognitive functions related research released on international academic journals in 2009-2016.

LG to unveil ‘Super Ultra HD TV’ at CES

LG Electronics will introduce the Super Ultra HD TV at the CES 2017, the world’s largest consumer electronics exhibition in Las Vegas on Thursday local time. The high-end television is a new product developed by the Korea-based electronics company to target the premium LCD TV market. The product is set to compete in earnest with Samsung Electronics, which adopts Quantum Dot (QD) as its next-generation TV business strategy.

Seoul Baekje Museum exhibits mural tombs of Goguryeo

Mural tombs and murals in tombs of an ancient kingdom scattered across Jian, China, and Pyongyang in North Korea can be seen in Seoul.

The Seoul Baekje Museum holds a special exhibition on mural tombs of Goguryeo until Feb. 26. The exhibition will have a mockup of a Goguryeo mural tomb and the replica of murals in tombs. Around 120 mural tombs made between the 4th and 7th centuries have been excavated in China and North Korea.

Booker prize-winning author John Berger dead at 90

John Berger, the British art critic, intellectual and prodigious author, died Monday at his home in the Paris suburb, AP reported. He was 90.

The author of "Ways of Seeing," published in 1972, helped transform the way a generation looked at and perceived art. Translated into Korean, the book is also a must-read for people majoring art.

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Chosun-Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

Independent Counsel Says No Deal for Choi Soon-sil's Daughter

Independent counsel Park Young-soo on Tuesday declined demands by Chung Yoo-ra to be investigated without detention if he wants her to return to Korea.

Chung, the daughter of President Park Geun-hye's longtime crony Choi Soon-sil, has been arrested in Denmark and is suspected of being a major beneficiary of the extortion racket her mother ran with Park's connivance.

Hyundai Merchant Marine to Club Together with Smaller Shipping Lines

Hyundai Merchant Marine will join hands with local rivals to take on the Asian market amid the drastic slump in the shipping industry here.

Hyundai said on Tuesday the company will form a consortium in March with Sinokor Merchant Marine and Heung-A Shipping, both of which specialize in shipments in the Asian region.

Fewer Traffic Deaths in Seoul

The number of traffic deaths in Seoul has dropped below one a day for the first time since statistics began in 1970. Analysis of car accidents in 2016 shows that an average of 0.94 persons was killed in car accidents in the city, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said on Tuesday.

Trump Says N.Korean Nuke Strike 'Won't Happen'

U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Monday dismissed the threat of any North Korean nuclear weapons hitting the U.S.

Trump, who remains something of a loose cannon on Twitter, tweeted, "North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won't happen!"

Choi Soon-sil's Daughter Pleads Total Ignorance

The daughter of President Park Geun-hye's crony Choi Soon-sil appeared in a Danish court on Monday to deny she knew anything about her mother's shenanigans.

Korean ambassador to Denmark and other Korean officials were present in the court in the northern Danish city of Aalborg as Chung Yoo-ra answered questions about her role in the massive corruption scandal that has brought down Park.

Choi Soon-sil Refuses to Be Questioned by Independent Counsel

President Park Geun-hye's crony Choi Soon-sil is refusing to appear for questioning by an independent counsel investigating the massive corruption scandal that has brought the president down.

Ban Ki-moon in a Hurry to Return to Korea

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon swiftly moved out of his official residence in New York on Tuesday and shipped his belongings to Seoul.

Ban, whose presidential ambitions have been a badly kept secret for many months, is poised to return to Korea after a quick visit to northern New York State and has canceled a speech he was to deliver at Harvard University on Jan. 12.

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HanKyoReh-Shinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Momentum from candlelight rallies pushing to lower voting age to 18

The need to extend the vote to 18-year-olds is supported not only by opposition parties and civic groups but also by the National Election Commission. The primary argument is that 18 years is the minimum age for getting married in the Civil Code, for reporting for duty in the Military Service Act, for being issued a driving license in the Road Traffic Act and for taking the civil service test for levels eight and below in government regulations. The minimum age for getting a job in the Labor Standards Act is 15.

Choi Sun-sil sought Pres. Park’s favor with Dutch king

New evidence shows that Choi Sun-sil (who is currently in jail and facing charges) also tried to have President Park Geun-hye ask the king of the Netherlands to win a supply contract for the KD Corporation, a company run by Choi’s friend. Park reportedly received at least three or four requests from Choi on the subject via former Blue House personal secretary Jung Ho-seong (who is also in jail and facing charges). While Park claimed during the meeting with reporters covering the Blue House on Jan. 1 that she had not known that the KD Corporation was run by a friend of Choi’s, this has also turned out to be a falsehood.

Chaebol moving away from feudal system of appointment the prince after king’s death

South Korea’s chaebol are changing the way they make official their plans for handing power down.

While the conglomerates have traditionally decided their succession of power after the chairman‘s death, the Hyosung Group and Dong-A Socio Holdings recently both moved to implement it while their chairmen are still alive.

With Pres. Park not present, first Court hearing ends after just nine minutes

The first main hearing in the Constitutional Court review of the motion for impeachment of President Park Geun-hye concluded in just nine minutes after Park failed to attend the hearing. “We will do our best in the trial to be strict and impartial with an attitude of justice and rectitude,” said Constitutional Court President Park Han-chul.

Chinese newspaper says Korean peninsula most likely location of armed clash in 2017

Major Chinese news outlets named the Korean Peninsula on Jan. 3 as the most likely region for an armed clash to occur in 2017.

In an editorial titled “Will The World Be More Chaotic in 2017?” the Global Times wrote, “From the perspective of war or new military clashes, the West Pacific is the most dangerous zone.”

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JoongAng-Ilbo(conservative) (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)

Political forces get ready for Ban’s return

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will return to Korea on Jan. 12, three days earlier than expected, amid growing expectation that the 72-year-old former diplomat will declare a bid for the presidency.

Trump’s tweets closely monitored by ministry

When Donald J. Trump tweets, Seoul will be listening.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ North American Affairs Bureau recently assigned an officer to screen Trump’s Twitter account, especially tweets related to Korea and northeast Asia.

Cramped hen cages blamed for mass AI culls

Korea is going through the worst outbreak of avian influenza in history. Less than 50 days after the first case of the highly pathogenic H5N6 virus strain was reported, 30.33 million birds have been culled nationwide, with chickens accounting for over 85 percent.

Korean shipbuilders outpaced by Japanese rivals in orders

After a tough year of order droughts, Korean shipbuilders have been overtaken by Japanese competitors in terms of order backlogs for the first time in 17 years.

The amount of orders that Korean shipbuilders had yet to complete through the end of last year totaled 19.92 million compensated gross tonnage, while Japan recorded 20.06 million CGT, according to interim results from shipbuilding market research company Clarksons on Wednesday.

Universal Studios project stalled

The Korean Water Resources Corporation (K-water) said it failed to sign a contract with Universal Studios Korea to build an amusement park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, by their late-December deadline.

Banks prep to change top brass

Two of the country’s biggest banks, Woori and Shinhan, are taking first steps toward changing their top management.

Woori Bank will choose its next chief executive officer from within its own organization, the board of directors said Wednesday. The current CEO, Lee Kwang-goo, will step down in March, and the new chief’s term will begin on March 24, when the bank holds its shareholders meeting.

Stock inheritance is likelier in Korea

More than half of Korea’s top stock wealthy have become rich from inheritance, a phenomenon more stark than in the United States, Japan and China, an analysis by a corporate watcher showed Wednesday.

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The KyungHyang-Shinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)

[2017 Presidential Dreams] Seongnam-si Mayor Lee Jae-myung, "We Need a Revolutionary Change... A Tough Field Commander Should Lead"

Mayor of Seongnam-si Lee Jae-myung (53, Minjoo Party of Korea), who has emerged as a strong presidential candidate from the opposition through the "candlelight demonstrations" said on January 3, "Others all talk about growth and growth, but that is populism. We need to fairly distribute economic opportunities and resources and restore fairness in our economic order." This day during an interview of presidential candidates in the Kyunghyang Shinmun reception room, Lee also added, "The best way is to strengthen the labor unions like President Roosevelt, who had the National Guard support the union strikes."

It’s Vacation, a Time Feared by Fixed-Term Teachers

A, who worked as a fixed-term teacher at a middle school in the Seoul metropolitan area received a letter from the school in early December notifying her of an abrupt termination of her contract. A signed a one-year contract from March 2016 to February 2017, but was greatly surprised at the school's position to terminate the contract about three months sooner.

Moon Jae-in No. 1 in Bilateral and Multilateral Race

According to the New Year's surveys conducted by various media outlets, the approval ratings for the presidential candidates showed similar patterns. When asked whom the respondents supported after listing all the candidates expected to run in the next presidential election, former leader of the Minjoo Party of Korea Moon Jae-in led the polls with approval ratings of 22-25%.

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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)

Nov. Current Account Surplus Rises to $8.99 Bil...First Export Upturn in 29 Months

The current account surplus in November last year increased slightly due to the stronger export performance. According to a report "November 2016 International Balance of Payments (Preliminary)" published by the Bank of Korea on January 4, the current account balance for the month of November was a surplus of US$8.99 billion.

Impact of Chinese Yuan Depreciation Soon to Be Felt in Korean Stock Market

As the value of the Chinese yuan declines precipitously, it remains to be seen what impact this will have on the domestic stock market. The People's Bank of China said on January 4 that its official yuan-dollar exchange rate was 6.9526 yuan per dollar. This is down 0.04 percent (0.0028 yuan) from the previous day and a record-low level since May 2008. As the dollar's value rises fast after Donald Trump's win in the U.S. Presidential election on November 8, the yuan-dollar exchange rate may surpass the 7-yuan level any time soon.

China Extends Anti-dumping Tariff on Korean-made Optical Fiber for 5 More Years

The Chinese government decided to impose anti-dumping tariffs on Korean-made optical fiber products for five additional years. The Korean optical fiber industry regarded the Chinese government's latest decision as a retaliatory move in response to the Korean government's decision to deploy the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system.

Singapore's Jurong Aromatics Placed in M&A Market for Sale

Singapore's Jurong Aromatics, a global petrochemical joint venture for which SK Group invested about 3 trillion won was placed in the M&A market for sale.

In a situation where the international oil prices are showing signs of recovery and chemical companies are enjoying strong performances, the competition to acquire the Singaporean firm is expected to flare up.

FDI Committed in 2016 Reaches Record-high Level at $21.3 Bil.

The amount of foreign investment committed last year hit a record-high level. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy said on January 3 that the balance of foreign direct investment in 2016 was US$21.3 billion, up 1.9 percent from the previous year. This is the highest level since the ministry collected the related data.

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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)

Samsung's new Galaxy S8 features pressure sensitive touch screen: Rumors

As Samsung gears up for the launch of its new flagship Galaxy S8 probably at the Mobile World Congress in February, rumors claimed the new smartphone would feature pressure sensitive soft keys displayed on its touchscreen like Apple's

World's oldest killer whale presumed dead at the age of 105.

The world's oldest killer whale known as Granny and labeled J2 has been missing for a few months. She is now presumed dead by the Center for Whale Research in San Juan Island in northwestern Washington.

Samsung to force battery capacity of remaining Note 7 to lowest possible

Samsung pledged a global recall on its combustible Galaxy Note 7 in September last year but failed to recall every defective device. The tech giant estimates about 100,000 people still use Note 7 worldwide, refusing to respond to a recall order.

Fans want real love by Song-Song couple from 'Descendants of the Sun'

Fans want Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, who acted as an on-screen couple at South Korea's hit drama "Descendants of the Sun", to become lovers in their real life, according to a survey published Wednesday.

S. Korean singer-actor pledges tough legal battle with Tesla

Son Ji-chang, a South Korean singer-actor, pledged a tough legal battle with Tesla Motors, accusing the US electric vehicle maker of hurting his pride with false accusations over the crash of his sport utility vehicle Model X.

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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)

Samsung Elec debuts upgraded quantum-dot TVs at CES 2017

Samsung Electronics Co fielded upgraded series of premium 4K TV lineup backed by its proprietary quantum dots as backlight - quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) TV series Q9, Q8, and Q7 - in the heated contest over image quality at CES 2017 trade show in Las Vegas, the U.S. on Tuesday (local time).

Korea’s fashion house LF ventures into alcoholic beverage sector

South Korea’s LF Corp. (formerly LG Fashion) has branched out the alcoholic beverage segment through acquisition of a local beverage importer to leverage against struggling fashion business from depressed consumption and strengthen its fledgling food identity to reinvent itself as total lifestyle provider.

Korea’s current account surplus increases to $8.99 bn in Nov on exports growth

South Korea’s current account surplus in November reached $8.99 billion on increased exports and imports, extending its longest-ever surplus streak of 57 months, the central bank data showed.

Korea’s state lender IBK taking steps to turn into financial holding group

South Korea’s Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) has embarked on concrete steps to convert into a holding group establishment commanding eight banking and financial companies.

According to sources from the financial and banking industries on Tuesday, the state-run lender last week posted public recruitment for outside consulting company to draw up a mid- to long-term development strategy to build a holding system. It will name a consultant by Jan. 9 and finish outline by March.

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What’s ticking around the world at this second?

See what the media around the world have to report:

USA Today:www.usatoday.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

timeswww.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk

The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk

Chinese People's Dailywww.people.com.cn kf@people.cn

China Dailywww.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

GwangmyeongDailywww.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn

Japan's Yomiuriwww.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com

asahiwww.asahi.com customer-support@asahi.com

mainichiwww.mainichi.jp

lemondewww.ilemonde.com

Italy rarepupeul Rica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com

Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitungwww.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de

SüddeutscheZeitungwww.sueddeutsche.de forum@sueddeutsche.de

Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Sydney Morning Heraldwww.smh.com.au

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