Monday, December 7, 2020

 

 

Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
POSCO moves to establish a value chain for the secondary battery material business
POSCO will expand its secondary battery material business for anode and cathode materials and secondary battery core material business for lithium, nickel and graphite, the group said on Dec. 3.
Related to this, the company decided to establish a value chain for the secondary battery material business by linking the increase in the valuation volume of lithium salt lake in Argentina, the promotion of eco-friendly nickel smelting project, and investment in shares in the graphite mine.
POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo said, "We are the only one in the world that has a system to supply secondary battery materials ranging from raw materials such as lithium, nickel, and graphite to anode and cathode materials. Based on differentiated competitive advantages, let's focus all our capabilities on fostering secondary battery materials to let POSCO enter into one of the world's best businesses."

Hyundai Motor unveils its Electric-Global Modular Platform for electric vehicles
Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled its "E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform), a platform dedicated to next-generation electric vehicles that will be applied to electric vehicles next year.
The group introduced E-GMP's features and applied new technologies through "E-GMP Digital Discovery," which was held online on Dec. 2, including YouTube channel video and video press conferences.
E-GMP is Hyundai Motor Group's first independent development platform in 10 years since it entered the electric vehicle business.
At the event, Fayez Abdul Rahman, senior vice president of Hyundai Motor Group's Vehicle Architecture Development Center, said, "It is our first technical milestone. It is the foundation of Hyundai Motor Group's next-generation electric vehicle lineup."

President Moon Jae-in carries out cabinet reshuffle of four ministries
President Moon Jae-in has carried out a smaller cabinet reshuffle, replacing four ministers, including Kim Hyun-mee, minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) on Dec. 4.
Chung Man-ho, the Presidential senior secretary for public communication, said in a briefing at Chong Wa Dae in the afternoon that President Moon nominated Byun Chang-heum, 55, president of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), to replace MOLIT Minister Kim.
Jeon Hae-chul, a 58-year-old lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, was appointed as the minister of public administration and security, replacing Jin Young. 
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Top Diplomats of S. Korea, UAE Hold Talks on Ties, Cooperation
The top diplomats of South Korea and the United Arab Emirate(UAE) held talks on Saturday to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in COVID-19 prevention efforts and various other areas.
Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with her UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
In the meeting, Kang said the two nations have maintained close personnel and economic exchanges despite the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the two sides agreed in July to an expedited entry agreement to allow essential cross-border travel.

Approval Rates for Pres. Moon, Ruling DP Stuck at All-time Low
Approval ratings for President Moon Jae-in and his ruling Democratic Party(DP) remained at an all-time low since Moon took office in May 2017.
According to Realmeter's survey of two-thousand-513 adults nationwide between last Monday and Friday, only 37-point-four percent of respondents gave a positive assessment of Moon, down six-point-four percentage points from the previous week. 
Negative assessment of the president, meanwhile, rose five-point-two percentage points to a fresh all-time high of 57-point-four percent. 
The survey, commissioned by YTN, had a confidence level of 95 percent with a margin of error of two percentage points. 

Health Minister: Capital Region Already at State of War on COVID-19
Health Minister Park Neung-hoo says the capital region is already at a state of war against COVID-19, calling the size of the current spike in infections "unprecedented".
The minister noted in a government meeting on COVID-19 responses on Monday that the daily number of infections remained above 600 for two straight days despite a drop in the number of people who get tested over the weekend.
Park said the daily cases in the greater Seoul area came to 470 on Sunday, the largest figure since the outbreak in the country.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
SK hynix develops 176-layer 4D NAND flash
SK hynix Inc., South Korea's No. 2 chipmaker, said Monday it has developed a 176-layer 4D NAND flash chip that boasts better productivity and performance as the company expands its technological presence in the sector.
The samples of the 176-layer 512 Gigabit (Gb) Triple-Level Cell (TLC) 4D NAND flash was already provided to controller companies last month to make a solution product.
The new chip is the third generation of its 4D product that highlights the industry's best number of chips per wafer, according to SK hynix.

LG Group sets up AI research hub for future growth
LG Group, South Korea's fourth-largest conglomerate, said Monday it has established an artificial intelligence (AI) research hub to explore growth opportunities and secure future technologies related with human-like algorithms.
LG AI Research is joined by 16 affiliates of LG Group, including LG Electronics Inc. and LG Chem Ltd., to study AI solutions. The group will invest 200 billion won (US$ 184 million) in the center's research and development (R&D) projects and recruitment of global talents in the next three years.
"LG's pursuit of AI is aimed at making people's lives more valuable beyond technology," said LG Group chief Koo Kwang-mo. "We will give our support so that it can serve as the center of the global ecosystem."

New virus cases above 600 for 2nd day, stricter virus curbs imminent in greater Seoul
The daily number of new coronavirus cases exceeded 600 for the second straight day Monday as the country is set to adopt the second-strongest virus curbs in the greater Seoul area amid spiking cases tied to private gatherings and infection-prone facilities.
The country added 615 more COVID-19 cases, including 580 local infections, raising the total caseload to 38,161, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Four additional coronavirus fatalities were reported, bringing the total to 549. 
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
S. Korea to draw up rules for better working conditions for foreign fishing crews
South Korea said Monday it will launch a new set of rules next year to improve the working environment of foreign crews on local fishing boats, which centers on providing a standardized contract and guaranteeing enough break time.
The latest measures came amid growing concerns that the country has been lacking clear guidelines to protect the rights of foreign fishermen, which account for roughly a fifth of the total workforce in the segment.
With younger South Koreans avoiding physically strenuous jobs, the portion of foreign workers is likely to continue to grow.

Standstill issued for poultry farm in Gyeonggi on suspected bird flu case
South Korea on Monday issued a standstill order for all poultry farms in Gyeonggi Province after the region that surrounds Seoul identified one suspected case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI).
Under the decision, all poultry farms will be banned from moving birds as well as related automobiles for the next 48 hours through early Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
On late Sunday, the ministry said it was carrying out an investigation into the suspected bird flu case at an egg farm in Yeoju of Gyeonggi Province, which could be the country's fourth AI case from farms this year.

Openness to internal change needed to complete prosecution reform
President Moon Jae-in’s initiative to curb the immense power of state prosecutors is now at its halfway point, with related bills having cleared hurdles in the parliament.
For the reform measures to really take root, prosecutors need to step up and play a greater role in driving internal and cultural changes among themselves, said Kim In-hoe, a professor at Inha University Law School in Seoul who is often dubbed the architect of Moon’s prosecution reform scheme,
“Once a law is established, jurists cannot help but follow it. But efforts needed to bring real changes in the field cannot be done by a scholar like me or presidential secretaries. Only prosecutors can do the job,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Herald at the Herald Corp. building in Yongsan, Seoul, Tuesday. 
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
2nd-strongest virus curbs to take effect in greater Seoul area from Tuesday
South Korea will impose heightened social distancing regulations under the second-strongest virus curbs for the greater Seoul area starting on Tuesday as health authorities face the biggest challenge in containing resurgences in virus cases during the winter season.
The Level 2.5 distancing, the second highest in the country's five-tier COVID-19 antivirus alert system, will be applied to the nation's capital area ― which covers Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and the western port city of Incheon ― for the next three weeks starting at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Korea unveils blueprints to attain carbon neutrality by 2050
South Korea said Monday it plans to accelerate the reduction of reliance on coal as it nurtures eco-friendly industries and builds up the low-carbon economic structure in a bid to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
President Moon Jae-in announced in October that the country will seek to go carbon neutral, or effectively reduce carbon emissions to zero, by 2050 in an effort to transform the country's fossil-fuel reliant economy into an eco-friendly one.
Carbon neutrality has emerged as a global agenda for fighting climate change since the Paris climate accord went into effect in 2016.

Almost 30% of 'hagwon' instructors lost jobs amid pandemic: survey
More than one out of four instructors at private institutes lost their jobs during the course of the new coronavirus pandemic, predominantly without unemployment benefits, a survey showed Monday.
In an online survey on the effect of COVID-19 on 500 instructors released by Gabjil 119, a workers' advocacy group, 27 percent of the respondents said they experienced unemployment in the past 10 months since the virus outbreak.
Commissioned by Gabjil 119, the survey was conducted from Nov. 20-24 on 500 private institute instructors by pollster Embrain Public.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Jeongdong: the origins of Korea’s coffee culture
We often read that Jeongdong Street in downtown Seoul was the path to Korea’s modernization. But a closer look shows that the neighborhood has many diverse aspects. This might be described as a case of multiple personalities, of varied and differentiated identities and faces for all occasions. That’s the kind of place Jeongdong Street is.
The first face of Jeongdong Street is the high stone wall, a symbol of the Joseon royal court. At one time, the wall was regarded as a place of separation because of an urban legend that couples who walked by the wall were doomed to break up. I suppose that was a metaphorical reference to the people walking out of divorce proceedings at the domestic affairs court that used to be nearby.

Moon emphasizes “procedural legitimacy” of disciplinary proceedings surrounding Yoon Seok-youl
Blue House issues first official statement on Yoon-Choo feud in apparent attempt to avoid further conflict
For several days before the meeting of a disciplinary board that will decide the fate of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the Blue House has been emphasizing the need for the “procedural legitimacy” of the disciplinary proceedings.
On Dec. 3, the Blue House released orders from South Korean President Moon Jae-in that stressed the importance of “securing procedural legitimacy and impartiality in the affairs of the disciplinary committee.” The Blue House’s actions seem designed to minimize the potential for conflict during the board’s review and thereby reduce the controversy that will erupt following its decision.

Why did the National Assembly slash the budget for a light aircraft carrier apart from research funds?
No money has been assigned in next year’s budget for the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy’s project to build a light aircraft carrier. Observers concluded that the project has gotten off to a troubled start.
On Dec. 2, the National Assembly approved a 2021 national defense budget of 52.84 trillion won (US$49.81 billion), up by 5.4% from this year — but apart from 100 million won (US$92,447) for commissioned research and discussions, it included no money for the pursuit of a light aircraft carrier, which the ROK Navy has announced plans to acquire. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) originally requested 10.1 billion won (US$9.34 million) for the light aircraft carrier, but the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) slashed the entire budget because of a lack of feasibility and a deviation from standard procedures.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Korea to Go into Lockdown for Rest of Year
The government said Sunday that Korea will go back into nationwide lockdown for three weeks starting on Tuesday midnight. The decision comes after previous restrictions failed to curb a winter resurgence of infections.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo told reporters on Sunday, "Coronavirus infections in the greater Seoul area are becoming widespread and we're on the brink of a nationwide resurgence. This is our last line of defense before a complete lockdown."

Hospital Beds for Seriously Ill Patients Getting Scarce
Twenty-one Koreans became seriously ill with coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the total to 97. That reduced the number of available beds for severe cases to 66.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday that out of 548 hospital beds across the country available for seriously ill patients, only 66 are now left.
The number of infections whose sources remain a mystery stood at 1,172 as infections rise.

Smallest Number Ever Take University Entrance Exam
Only 426,344 people sat the university entrance exam on Thursday, the smallest number since the current system was introduced in 1994.
The absentee rate was a record 13.17 percent, up 1.65 percentage points from last year, as many youngsters stayed away for fear of coronavirus infection.
High school seniors went through a lot of trouble this year. The spring semester was supposed to begin in March but did not start until May 20 because school reopening was postponed five times.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
U.S. could consider using Huawei equipment for overseas troops
The U.S. Congress has devised a provision suggesting that when Washington is deploying American troops or key military equipment in foreign countries, it should take into account whether those countries are using 5G telecom technology from Chinese companies including Huawei. South Korea, which has been under pressure from the U.S. to not use Huawei equipment will likely face more burden.
According to the U.S. Congress on Sunday, the Senate and the House of Representatives included a provision to that effect in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 that they jointly drafted. The bill will be deliberated in Congress soon.

CFC commander discusses OPCON transfer with Korean officials
It was reported that Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), discussed pending issues regarding the U.S.-R.O.K. alliance such as transfer of war-time operational control with Seo Ju-seok, South Korea’s national security council secretary-general. Speaking pessimistically about the possibility of OPCON transfer before the incumbent South Korean administration leaves office, he has recently arranged a series of meet-ups with top-ranking South Korean government officials seemingly intend to deliver his take on conditions for joint military drills and other matters about which the two nations have shown different opinions, according to experts.
A meeting occurred around the end of last month where Commander Abrams and Secretary-General Seo exchanged their opinions about major bilateral issues such as the current status of OPCON transfer, which is highly likely to be left undone under the current South Korean administration, and the timing of verifying the second stage full operational capability (FOC) of the CFC, said an unnamed government source on Sunday. 

More rapid and convenient COVID-19 testing becomes available
Testing plays a key role in preventing the spread of an infectious disease by identifying those who are infected. Scientists are developing new COVID-19 tests that are significantly less costly and time-consuming. Noh Gyeong-tae of the Armed Force Medical Command has developed a “RT-LAMP” test, which, similarly to an RT-PCR test, detects the virus’s genetic material in oral or nasal swabs. However, unlike an RT-PCR test which requires the heating and cooling of the DNA, it is performed at a constant temperature between 55 and 72, making it possible to diagnose the virus within an hour. It was the first COVID-19 technology that obtained a patent and was chosen to be used at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Paraguay last month.
There is also a CRISPR-based test. CRISPR is a technology to find and alter a specific bit of DNA that causes hereditary diseases. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, led by Professor Charles Chiu of laboratory medicine in the division of infectious diseases, developed a new technique that cuts DNA at targeted locations and uses molecules tagged with a fluorescent dye that produces a color when cut to diagnose the disease. The study was published in an international scientific journal Nature Biotechnology.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
President Moon’s Approval Rating Crashes among the Progressives and in the Honam and Chungcheong Region
On December 3, Realmeter announced that the approval rating for President Moon Jae-in’s administration of state affairs recorded 37.4%, the lowest since he entered office. This is the first time that the approval rating of the incumbent government fell below 40% in a survey conducted by Realmeter. The survey clearly showed that the Moon Jae-in government’s key supporters, such as those with progressive tendencies and those in the Honam region are turning their backs to the government.
The approval rating of political parties also showed that the Democratic Party of Korea recorded 28.9% and was pushed out of top place by the People Power Party (31.2%). The continuing dispute between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl appears to have fueled public criticism of the ruling party.
Realmeter conducted a survey of 1,508 people aged eighteen and older nationwide from November 30 until December 2 upon the request of TBS. The survey results showed that positive evaluation of President Moon’s state administration fell by 6.4% from the previous week to 37.4%, while negative assessments increased 5.1% to 57.3%. The 40% mark, known as the “concrete approval rating” collapsed because the president’s traditional supporters turned away.

Students Taking the CSAT, “Opened Windows for Ventilation during Every Recess”
The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) for the 2021 school year ended in a rather calm atmosphere on December 3, despite that the test was held amid a COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, many of the students did not find the new test environment with masks and protective screens uncomfortable. The teachers geared up in personal protective equipment (PPE) to proctor the test for students with symptoms, students confirmed COVID-19-positive, and students in quarantine, and were relieved that the tests ended without stirring any problems.
Gang (18), a student in Seoul said, “I was used to wearing masks and having protective screens on the desk because I had practiced using them countless times at private institutions and in mock exams. Most of the other students in the classroom refrained from talking.”
The response to the protective screens, once at the center of a heated debate for shrinking the desk space for students, was also positive. In an online website on college admission tests, people posted opinions like, “Perhaps they reduced the size of the test paper or enlarged the size of the desk, because I was not uncomfortable,” and “I liked it because the screen made it feel cozy.”

“Influenced by Friends and Social Media... I Started Putting on Makeup in the 5th Grade”
Nineteen-year-old A, who has 20 pieces of makeup, started wearing makeup when she was thirteen. She said, “When I was extremely stressed about my appearance, I couldn’t go outside without makeup, so I always wore a mask. I was so ashamed of my bare face, even when I had to eat, I would eat as fast as I could because I didn’t want to take off my mask.”
A is a case introduced in a report of a survey on teenagers and makeup released by the Korean Women’s Environmental Network on December 2. The report included in-depth interviews of 21 teenagers. The average age of the interviewees was 16.4, and all except one had the experience of putting on makeup. The average age at which they first wore makeup was 12.7, in the fifth grade. They owned from as little as one to as many as over fifty items of makeup. Of the 21 teenagers who were interviewed, 16 owned more than ten pieces of makeup.
Teenagers were usually introduced to makeup by their friends and social media. “I started (wearing makeup) with a tint. My friends brought their makeup to school and we would have fun putting on tints in front of the teacher during recess. Our teacher allowed us to put on makeup as long as we stayed in the classroom.” Sixteen-year-old B was first introduced to makeup in the fourth grade, and her interest in makeup has continued ever since. Recently, she gets information on makeup through a smartphone application she downloaded, which introduces all kinds of makeup.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
S. Korea mulls up to 70% tax cut on car purchases to boost spending
South Korean government is considering extending the current temporary tax relief on passenger car purchases for another three to six months – maybe up to 70-percent cut – to boost domestic consumption and help the struggling auto industry amid the resurging Covid-19.
According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance and related ministries on Sunday, the government has reached a stance to extend the current temporary tax relief on domestic car purchases until next year and is working out on the details. It is highly likely that the government will expand the tax cut from the current 30 percent to up to 70 percent for three to six months from next year.
The measures are likely to be reflected in the country’s economy policy direction for next year that will be announced later this month.

Hyundai, Kia to recall 424,000 vehicles in US
South Korea’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its sibling Kia Motors Corp. will recall a combined 424,000 vehicles in major models in the United States for safety issues.
Hyundai Motor will recall total 129,000 vehicles in various models including 2012 Santa Fe, 2015-2016 Veloster, 2011-2013 and 2016 Sonata Hybrid that are found to have a risk of engine fire or failure from bearing wear, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Sunday (local time).
Kia Motors also will recall 295,000 vehicles for an engine fire risk. The recall covers some 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul and 2012 Sportage.

Foreign holdings of Korean stocks hit record high of $623 bn in November
Foreign holdings of South Korean stocks hit a record high of 675 trillion won ($623 billion) by November-end, data from the Financial Supervisory Service showed Monday, thanks to the weakening U.S. dollar and signs of recovery in the global economy reviving the appetite for riskier assets.
Offshore investors net bought 6.1 trillion won worth Korean stocks in November, the highest since September 2013. They net purchased 5.86 trillion won worth stocks listed in the main Kospi bourse in November and 268 billion won in the secondary Kosdaq market, extending their buying spree for the second month in a row. Until September, foreigners had been net sellers since the Covid-19 crisis broke out, except July.
Their strong buying momentum placed foreign ownership of Korean equities at an all-time high of 675 trillion won at the end of November. The figure is up 90 trillion won from a month earlier.

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Financial Times  www.ft.com ean@ft.com 
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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 
Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au 
Sydney Morning Herald  www.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports  www.colombiareports.com
Bogota Free Planet  www.bogotafreeplanet.com bfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal  www.eluniversal.com.mx/english  
Andes  www.redaktionstest.net/andes-info-ec/ 
Ecuador Times  www.ecuadortimes.net/  
The Jordan Times  www.jordantimes.com/ 
LSM.lv  www.lsm.lv/
The Baltic Times  www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais  https://english.elpais.com/ 
Philippine Daily Inquirer  www.inquirer.net/ 
Daily News Hungary  https://dailynewshungary.com/ 
Budapest Times  www.budapesttimes.hu/
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The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.
Azerbaijan:  
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM 
Sri Lanka:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
And many other countries.
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