Monday, December 14, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo recommended as the next CEO
POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo, whose term is to expire in March next year, was unanimously recommended by POSCO's board of directors as a candidate for the next CEO on Dec. 11.
The recommendation came after the CEO candidate nomination committee, which consists of all outside directors, reported to the board the results of its review of qualifications that Chairman Choi is suitable for the next CEO candidate.
The board of directors voted last month to form a committee and examine Choi's qualifications as the next CEO following Choi's announcement of his intention to serve a second term.
Hanwha Energy sign a contract to sell 50MW solar power plant in Spain
Hanwha Energy concluded a contract to sell a 50MW solar power plant located in the Sevilla area of southern Spain on Nov. 27, the company said on Dec. 12.
After completing the development by acquiring the right to develop solar power in Sevilla, Spain in December 2018, Hanwha Energy began construction of the power plant in February this year and is set to start commercial operation in December.
The solar power plant is expected to produce energy that meets the power needs of 13,997 households, causing a reduction of 51,977 tons of greenhouse gases (CO2) emitted by 10,192 vehicles.
Samsung C&T Vice President Oh Se-chul promoted to CEO
Oh Se-chul, vice president of Samsung C&T’s construction division, was promoted to president of the same division on Dec. 8.
Samsung C&T said on Dec. 8 that Han Seung-hwan, vice president of the Samsung Human Resources Development Institute, was also promoted to president of the resort division and CEO of Samsung Welstory.
The new CEO Oh, an on-site expert, has experienced construction sites in Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai and has served as head of the global procurement office before leading the plant business division since December 2015.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea's COVID-19 Cases Surpass 1,000 for First Time
South Korea's daily new COVID-19 cases surpassed one thousand for the first time since the country reported its very first case in January.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said on Sunday that one thousand and 30 new cases were detected throughout Saturday, raising the country's accumulated caseload to 42-thousand-766.
The nation passed the grim milestone of one thousand daily infections about eleven months, or 328 days after it reported its first case on January 20.
Moon: S. Korea to Set Higher 2030 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal
President Moon Jae-in told global leaders on Sunday that South Korea will seek to raise its 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target soon.
The president made the remarks during the Climate Ambition Summit held to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement and to keep pressure on countries to set out carbon reduction plans.
In the video-linked summit jointly hosted by the United Nations, Britain and several other countries, Moon said that South Korea will join global efforts to fight climate change.
Panmunjeom Tours to be Suspended Again over COVID-19
The government said on Sunday that tours to the truce village of Panmunjeom will be suspended again this week due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.
The Unification Ministry announced its decision to temporarily suspend the tours from Tuesday, adding it has also consulted with the United Nations Command, which controls access to the Demilitarized Zone, including Panmunjeom.
The move comes just a month after the government resumed the tour program following a yearlong suspension over worries about African swine fever and the pandemic.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Daily coronavirus cases break 1,000 mark for 1st time; toughest distancing under review
South Korea's single-day coronavirus cases broke the 1,000-mark for the first time on Sunday, prompting President Moon Jae-in to warn that the country will have to consider enforcing the toughest level of social distancing unless the current spread is curbed.
The country added 1,030 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,002 local infections, raising the total caseload to 42,766, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Sunday's daily caseload jumped from the previous day's record high of 950, marking the highest since the country reported its first COVID-19 case in January.
Gov't to offer free virus tests at 150 new testing sites amid spike in COVID-19 cases
Health authorities will begin offering free virus tests at 150 new makeshift COVID-19 testing sites in Seoul and its surrounding areas under a three-week containment campaign, officials said Sunday, as the daily virus count breached the 1000 mark.
The Central Disease Control Headquarters said that from Monday until Jan. 3, it will administer the tests at facilities at Seoul and Yongsan Stations, major university districts and other high-risk areas in the greater Seoul metropolitan area. They will remain open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The authorities plan to mobilize 810 people, including military and police personnel, to support the aggressive testing campaign.
Moon says S. Korea's antivirus fight at crucial juncture, toughened social distancing may be necessary
President Moon Jae-in called on Sunday for all-out efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections in South Korea, saying the country's antivirus fight stands at a "crucial phase" before deciding whether to lift the social distancing alert to the highest.
"There is nowhere to step back," he stressed during an interagency meeting on virus response at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in Seoul.
He presided over the emergency session hours after local health authorities reported 1,030 additional coronavirus infections, the all-time high of daily new confirmed cases since the emergence of the novel coronavirus here.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
S. Korea’s new daily COVID-19 cases top 1,000 for first time
South Korea’ daily COVID-19 cases surpassed 1,000 for the first time on Sunday, the highest total since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak here in January, as the government’s antivirus restrictions appear to be bearing little fruit.
Calling the current situation “the biggest crisis” since the pandemic arrived here, President Moon Jae-in warned that the country will have to consider enforcing the toughest-level social distancing rules if the virus doesn’t slow down.
Korea added 1,030 coronavirus cases -- 1,002 locally transmitted and 28 originating from overseas -- in the 24 hours ending Saturday at midnight, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
What will build people’s trust in COVID-19 vaccines?
Recent blunders with flu shots should serve as a lesson that clear communication backed by science is key to bolstering the public’s embrace of the coming COVID-19 vaccines and offsetting mistrust, experts say.
Earlier in the fall, more than 1 million doses of flu vaccine were recalled over suspected contamination or exposure to temperatures outside their safe range. Public health authorities were accused of withholding information on the mishandling for at least three days -- during which nearly 65,000 people received vaccines that were later declared unusable.
Reports of post-vaccination side effects and deaths came rushing in. As of Dec. 4, the count of reported side effects and deaths reached had 2,002 and 108, respectively. Although investigations found no link between the events and the vaccine, the situation fed fears and vaccination rates fell across all age groups compared to last year.
Hopes pinned on COVID-19 treatments, not vaccines, in Korea
With the daily number of new COVID-19 cases surpassing 1,000 for the first time Sunday, South Korea’s bet on the most feasible exit plan from the mayhem is treatments, not vaccines.
While both vaccines and treatment may be needed to extinguish the pandemic for good, so far for Korea, treatments are making quicker advances to actual use on people here.
National household names Celltrion and GC Pharma are inches away from acquiring conditional use permits from local health authorities, according to industry insiders.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Gov't considering last resort amid uncurbed virus spread
Health authorities said they are open to adopting Level 3 social distancing measures, the highest among its five-tier scheme, as the number of new COVID-19 cases has broken through the 1,000 mark.
President Moon Jae-in also called for strong action to curb the spread, saying the country needs to consider elevating to the highest social distancing level.
As the daily virus cases hit an all-time high, the President presided over an emergency anti-coronavirus meeting instead of Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, showing the government is taking the recent spike in virus cases seriously. It was the first time in about 10 months for Moon to chair an anti-virus meeting since he did so on Feb. 23.
Main opposition party leadership blamed for lacking strategy, causing internal rifts
Criticism is rising over the leadership of the main opposition party, as it has made very few political accomplishments while struggling to hold the ruling bloc in check.
As the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is strongly pushing ahead with the passage of controversial bills using its supermajority in the National Assembly, the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has staged filibusters in an attempt to stop the DPK's moves.
But the PPP's protest has had little effect. Its first filibuster to prevent the vote on a revision bill to the law on a new investigative body for high-profile corruption cases, Wednesday, finished only about three hours later when the plenary session of the Assembly ended for that night. The very next day, the DPK convened an extra session and passed the bill, as holding a second filibuster for one bill is impossible by law.
Foreign ministry slammed for dinner with Biegun
The foreign ministry is under criticism for hosting a dinner and drinks session for a visiting U.S. delegation amid tightened social distancing regulations intended to combat further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Internet users are denouncing the government for its double standard, telling people to follow the guidelines while public officials themselves do not.
The ministry offered a dinner for the delegation led by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, Thursday, the last night of his four-day visit. The dinner was held at a chicken soup restaurant in central Seoul where Biegun always visited whenever he came to Korea.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Young S. Korean women’s struggles with unemployment and depression in the COVID era
“I just want to live a good life without being defeated.”
Things are difficult for all South Koreans in their 20s, be they men or women. This year saw the disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic added on to a job market slump that had already been persisting for several years. It’s a situation that has had even harsher consequences for young women. According to monthly employment figures from Statistics Korea, the number of employed women in their 20s between March and April 2004 was down by 241,000 from the same period in 2019 amid the severe shock of the pandemic’s first wave. The decline was fully 2.6 times larger than the loss of 93,000 jobs among employed males in their 20s.
The suicide rate among women in their 20s has also been rising sharply. Among males in their 20s, the suicide rate has not changed dramatically, inching up from 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017 to 21.5 in 2018 and 21.6 in 2019. But among females in their 20s, the rate rose steeply in the same two-year period, climbing from 11.4 to 13.2 to 16.6, according to Statistics Korea. The number of women in their 20s who committed suicide in the first half of 2019 was up by 43.3% from the same period last year, Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics show. The trend is not abating.
Are S. Korea’s prosecutors a version of the deep state?
One of the things that US President Donald Trump has cited as a basis for claiming that the US presidential election was rigged and refusing to accept his defeat is the so-called “deep state.” Since taking office, he has regularly alleged that there is a “deep state” within the US government that actually controls the country, neutralizing those actually elected to power.
Conveying the idea of a “core” of the country, or a “country within a country,” the term “deep state” presumes the existence of unseen forces deeply rooted within the government. It is an extension of one of the most representative of conspiracy theories: the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” which claims that a Jewish cabal is plotting to control the world. The term “deep state” appears to have originated with the Turkish military and other security institutions who were colluding with drug rings to round up anti-government forces during the 1990s. It’s a direct English translation of the Turkish phrase “derin devlet.”
A breakdown of the 4 vaccines that will be available in S. Korea
The South Korean government has signed supply contracts for COVID-19 vaccines from four global pharmaceutical firms. Despite variations in inoculation method, price and approval status, the four vaccines have one thing in common: they’re some of the world’s fastest, most stable, and most effective vaccine options.
Seoul has started making preparations for disseminating vaccines, which it believes could start as soon as the beginning of 2021. Meanwhile, the government plans to keep tabs on developments in the UK and other countries that have actually begun inoculation.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Infections Spike to Over 1,000 a Day
New coronavirus infections surpassed 1,000 on Saturday as a bitter winter descended on the country. Some 1,030 cases were added that day, bringing the cumulative total to 42,766.
President Moon Jae-in said during a meeting with top health officials Sunday, "If we do not stem the spread of infections now, we stand at a very important moment of having to consider going into full lockdown."
He admitted that such a move will entail "unimaginable pain and damage" and stressed that it would only be considered as a "final option."
Flights to Nowhere Gain Popularity
Cash-strapped airlines are enticing deprived would-be travelers with flights that go nowhere and land where they started.
Some carriers began offering the flights on an experimental basis in October and were surprised by the uptake. Now they are expanding them from domestic airspace to overseas. One lure is that duty-free purchases are possible just like on normal flights.
Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul are deploying 26 aircraft on nowhere flights twice a week until Jan. 2.
Couples Who Don't Own Their Home Have Fewer Kids
Couples who rent their home have fewer children than those who own it, statistics show. According to Statistics Korea on Thursday, as of Nov. 1, 2019, 1.26 million couples registered their marriage over the past five years, down 4.7 percent from a year earlier.
Of the 998,000 couples who married for the first time, 42.5 percent were childless, a 2.3 percentage points increase over the same period. But last year the proportion of childless couples was much bigger among those who did not own their own home at 46.8 percent, compared to 36.7 percent among homeowners. The rates were 44 percent and 35.2 percent the previous year.
As it becomes more difficult to buy a starter home, many couples feel they have to choose between a child and homeownership if they get married at all.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
U.S. set to start mass Covid-19 vaccination
The U.S., the country with the largest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world, will start vaccinating its people on Monday (US time). The country has cumulative confirmed cases and deaths surpassing 16 million and 300,000, respectively. The Trump administration expressed an expectation by comparing the start of mass vaccination to the ‘D Day,’ the day of the Allied invasion of Normandy during the Second World War.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Saturday recommended CDC to vaccinate Americans aged 16 and older with the Covid-19 vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. If CDC Director Robert Redfield accepts the advice and gives final approval, the U.S. will actually start vaccinating its people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s vaccine for emergency use on Friday.
U.S. human rights commissioner expresses concern about leaflet ban
Unusually for the U.S. Congress, the Congress is voicing its concern as South Korea is pushing through parliament a bill that would criminalize the sending of leaflets to North Korea. It says it could undermine democratic principles in Seoul as well as human rights in Pyongyang.
U.S. Representative Chris Smith, a co-chair of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, called the legislation “insane”, saying that it is damaging to human rights and democratic principles. “If they pass such a law, I call upon our State Department to critically re-evaluate the Republic of Korea’s commitment to democratic values in its annual human rights report, as well as in its report on international religious freedom,” he said in his statement released on Friday. He also declared that, if the legislation passed, he intended to convene a hearing to examine the Korean government’s failure to uphold civil and political rights.
POSCO aims to make 30 trillion KRW from hydrogen business
POSCO has shared a blueprint for producing five million tons of hydrogen by 2050 and making 30 trillion Korean won (KRW) sales from the hydrogen business. Its goal is to achieve a “carbon neutral society” where CO2 emissions, the primary greenhouse gas, are cut to net-zero by producing hydrogen, a clean energy source, and using it in steel production. Its hydrogen business is expected to begin in earnest as it is almost certain that CEO Choi Jeong-woo will renew his contract.
On Sunday, POSCO announced its strategy to lead decarbonization efforts by expanding hydrogen production. It will focus on developing hydrogen technologies such as electrolysis that use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen and other methods of extracting hydrogen. It also plans to create a “hydrogen-based steel production” method.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Nationwide Apartment Prices Jumped the Highest This Week, Prices Climbing Even Outside the Greater Seoul Area
Nationwide apartment prices rose 0.27% from the previous week, recording the biggest weekly increase in 8 years and 7 months. Multiple factors pushed prices up including the low interest rate, concerns due to rising jeonse (leases on a lump-sum deposit) prices, and demand for speculation.
According to the Weekly Trend of Nationwide Apartment Prices for the First Week of December (as of Dec. 7), released by the Korea Real Estate Board (formerly the Korea Appraisal Board) on December 10, the sales price of apartments nationwide rose 0.27% compared with the previous week. This is the biggest jump since the Korea Real Estate Board began releasing relevant statistics in May 2012.
Central Disease Control Headquarters, “The Introduction of the AstraZeneca Vaccine in South Korea Will Not Be Delayed”
On December 10, the total number of COVID-19 cases in South Korea exceeded 40,000. The recent third outbreak, spreading around the greater Seoul area, is continuing at a larger scale than the first two outbreaks, and the number of confirmed cases is rising fast. The government will install temporary screening centers in the Seoul metropolitan area and introduce new testing methods to contain asymptomatic cases hidden in our daily lives early on. Some experts raised concerns that the domestic production and introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine by AstraZeneca could be delayed, but health authorities dismissed such speculation saying it was “not likely.”
The Central Disease Control Center announced that as of midnight December 10, it confirmed 682 new cases of COVID-19. The number was slightly smaller than the previous day (686), but the figures were near 700 for two consecutive days.
“Reckless Words Without Thinking of Consequences” Kim Yo-jong Responds to Kang Kyung-wha’s Comment on North Korea’s Response to COVID-19
Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, released a statement for the first time in six months and openly condemned Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha’s remarks.
In the statement released by the Korea Central News Agency on December 9, Kim directly attacked Minister Kang saying, “The South Korean foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha made an arrogant assessment of our emergency quarantine measures during her trip to the Middle East.” Kim continued and said, “Watching her pour out reckless words with no consideration of the consequences, I feel she is desperate to send a colder chill on the frozen inter-Korean relations,” and argued, “We will forever remember this, and the costs shall be calculated accurately.”
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Korea on the brink of first-ever lockdown as daily virus tally hits 1,000 milestone
South Korean President Moon Jae-in alerted the state may have to enforce its first full-scale shutdown after the country reached a damaging milestone of 1,000 in daily infection cases.
Moon, in a meeting on Sunday, called the latest spread “an emergency” and said the country was at a critical point of considering the strictest level 3 restrictions if the outbreak is not contained.
If enforced, this would be Korea’s most stringent shutdown, although short of lockdowns enforced in the United States or Europe.
"Spot” maker Boston Dynamics goes under Hyundai Motor at $880 mn
Hyundai Motor Group flagship companies held board meetings Friday to endorse the acquisition of U.S. engineering and robotics design company Boston Dynamics for $880 million.
Hyundai Motor Group confirmed that it had signed a final contract with Japan’s SoftBank, the owner of Boston Dynamics, to buy 80 percent in the Boston-based robotics unicorn. SoftBank will retain 20 percent.
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun is putting up his own money for a 20 percent. Hyundai Motor would shoulder and own 30 percent, Hyundai Mobis 20 percent and Hyundai Glovis 10 percent.
LG Elec to reign white goods market 2020 with $2 bn income and $20 bn sales
South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. is expected to close the year 2020 at the global top in white goods by achieving income of over $2 billion on sales of $20 billion as it establishes itself as a premium brand.
Market analysts project LG Electronics’ Home Appliance & Air Solution (H&A) division’s operating income at 253 billion won ($232.8 million) for the October to December period, up 107 percent from the previous year. Sales are estimated to rise 11.8 percent to 5.16 trillion won.
The strong fourth-quarter earnings would bring the company a total of 2.3 trillion won in operating profit and 21.9 trillion won in sales for the full 2020, higher than any other consumer electronics makers in the world.
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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
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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