Wednesday, January 29, 2021
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Atomy named one of top 100 best workable companies in Korea
Atomy was selected as one of the "2020 top 100 best workable companies in Korea" by the Great Place To Work Institute (GPTW), a management consulting firm, on Jan. 28.
At the same time, Atomy Chairman Park Han-gil was named as one of the most respected CEOs in Korea in 2020.
“We mark the Republic Day with enthusiasm, respect for the National Flag, faith in Constitution”
“We celebrate the national festival of the Republic Day with enthusiasm and express our respect for the national flag, and our faith in the Constitution.”
So said President Shri Ram Nath Kovind of India in his address on the Republic Day of India on Jan. 26, 2021.
Excerpts from the speech of President Kovind follow:
“Korea and Estonia need to enhance cooperation in digital government and electronic service sectors”
In an interview with The Korea Post media, Marti MÄTAS said, “ I believe that there are a lot of cooperation opportunities related to digital government and electronic services provided to our citizens.”
He said, “Estonia is also offering to the citizens of ROK its unique e-residency program, which allows establishing a company in Estonia without leaving Korea and thereby obtaining access to the entire European Union market with 450 million potential customers.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Freezing, Windy Weather Expected Friday
A cold snap is expected to grip South Korea on Friday along with strong winds, with morning lows in Seoul plunging to below minus ten degrees Celsius.
Cold wave advisories are in place for the central region and North Gyeongsang Province, while strong wind advisories are issued nationwide.
S. Korea Launches Task Force to Enhance Policy Communication with Biden Administration
South Korea's Foreign Ministry has launched a task force aimed at strengthening policy communication with the Biden administration.
The ministry said the task force held its inaugural meeting on Thursday presided over by First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun.
Minor Party Expels Former Leader over Sexual Harassment
The minor opposition Justice Party expelled its former leader Kim Jong-cheol on Thursday for sexually harassing a female lawmaker of the same party.
The party's disciplinary committee announced the decision on the party's homepage after a meeting, saying that Kim's actions against the victim fall under the category of sexual violence stipulated in the party regulations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
New virus cases around 500 for 2nd day amid continued rise in cluster infections
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases stayed around 500 for the second straight day on Thursday as cluster infections traced to religious facilities continued ahead of an adjustment of the level of social distancing measures this week.
Front-line medical workers to get 1st vaccinations next month, AstraZeneca's to be first
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- Front-line medical workers in South Korea will get the first COVID-19 vaccinations starting next month, with the general public to be inoculated during the latter half of this year, health authorities here said Thursday.
Samsung expects weaker Q1 results after solid Q4 performance
SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday said it expects downbeat first-quarter results on the weak U.S. dollar and uncertainties over the novel coronavirus pandemic after announcing a solid fourth-quarter performance, although demand for chips and smartphones will remain strong.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Here’s how S. Korea plans to get to herd immunity by November
The South Korean government on Thursday unveiled its long-awaited plan for vaccinating the public, with the rollout set to kick off in a few weeks.
The first doses will be offered to front-line health care workers in the Seoul area, where the active outbreaks have been concentrated, starting next month.
IMF dispels concerns of S. Korea’s rising budget deficit
South Korea’s current snowballing budget deficit, fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic “can be offset by gradual consolidation” in coming years, the International Monetary Fund said Thursday.
Samsung's 2020 operating profit up nearly 30% on-year
Samsung Electronics reported a 29.62 percent increase in operating profit in 2020, achieving the company’s fourth-largest profit despite the pandemic situation, according to its earnings announcement on Thursday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Competition heating up for hydrogen vehicles
The market for hydrogen-powered vehicles is gaining momentum amid global interest in the fuel as a means of meeting carbon targets.
Major economies have announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and have unveiled national roadmaps for building a hydrogen economy. These efforts are placing an increased focus on eco-friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
Controversy arises over FTC's regulation on platform operators
A new bill proposed by the Korea Fair Trade Commission's (KFTC) to regulate platform operators such as Google, Naver and Coupang has triggered controversy, with the Korea Communication Commission (KCC) saying the regulation is redundant, and the companies claiming it is excessive.
Naver to outmatch Kakao in data-driven financial business
Naver Financial will be able to gain the upper hand over rival Kakao Pay in data-driven financial services after it was granted a license to run "My Data," which will enable it to receive credit information on its customers from conventional financial firms, letting its customers access all of their financial information in one place.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
S. Korea reports 341 cases connected to infection clusters at facilities run by religious organization
As of Jan. 27, over 500 people during a 10-day period have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in connection with infection clusters at unauthorized educational institutions affiliated with the International Mission (IM), a religious organization.
Kang Kyung-wha and Antony Blinken agree on urgency of N. Korea’s denuclearization during first phone call
Outgoing South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and newly appointed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed on the urgency of the North Korean nuclear issue in their first telephone conversation on Jan. 27, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) announced.
International students arriving in S. Korea need to undergo 3 PRC tests for COVID-19
All international students visiting South Korea will need to undergo three polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID-19 following their arrival.
On Jan. 27, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced its implementation of a “protection and management plan for international students” for the first semester of this year.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Car Sales Expose Widening Gap Between Rich and Poor
Car sales in Korea last year mirrored the country's growing income disparity. Sales of used cars, which are usually bought by low-income earners, rose to a record, but so did sales of luxury vehicles (US$1=W1,119).
How Coronavirus Affects Commercial Districts
Commercial districts in the capital are experienced contrasting fates as more and more people telecommute due to the coronavirus epidemic.
In the once-popular shopping and entertainment streets of Itaewon, Gangnam and Hongik University area, visitor traffic has halved, and tourist hotspots like Myeong-dong, Insa-dong and Samcheong-dong are deserted. But convenience stores in dormitory towns are booming.
Gender Equality in Military Improves
Around 1,200 soldiers and civilian workers in the military took childcare leave in 2019, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday, a four-fold increase from 2015.
"A culture of gender equality is taking root in the military," a ministry spokesman claimed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Biden suspends arms exports to Saudi Arabia and UAE
The United States has suspended weapons exports to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and has begun to reexamine the existing exports plan. Experts say that Washington is reversing its previous diplomatic tack of siding with Saudi Arabia and trying to strike a balance in its pursuit of diplomacy in the Middle East built around multilateralism.
‘Joint military drills are negotiable with N. Korea,’ say Suh Wook
‘Joint U.S.-ROK military drills are negotiable with N. Korea,’ say Suh Wook
“With the intention of carrying out joint U.S.-ROK military drills scheduled early March, the South Korean government is in close coordination with the Combined Forces Command (CFC) to determine execution plans,” said South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook on Wednesday in a press conference for the new year.
Samsung Electronics pays 13 trillion won to its shareholders
Samsung Electronics, one of the most popular companies to invest in among South Korean individual investors, has decided to pay a 13.124 trillion-won dividend. It is the largest amount a South Korean listed company has ever paid, accounting for 58 percent of the combined dividend payments of listed companies in 2019.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
President Moon Appoints Park Beom-kye as Justice Minister, 27th Appointment Without Consent from the Opposition Party
On January 27, President Moon Jae-in approved the appointment of justice minister nominee Park Beom-kye (pictured). Cheongwadae spokesperson Kang Min-seok announced that Park would begin serving as justice minister on January 28. Minister Park became the 27th ministerial nominee to be appointed without the consent of the opposition party. Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae will step down after serving for a year and a month.
“Forcing a First-Grader to Stay in an Empty Classroom Is Not Discipline, It is Abuse”
If a teacher left a six-year-old child who did not follow her instructions alone in an empty classroom for eight minutes, is this a legitimate disciplinary measure or emotional abuse? The Supreme Court ruled that even the so-called “time out,” a disciplinary method that isolates a child in another space giving her time to think, should be punished as child abuse, if it is enforced at a level that can harm the mental health and development of the child.
Guaranteeing Labor Rights: Expanding the Scope of Damages Caused by Sexual Violence
“An issue that requires a more aggressive response in terms of labor rights as well as sexual harassment.” “The perspective from which sexual harassment is viewed should be changed from ‘the level and frequency of sexual words and actions’ to ‘the impact on the employment environment.’” This is the conclusion that the National Human Rights Commission of Korea reached as it determined that the alleged sexual misconduct by the late Park Won-soon, former mayor of Seoul, was sexual harassment on January 25.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
SK Hynix Q4 income eases on qtr, jumps 84% on yr
SK Hynix Inc.’s income eased in the final quarter, but topped 5 trillion ($4.5 billion) for the full 2020 due to memory demand surge to feed remote working and social distancing under pandemic.
Korea to dole out Covid-19 vaccines in Feb with aim to inoculate 70% of citizens by Sept.
The Korean government will kick off its free Covid-19 vaccination program in early February with an aim to get 70 percent of its population vaccinated by September this year and form herd immunity by November.
Samsung Elec vows to be bolder in M&As and capex, eyes weaker Q1
Samsung Electronics Co. vowed to become more aggressive in preemptive capex and M&As to cement its chip leadership regardless of the absence of its owner-chief, while confirming near 30 percent gain in income for the pandemic-ridden year of 2020.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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/
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are you waiting for?
Use us!
The Korea Post media are more than eager to be used, and to serve you—with the following five news outlets, 35 years old this year!
Korean-language Internet edition: www.koreapost.co.kr
English-language Internet edition: www.koreapost.com
Korean-language print newspaper:
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/49/4901.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/49/4902.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/49/4903.pdf
http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php?category=&syear=2018&smonth=03&sday=26&hosu=40
English E-daily: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=22078