Friday, February 5, 2021
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
P.M. Modi: “I wish all the people of India a Happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!”
On January 22 this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, together with other leaders of the country, wished a Happy Republic Day 2021 to the people of his country. In his special message to the nation, Prime Minister Modi tweeted, "Wishing all the people of India a Happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!”
“If the economy is an organism ensuring the vital activity of society, spirituality is its heart and soul”
World historical experience shows that nations achieve progress thanks to spiritual cohesion, following their national idea. Today the issue of national ideology is very important in the country, which is moving towards building a new life and joining a number of developed states.
Amb. of Costa Rica in Seoul meets with Global Sae-A president
Mr. Alejandro Rodríguez Zamora, the Ambassador of Costa Rica in the Republic of Korea, met with the President of the Board of Directors of Global Sae-A, a manufacture in Costa Rica under the trade name Sae-A Spinning, S.R.L., a textile producer located in the Free Zone in the Cartago Province.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Biden Vows Global Force Posture Review, Freezes Troop Withdrawal from Germany
U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly said that the U.S. will conduct a review of its global force posture and that he would freeze the Trump-ordered withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany during the review.
Early Study Shows Pfizer Vaccine 90% Effective after First Shot
Preliminary research showed that Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine was 90 percent effective 21 days after the first shot.
According to the British daily the Guardian on Thursday, the research team at the University of East Anglia in Britain presented the interim analysis of 500-thousand people who received the vaccine jointly made with BioNTech.
Only .31% of S. Koreans Have COVID-19 Antibodies, Global Avg. 10%
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said Thursday that the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 antibodies was point-31 percent, far lower than the ten percent global average.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Moon, Biden to map out 'comprehensive' N. Korea strategy together
The leaders of South Korea and the United States agreed Thursday to draw up a joint "comprehensive" strategy on North Korea during their phone talks, Cheong Wa Dae announced.
S. Korea, U.S. discussing how to hold combined exercise amid pandemic: defense ministry
South Korea and the United States are in talks over how to hold their annual springtime combined exercise in consideration of the coronavirus situation, the defense ministry said Thursday.
N. Korea forecast to receive about 2 mln doses of AstraZeneca vaccines in H1: report
North Korea is forecast to receive about 2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines under an international vaccine procurement program.
The COVAX Facility, the global vaccine distribution initiative, said in an interim delivery report published Wednesday that it will distribute 1.992 million doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) to the North by the first half.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
National Assembly impeaches judge accused of power abuse
South Korea on Thursday impeached a sitting judge for the first time in its history, as lawmakers voted to remove Lim Seong-geun, a senior judge at the Busan High Court for meddling in a number of politically controversial trials during the Park Geun-hye administration.
Moon, Biden signal fresh restart of peace process on Korean Peninsula
President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, held their first phone call Thursday, signaling a fresh restart of the South Korea-US alliance, the most critical strategic partnership in bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula.
Could new variants dim Korea’s hope of having herd immunity by fall?
Korea’s plan of getting to herd immunity by fall could be complicated with the country reporting the first local outbreak involving a new and potentially more transmissible variant.
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s deputy director Kwon Jun-wook on Thursday warned of the possibility of the variants making the situation worse.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
'Male-dominated politics, lack of gender sensitivity lead to repeated sexual offenses'
The latest sexual harassment allegations involving former Justice Party Chairman Kim Jong-cheol raise questions over why sexual violence is being repeated in politics, despite campaigns to prevent it.
Korea's Best Employers
There are numerous factors to consider when looking for a workplace at which to devote one's time and energy, whether it be monetary, corporate culture, job security or the future growth potential of the company. However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, another factor to consider is how much the employer cares for company employees, as uncertainties continue to rise.
Controversy continues over safety of AstraZeneca vaccine for elderly
Controversy continues here over the safety of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine for the elderly population, with different countries holding varying views on whether the vaccine can be administered to people over the age of 65.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Why did Iran decide to release S. Korean crew members?
Iran’s seemingly abrupt decision to release crew members from a South Korean tanker one month after their Jan. 4 detention for “polluting the Persian Gulf environment” is raising questions about the motivations behind its move.
As S. Korea and Japan bicker over defense white paper, US stresses alliance relationshipsThe US Department of Defense emphasized trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan on Feb. 2, noting that the two countries are its most important allies in the region.
“Trilateral cooperation among the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan is vital to the maintenance of regional peace, prosperity, and stability [which includes] addressing the North Korea nuclear, WMD, and ballistic missile threat and maintaining the rules-based international order,”
Japan-backed Harvard professor tells misleading story about comfort women
After an academic journal published a paper by a professor at Harvard University that describes the comfort women as “prostitutes,” a far-right newspaper in Japan put the spotlight on his paper. The claim is an unacceptable smear on women who were dragged off to battlefields where they suffered human rights violations that have haunted them for their entire lives.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
EU Move Raises Confusion over AstraZeneca Vaccine
Questions are being raised about British-Swedish pharma giant AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine after several European countries restricted it for use among the elderly.
Fewer N.Koreans Escape During Lockdown
The number of defectors from North Korea has dropped significantly as all their travel routes through Asia are blocked due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Unification Ministry here is minded to close the Hanawon halfway house that usually helps North Koreans adapt to life in South Korea.
Kia Shares Surge on Rumors of Apple Tie-up
Kia shares are surging on rumors that parent Hyundai and Apple are in talks to co-develop electric cars and Kia will handle the project.
A media report on Jan. 20 claimed Kia will oversee the production of Apple's first electric car, and another report on Wednesday said the U.S. giant wants to invest W4 trillion in Kia's plant in America to roll it out (US$1=W1,115).
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Moon, Biden agree on importance of S. Korea-U.S. alliance
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed on Thursday to have a summit as soon as the pandemic situation eases, said Kang Min-seok, spokesperson of the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.
DNA change tracking tells you when illness and aging knocks on your door
Professor Kim Hyeong-beom of Yonsei University College of Medicine and his research team made the world's first launch of a system to measure a biological timeline by changing DNA sequencing, in sponsorship with the Samsung Science & Technology Foundation.
Hours of public transport to remain unextended in New Year’s holidays
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided not to extend the operation hours of public transportations during the Luna New Year’s holidays under a quarantine plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
“South Korea-Japan Underwater Tunnel” Surfaces as an Issue in the Busan Election: “Pro-Japan” “DJ Promoted It, Too”
On February 1, Kim Chong-in, head of the People Power Party emergency committee visited Busan and said, “We will actively review the construction of an underwater tunnel between South Korea and Japan linking Gadeok-do (in Busan) and Kyushu, Japan.” Since then, the underwater tunnel between the two countries has surfaced as a new debate topic in the mayoral by-election in Busan.
The Most Ambitious Housing Supply by the Moon Government: 325,000 Units in Seoul and 850,000 Nationwide
On February 3, the Democratic Party of Korea and the government reportedly drew up plans to supply a total of 850,000 homes nationwide including 325,000 units in Seoul. This is the most ambitious supply of housing by the Moon Jae-in government.
Chung Eui-yong, “A Copy of the USB Given to North Korea Was Also Delivered to U.S. Security Advisor Bolton”
On February 2, foreign minister nominee Chung Eui-yong (pictured) said, “A nuclear power plant was never mentioned during the talks with North Korea,” and squarely refuted the opposition party’s allegation that the government tried to build a nuclear power plant in the North.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Korean shipbuilders extend year-end order winning streak in the new year
South Korea’s three shipbuilding majors are extending their winning streak in new orders since the year-end, each bagging around $1 billion worth new orders in the first two months of 2021.
GM Korea to halve output at Bupyeong plant due to chip shortage
GM Korea Co., the Korean unit of U.S. auto giant General Motors Co. (GM), would run on half of its full capacity at the Bupyeong second plant in Incheon dedicated to Chevrolet Malibu and Trax from next Monday due to a shortage of semiconductors that is hammering the global automobile industry.
S. Korea unveils its most ambitious housing supply plan yet
South Korea on Thursday unveiled an ambitious state-led housing supply plan to boost new housing of 836,000 units in major cities, with 616,000 centered in the capital region over the next four years to address dire shortage that has led to panicky buying spree and runaway prices.
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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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