Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
KTO's "100 untact tourist destinations program" wins award at FITUR
The "Untact Tourist Spots Top 100 Program," introduced by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) last year, was recently selected as an Active Tourism Competition winner at the FITUR, a tourism fair in Madrid, Spain.
Uzbek people receive tax breaks, deferred loan repayment, financial assistance
On Dec. 29, 2020, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered a message to the Oliy Majlis. The head of state summed up the results of the work done, determined the priorities of domestic and foreign policy.
KITA Selected 'New and Renewable Energy · Electric Vehicle · Bio Health · Digital Transformation · Home Living' as Five Promising Export Fields in Biden Era
It was argued that Korean companies should actively expand into the US market as the launch of the new administration of Biden will likely to boost the exports of new industries such as new and renewable energy, electric vehicles, biohealth, digital transformation, and home living.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Heavy Snow Expected to Hit Jeolla Province Wednesday
Heavy snow is expected to hit Jeolla Province on Wednesday with a cold snap gripping the nation. The Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) forecast up to 15 centimeters of snow for Jeolla Province and more than 20 centimeters for mountain areas in southern Jeju Island and the Dokdo islets in the East Sea until Thursday.
S. Korea Asks IAEA to Ensure Transparency, Safety in Fukushima Water Disposal
South Korea has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) to ensure that radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is disposed of transparently and safely.
N. Korean Leader's Wife Makes First Public Appearance in over a Year
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju reportedly attended a concert celebrating the birthday of late leader Kim Jong-il on Tuesday.
The newspaper of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, the Rodong Sinmun, reported on Wednesday that Kim and Ri attended the concert at the Mansudae Art Theater in Pyongyang.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
New virus cases bounce back to over 400; deals signed to secure additional vaccines
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases bounced back to over 400 on Tuesday after the four-day-long Lunar New Year holiday, while the government signed deals to secure additional COVID-19 vaccines to better fight the pandemic.
Volleyball players accused of bullying likely to lose future coaching opportunities
South Korean professional volleyball players recently suspended for bullying their former school teammates will face hurdles when seeking coaching opportunities in the future, the sport's national governing body said Tuesday.
N. Korea attempted to steal COVID-19 vaccine, treatment technology: NIS
North Korea has attempted to hack into South Korean drug manufacturers' computer systems to obtain information related to coronavirus vaccines and treatment, the state intelligence agency told lawmakers Tuesday.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Korea buys more doses of Pfizer, Novavax vaccines
South Korea has finalized deals with Pfizer and Novavax for 46 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Tuesday. The prime minister told a government meeting that Korea on Monday evening signed the final contracts with Pfizer for 6 million more doses, in addition to the 20 million doses already ordered from the company, and 40 million doses from Novavax.
Universal basic income enters Korean political limelight
The idea of ensuring that everyone has at least some income has gained momentum in South Korea as the country experiences a major economic letdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Employment gap widens throughout COVID-19 fallout
Bearing the brunt of a prolonged COVID-19 fallout, South Korea saw the employment gap widen between top-tier businesses and smaller ones last year, data showed Tuesday.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Gov't to crack down on 'greenhouse dorms' for migrant farm workers
The government is beefing up efforts to crack down on substandard accommodation provided to migrant workers, in response to growing calls to improve their living conditions, following the death of a Cambodian worker last December.
'In the past, stars were born, but now they are made'
Global K-pop sensation BTS has ignited a series of debates about the group's meteoric rise in the mainstream U.S. market, which had been out of reach for K-pop bands for decades.
Ex-ambassador to Myanmar, New Zealand to lead ASEAN-Korea Centre
Kim Hae-yong, Korea's former ambassador to Myanmar and New Zealand, has been appointed as the next secretary-general of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, the center announced.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
When did the US start taking Japan’s side?
Less than a month after President Joe Biden entered the White House pledging to repair the US’ system of alliances, the US has begun calling on South Korea and Japan to repair their relationship and to strengthen trilateral cooperation with the US. But the reality is that for South Koreans, the US’ actions look less like impartial mediation and more like siding with Japan.
Former S. Korean coast guard officials not held legally responsible for Sewol rescue failure in first trial
The former leaders of the South Korean Coast Guard who were charged with causing the deaths of passengers aboard the Sewol ferry through negligence in their initial response to the ferry accident were acquitted by a district court. On Feb. 15, Kim Seok-kyun, former head of the Coast Guard, and eight other people responsible for maritime rescues were found not guilty of negligent homicide by the 22nd criminal division of the Seoul Central District Court.
“Don’t rush”: What did Moon mean with his request to new S. Korean foreign minister?
While presenting a certification of appointment to incoming Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong, South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked him “not to rush to produce ‘visible results’ within a certain time frame.”
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Estate Agents Proliferate as Home Prices Soar
Estate agents are proliferating as housing prices reach record highs. According to the National Tax Service, the number of real estate agencies across the nation stood at 131,919 last November, up nearly 20,000 from April 2017.
Digital Coupons Become Popular Gifts
Digital coupons have become popular gifts in lockdown.
Demand skyrocketed during the Lunar New Year holiday, with online retailer 11st saying mobile coupon purchases grew 10-fold from Jan. 20 to Feb. 2 compared to last September, when the service was introduced.
Korea to Introduce Charge for Disposable Cups
Korea will introduce charges for disposable cups in coffee franchises, bakeries and fast food restaurants from June 2022 to reduce plastic waste.
Customers will pay a few hundred won for a disposable cup and can get it back if they return their used cups (US$1=W1,103).
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Hyundai Motor’s Chung Eui-sun expands cooperation on new business
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun is making aggressive moves in new business. After being inaugurated as Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group in October last year, Chung is expanding the group’s new business projects as well as leading the discussions on cooperation in new business projects.
KAIST celebrates its 50th anniversary
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), which started as Korea’s first research-oriented science and engineering institution, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Feb. 16. The institute that was founded by a loan from the U.S. has grown into a university that exports educational models to foreign countries, such as Kenya, only in half a century.
Tokyo hotel where Kim Dae-jung was kidnapped to be closed
Grand Palace Hotel in Iidabashi, Tokyo where former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung was kidnapped in 1973 will close its business on June 30 due to financial difficulty from COVID-19.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Paek Ki-wan and His Unwavering March Toward Democracy and Unification: The Mission He Left Behind
The collection of essays, Holding a Purple Breast-Tie in Your Mouth and Waving a Jade Green Skirt, published by Paek Ki-wan in his forties, was a wake up call to the young adults and college students living under a military regime in the early 1980s.
Administration of AstraZeneca Vaccine to Be Postponed Until After March for Older Adults
The government will begin COVID-19 vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine on February 26, but it decided to hold off administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 65. Since the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 among people aged 65 and older has not been sufficiently proven, the government will decide whether or not to use the vaccine on older adults after verifying the effects of the vaccine based on overseas cases and clinical trial data.
Why Did Coupang Choose to Go Public in the New York Stock Exchange?
News that the South Korean E-commerce company, Coupang filed for an initial public offering (IPO) at the New York Stock Exchange on February 12 (local time) has drawn attention to why the company chose to go public in the U.S. and not in South Korea.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Hyundai Motor, Posco to expand collaboration in hydrogen projects
South Korea’s top steelmaker Posco and automotive giant Hyundai Motor Group will broaden cooperation in hydrogen energy and car projects and exploration of hydrogen business opportunities at home and abroad to achieve carbon neutrality and lead hydrogen economy.
Seoul to roll out Pfizer vaccine in April, Novavax in Q2 with output from SK Bioscience
South Korea will start free Covid-19 vaccine administration with Pfizer’s vaccines in April, ahead of earlier planned third quarter, after securing additional doses for 3 million people from the U.S. drugmaker, and add Novavax jabs in its vaccine program in the second quarter – the fastest in the world - as they will be entirely produced at SK Bioscience plant in Korea.
LG Elec expected to keep up hot streak in earnings, with $1 bn income in Q1
South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. is expected to sustain a hot streak in earnings this year, eying over $1 billion in operating income in the traditionally-peak January-March sales.
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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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