Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
KPBMA calls for the gov’t’s massive support to establish Korea’s pharmaceutical sovereignty
“Building a vaccine hub that does not accompany Korean companies’ own vaccine development is nothing more than a consignment production base. Therefore, in order for Korea to become a global vaccine hub, both conditions --consignment production and independent development -- must be met,” said Chairman Won Hee-Mok of Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA).
Leading Korean dailies cite efficacy of Oriental medicine against COVID-19
Leading Korean-language daily newspapers in Korea have recently introduced the existence of control efficacy of the Oriental medicine against the woes of continuously aggravating situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. Among them are Chosun Ilbo, which claims the largest circu8lation in Korea and the runner-up Dong-A Ilbo and Korea’s top-selling Korean-language business daily, Maeil Kyungje. Excerpts from an unofficial English translation of each of the articles recently published by the leading Korean-language dailies follow:
Let's teach Baduk (Go) to children for their happy future!
The following are excerpts from an article contributed by Director Seo Hyo-seok of Pyunkang Korean Medicine Hospital to the vernacular daily newspaper Chosun Ilbo.—Ed. By Director Seo Hyo-seok of Pyunkang Korean Medicine Hospital
Children in the world have a lot of problems due to addiction to Internet games. Instead of playing computer games, what I would recommend to them is 'Baduk (Go)'. In Baduk, there is politeness, no killing, and patience. The term 'Jeongseok', which is learned while playing Baduk, refers to the best number of wins in both attack and defense, rather than just winning alone. And in Baduk, life itself is contained. Baduk is a game that builds a lot of discipline in terms of mental health.
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
Firefighters Plan to Contain Main Flames in Eastern Coastal Areas Tuesday
Firefighters are working to contain the main flames of a massive wildfire in eastern coastal areas on Tuesday as the blaze ravages the areas for a fifth day. The Korea Forest Service(KFS), which blocked the spread of the blaze on the ground overnight, plans to mobilize about 90 helicopters and ten-thousand personnel on Tuesday to contain the fire. In the eastern coastal county of Uljin in North Gyeongsang Province, just 50 percent of the blaze has been suppressed, with the affected area extending over 17-thousand hectares. Authorities put out 95 percent of the fires in the Gangneung and Donghae region of Gangwon Province, while extinguishing 70 percent in Yeongwol and 40 percent in the Dalseong area of Daegu.
Pentagon Urges N. Korea to Halt Provocation, Engage in Negotiations
he U.S. Department of Defense has criticized North Korea's missile launches as "needless provocations" and urged the country to engage in negotiations. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby issued the position on Monday in a press briefing when asked about the North's recent missile tests. Kirby said that these continue to be needless provocations. The spokesperson added that the U.S. urges Pyongyang to cease these missile launches and provocations. He called for the North to signal that it is willing to sit down without preconditions to find a diplomatic path toward reduced tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Lee Highlights Competence, Yoon Slams Rival for Land Development Scandal Ties
With just two days to Election Day, ruling Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung embarked on a cross-country campaign trail originating at Jeju Island to head northward along the Gyeongbu rail line. Addressing a crowd in Jeju on Monday, Lee pledged a politics of national unity, asking for their support in creating a peaceful world where there is no war, hatred or conflict. In a bid to win votes from undecided moderates, Lee asked what would happen if a state leader was incompetent, irresponsible and ignorant, in an apparent reference to his main opposition rival's lack of political experience.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Election watchdog to allow COVID-19 patients to put votes directly into ballot boxes
he National Election Commission (NEC) decided Monday to allow COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine to put their votes into ballot boxes themselves after an earlier decision to collect their votes in unofficial containers first sparked widespread complaints of foul play. The election watchdog came under fire following revelations virus-infected voters and people under self-isolation were not allowed to put their votes into ballot boxes and election officials instead collected them in plastic bags and other unofficial containers during early voting Saturday.
Ruling party chief attacked with hammer during campaigning
A YouTuber in his 70s attacked ruling Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Song Young-gil with a hammer during campaigning in Seoul on Monday, causing him injuries requiring stitches in the head, party officials said. Song was campaigning in Seoul's Sinchon area for Wednesday's presidential election when the assailant came up to him from behind and struck him in the head several times with a hammer wrapped in a black plastic bag, video footage showed.
Lee, Yoon converge on Seoul in homestretch of campaign
Ruling party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and main opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol converged on Seoul in the homestretch of their campaigns Sunday. With the election three days away, Lee of the liberal Democratic Party crisscrossed the capital for campaign rallies in the districts of Dobong, Seongbuk, Eunpyeong, Seodaemun, Gwanak and Yongsan. During a campaign rally, Lee sought to woo voters with promises of real estate policy reform, including lowering barriers for loans and cutting related taxes.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Separate voting booths and ballot boxes scrapped for COVID-19 patients
COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine will be allowed to vote after 6 p.m. at the same voting booths and ballot boxes as other voters on Wednesday, the election watchdog said Monday, after facing criticism for its lackluster management of early voting booths and ballot boxes for infected voters over the weekend. The National Election Commission said following an emergency internal meeting held Monday morning that COVID-19 patients and those under quarantine orders will be given between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to cast their votes at nearby polling stations and use the same ballot boxes as non-patients.
Candidates rush to last minute canvassing
With the presidential election just around the corner, candidates traveled to regions across the nation, in hopes of wooing voters from rival strongholds, and also to appeal to those who have not yet made their mind up. Lee Jae-myung, the major ruling Democratic Party of Korea candidate, visited Jeju Island on Monday for the first time since his official election campaign kicked off. “State affairs is not a practice field for an amateur,” Lee said while canvassing near Dongmun Market on Monday, targeting his counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol of the major opposition People Power Party, who is relatively new to politics.
NK says it conducted test for reconnaissance satellite
North Korea has conducted “another important test” for a reconnaissance satellite, its state media said Sunday, a day after South Korea’s military described the test as a probable ballistic missile launch. The North’s National Aerospace Development Administration and the Academy of Defense Science conducted “another important test on Saturday under the plan of developing a reconnaissance satellite,” the official Korea Central News Agency reported.
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Experts urge caution against taking advantage of anti-China sentiment for election
HONG KONG ― South Koreans avidly took part in boycotting Japanese brands when bilateral tensions escalated in the past years, given the history of the two countries. This time, the antagonism is directed at another neighbor in Northeast Asia: China. While the situation may appear negligible and based merely on online skirmishes over the origin of cultural elements such as the pickled side dish kimchi or hanbok, a recent survey shows that the level of anti-China sentiment in Korea is notable.
Putin says third-party declaration of no-fly zone over Ukraine would be 'participation in armed conflict'
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West, Saturday, of a wider war if a no-fly zone is set up, as his forces resumed an offensive against a key Ukrainian city where a planned evacuation of residents failed to take place over security fears. With his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky criticizing NATO for ruling out a no-fly zone for fear of sparking nuclear conflict, Putin spoke of "colossal and catastrophic consequences not only for Europe but also the whole world," if such a zone was set up. "Any movement in this direction will be considered by us as participation in an armed conflict by that country," Putin said.
Korean won falls to 21-month low amid deepening geopolitical risks
Korea's financial markets took a heavy beating Monday, with its currency and stocks both sinking on escalating geopolitical uncertainties in Eastern Europe, after Russian troops shelled a nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The Korean won extended a loss of 12.9 won against the U.S. dollar, closing at 1,227.1 won per dollar, the lowest level in 21 months. This is the first time since June 2020 that the exchange rate topped the 1,220 mark. The won's sharp depreciation is spawning fears that it will continue pulling up consumer prices, which are being driven up by prolonged global supply bottlenecks and oil price hikes.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
COVID Protocol Causes Havoc in Early Voting
Coronavirus protection protocol caused havoc in early voting for the presidential election on Saturday afternoon as infected voters were not allowed to put their own ballots into the ballot box. Instead, election officials were dispatched to collect the ballots for them, sparking fury from voters who complained that their right to secrecy was being violated. Politicians also visited the National Election Commission to protest. The NEC admitted there were "some mistakes in handling the ballots, but there is absolutely no chance of illegality."
Cumulative COVID Cases to Surpass 5 Million This Week
Cumulative coronavirus cases in Korea are expected to surpass 5 million this week and fatalities 10,000. Already 1 million infected people are in self-isolation at home. The cumulative number of infections is expected to reach 5 million around Wednesday as the daily tally hovers around 200,000. On Monday morning, it stood at 210,716, bringing the total to some 4.67 million. Deaths reached 9,096 as of Monday morning and are expected to exceed 10,000 by the end of the week as the daily average stands at 148.
Nearly Half of Conglomerates Have No New Recruitment Plans
Nearly half of conglomerates either have no recruitment plans or have yet to finalize them for the first half of this year. The Federation of Korean Industries said Sunday that in a survey of Korea's top 500 companies conducted from Feb. 7 to 25, 42.1 percent of the 140 companies that answered the survey had not yet devised hiring plans for the first half. Some 7.9 percent said they did not plan to hire any new employees. Only 50 percent had plans to hire new staff. Of them, 54.3 percent said the hiring number would be similar to last year, while 41.4 percent planned to hire more. Some 4.3 percent said they would hire fewer workers.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Why China and its people are siding with Russia as the world condemns Putin
While the world is condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with antiwar protests taking place even within Russia, China has been a lone exception. Even more, though China siding with Russia for strategic reasons was expected, Chinese citizens as well are standing with Russia and decrying those who oppose Russia’s aggression. Five history professors in China including Nanjing University professor Sun Jiang took to Weibo on Feb. 26, criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an “unjust war,” only to receive fierce backlash.
Is there room for Korean peace in the competition between the US, China and Russia?
“Korea is the country with the heaviest security burden in the world. For now, the top security priority is to deter war between the two Koreas, but the geopolitical situation itself on the Korean Peninsula always remains a grave security environment from a broader and longer-term perspective.” These were the words of President Moon Jae-in when he spoke at the commencement and commissioning ceremony for the 57th graduating class of Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon on Monday. It’s not diplomatic rhetoric.
Ahn Cheol-soo pulls out of presidential race, endorses Yoon Suk-yeol
In a late-night Wednesday meeting with People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, People Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo reached a surprise agreement to drop out of the presidential race and declare his support for Yoon. On Thursday morning, Yoon and Ahn announced a “joint declaration of candidate consolidation for fairness, common sense, unity, and the future” at the National Assembly press center. “I, Ahn Cheol-soo, have decided to support Yoon Suk-yeol as a candidate,” Ahn declared in the statement.“I, Yoon Suk-yeol, will carry on Ahn Cheol-soo’s wishes and achieve victory, creating a successful administration of national unity,” Yoon declared for his part.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
U.S. considers banning exports of Russian crude
International oil prices skyrocketed to 140 U.S. dollars per barrel as Washington considers ban on Russian crude amid likelihood of prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to the London ICE future exchange as of Sunday (local time), the price of Brent crude rose 18% as the market opened, the largest increase in market history. The price of WTI traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange increased to 130.50 dollars.
No countermeasures other than encouraging COVID vaccinations
Health authorities on Monday raised the country’s COVID-19 alert level to the highest (Level 5). This is the first time that the country’s COVID-19 alert level has reached the highest after maintaining at ‘medium’ or ‘high’ this year. Even if the number of COVID-19 cases peaks during this month, the number of patients with severe conditions and deaths will continue to rise, putting a strain on the medical system. The Central Disaster and Safety and Countermeasure Headquarters is evaluating how serious the country’s COVID-19 situation is using 18 indicators every week.
No countermeasures other than encouraging COVID vaccinations
Health authorities on Monday raised the country’s COVID-19 alert level to the highest (Level 5). This is the first time that the country’s COVID-19 alert level has reached the highest after maintaining at ‘medium’ or ‘high’ this year. Even if the number of COVID-19 cases peaks during this month, the number of patients with severe conditions and deaths will continue to rise, putting a strain on the medical system. The Central Disaster and Safety and Countermeasure Headquarters is evaluating how serious the country’s COVID-19 situation is using 18 indicators every week.
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Wildfire Blazes on in Uljin and Samcheok for 4 Days Burning Woodlands the Size of 23,500 Football Fields
The wildfire that swept through Uljin, Gyeongsangbuk-do and Samcheok, Gangwon-do is believed to have burned forest areas the size of 23,500 football fields. The area damaged--including forests and homes--in the four days since the fire first broke out is increasing at a fast pace. Strong-wind advisories have been lifted, but the weather remains dry, so authorities expect it to take a long time before the fire is completely extinguished. This day, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters announced that by 6 a.m. March 7, an estimated 16,775 ha of forest area were destroyed by the wildfire in Uljin and Samcheok.
Record-High Early Voter Turnout 36.93%: Will It Push the Voter Turnout Up on Election Day Too?
The early voter turnout for the twentieth presidential election recorded 36.93%, the highest in history. It was 10.24% higher than the previous record of 26.69% for the early voter turnout in the parliamentary elections on April 15, 2020. The ruling and opposition parties have released mixed interpretations on the high early voter turnout and eyes are on whether the high early voter turnout will lead to a high turnout on election day as well. Ruling and opposition parties are busy calculating the pros and cons. The National Election Commission announced on March 5 that 16,323,602 of the total 44,197,692 voters showed up for early voting on March 4-5, recording a turnout of 36.93%. This was the highest early voter turnout since the early voting system was adopted in 2014.
Beginning Mar. 5, Cafes and Restaurants to Open until 11 p.m. and People in Quarantine to Be Permitted to Go out and Vote
Business hours for facilities open to the public, such as restaurants and cafes, will be extended one more hour to 11 p.m. beginning March 5, but private gatherings will continue to be restricted to 6 people. On March 4, the government released slightly revised physical (social) distancing measures including these details. The latest measures will be effective until March 20. Business hours will be extended for twelve types of public facilities including restaurants and cafes, noraebang or singing rooms (including coin-operated karaoke rooms), bathhouses, indoor sports facilities, Internet cafes, multibangs (rooms equipped with a number of entertainment facilities) and video arcades, party rooms, casinos, massage parlors, lifelong vocational training institutes, movie theaters and performance halls, and clubs and bars.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Korean exports face disruption due to suspension of air, sea, ground routes to Russia
South Korean outbound shipments face disruption on top of sanctions on Russia and soaring fuel prices to near 14-year highs due to suspension of air, sea, and ground routes to Russia, a gateway to Europe, adding woes to big Korean Inc. and the economy heavily reliant on global sales. Korea’s sea flag carrier HMM Co. last week temporarily stopped receiving bookings for Saint Petersburg, one of three sea routes to Russia. The shipper is also considering halting services of two remaining routes to Vladivostok and Vostochny.
S. Korea joins international ban on transaction with Russia’s central bank
South Korean government has decided to ban transactions with Russia’s central bank in sync with international move. Details of the Korean government’s financial sanctions against Russia will be released soon after interdepartmental discussions, said Han Hoon, assistant deputy minister of economy and finance after chairing the 13th emergency task force meeting on Russia-Ukraine crisis on Monday.
S. Korea’s economy faces slowed or stagnated growth mixed with strong inflation
Korea is faced with slowflation, a mix of slow-moving economy and strong inflation, due to escalating uncertainties from Russia-Ukraine war and protracted Covid-19 crisis, Hyundai Research Institute (HRI) warned. In a report published on Sunday, the private economic research institute flagged possibility of slow- or stag-flation (stagnated growth and high inflation) under the worst scenario as leading indices have been slumping for months.
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 Heraldwww.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports http://colombiareports.com
Bogota Free Planet http://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english
Andes http://www.andes.info.ec/en
Ecuador Times http://www.ecuadortimes.net
The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com
LSM.lv http://www.lsm.lv/en
The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais http://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html
Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net
Daily News Hungary http://dailynewshungary.com
Budapest Times http://budapesttimes.hu
The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.
Azerbaijan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM
Sri Lanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
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