Monday, June 20, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
SK Geo Centric, SUEZ conclude their partnership in France
SK Geo Centric (SKGC), SUEZ, and Loop Industries announced on June 17 that SKGC will become an equal partner in the previously announced partnership between Loop and SUEZ, which was formed to build the first Infinite Loop manufacturing facility in Europe. Loop Industries is an innovator in sustainable plastics technology whose mission is to accelerate a circular plastics economy by manufacturing 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and polyester, and SUEZ a world leader in environmental services.
President Yoon to attend NATO summit slated for June 29 in Madrid
President Yoon Suk-yeol will leave for Madrid, Spain late this month to attend the summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) slated for June 29~30. At the official invitation of NATO, the event will be the President Yoon's first summit diplomacy of his term, a member of the presidential office's staff said. Launched in 1949, NATO is a security alliance led by the U.S. and European countries. This will be the first time for the group to invite the leader of Korea, a non-member country, to take part in the summit.
China launches Shenzhou-14 crewed mission to complete space station construction
China launched the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship at 10:44 a.m. on June 5, 2022, Beijing Time, sending three astronauts to its space station Tiangong. After entering its designated orbit, the spaceship conducted a fast rendezvous and docking with the space station combination. At 8:50 p.m., astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe entered the Tianhe core module of the space station and began their six-month stay in orbit.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Country Dwellers Are Calmer But More Likely Obese
Stress and depression are lowest in rural areas, but country dwellers are also more likely to smoke and become obese. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 28 percent of people in Seoul and 27.2 percent in other major cities are stressed, but that declines to 26.6 percent in towns with populations of less than 300,000 and 24 percent in rural communities. The agency surveyed 229,242 adults across the country.
Gov't Pushes Environmental Study of THAAD Base
The government will push ahead with the long-delayed environmental assessment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province so that it is finally run like any ordinary military installation. The Defense Ministry on Thursday told the provincial government to recommend members for a committee to carry out the environmental impact study.
U.S. Bombers on Standby for N.Korean Nuke Test
U.S. strategic bombers are circling the Korean Peninsula on standby for another North Korean nuclear test. A B-52H Stratofortress long-range bomber capable of carrying nuclear-tipped missiles was spotted in skies over Japan on Thursday, while an RC-135S Cobra Ball reconnaissance aircraft flew over waters east of Japan to spy on North Korea, and a squadron of B-1B Lancer bombers have been on standby at Guam for more than 10 days.
Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )
Lobbying begins overseas for Busan's Expo 2030 bid
Titans of Korea Inc. are going overseas to promote Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030. Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), left for Paris on Sunday to attend the 170th general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which opens Tuesday. Busan is competing with Rome and Riyadh to host the expo in 2030. Bidding countries and other BIE members will be at the general assembly.
Prime minister pledges to use more nuclear power
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo pledged to “actively use” nuclear power as a means of energy security and carbon neutrality during a climate forum convened by the White House. Han’s remarks once again signaled the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s distancing of itself from the Moon Jae-in government’s nuclear phase-out policy.
First lady Kim Keon-hee continues to make public appearances despite debate
As the debate drags on over what sort of role she should be playing as first lady, Kim Keon-hee continues to meet with the wives of political leaders and attend official events. Kim held a private meeting with Kim Jung-sook, wife of former President Moon Jae-in, in Seoul on Friday, and also met with Lee Soon-ja, widow of late former president Chun Doo Hwan, the day before.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
IAEA Director General sees signs of consecutive nuclear tests
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (photo) commented as of Thursday (local time) that North Korea is repairing the road peripheral to Tunnel 4 at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea and added that the recent activities show signs of consecutive nuclear tests.
IATA annual general meeting opens in Qatar
Starting from Sunday, the International Air Transport Association’s 78th Annual General Meeting (AGM) will proceed by this Tuesday in Doha, Qatar. As one of the largest aviation industry’s international events involving airliners, aviation authorities and aircraft manufacturers, the IATA’s AGM discusses ways to boost global cooperation on issues across the industry and seeks an agreement on international guidelines that are applied to airliners and governments.
Chey Tae-won heads to Paris to back Korea’s bid for 2030 Expo in Busan
The Korean business community is rolling up sleeves en mass to attract the 2030 World Expo to the port city of Busan. Major conglomerates have formed teams exclusively for supporting Korea’s bid and started communications with countries, while business leaders including Chey Tae-won, chair of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be departing for overseas tours to seek support.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Seoul shares fall, Samsung Elec hits new 52-week low as recession fears grow
Korean shares fell below the psychologically important 2,400 level on Friday as foreign investors continued to pull out from large-cap funds on growing recession fears across the world. Korea’s benchmark stock index Kospi closed Friday down 0.43 percent at 2,440.93, after recovering from new annual intraday low of 2,396.47 touched in the early morning. It was the first dip below 2,400-mark since Nov. 5, 2020.
Pres. Yoon endorses corporate tax rate cut to enhance biz competitiveness
South Korean President has doubled down on a corporate tax cut in a response to arguments against tax giveaways for the wealthy and big corporations. “Lowering the tax rate to the level of other OECD countries will bolster industrial competitiveness and eventually make a positive impact on the livelihoods of middle- and low-income families,” President Yoon Suk-yeol told reporters as he entered his office in Seoul on Friday.
Korean shipyards’ profitability to improve on higher LNG tanker contract prices
South Korean shipyards grappling with intensifying industry competition, surging material prices and labor costs are expected to breathe easily with rising LNG tanker orders and contract prices on higher demand. According to data compiled by Maeil Business Newspaper on Thursday, Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE)
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Hawks want you to think Kim Jong-un will unify Korea by force – why that’s bunk
As North Korea barrels ahead with beefing up its nuclear weapon capabilities, some observers in South Korea and overseas are citing those arms as a basis for warning that Pyongyang may attempt a “forceful reunification” of the peninsula. In a recent interview with the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, Kookmin University professor Andrei Lankov said that North Korea has “had great success with focusing all its national capabilities on developing nuclear weapons and missiles.”
Yoon’s talk of “point-of-origin” strike against N. Korea has no basis in reality
“If North Korea commits a provocation along the lines of the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, we will strike the point of origin,” said South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during a June 9 lunch with 20 service members who survived North Korean strikes and family members of those who died in incidents such as the sinking of the Cheonan corvette, the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, and a North Korean land mine explosion in the DMZ.
Incheon Coast Guard finds no evidence that slain civil servant was attempting to defect
The Incheon Coast Guard released the results of its investigation concerning the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries civil servant who went missing in the waters off Soyeonpyeong Island on Sept. 21, 2020, and was subsequently shot and killed by North Korea. The Coast Guard concluded that the case could not be presumed to be a voluntary defection. The Ministry of National Defense apologized for having previously stated it assumed that the 47-year-old civil servant surnamed Lee had voluntarily defected.
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
President Yoon Responds to Democratic Party’s Accusation of Retaliatory Investigation, “We Can’t Investigate Future Events. Wasn’t the Democratic Party the Same?”
On June 17, President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke on the Democratic Party of Korea’s criticism of the investigation of figures in the previous government as “a political retaliation” and said, “When it comes to criminal cases, we investigate what happened in the past. We can’t investigate what happens in the future.” This day, the president met with reporters on his way to the presidential office in Yongsan and said, “We start by investigating what happened in the past
Arrest Warrant for Paik Un-gyu Denied: Brakes on the Investigation into the “Trade Ministry Blacklist”
On June 15, the court refused to issue an arrest warrant for Paik Un-gyu, the former trade minister suspected of exercising unwarranted authority over personnel matters in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in the Moon Jae-in government. Prosecutors conducted a massive search and seizure three years after they received a report on the so-called “trade ministry blacklist” aiming at the Moon Jae-in government, but the investigation came to a halt when the court denied the arrest warrant.
Government and Central Bank Expects a Complex Economic Crisis to Last for “Some Time” and Pledges to Focus on Inflation
As the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the U.S. Federal Reserve decided to raise the benchmark interest rate 0.75% on June 16, South Korean authorities overseeing fiscal, monetary, and financial policies announced that they would concentrate all efforts to stabilize consumer prices. The government and the central bank predicted a complex crisis to continue for a considerable period and decided to jointly act to prevent fear from spreading in the financial and foreign exchange markets and to manage the soundness of financial institutions.
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
Fuel Tax to be Lowered by Maximum Cap of 37% from July
The government has decided to lower the fuel tax by the maximum legal cap of 37 percent from the current 30 percent from next month amid soaring energy prices. The decision was made on Sunday during an emergency meeting of the heads of ministries in charge of economic affairs. The measure will lower the fuel tax by 57 won per liter for gasoline and 38 won for diesel. The lowered rate will be effective until the end of the year.
Transportation of Nuri Space Rocket Begins before Lilft off Tuesday
The country's homegrown space rocket, Nuri, is being transported to the launch pad on Monday for its scheduled launch the following day. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute(KARI) said on Monday that the transport began at 7:20 a.m. The Korea Space Launch Vehicle Two, also called Nuri, will be moved by a special transporter from the assembly building to the launch pad at the Naro Space Center in the southern coastal village of Goheung. The process will take about one hour.
N. Korea Claims New Fever Cases Below 20,000 For Second Day
North Korea claimed that its fever-related daily cases suspected to be COVID-19 remained below 20-thousand for a second day. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Monday that around 18-thousand-820 new fever patients were confirmed in the 24-hour period leading up to 6 p.m. Sunday nationwide. Quoting the nation's state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters, the KCNA said about 21-thousand patients recovered during the same period.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Space rocket Nuri to be moved to launch pad Monday as planned
South Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri will be moved to the launch pad early Monday as planned for its scheduled launch the following day, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said Sunday. The institute canceled its initial plan to launch Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, last Thursday after a part in the oxidizer tank sensor was seen malfunctioning during a final pre-launch checkup at the launch pad in Naro Space Center in Goheung, a southern coastal village some 470 kilometers south of Seoul.
S. Korea to expand fuel tax cuts in emergency step to curb inflation
The government announced a package of emergency measures, including additional fuel tax cuts and higher income tax deduction rates for public transit use, Sunday aimed at countering growing inflationary pressure. Starting next month, tax cuts on fuel consumption will be expanded to a legal cap of 37 percent from the current 30 percent in a step to be effective through the end of this year, according to Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho.
Yoon hosts 'housewarming' event in front yard of new presidential office
President Yoon Suk-yeol hosted a "housewarming" event in the front yard of the presidential office in central Seoul on Sunday, inviting some 400 neighbors and others to celebrate the relocation of the office. Living up to his campaign pledge, Yoon has moved the presidential office to the former defense ministry building in Yongsan from Cheong Wa Dae in line with his campaign pledge to connect better with people.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
S. Korea to extend fuel tax cuts amid inflation woes
The South Korean government on Sunday decided to further extend tax cuts on fuel consumption as part of efforts to ease inflationary pressure from surging energy costs. Starting next month, the legal cap of fuel tax cuts will be increased to 37 percent from the current 30 percent. The tentative measure will be effective until the end of this year.
Foreign Ministry checking Russia’s claim 4 Koreans died fighting in Ukraine
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday it was trying to verify a statement from Russian authorities claiming that four Koreans who joined as volunteer fighters in Ukraine have died. The Moscow Times, an independent English-language and Russian-language online newspaper, released a report quoting a statement from Russia’s Defense Ministry on Friday that claimed 1,956 “mercenaries and weapons specialists”
Public, private sector throw weight behind Busan expo bid
South Korea is going full steam ahead in its bid to host the World Expo in 2030, with a delegation of top government and business leaders set to attend a presentation for the bid in Paris. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is set to attend the general assembly at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the organization overseeing the World Expos, on Tuesday, accompanied by more than 50 top officials.
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
First lady's growing political presence weighs on Yoon
President Yoon Suk-yeol's wife, Kim Keon-hee, is amplifying her political presence, meeting former first ladies and attending ceremonies to commemorate patriots last week. Her actions, however, appear to be raising unnecessary controversy, as she has been taking "unofficial" approaches to such official events. This situation comes as pressure to the president because the interest she has stirred up has been overshadowing Yoon's political messages, pundits said.
Samsung chief stresses importance of technological prowess
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong underscored the importance of keeping up with cutting-edge technology during a meeting with reporters, Saturday, as reaffirmed by his recent trip to Europe to hold meetings with businesses including ASML, an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology developer and equipment manufacturer in the Netherlands.
Korea to cut fuel tax by maximum cap of 37%
he government said Sunday it will cut the fuel tax by the maximum legal cap of 37 percent from the current 30 percent, to deal more effectively with mounting inflationary pressure compounded by a steep rise in global energy and commodity prices. Announced during an emergency meeting of economy-related ministers, the expanded tax cut policy will become effective July 1 and will last through December.
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
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, 37 years old this year!
Korean-language Internet edition: http://www.koreapost.co.kr
English-language Internet edition: http://www.koreapost.com
Korean-language print newspaper:
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3801.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3802.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3803.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=10690