Tuesday, June 21, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
“Women play a huge role in all fields in Tunisia, a pioneer country in the Arabic, Muslim world”
Question: Who are the most prominent ladies in your country other than the First Lady, such as the women leaders in the political world, business circles, social and other areas? Please introduce them in detail. Answer: Tunisia is a pioneer country in the Arabic and Muslim world regarding the position of the woman in the society. She plays a huge role in all the fields. From the old history we have Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihriyya who was the founder and funder of Al Qarawiyyin mosque in 859 AD in Fez, Morocco
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.
“It saw a rapid leap from a consultative mechanism to an interstate association”
On the eve of the SCO’s anniversary, the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan answered the questions of the correspondent of the «Dunyo» Information Agency. June 15 marks the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization - one of the youngest, dynamically developing international organizations. Over the past period, it has made a rapid leap from the format of a consultative mechanism to a full-scale interstate association.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
PCR Test Mandate Still Putting Visitors off
Potential visitors to Korea are being put off by the mandatory PCR COVID test both before boarding and on arrival. Korea is one of only eight countries and regions that still make it mandatory for travelers from overseas to take two PCR tests, whether they are fully vaccinated or not. Only Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Myanmar, New Zealand and Taiwan, and Palau are still keeping the mandate in place. Three countries
Tesla Hikes Prices Again
Tesla has hiked prices of major models for the fourth time this year alone. On its website here last Friday, Tesla listed the cheapest trim for the Model 3 sedan for W70.34 million, up five percent (US$1=W1,291). The Model 3 cost W52.39 million when it was released here in August 2019 and has become about W18 million more expensive in the last three years. The price of the Model 3 Long Range, which can run a longer distance on a single charge, increased by 6.7 percent to W83.52 million. The price soared by some W14 million on four occasions over the last six months.
1st Lady's Anti-Dog-Eating Crusade Captures Global Attention
First lady Kim Keon-hee's crusade against eating dogs has captured the attention of the international press. In dog-mad Britain, the Sunday Times commented, "Ultimately, not eating dog meat is a form of respect for man's closest friend and respect for life." The newspaper added Kim "has become the latest public figure to voice out against [Korea's] controversial habit of eating dog meat."
Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )
Stock retreat continues as economic concerns increase
Korean stocks fell to a new 52-week low as indexes and assets globally retreated and the crypto meltdown continued. The Kospi ended Monday down 2.04 percent to 2,391.03. It is down 20 percent this year and 26 percent on year and trading where it was five years ago. Foreign investors led the rout, net selling 625.84 billion won ($485 million) of stocks.
NATO's Asia-Pacific friends might have summit in Spain
President Yoon Suk-yeol is reviewing a Japanese proposal for a four-way meeting of leaders of Asia-Pacific countries on the sidelines of a NATO summit next week. Japan reportedly proposed a summit of the leaders of the four non-member countries in the Asia-Pacific region invited by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to attend the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 29 and 30. They are Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
Covid cases drop to lowest level in five months
Covid-19 cases in Korea dropped to their lowest level in five months on Monday. The country reported 3,538 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, with all but 96 locally transmitted, raising the total caseload to 18,280,090, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) data. This marks the lowest daily tally since Jan. 11.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Nuri’s launch pad transfer is complete for launch on Tuesday
South Korea's homegrown rocket Nuri, or the Korean Satellite Launch Vehicle II (KSLV-II), will be set for another launch attempt scheduled. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute announced that Nuri was positioned on the launch pad around 11:10 a.m on Monday, five days after it was transported back to the assembly site due to sensor error. The exact launch time will be known at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
National Assembly idles for three weeks without results
“In the current status where people can hardly breath due to difficult economy, I believe the ruling and opposition parties will take bipartisan measures for policies requiring revision of laws,” President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Monday. His comments contained denouncement toward the failure of the National Assembly to take any actions for three whole weeks amid the increasingly pressured economy due to rising inflation rate, interest and exchange rates.
Xi Jinping lays stress on anti-corruption among CCP officials
"Do not seek profiteering if you become a public official, and do not seek public office if you are rich." As the Chinese Communist Party came up with measures to restrict profit-making activities by families of party official members and to remove those who violate the rule from all public posts, Chinese state media People's Daily delivered on Monday President Xi Jinping's strong policy against anti-corruption.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Seoul ups verbal and presumed USD-buying intervention as USD nears 1,300 won
South Korea’s finance minister on Monday reissued verbal intervention as the Korean won sank to new annual low and weakest against the U.S. dollar since the wake of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Authorities will take “appropriate and necessary” actions against “excess” bias in the foreign exchange market due to jittery sentiment, Choo Kyung-ho, deputy prime minister doubling as the finance and economy minister, told reporters.
Overnight delivery race spills over to big and foreign names in Korea
The speed game in fresh food and grocery delivery that had been pioneered by platform operators in South Korea has spilled over to big retailers and foreign names in South Korea, upping economies of scale competition and costs. E-Land Retail, which currently operates Kim’s Club, a hyper supermarket with more than 30 offline stores nationwide
KEPCO shares near annual bottom with little sign of relief on income balance
Shares of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) slide towards annual bottom as local brokerage houses side with offshore investors abandoning the state utility firm with little sign of relief to its snowballing deficit that is expected to top $2 billion by the end of the year.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Clash between old, new administrations escalating just over a month into Yoon’s term
Roughly 40 days into the administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol, multiple clashes are now erupting between the current administration and figures from the previous one. On June 16, a 2020 incident in which a South Korean government employee was fatally shot by North Korean soldiers in the West Sea reemerged as a political issue when the Yoon administration disputed the preceding Moon Jae-in administration’s explanation of the events.
Conflicts between new, old powers shouldn’t be used for political points
The conflict between the old and new political powers in South Korea is intensifying a little over a month into the term of President Yoon Suk-yeol, with the current administration taking direct aim at the previous administration by reversing the finding of the investigation concerning a civil servant who was killed by North Korea after going missing in the waters of the West Sea,
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.”
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
President Yoon’s Communication on His Way to Work Is a Double-Edged Sword: Between Unconventional Move and Risky Frankness
President Yoon Seok-youl’s communication on his way to work, also known as ‘door-stepping,’ is given a mixed reception. The favorable response is about the unprecedented direct encounter between the president and the press, promoting the level of public communication. However, there are concerns that the president should give more refined messages.
Kim Kun-hee’s Fan Club to Press Charges Against Voice of Seoul as the YouTube Channel Holds Rally Outside President Yoon’s Private Home
Kun Sarang (love), the online fan club of Kim Kun-hee, announced on June 19 a plan to press a charge against Voice of Seoul’s head. The online media outlet is holding a rally in front of President Yoon Seok-youl’s private home in Seocho-dong in protest against the abusive rallies near former President Moon Jae-in’s home in Yangsan.
Apartment-Buying Sentiment Frozen: The Supply-Demand Index in Seoul Drops
The demand to purchase apartments in Seoul fell for the sixth consecutive week. The higher base interest rate has increased the burden on households with loans to repay. This in turn has weakened the desire to “buy a home, even if one has to take out a loan” and decreased the demand for real estate investment as well.
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
Nuri Space Rocket Ready to Launch Tuesday
The country's homegrown space rocket, Nuri, is set to be launched on Tuesday. The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute(KARI) said launch preparations were carried out smoothly and the final launch time will be decided in a meeting of the launch control committee on Tuesday.
N. Korea Claims New Fever Cases Below 20,000 for Third Day
North Korea claimed that its fever-related daily cases suspected to be COVID-19 remained below 20-thousand for a third day. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Tuesday that around 17-thousand-250 new fever patients were confirmed in the 24-hour period leading up to 6 p.m. Monday nationwide. Quoting the nation's state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters, the KCNA said about 19-thousand patients recovered during the same period.
KMA: Monsoon Rains Forecast Nationwide from Thurs.
Monsoon rains are forecast nationwide starting Thursday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA), the rainy season is projected to start with five to 20 millimeters of precipitation for the southernmost Jeju Island between late Monday and early Tuesday, one day later than the past average.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Yoon calls for measures to protect vulnerable groups from interest rate hikes
President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed officials Monday to come up with measures to protect vulnerable groups from rising interest rates worldwide. Yoon gave the directive during a weekly meeting with his senior secretaries, apparently referring to recent decisions by the U.S. Federal Reserve and other central banks to hike interest rates to tame inflation.
BOK expects 2022 inflation to grow faster than anticipated, hit highest in 14 years
South Korea's central bank said Tuesday it expected inflation to grow at a faster pace than previously anticipated and possibly hit the highest level in 14 years for this year as price pressures are mounting from rising demand and a tight supply. The Bank of Korea (BOK) provided the updated projections on inflation in a report on the latest price situations about a month after it sharply revised up its inflation forecast for this year from 3.1 percent to 4.5 percent.
S. Korean space rocket positioned at launch pad ahead of 2nd launch
South Korea on Monday completed the preparatory work for the launch of its homegrown space rocket Nuri, a day before its second attempt to send multiple satellites into orbit. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) erected Nuri, also known as KSLV-II, at the launch pad at Naro Space Center in the southern coastal village of Goheung and finished a pre-launch checkup at around 6:37 p.m.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Moon sided with North Korea, says wife of man shot dead by North’s troops
The widow of Lee Dae-jun, a South Korean fisheries official killed and burned by North Korean troops in 2020 at sea, said the Moon Jae-in administration seemed more sympathetic toward the North than the bereaved family. In a phone interview with The Korea Herald on Sunday, Lee’s widow Kwon Young-mi said the family had often felt the previous administration was “siding with North Korea.”
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.
China slams US as ‘largest source of disruption’ to world order
China slammed the US as the “largest source of disruption” to world order, making explicit its discontent over Washington’s China policy. The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a fact sheet late on Sunday dubbed “Falsehoods in US Perceptions of China,” in response to a recent speech made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where he raised concerns about Beijing posing “the most serious, long-term threat.”
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Incumbent, former presidents clash again over sealed information
A feud between President Yoon Suk-yeol and his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, deepened Monday after Yoon hinted at disclosing information that was sealed during the previous administration. Yoon's move came as the main opposition party accused him and the ruling party of stoking anti-communist sentiments by linking the death of a fisheries official to the Moon administration's attempt to curry favor with the communist North Korea.
Higher wage demand feared to further hike prices
The soaring inflation is likely to prompt the labor circle to demand a sharper increase in the minimum wage, which employers fear could push costs further upward. According to sources, Monday, the labor community is calling for the minimum hourly wage for next year to be raised by 29.5 percent to 11,860 won ($9.19) compared to this year.
Seoul, Washington to discuss extended deterrence against North Korea
South Korea and the United States are discussing holding senior-level defense talks, next month, according to the defense ministry, Monday, during which the allies are expected to discuss how to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korea's growing threats. "The two countries are in talks over holding the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) in Washington, D.C.,"
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