Friday, August 5, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
“Last years saw consolidation of bilateral relations in highest level”
Ambassador Daúl Matute-Mejía of the Republic of Peru in Seoul said, “The last years have seen a consolidation in the bilateral relationship with the Republic of Korea in its highest level.” Then he said, “This year, we commemorated the Tenth Anniversary of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership settled in 2022 that has allowed the strengthening of the different levels of the relationship, like political, economic, defense, and cooperation.”
President Yoon holds summit with Indonesian President Widodo in Seoul
President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on July 28. The summit marks President Yoon's first with a leader from a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since he assumed office. President Widodo and first lady Iriana Widodo on July 25 began a tour of Korea, China and Japan, arriving at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province, in the evening of July 27.
The Korea Post opens provincial bureau in Hampyeong to cover southwestern region
The Korea Post has opened its local office in Hampyeong County, Jeollanam-do province to cover the southwestern region of the Republic of Korea. The provincial bureau of The Korea Post media will be headed by Jang Sun-koang with Ms. Kim An-ja. It is noteworthy that Hampyeong County, Jeollanam-do, has signed a large-scale investment agreement to build tourism infrastructure, spurring the development of a stay-type tourist destination.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Dependent Older Generation Grows
The number of foreign residents in Korea has surpassed 2 million again after declining for 15 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Korea Immigration Service, 2.01 million foreigners live in Korea as of May, rising above the 2 million mark again after falling to 1.95 million last year. The figure peaked at 2.52 million in December 2019. There has been a marked increase in foreigners who work as researchers or developers for venture capital companies.
U.S. House Leader Arrives in Seoul After Visit to Taiwan
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night after winding up a visit to Taiwan. She meets with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo on Thursday morning before they give a joint press conference and have lunch. Pelosi is on a mission to rally an alliance against China, whose human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong and militarization of the South China Sea she has condemned. Her arrival in Seoul comes right after a visit to Taiwan that caused fury in Beijing.
Kim Jong-un's Security Beefed up After Abe Assassination
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un seems to have beefed up his personal security since the assassination last month of former Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe. Kim is now always flanked by bodyguards, which is a new development. "Bodyguards generally stand at distance because the propaganda effect of a photo decreases when they can be seen," a source said. "The new development shows that special circumstances require a sacrifice."
Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )
Danuri, Korea's first lunar orbiter, successfully launches in Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle carrying Danuri, Korea’s first lunar orbiter, successfully blasted off from the launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:07 p.m. on Thursday, 8:07 Friday morning in Korea.
The Falcon 9 first-stage rocket, which has been used five times prior to the Friday launch, is carrying only the Danuri orbiter and no other satellite payload. Danuri will separate from the rocket 40 minutes after the launch, 1,655 kilometers (1,028 miles) above Earth, and whether the orbiter reaches targeted orbit to reach the moon will be determined in about five to six hours.
Yoon Suk-yeol speaks with Nancy Pelosi but only on the phone
President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi affirmed their commitment to the Korea-U.S. alliance — on a phone call. Although Pelosi was welcomed on all previous stops of an Indo-Pacific tour by presidents or prime ministers – in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan – Seoul’s presidential office decided not to schedule a meeting for Pelosi while she was in Seoul on Wednesday and Thursday, saying Yoon was on holiday.
Korea has its say at Asean meetings
The South China Sea, North Korea, Ukraine and Myanmar were discussed by Korea and Asean members at a foreign ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh on Thursday. “In sharing an evaluation of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's unprecedented launch of ballistic missiles this year, Minister Park Jin asked for Asean's cooperation on pursuing complete denuclearization of North Korea through diplomacy,” the foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
ROK-US house speakers commit to strong nuclear deterrence
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited South Korea on Thursday and met with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, echoing their mutual commitment to working towards denuclearizing North Korea and bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula through nuclear deterrence against the communist regime.
Hyundai sells 60 units in Japan in the first month after re-entry
Hyundai Motor ended up selling only 60 automobiles in Japan in July, the first month for the company after its re-entry into the country. The lower-than-expected performance convinced it of the high barrier for auto firms accessing the Japanese market, also called “the grave for imported vehicles.” However, considering that the electric vehicle market in the country is in its early stage, analyses suggest that the company comes up with mid-to-long term strategies rather than focusing on immediate results.
Korea’s first lunar orbiter set for launch into space
South Korea’s first lunar orbiter in its history of space development, also known as ‘Danuri (KPLO),’ is set to blast off at 8:08 a.m. on Friday (7:08 p.m. on Thursday local time). According to the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT on Thursday, a ‘Falcon 9’ rocket carrying the Danuri stood upright at the launch site, the U.S. Space Force base in Florida, the U.S. at around 11:15 a.m. on the day.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
U.S. pressure mounts on Korea to join Chip 4 amid Pelosi visit to Taipei and Seoul
U.S. pressure to join the so-called Chip 4 value chain is building up on South Korea as U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Seoul on Wednesday after her controversial trip to Taiwan that included a meeting with the chief of the world’s largest foundry. According to foreign media outlets, Pelosi, the third-highest rank from Washington met with Mark Liu,
S. Korea moves to countdown on maiden lunar mission of Danuri
Korea’s first lunar probe Danuri, officially known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), is all ready for takeoff on Friday. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on Thursday, Danuri – which means “enjoy the moon” in Korean – is scheduled for blast off at 8:08 a.m. on Friday in Korean time at Cape Canaveral in Florida after a delay from Tuesday. The trip is set to go on favorable climate forecast.
Korea’s Kakao Q2 OP up 7.8% on new chat feature and flourishing contents
Korean mobile platform giant Kakao made a modest income gain in the second quarter on stable revenue from existing apps and flouring content services despite aggressive spending to expand global presence and skirmish with Google over in-app purchase fee. Kakao on Thursday reported a consolidated operating income of 171.0 billion won ($130.8 million) for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022, rising 7.8 percent from the previous quarter and 5.2 percent from a year earlier.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan: Standing up to China or personal legacy-building gambit?
The visit to Taiwan by 82-year-old US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has emerged as a critical issue in US-China relations. Considering that she visited Taiwan to deliver a hard-line message to China despite US President Joe Biden’s attempts to dissuade her, many are curious about what public and private motivations lie behind her insistence.
Pelosi’s Taiwan visit triggers rhetorical and literal barrages by China
Mainland China was left seething with anger after a US military airplane arrived Tuesday evening at Taipei Songshan Airport carrying Nancy Pelosi, the first sitting US speaker of the House to visit Taiwan in 25 years. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) staged live-fire drills the same evening shortly after her arrival, while the Chinese Foreign Ministry and others issued statements criticizing the visit.
Why a 4th Taiwan Strait crisis won’t look like anything that came before it
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan on Tuesday while US-China relations are in a deep freeze was watched with concern by people around the world. Could the current tensions escalate into a fourth Taiwan Strait crisis? Since the early 1950s, there have been a series of crises in the Taiwan Strait in which China has raised tensions or engaged in military clashes while threatening to wage war over Taiwan.
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Yoo Seong-min, “Why Doesn’t President Yoon Suk-yeol Meet U.S. House Speaker Pelosi When He Has Time to Drink with Actors after the Play?”
On August 4, former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol for not meeting Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives currently in South Korea, and asked, “What should we make of the president not meeting the U.S. House speaker when he joined the actors for drinks after watching a play in Daehak-ro (the previous day)?”
“The Foreign Ministry’s Statement Crushed Our Trust” Victims of Forced Labor under Japanese Occupation to Boycott Public-Private Consultative Group
The legal representatives and organization supporting the victims of forced labor under Japanese occupation which had been taking part in a public-private consultative body to discuss ways to compensate the victims announced that they would no longer take part in the consultative group. They argued that the foreign ministry submitting its opinion to the Supreme Court was an act that shattered the trust relationship. Discussions in the government-civilian consultative body are likely to be disrupted or suspended, so an early resolution of the issue of forced labor does not seem likely.
Four Days after Announcing “Children to Enter School at Age 5,” Education Minister Says Government Can Scrap Plan if It Goes Against the People’s Wishes
Park Soon-ae, deputy prime minister for social affairs and minister of education, said the government could abolish the controversial policy to lower the age at which children enter elementary school, if the people do not want the policy. She made the statement four days after the education ministry gave a report to President Yoon Suk-yeol on changes to the education system, which aimed to lower the age at which children enter elementary school.
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
S. Korea's First Lunar Probe Launched
The country's first lunar orbiter has been launched on Friday morning. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, also known as Danuri, was launched at 8:08 a.m. Friday, Korea time, or 7:08 p.m. on Thursday, local Eastern Standard time. Danuri, developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute(KARI), was be launched into space from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket by U.S. aerospace company SpaceX.
Pelosi: Seoul Trip Reaffirmed Strong Bond of US, S. Korea
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that the visit to South Korea by her and a congressional delegation reaffirmed the "strong bond" between Seoul and Washington. Pelosi made the remarks in a statement released after her two-day trip to South Korea, stressing the resolute U.S.-South Korea alliance. Pelosi said the United States and South Korea share a strong bond formed for security and forged by decades of warm friendship.
Foreign Minister Holds Talks with Top Diplomats of New Zealand, Brunei
Foreign minister Park Jin held talks with the top diplomats of New Zealand and Brunei on Thursday to discuss the regional situation and ways to develop ties between their nations. According to Seoul's foreign ministry on Thursday, Minister Park and his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta held a separate bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the foreign ministers' meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) in Cambodia.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korea logs current account surplus for 2nd month; surplus shrinks amid mounting import costs
South Korea posted a current account surplus for the second straight month in June, but its amount sharply contracted from a year earlier amid mounting import costs emanating from high energy and commodity prices, central bank data showed Friday. The country's current account surplus stood at US$5.61 billion in June, accelerating from the previous month's surplus of $3.86 billion, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
Yoon calls Pelosi's visit to Seoul sign of deterrence against N. Korea
President Yoon Suk-yeol told visiting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that her visit to South Korea is a sign of deterrence against North Korea and he will closely work with U.S. Congress to deepen the bilateral alliance. Yoon made the remarks during 40-minute phone talks with Pelosi, First Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters.
S. Korea's 1st lunar orbiter launches aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying South Korea's first lunar orbiter has lifted off from Cape Canaveral in the United States, opening a new chapter in the country's space program. A livestream of SpaceX's YouTube channel showed the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter -- also known as Danuri -- soaring toward space after being launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the U.S. state of Florida at 7:08 p.m. Thursday (U.S. Eastern Time), or 8:08 a.m. Friday (Korean time).
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Korea, US speakers reaffirm strength of alliance, will to denuclearize NK
South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday reaffirmed the two countries‘ alliance and will to strengthen cooperation and bring about the denuclearization of North Korea. Pelosi, the first US House speaker to visit Korea in 20 years, arrived in Seoul late Wednesday after a stop in Taiwan.
‘ASEAN is new centerpiece of Korea’s Indo-Pacific initiative’
South Korea will strengthen its economic partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations while also expanding its strategic ties with the countries, Seoul’s foreign minister said in a foreign ministerial meeting on Thursday. Attending the South Korea-ASEAN foreign ministers’ session in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Park said Seoul would pursue greater solidarity and mutual benefits with ASEAN,
S. Korea, Australia agree to enhance defense cooperation, reinforce military exercises
The South Korean and Australian defense chiefs agreed to enhance defense cooperation in a wide range of areas, including the arms industry and military exercises. The two leaders also noted the significance of defense partnerships between like-minded countries in maintaining regional stability. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles met Thursday in Canberra,
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
S. Korea's 1st lunar orbiter launches aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying South Korea's first lunar orbiter has lifted off from Cape Canaveral in the United States, opening a new chapter in the country's space program. A livestream of SpaceX's YouTube channel showed the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter ― also known as Danuri ― soaring toward space after being launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the U.S. state of Florida at 7:08 p.m. Thursday (U.S. Eastern Time), or 8:08 a.m. Friday (KST).
British envoy shares his decades-old bonds with 2 Koreas
British Ambassador Colin Crooks' life is inseparable from Korea. He is a rare diplomat in that he has been posted in both North and South Korea. Crooks first came to Seoul in 1995 as a British diplomat and lived here for four years until 1999. During his time here, he organized Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Andong, South Gyeongsang Province, on her 73rd birthday which drew a media frenzy.
Yoon, Pelosi talk over phone, without meeting in person
President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the phone, Thursday, opting for an alternative that dispelled worries he was snubbing the No. 3 official in the U.S. government by not meeting her in person. Pelosi arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night following a controversial stop in Taiwan as part of her Asian trip.
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
Gwangmyeong Daily 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.
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