Thursday, August 11, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today

The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )

Colorful films to help audience sense, explore ties between film, music
JIMFF bares 10 ‘must-see’ music films on opening day tomorrow. Time is running out and, alas, it is tomorrow when the 18th Jecheon International Music & Film Festival (JIMFF) starts (on August 11, 2022)! The host has disclosed the presentation of 10 more film recommendations selected by the Festival's programmer. This year’s edition of the festival features 139 music films from 39 countries, which is the highest number in the festival’s history.

 

Cooperation between Uzbekistan, Korea is developing based on mutual trust, interest’
Ambassador Vitaliy Fen of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Seoul said, “This year marks the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea.” Speaking at an exclusive interview with The Korea Post media at his office in Seoul, Ambassador Fen then said, “In addition, during the visit of the head of Uzbekistan to Korea last year, he proposed to declare 2022 as ‘The year of mutual exchanges between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea.’ Details of the interview follow:

 

Korea, Lithuania hold talks on bilateral cooperation in laser, bio
Deputy Trade Minister Jeong Dae-jin met with Lithuania's Vice Economy Minister Jovita Neliupsiene at the Government Complex Seoul on Aug. 4, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. Both sides exchanged views on Korea-Lithuania economic cooperation and other industries like laser and bio. Deputy Trade Minister Jeong also requested Lithuania’s interest in and support for Busan’s hosting of World EXPO 2030.

                                                                                             

Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Seoul Asks Beijing to Help with Security on Korean Peninsula

Foreign Minister Park Jin met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Qingdao on Tuesday and asked him to help maintain peace and security on Korean Peninsula. Park is the first minister in the Yoon Suk-yeol government to visit China. The two apparently discussed a wide range of issues, including the U.S.' Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery stationed in South Korea, Seoul's participation in a U.S.-led semiconductor alliance and cross-straits tensions heightened by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to Taiwan.
 

N.Korea to Send Workers to Russian Puppet State Donetsk
In a sign of solidarity between global pariahs, North Korea is discussing the dispatch of laborers to the Donetsk People's Republic, founded by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, to rebuild infrastructure there. Denis Pushilin, the head of the DPR, told a local TV station that Donetsk is in discussion with North Korea over the dispatch of workers and an advance team from North Korea will visit Donetsk soon to make a final decision on what they could do there.


1/3 of CEOs Hired Externally
More than three in 10 chief executives at Korea's largest companies were recruited externally for their positions. Corporate tracker Leaders Index surveyed the country's 500 largest companies late last month and found that 196 out of 607 incumbent CEOs, except those who refused to respond to the survey, were recruited from outside the companies, accounting for 32.3 percent.

 

                                                                                           

Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )

When Seoul floods, underground class feels it hardest
Authorities continue to search for missing people after Monday's unprecedented flash floods exposed the acute vulnerability of low-income Seoul residents who live in banjiha, or semi-basement apartments. Such units are only partly above ground, with windows peeking out directly onto the pavement of streets — some of which became rivers in Monday's downpours.

  

Politicians excluded from Yoon Suk-yeol's first pardons
Former President Lee Myung-bak and former South Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo are not expected to be pardoned by President Yoon Suk-yeol on Liberation Day next Monday. On Tuesday, the Justice Ministry's review committee screened candidates for presidential pardons including high-profile liberal and conservative politicians and business leaders. A final decision will be made by the president later this week.

 

Park tries to assuage Wang on chips in Qingdao
If Korea meets with the United States to discuss semiconductors, it is not meant to isolate any specific country, Foreign Minister Park Jin told China's top envoy Wang Yi on Tuesday. Minister Park made it clear that the recent decision by Korea to join a preliminary meeting [on the semiconductor supply chain] was purely and entirely based on our national interests and was not meant to exclude or target any specific country,”

                                                                                               

 

The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)

Global semiconductor market is forecast to slow down
Signs of a downturn in the semiconductor industry have begun to appear as soaring inflation and fears of recession coincide and drag down the sales of personal computers, smartphones, and cars. Gartner, a U.S.-based technological research and consulting firm, predicted that worldwide PC shipments will decline by 9.5 percent from the previous year. Bloomberg analyzed that Micron Technology’s warning on weak demand for chips adds to evidence of global chip demand collapse.


Investment in overseas real estate surges
Ms. Kim in her 50s plans to go on a field survey to New York to see a studio condominium in Manhattan, New York, and feel the real estate market sentiment there. The market price of the condo that Kim is interested in is currently at 1.3 billion won, almost equivalent to the average sales price of an apartment in Seongdong-gu, Seoul in June. The monthly rent price of the New York condominium is around 5.8 million won, up by 40 percent compared to the previous year.

Natural disasters are accountable for 4,300 deaths globally
With Korea suffering from torrential rain, European countries including France, the U.K. and Italy are suffering from heat wave and drought. The World Meteorological Organization disclosed on Tuesday that this year recorded as one of the three years with the highest temperature in July, while 2016 and 2019 recorded similar heat.

 

                                                                                                             

Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)

Seoul to invite Saudi crown prince in Q4 for Korean role in Neom and reactor projects
The Saudi crown prince, the second to the king, could be leading a delegation to South Korea in November for talks with the government and corporate officials with a focus on the ambitious desert megacity and nuclear reactor project. According to government sources knowledgeable of the affair Wednesday, two governments are in discussion to arrange a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Seoul in late October or November this year.

 

Relatives to Korean tycoons lessened for antitrust scrutiny, foreigner exempted as chief
Special relations to the owner of a South Korean conglomerate subject to disclosures in changes to stakes and internal transactions would be lessened under the revised antitrust regulation of South Korea that left out the proposal of placing foreign national under the same liability of a major corporate chief in Korea due to protest from the U.S.

 

KT posts best-ever H1 revenue but sees heavy costs ahead
KT Corp. like two other South Korean wireless carriers finished the first half ended June strong with record six-month top line, although its bottom line retreated from higher costs to suggest further deterioration in the second half. The company’s consolidated revenue came to a record 12.6 trillion won ($9.6 billion) in the January-June period, up by 4.4 percent from a year ago. Sales for its second quarter grew 4.7 percent to 6.31 trillion won.

 

 

                                                                                             

HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Yoon’s phoned-in response to major flooding draws criticism
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is facing criticism after he ordered rescue services to respond to record-setting rainfall and flash flooding around the capital region by phone from his private residence in Seoul. The presidential office maintains that the president did nothing wrong because he received reports in real time throughout the night about the extent of the flood damage.

 

Top diplomats of S. Korea, China talk semiconductors and THAAD
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin is currently carrying out his first official visit to China ahead of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries on Aug. 24. Park met with his counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on Tuesday in Qingdao, Shandong Province. To mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Park stressed that South Korea and China should form a “cooperative relationship that pursues common interests based on mutual respect.”

 

Korea stays awkwardly on fence amid clashes, coordination between US and China
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's Asia tour, which was capped off with visits to South Korea and Japan after a prior stopover in Taipei, is causing Taiwan significant hardship. However, even after the US lawmaker’s visit to Taiwan this week, the US and China seem to not have crossed each other’s red lines. Instead, the diplomatic and economic costs that resulted from the visit were left mainly to be borne by Taipei.

 

                                                                                     

The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)

The Tragedy of a Family with a Developmental Disorder in a Semi-basement Apartment: “Disaster Inequality” Hit the Vulnerable First
A family of three with a developmental disability living in the semi-basement of a multiplex house in Sillim-dong, Seoul died after they were locked in their house due to the downpour. In Dongjak-gu, another resident in a semi-basement apartment lost her life in a similar accident. According to the police and the fire department, at 12:26 a.m. August 9, A, a forty-something woman with a developmental disability, her younger sister B, and B’s teenage daughter were found dead in a semi-basement apartment in a multiplex house in Sillim-dong,

 

Lee Jae-myung, “The Police Summoned Kim Hye-kyung. We Will Cooperate with the Investigation”
Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of lawmaker Lee Jae-myung, who is running for the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was summoned by an investigative agency for her alleged misuse of a corporate credit card. On August 9, the office of lawmaker Lee posted on social media, “Ms. Kim Hye-kyung received a request from the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency this day to appear before the police.”

 

Another “Water Bomb” on Its Way: Up to 300mm of Rain to Drop in Central Korea Through Wednesday
A downpour of up to 380 millimeters of rain pounded on Seoul Monday, and a “water bomb” that may pour up to 300 millimeters more rain is expected to pass through central Korea through August 10. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced, “Due to the stationary front, rain, along with strong winds, thunder and lightning, is expected to fall in the central area, Jeollabuk-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do for a while.

                                                                                                

KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)

N. Korean Leader Declares Victory over COVID-19
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly declared victory in the country's fight against the novel coronavirus. According to the North's state Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) on Thursday, Kim made the announcement the previous day during a meeting in Pyongyang to review the country's emergency anti-epidemic policy.


Kim Yo-jong Blames S. Korea for COVID-19 Outbreak, Warns of Retaliation
Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has blamed South Korea for the outbreak of COVID-19 in her country and warned of strong retaliation. According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, Kim Yo-jong, who serves as a vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, made the accusation in a national meeting held the previous day to review the country's emergency anti-epidemic policy.

 

China Claims S. Korea Pledged to Restrict THAAD, Running Counter to Seoul's Position
The Chinese government has claimed that South Korea swore to limit the operation of a U.S. missile defense system, known as a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense(THAAD), in South Korea. In a regular briefing on Wednesday, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China would like to point out that the U.S. deployment of THAAD on South Korean soil clearly hurts Beijing’s strategic security interests.

 

                                                                                                                

Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

S. Korea identifies remains of another Korean War soldier
South Korea has identified the remains of a South Korean soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War after their excavation from a battle site more than a decade ago, the defense ministry said Thursday. The ministry's excavation team and personnel from the Army's 27th Infantry Division found the remains of Pfc. Yoon Eui-saeng in Hwacheon, 88 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in May 2010.

 

N.K. leader declares victory in fight against COVID-19: state media
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared victory in his country's emergency campaign against COVID-19, state media reported Thursday. Kim made the announcement during a national meeting on anti-epidemic measures he presided over the previous day, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He "solemnly declared the victory in the maximum emergency anti-epidemic campaign for exterminating the novel coronavirus that had made inroads into our territory and protecting the lives and health of the people," it said in an English-language article.

 

China says S. Korea has vowed to limit THAAD operation, heralding continued diplomatic row
The Chinese government said Wednesday that South Korea has even pledged to limit the operation of the advanced U.S. missile defense system positioned on its soil in addition to the so-called "Three No's" principle on the THAAD issue. 
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for Beijing's foreign ministry, made the assertion, which runs counter to the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol administration's position on the matter, during a press briefing, a day after the talks between the top diplomats of the neighboring countries in the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao.

 

                                                                                  

 

The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

S. Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases reach four-month high of over 150,000
South Korea’s daily COVID-19 infections surpassed 150,000, reaching a four-month high since April, the government announced Wednesday. The number of critically ill patients also topped 400, amid a prolonged resurgence fueled by the fast spread of a highly contagious omicron strain. The speed at which COVID-19 spreads is accelerating again,” Lee Ki-il, a deputy health minister, said during a COVID-19 response meeting on Wednesday.

 

Yoon apologies for flooding in Seoul area
President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday issued an apology over the downpour that plagued the greater Seoul area, and pledged fundamental measures to prevent a repeat of Monday night’s havoc. Due to the record-setting heavy rain which hit Seoul, its surrounding regions and Gangwon Province from Monday to Tuesday, nine people have been reported dead, seven missing and some 600 displaced as of Wednesday morning.

 

N. Korea pledges to fully support China’s resolution on Taiwan, denounces Pelosi’s trip
North Korea’s ruling party condemned the US House speaker’s recent visit to Taiwan as a “grave threat to regional peace and stability,” pledging to provide unwavering and full support to China’s resolution on the Taiwan issue. The Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea sent a “solidarity letter on the Taiwan issue” to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Tuesday,

 

                                                                                    

 

The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

NK leader declares victory in fight against COVID-19: state media
Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared victory in his country's emergency campaign against COVID-19, state media reported Thursday. Kim made the announcement during a national meeting on anti-epidemic measures he presided over the previous day, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). He "solemnly declared the victory in the maximum emergency anti-epidemic campaign for exterminating the novel coronavirus that had made inroads into our territory and protecting the lives and health of the people," it said in an English-language article.

 

Hydrogen bus trial service begins in Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province megacity
Under the Ministry of Environment's carbon-reduction initiative, the southern port cities of Busan and Ulsan as well as South Gyeongsang Province have agreed with Hyundai Motor Company to deploy hydrogen buses in the regions' local public transit routes to replace diesel buses. The parties signed the deal at Biz Convention Center in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, on Thursday. The deal sees the launch of a hydrogen bus transportation service dry run on existing routes throughout the three municipalities clustered in the country's southeastern region

 

Korea's job market losing steam amid COVID-19 resurgence
The pace of the country's job growth slowed for the second straight month in July amid the resurgence of COVID-19 and such a trend is likely to continue throughout the remainder of the year due to increasing economic downside risks, Statistics Korea announced on Wednesday. The gloomy outlook overshadows the record employment rate of 62.9 percent for any July set last month, fueling concerns that the government should work faster on its plan to boost the job market, which is driven by the private sector, with economic risk factors, both domestic and overseas, looming.


                                                                                                                  

 

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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