Monday, October 17, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
POSCO-MKPC expands AHSS sales base in Malaysia by holding TECHDAY
POSCO-MKPC, POSCO’s automotive steel processing center based in Malaysia, held ‘POSCO AHSS TECHDAY’ in Setia Alam, Malaysia on Sept. 29. This event was held for the first time in three years since 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic, The POSCO announced on Oct. 12. POSCO-MKPC held this event to expand the sales of AHSS products and to improve the steel product knowledge of auto parts makers by promoting POSCO’s AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steel) products and introducing technologies used to Malaysian automakers and parts makers.
SK On supports the public foundations in Iváncsa, Hungary
SK held a ceremony at Iváncsa City Hall on Sept. 27 (local time) to deliver a donation to the local public foundations in Iváncsa, Hungary, where its third electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Europe is currently under construction. The ceremony was attended by Krisztián Molnár – Governor of Fejér, Molnár Tibor – Mayor of Iváncsa, Moon Hang-ki – CEO of SK On Hungary, and other representatives from the beneficiary foundations. This is the second delivery of SK On’s donation Iváncsa, following the first delivery in 2021. Over the last two years, the company has donated a total of 15 million forints (about $50,000) to contribute to the growth of local community in Iváncsa.
Margilan City of Uzbekistan hosts 5th International Festival of Traditional Textiles
On October 20-22, 2022, the V International Festival of Traditional Textiles "Atlas Bayramy" will be held in the city of Margilan. The festival is aimed at supporting creativity, preserving and popularizing traditional Uzbek textiles. As highlighted by Sara Noshadi, Head of the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan, “The festival contributes to the preservation of the intangible cultural heritage by promoting the know-how of producing traditional Uzbek textiles. It also contributes to the improvement of the quality and design of traditional crafts in all types of Uzbek textiles, from cotton production to silk fabrics, carpets and embroidery or clothing design.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Most of Gangnam's Plastic Surgery Clinics Operate on Children
The success of heavily doctored K-pop stars has only fueled the plastic surgery craze in Korea, where patients are getting younger and younger. One woman in southeastern Seoul recently paid for her middle-school daughter to have double-eyelid surgery at a cosmetic clinic in Gangnam. "Many of her classmates got double-eyelid surgery when they finished elementary school," she claims. A growing number of clinics in the flashy area of southern Seoul are offering treatments for children. The Chosun Ilbo asked 10 plastic surgery clinics if they could perform cosmetic surgery on a fifth grader and half said yes.
N.Korea Launches Flurry of Provocations Overnight
North Korea launched a flurry of provocations overnight on Friday. It fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea around 1:50 early Friday morning and about 170 artillery shells into the eastern and western maritime "buffer zones" between 1:30 a.m. and 3 a.m., the Joint Chiefs of Staff here said. The JCS said the provocations came after about a dozen military planes flew close to the border with the South, prompting Seoul to scramble fighter jets and other warplanes. The JCS denounced the artillery volleys as "clear violations" of UN Security Council resolutions.
Fentanyl Addiction on the Rise in Korea
Addiction to the opiate-based painkiller Fentanyl is on the rise in Korea because it is far too easy to get a prescription. According to data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the number of Fentanyl prescriptions in Korea surged 67 percent from 2018 to 1.49 million last year. Prescriptions of the drug increased markedly for people in their teens to 30s, who ought to be less likely to be suffering from chronic pain of an intensity that requires opioid prescription. Last year, Fentanyl was prescribed 3,343 times to teens, 22,205 times to 20-somethigs and 45,261 times to patients in their 30s.
Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )
Kakao's meltdown raises big questions about its management
Kakao's meltdown lasted more than a day, raising questions about Korea’s leading IT company's tech expertise and crisis management abilities. President Yoon Suk-yeol's office on Sunday said Kakao's network disturbance could even be a threat to national security. According to Kakao, basic services including text messaging via Kakao Talk, were restored Sunday after a fire Saturday at an SK C&C data center that housed the company’s data center. Kakao Talk is Korea's leading messenger service and many people rely on it and other Kakao apps like a mobile payment service and navigation system.
Korea grapples with U.S. push against 'made in China'
Korea Inc. faces an uphill battle as a push in the United States for economic security is taking its toll on companies dependent on China for manufacturing or for the supply of materials and components. The U.S. is passing laws and enacting executive orders to bring the manufacturing of products important to national interest back to U.S. soil. Chips, batteries, electric vehicles(EV), solar cells and certain biotechnology products are on the list, and China is the main country of concern. A number of Korean companies have been affected already.
North flies warplanes, fires artillery shots, launches short-range ballistic missile
North Korea flew some 10 warplanes close to the inter-Korean border, fired 170 artillery shots into maritime buffer zones off its coasts in violation of a South-North military agreement and launched yet another short-range ballistic missile — all in less than five hours. The provocations lasted from about 10:30 p.m. on Thursday to 3:07 a.m. on Friday, the South Korean military said. Seoul denounced the North Korean threats on multiple fronts, including through a letter faxed to the North through a military communication channel in the Yellow Sea, Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense said.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
S. Korea considering reveal of Hyunmoo-5 as ‘warning to N. Korea’
As North Korea continues indiscriminate provocations in an obvious violation of the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, the South Korean military is considering the official reveal of the test launch footage of Hyunmoo-5, a high-power ballistic missile carrying one of the heaviest warheads in the world. If North Korea’s arms provocations, such as the threat of using tactical nukes, the South Korean military may officially reveal the footage of the ‘monster missile,’ which can annihilate the North Korean leadership with just one missile.
Stock price halved and out of service for 10 hours
The share price of one of the leading growth stocks “Kakao” is stumbling. On top of this year’s stock price drop by half, the extensive nationwide “Kakao outage” incident over the weekend leaves further room for possible additional stock price drops. According to Korea Exchange on Sunday, the stock price of Kakao, which was 114,500 won at the beginning of this year, closed at 51,400 won on Friday, nosediving by 55.11%. Over the same period, the stock prices of Kakao Games, Kakao Bank, and Kakao pay plunged by 58.87%, 70.39%, and 79.55%, respectively.
Iranian prison in fire with protestors detained inside
A fire broke out on Saturday at Iran’s Evin prison, where dissidents and political prisoners are behind bars. Since a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian Mahsa Amini died on Sep. 16 while in police custody for not wearing a hijab, anti-government protests have occurred nationwide; with even this notorious prison at risk, there is a growing likelihood of political unrest. It is not yet confirmed that the fire is directly linked to the ongoing anti-government movement. However, it was reported that some detainees shouted anti-government demonstrators’ chants in this correctional facility. Many of them have been detained therein for joining the protests.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Seoul slaps additional sanctions vs N.K. for a barrage of missile fire and nuclear test threat
South Korea on Friday has packaged fresh unilateral sanctions against North Korean institutions and individuals for the first time in nearly five years to response to Pyongyang’s threat on nuclear test and its series of ballistic missiles.“We strongly condemn the unprecedentedly frequent series of missile provocations,” South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release Friday, while placing 15 individuals and 16 institutions on its blacklist. They include those that contributed to the regime’s nuclear and missile development and violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Seoul, Washington reviewed conditional deployment of tactical nuclear assets
South Korea and the United States discussed conditional and temporary redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons last month upon judgment North Korea was readying a seventh nuclear test after firing off ballistic missiles in various ranges to manifest its target capacity, according to a high-level source on Thursday.“Nuclear threats on the Korean peninsula have intensified to a completely different level while North Korea claims it has physically completed nuclear disarmament and announced legal completion last month,” said a senior national security official who asked to be unnamed on Thursday.
The cost of leveraged stock investment tops 10% in S. Korea to add to market exit
The margin interest rate Korean brokerages charge for borrowing for stock investment has hit above 10 percent after uninterrupted rate increases by the central bank throughout the year to force retailers to dump their holdings and raise the downside for the market. According to the Korea Financial Investment Association on Thursday, Hyundai Motor Securities has decided to charge 10.3 percent on its borrowings to investors for more than 90 days. Yuanta Securities last month raised margin rate for funds borrowed more than 16 days up to 10.05 percent while KB Securities revised up margin rates four times so far in the year.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Kim Jong-un’s two uses of “idiot” in final letter to Trump
The last of the 27 letters released by the Korean-American Club, an association of current and former Korean foreign correspondents in the US, was sent by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to then-President Donald Trump of the US on Aug. 5, 2019. The word “idiot” appears twice in this letter. It can be found once in the line, “If you do not think of our relationship as a stepping stone that only benefits you, then you would not make me look like an idiot that will only give without getting anything in return.” The next time it crops up is in reference to the “idiots” in the South, who Kim writes of having surprised with their meeting, apparently finding some humor in that fact.
S. Korean administration shifts focus from nuclear rearmament to US strategic assets
The last of the 27 letters released by the Korean-American Club, an association of current and former Korean foreign correspondents in the US, was sent by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to then-President Donald Trump of the US on Aug. 5, 2019. The word “idiot” appears twice in this letter. It can be found once in the line, “If you do not think of our relationship as a stepping stone that only benefits you, then you would not make me look like an idiot that will only give without getting anything in return.” The next time it crops up is in reference to the “idiots” in the South, who Kim writes of having surprised with their meeting, apparently finding some humor in that fact.
US must engage in “preventive diplomacy” before N. Korea tests another nuke, says expert
Moon Chung-in, chairman of the Sejong Institute, argued at a seminar held in Washington on Oct. 6 that the US should take bold steps to resume dialogue with North Korea before it moves forward with a seventh nuclear test. The seminar, which addressed the future of the South Korea-US alliance amid the changing geopolitical landscape, was jointly organized by the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the East Asia Foundation. Regarding the recent string of ballistic missile launches by North Korea, Moon predicted, “An ICBM launch and a nuclear test will come next, and if North Korea goes down that path, it will be extremely difficult to resume meaningful dialogue.”
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
South Korea Imposes Its Own Sanctions Against the DPRK for the First Time in 5 Years: 15 Individuals and 16 Organizations Added to the Blacklist
On October 14, the South Korean government announced that it would expand its sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to include an additional fifteen DPRK citizens and sixteen organizations. This is the first time in five years that the South Korean government enforced its own sanctions against North Korea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Financial Services Commission distributed a press release this day and announced, “The government strongly condemns North Korea for simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons against us and conducting a series of missile provocations at an unprecedented frequency recently.”
The Police Acknowledge Lee Jun-seok’s Sexual Allegation: A Blow to Lee’s Political Career
The police had been investigating the sexual bribery allegation against Lee Jun-seok (pictured), former leader of the People Power Party, and on October 13, they transferred the “false accusation” case to the Prosecution Service. In other words, the police concluded that there was some truth to the sexual bribery allegation. However, they did not include the charge of an attempt to destroy evidence through a third party when sending Lee’s case to the prosecutors. Lee Jun-seok announced, “I deny all charges against me.”
Kim Moon-soo, “Moon Jae-in Is a Follower of Kim Il-sung’s Philosophy. He Will Be Judged by History”
On October 13, Kim Moon-soo, chairman of the Economic, Social & Labor Council said, “(Former) President Moon Jae-in will probably be judged by history.” Kim was forced to leave after calling the former president “clearly a follower of Kim Il-sung’s philosophy” in the parliamentary inspection by the Environment and Labor Committee at the National Assembly on Wednesday, and he insisted on his view to this day. Kim mentioned the fact that former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye were imprisoned and said, “Former President Moon is bound to receive a much stronger sentence.”
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
Kakao Not Fully Recovered from Fire, Police Investigation Underway
The tech giant Kakao Corporation has yet to fully restore all its services, two days after a fire at a data center caused massive malfunctions and paralyzed the nation heavily dependent on those services. According to the company, the primary functions of its mobile messaging service, Kakao Talk, were restored about 10 hours after the incident, which occurred on Saturday at the Seongnam data center in Pangyo, where the firm's servers are located. However, some important messaging app services reportedly remained dormant till late Sunday, preventing users from accessing them.
Kishida Makes Another Controversial Ritual Offering to Yasukuni Shrine
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine. Kyodo News said on Monday that Kishida sent the “Masakaki” offering under his title as the prime minister earlier in the day, to mark the beginning of the shrine’s autumn festival. It is the third time that Kishida has made an offering to Yasukuni since he took office last year, following last October and April. The shrine, which honors Japan's war dead and includes 14 Class-A war criminals, is considered a symbol of Japan's military aggression and visits by state leaders are often protested by neighboring South Korea and China.
Finance Minister: Gov't to Reduce 1 Tln Won in Operating Costs of Public Agencies by Next Year
Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said that the government will reduce more than one trillion won in operating costs of public organizations by next year. The minister unveiled the plan to reporters in Washington D.C. on Friday. Choo is visiting the United States to attend the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bankers and the meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee. Earlier, the government received reform plans from 350 public organizations in five sectors, including organization, personnel, budget, assets and welfare.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Kakao on track to fully restore services after fire
Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea's dominant messaging app KakaoTalk, has restored 40 percent of its data center's servers, an executive said Sunday, as it is working to fully repair its services disrupted by a fire. The tech giant has restored 12,000 servers out of 32,000 at its data center in the SK C&C building located in Pangyo, just south of Seoul, said Yang Hyun-seo, Kakao's vice president handling the company's relationship with the government. "It is hard to tell exactly how long it will take before KakaoTalk and other services can be fully restored," she said at the site, citing a massive server loss.
Police launch investigation into death of worker at bread making factory
Police on Sunday launched an investigation to determine how a worker got caught in a mixing machine and died at a bread making factory in Pyeongtaek. The 23-year-old employee of the factory affiliated with food and beverage giant SPC Group died Saturday after getting caught in the mixer, according to police in Pyeongtaek, 65 kilometers south of Seoul. The worker was using the mixer to make sauces for sandwiches at the time of the accident, but the machine was about 1 meter tall and not deep enough for her whole body to fall in, they said.
Yoon's office on 24-hour standby against possible N.K. nuclear test
The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol has been on 24-hour standby as North Korea has been expected to conduct its seventh nuclear test at any time, officials said Sunday. North Korea's recent series of missile launches and other provocations are believed to be part of the regime's preparations for a seventh nuclear test, according to the officials. "As North Korea's provocations have become more frequent, we're putting all of our effort into maintaining a readiness posture with a sense of alertness," one senior presidential official told reporters. "It's a 24-hour readiness regime."
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Xi says China, N. Korea should further cooperate amid complex security dynamics
Chinese leader Xi Jinping underscored the significance of enhancing bilateral strategic communication and cooperation between China and North Korea in light of complex international and regional security dynamics in his recent letter to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, North Korean state media reported Sunday. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, featured Xi’s letter to Kim and the Party Central Committee's congratulatory letter to China on the front page on the opening day of the weeklong, twice-in-a-decade congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
Yoon's office on 24-hour standby against possible NK nuclear test
The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol has been on 24-hour standby as North Korea has been expected to conduct its seventh nuclear test at any time, officials said Sunday. North Korea's recent series of missile launches and other provocations are believed to be part of the regime's preparations for a seventh nuclear test, according to the officials. "As North Korea's provocations have become more frequent, we're putting all of our effort into maintaining a readiness posture with a sense of alertness," one senior presidential official told reporters. "It's a 24-hour readiness regime."
SPC Group’s Paris Baguette debuts in London
South Korean food conglomerate SPC Group said Sunday that it has opened its first Paris Baguette store in the UK, with an aim to run 20 bakery cafe franchises there by 2025 to expand the brand's presence in Europe. The UK is SPC’s ninth overseas market and the second European country it has entered. “The UK is an important market for us to expand business in Europe and launch more franchises there, ultimately making it one of four pillars for our brand growth globally after the US, China and Singapore,” said SPC Group CEO Hur Jin-soo.
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Moon partly responsible for Korea's failure to keep UN Human Rights Council seat: expert
Ruling party lawmakers have blamed the previous Moon Jae-in administration for South Korea's recent failure to keep its seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, accusing it of shutting its eyes to North Korea's gross and obvious violations of human rights while seeking to improve inter-Korean relations throughout his five-year term. Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, said he believes they were right to point out that Moon is not free of responsibility for the seat loss. Though he is not the sole reason, the international human rights expert believes his failures to do "even the minimum" on the rights of ordinary North Koreans by U.N. standards affected members' voting decisions.
Retired KEC officials draw criticism for hefty dividends
Retired officials of Korea Expressway Corp. (KEC) received more than 4.8 billion won ($3.3 million) in dividends from expressway rest stop operators over the past five years, according to a ruling party lawmaker, Sunday, fueling criticism that the land ministry-supervised state-run organization prioritized employees' gains at the expense of taxpayers. This scandal follows the sudden resignation of KEC CEO Kim Jin-sook late last month, brought on by intensifying scrutiny due to discord with the land ministry over lowering food prices at rest stops.
Samsung Electronics hosts Tech Forum 2022 in Silicon Valley
Samsung Electronics successfully held the Tech Forum 2022 in California's Silicon Valley, Oct. 13 (local time), discussing future innovative technologies of the IT industry with experts and executives in the field, according to the company, Sunday. The forum was held at Samsung Research America, located in Mountain View, California, after previous sessions in San Francisco and Boston last month. Some 100 people attended the event, including leading U.S. developers, designers and Samsung Electronics executives. A large number of executives and research executives from Samsung Electronics, including Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee and MX (Mobile eXperience) Business Unit President Roh Tae-moon, took part in the event to inform the attendees about the company's vision and businesses.
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.com, bfp@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