Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
2022 Itaewon Global Village Festival in Seoul draws attention from Koreans, expats
There are many festivals in Korea and among them one of the most unique ones may be the ‘2022 Itaewon Global Village Festival’ where people from all over the world come together. This year, residents from a total of 31 different countries of the world are known to have diparticipated-adding addition charm to the name of Itaewon as “A Global Village in Korea.” This year, the Festival began with performance by a Taekwondo demonstration team on the main stage on October 15. It can be enjoyed only at the Itaewon Global Village Festival, which is a traditional cultural performance national competition with Embassies of 14 countries.
“Nepal is interested in further promoting relations, cooperation, friendship in religious, many other fields”
Newly accredited Ambassador Madam Jyoti Pyakuryal (Bhandari) said that she was very much interested in the promotion of relations, friendship and cooperation between her country of Nepal and Korea. At a meeting with Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik and his editorial team at the Embassy on Oct. 14, 2022, she said that cooperation in the religious area was also very important. Publisher-Chairman Lee met with Ambassador Pyakuryal and Charge d’Affaires Ram Singh Thapa together with Chief Abbot Hyangdeok of the Cheonman-sa Buddhist Temple in Ulsan who was visiting Nepal and India for meeting with the Buddhist leaders in the two countries.
Chinese foreign trade companies gain confidence in Q3
China's policy packages aiming at stabilizing economy and foreign trade took effect in the third quarter, as showed in a recent report by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). The problems of freight rates, energy, capital and exchange rates, which were reported by enterprises in the first half of this year, were significantly alleviated in the third quarter, the report said. On the whole, the confidence and expectations of Chinese foreign trade enterprises have increased significantly, and they continue to show relatively strong resilience, said Sun Xiao, spokesperson of CCPIT and secretary-general of the China Chamber of International Commerce.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Qatar Beats out Korea, Indonesia in Bid to Host Next Year's Asian Cup
Korea's bid to host the upcoming Asian Cup has fallen through. The Asian Football Confederation said on Monday that Qatar will host the quadrennial event next year. It marks the third time for the Middle Eastern country to host the event after doing so in 1988 and 2011. The FIFA World Cup, which is just a month away, will also be held in Qatar. Korea and Indonesia were the two other countries to vie for the Asian Cup after China withdrew from hosting the tournament in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
Yoon to Finish Moving to New Residence This Month
President Yoon Suk-yeol has started packing and moving into the new official residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, according to a presidential official on Monday. Renovation of the new residence was finished in mid-July, but security facilities took longer, delaying the move. "His personal belongings from his private home in Seocho-dong are being taken to the new residence," the official said. "Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee will move in by the end of this month."
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 )
Some Kakao servers still offline four days after Pangyo fire
Most Kakao services have been restored and 70 percent of the company's servers at the site where a fire broke out on Saturday are now working. The company remains mum on its backup infrastructure and whether it had a "hot site" in another location, the global standard in a disaster recovery. Kakao servers were knocked out as a result of a fire at an SK C&C data center in Pangyo, Gyeonggi, that started Saturday afternoon. The company's messenger services and services offered by related companies were unavailable, degraded or intermittent as backup systems proved slow and ineffective.
Korea-U.S. air drill to involve 240 aircraft
South Korea and the United States will conduct a large-scale combined air exercise involving 240 aircraft, including their F-35A and F-35B stealth jets. According to Seoul’s defense ministry Tuesday, the joint exercise will take place in South Korean airspace from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. One hundred U.S. aircraft, which will include F-35B stealth fighters and F-16 fighters, are expected to join 140 South Korean Air Force jets including F-35A, F-15K and KF-16 fighters. The exercise will be joined for the first time by Australia, which will send a refueling tanker, which the Defense Ministry said was a sign of the three countries’ shared values and cooperation in regional defense.
Arrest warrants requested for bigwigs in 2020 murder at sea case
Prosecutors Tuesday requested arrest warrants for a former defense minister and former chief of the Korea Coast Guard for allegedly impeding an investigation into the murder of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korean soldiers in the Yellow Sea in 2020. Their application to detain former Defense Minister Suh Wook and former Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee came a day after the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) issued a report that concluded the Moon Jae-in administration tampered with evidence in the case, wrapping up a months-long probe into the Defense Ministry, National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Korea Coast Guard.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
U.S. Ambassador rebukes calls for tactical nuclear weapons
Philip S. Goldberg, the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, insisted on the importance of the need for removing nuclear weapons to alleviate the tension on the Korean Peninsula rather than focusing on the redeployment of nuclear weapons, whether it be strategic or not, either of which will exacerbate the threats. Asked about his opinion on the redeployment of the U.S.’ tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula at the forum held by the Kwanhun Club, Mr. Goldberg answered as the above, citing the latest remark of President Yoon Suk-yeol on the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, thereby strictly renouncing the argument for the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons or nuclear sharing and reiterating the principle of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Core technologies for selected industries expanded to 150
The number of core strategic strategies managed and nurtured by the government to boost the competitiveness of the materials, parts, and equipment industries is expanding from 100 to 150. Low-level technologies with a high dependency on a limited number of exporters and a massive impact on local industries – such as urea – will be managed under a category of “items for supply chain stabilization.” Such a policy direction was agreed upon on Tuesday in a committee for boosting the competitiveness of materials, parts, and equipment industries at Government Complex Seoul, marking the first occasion since the inauguration of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
'Prospects for very challenging situations for Taiwan,' says Blinken
“At the heart of that was a commitment to resolve these differences peacefully, and if that’s changing, then that does offer, unfortunately, prospects for very challenging situations going forward," said U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (photo) on Monday (local time). The remarks reflect the U.S. government’s commitment to defend Taiwan as Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted intentions for unification with Taiwan at the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party on Sunday.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Korean version of Ending Platform Monopolies Act likely take form after Kakao meltdown
South Korean version of “Ending Platform Monopolies Act” may take form upon confirming the risk of monopolistic platforms after the society was cut off from the shutdown of Kakao, a platform most Koreans use including businesses and government for online communication.“National level actions in the system would be needed for the benefit of the people if infrastructure most people use is monopolized and can be distorted,” President Yoon Suk-yeol told reporters on his way to work on Monday.
Saudi crown prince not coming to South Korea this year
The highly anticipated visit to South Korea by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman won’t take place this year, disappointing the government and businesses who had hoped for bigger opportunities for Korea from crude supplies to procurements related to the ambitious smart and nuclear projects. The Saudi crown prince, the second to the king, has recently notified he would not make the visit to Seoul within the year to market the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.
DSME to go under Hanwha as planned as no bidder came forward to beat $1.4 bn offer
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) will go under Hanwha Group as planned as no other bidders have come forward to beat the stalking-horse bid to acquire the Korean shipbuilder at 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion). State lender Korea Development Bank (KDB) had kept the bid open until Monday after signing a memorandum of understanding with the seventh largest conglomerate with strength in defense and energy on Sept. 27 based on it offer to buy 104,438.643 new shares of DSME at 19,150 won a piece.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Korea torn over whether to grant asylum to Russians fleeing war draft
After Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a “partial mobilization” of the general populace on Sept. 21, a number of Russians have attempted to enter South Korea via its eastern coastline. The Korean government’s stance on this batch of refugees — who are reminiscent of the Yemeni refugees who entered the country four years ago, in 2018 — is quite different from that of civil society. According to material from the Korea Coast Guard that was given to the Hankyoreh on Monday by the office of An Ho-young, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party, six yachts from Russia carrying 27 Russians were discovered in South Korean waters between Oct. 1 and 10.
Britain’s Yoon Suk-yeol, Korea’s Liz Truss
“You’re not at your best, are you Prime Minister?” a reporter shouted out as Liz Truss rushed to wrap up a press conference just eight minutes after starting it. The question was lobbed at Truss during a press conference on Friday announcing the dismissal of Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng for causing havoc in the British financial market with an unfunded tax cut. Truss had just said, “I want to be honest — this is difficult but we will get through this storm.” In less than a month after taking office on Sept. 6, Truss has been displaying an ability to shoot herself and her party in the foot unprecedented in Western political history, bringing approval ratings for the ruling Conservative Party down to 19 percent.
Worker dies after being pulled into machinery during graveyard shift at SPC factory
A canned beverage and some colorful gummy candy sit in front of a portrait of a young woman. The snacks are the only objects that give off some color in the mortuary, which felt heavy and gray. The portrait shows K, 23, who died on the floor of a bread dough factory owned by SPC Group on Saturday. K’s boyfriend, B, 25, had placed the snacks before her picture.“These were her favorites,” B said. The funeral home the Hankyoreh visited on Monday morning was empty. Only a few people, including K's mother, close relatives, and boyfriend, were there.
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Park Hong-keun, “The Ruling Party Won’t Stop Their Reckless Comments, Because President Yoon Won’t Admit His Foul Language”
Park Hong-keun, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on October 18, “President Yoon Suk-yeol won’t admit it (to using foul language), so they (ruling party) won’t stop the parade of reckless comments.” In a meeting to discuss the Democratic Party’s strategy in the parliamentary inspections this day at the National Assembly, Park made the statement while criticizing the remark by Kim Moon-soo, chairman of the Economic, Social and Labor Council, who called former President Moon Jae-in “a supporter of Kim Il-sung’s philosophy,” and the comment by Chung Jin-suk, chairman of the People Power Party emergency committee, who said, “Japan never went to war against Joseon.”
President Yoon Speaks on the Controversy over Kakao’s Monopoly and Says, “The State Needs to Handle It”
President Yoon Suk-yeol spoke on the latest disruption of Kakao services and said, “We will revise necessary policies to prevent accidents and ensure immediate reporting and swift recovery.” On October 17, President Yoon met with the press on his way to work at the Office of the President in Yongsan and said, “This weekend, most of the people using Kakao probably had a tough time due to the service disruption caused by the suspended communication network. Although the network was operated by a private company, from the people’s perspective, it was practically a state-based communication network.”
Absolute Power Absolutely Falls” Lee Jae-myung Proposes a Consultative Body of the Government and the Ruling and Opposition Parties”
On October 17, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, urged the government to form “a consultative body with representatives of the government and the ruling and opposition parties to resolve issues concerning the people’s economic activities and support for strategic national projects.” Lee attended a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council at the National Assembly on Monday and made the proposal claiming, “We must not miss the golden opportunity to resolve economic issues concerning the people’s livelihood.”
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
JCS: N. Korea Fires 250 Artillery Shells into Inter-Korean Buffer Zone
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said that North Korea fired hundreds of artillery shells into the East and West Sea buffer zones on Tuesday night. The JCS said that North Korea fired some 100 artillery rounds from Jangsan Cape in Hwanghae Province into the Yellow Sea from around 10 p.m. Tuesday and another 150 rounds from Jangjon area in Gangwon Province into the East Sea from 11 p.m. The JCS said the artillery shells fell into the eastern and western buffer zones north of the Northern Limit Line, which were set under a 2018 inter-Korean agreement on reducing military tensions. No shells landed in South Korean waters.
US Hints at Opposition to Permanent Deployment of Strategic Assets in S. Korea
The U.S. Department of Defense has hinted at a negative stance on the permanent deployment of U.S. strategic assets in South Korea to counter North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile threats. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder issued the position during a press briefing on Tuesday when asked about the issue. Without giving a direct answer, the spokesperson said that the U.S. has more than 28-thousand U.S. forces already stationed on the peninsula, which is a signal of Washington's commitment to the defense relationship and security cooperation with the people of South Korea. He stressed that it is very long standing and will remain long standing.
S. Korea, Vietnam Agree to Upgrade Bilateral Ties to 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'
South Korea and Vietnam have agreed to elevate their relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" as they mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, in Hanoi on Tuesday to discuss ways to improve bilateral ties, the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other regional issues. The top diplomats agreed to elevate the two countries' relationship from the current "strategic partnership" to a "comprehensive strategic partnership."
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
N.K. says it fired artillery shots as 'warning' to S. Korea's military drills
North Korea's military said Wednesday it fired artillery shots overnight into maritime buffer zones near the inter-Korean border as a" warning" over South Korea's ongoing military drills. In a statement, a spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army (KPA) said the North's military fired "warning shots" in a "strong military countermeasure" against South Korea's military exercises. The spokesperson also called on the South to immediately stop "reckless and provocative" actions that have raised military tensions on the peninsula, according to the statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
S. Korea, Vietnam agree to elevate diplomatic relationship to 'comprehensive strategic partnership'
South Korea and Vietnam on Tuesday agreed to elevate their relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" as the two countries mark the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic ties this year. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin held talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, in Hanoi and agreed to elevate the two countries' relationship from their current strategic partnership, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Park was on a two-day trip to Hanoi at the invitation of Son. They agreed to make official the envisioned relationship upgrade on the occasion of a future bilateral summit.
Yoon gives credentials to ambassador to Britain, 3 other countries
President Yoon Suk-yeol gave credentials to new Ambassador to Britain Yoon Yeo-cheol and three others on Tuesday. The other three who received credentials were Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Yoo Jeh-seung, Ambassador to Malaysia Yeo Seung-bae and Ambassador to Switzerland Keum Chang-rok. Yoon, the new envoy to London, previously served as ambassador to Egypt, while Yoo is a Korea Military Academy graduate with years of service in the Army and the defense ministry.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
S. Korea, US to revive large-scale aerial drills as tensions grow
South Korea and the United States will publicly stage large-scale aerial drills, involving their F-35 stealth fighters, to enhance combat readiness and train for wartime contingencies amid mounting threats from North Korea. Unlike previous years when the allies sought to keep a low profile, the publicized air combat exercise would be an apparent warning message to North Korea. The South Korean and US air forces are set to conduct their combat readiness training exercise from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 in the South Korean airspace, the South Korean military confirmed on Tuesday.
Talk of tactical nuke redeployment 'irresponsible': US ambassador
US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg said Tuesday all talk related to tactical weapons is "irresponsible" and "dangerous," as the idea of redeploying tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea resurfaces following a string of provocations from North Korea. Speaking at a forum organized by a journalist group to mark his 100th day in office, Goldberg also said the US' extended deterrence, which includes the country's nuclear capabilities, is the measure to handle North Korea's increasing provocations.
South Korean lawyers voice solidarity with women in Iran
Human rights lawyers gathered outside the Iranian embassy in Seoul on Tuesday in a show of support for women in Iran.“We stand with the women of Iran who are courageously fighting against appalling repression, and urge the Iranian government to stop the violent crackdown of protesters and respect the freedom of women and girls,” the lawyers said in a joint statement.“Today we join people around the world who have taken to the streets to support the women in Iran, who are risking death as they resist the regime.”
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
US ambassador opposes redeploying tactical nukes in South Korea
U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg rejected calls to redeploy U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula to counter North Korea's growing nuclear menace, stressing that no one should doubt the U.S.' commitment to protect its allies, including South Korea, from nuclear threats. "I also believe we should be focused on not increasing the threat from nuclear weapons _ whether they are tactical or otherwise _ but address the need to rid the world of these weapons," Goldberg said during a forum held by Kwanhun Club, an organization of South Korean journalists.
KOFICE seeks to make hallyu sustainable via cultural exchange, CSR
Hardly anyone doubts that the K-pop and K-drama industries are enjoying their heyday at the moment, with boy band BTS earning nominations at the prestigious Grammy Awards and Lee Jung-jae ― the lead actor of Netflix's 2021 dystopian series "Squid Game" ― becoming the first Korean to win an Emmy. Their feats are meaningful themselves, but Jung Kil-hwa, the president of the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), believes they have a positive spillover effect on Korea's lesser-known cultural assets such as food and beauty, too.
Labor minister lukewarm on US firms' requests to ease industrial accident law
U.S. businesspeople in Korea received a lukewarm answer from the labor minister of the business-friendly Yoon Suk-yeol administration, in response to their requests to ease the Serious Accidents Punishment Act (SAPA), which can send a company's CEO to jail if a fatal industrial accident occurs at the company's workplace. During Tuesday's luncheon meeting between Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung-sik and members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), the minister emphasized that it is too early to talk about revising the law, which took effect just nine months ago.
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