Thursday, February 16, 2023


Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today

 

The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )

KIND, a reliable partner for global public-private partnership business
“KIND (Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation) will actively respond to the government's strategy to revitalize overseas construction orders by establishing and operating T/F supporting post-Ukraine recovery projects, T/F supporting entry into Neom City, Saudi Arabia, and T/F supporting new growth industries,” said CEO Lee Kang-hoon of KIND. In an exclusive interview with The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language news publications since 1985, CEO Lee said, “We will also hold the 5th anniversary event in June to promote the institution to the public and major stakeholders, while sharing the management direction of the institution to promote overseas construction projects,” he said.


Uzbek chefs in the Turkish city of Gaziantep cook pilaf and other hot national dishes
A group of Uzbek chefs who arrived the day before from Uzbekistan in one of the regions of Türkiye most affected by the natural disaster - the city of Gaziantep, began their duties. The best chefs from Uzbekistan, led by a well-known pilaf master Bakhriddin Chustiy, voluntarily arrived in Türkiye to help the fraternal people in difficult times. Recognized masters of their craft work around the clock to help the fraternal people in difficult times. Every day they cook the well-known Uzbek pilaf and other national dishes in at least 6 large cauldrons and distribute it to people.

Korea and Turkey are ‘blood-forged allies’ of the Korean War
On Feb. 10, 2023, Korean Cartoon illustrator Myung Min-ho presented two pictures. One showing Turkish soldier caring for a Korean War orphan and other with Korean earthquake worker comforting a Turkish child. The Turkish soldier in the painting is stroking the child's head kneading down in a war-torn place. He also has a drink in his other hand. Similarly, South Korea's emergency rescue worker is kneeling at a site in Turkey collapsed by the earthquake and giving drinks to the child.

 

 

 


Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Koreans Spend Too Much on Mobile Phone Bills
The average phone bill shouldered by each household in the third quarter of last year rose 2.8 percent on-year to W131,000 a month, according to Statistics Korea (US$1=W1,282). That includes mobile phone, landline and internet bills, but the amount is even higher if Netflix and other streaming subscriptions services are added. A closer look at the bills of a family shows that the 49-year-old breadwinner spent W70,000 a month, his wife W61,000, his daughter W23,000 and son W19,900. The home internet connection fee including TV and other services costs W13,500, bringing the total to W226,220 a month.

 

Koreans Donate More Than W10 Billion for Earthquake Victims
Koreans have donated over W10 billion online for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria in less than a week since the campaign began (US$1=W1,277). Naver's online donation platform Happybean had raised W6.9 billion from 330,000 users as of 3 p.m. Monday. Separately, Naver will deliver US$1 million to the Korean Red Cross and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for the restoration of earthquake-hit areas. Kakao has also raised about W4 billion from some 1.11 million users in cooperation with the Korean Committee for UNICEF and the Community Chest of Korea. Kakao founder Kim Beom-su is donating W1 billion worth of stocks to the Community Chest of Korea.


N.Korea Parades New Intercontinental Missiles
North Korea showed off its new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles during a nighttime parade marking the 75th anniversary of the army on Wednesday. What was billed as a "tactical nuclear operation unit" also took part in the parade, where the regime showed off KN-24 missiles and 600 mm super-large multiple rocket launchers, as well as the North Korean version of the Iskander missile that can be tipped with tactical nuclear warheads. Footage shows at least 11 Hwasong-17 ICBMs compared to last year's four. The new ICBMs are believed to be solid-fuel missiles that take less time to prepare for a launch than liquid-fuel ones and are therefore better suited for surprise attacks.

 

 

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

CATL's Ford deal throws Korean battery makers for a loop
Korean battery makers have been caught flatfooted as the largest in the business signed a deal with Ford, allowing indirect access to the U.S. market through technology licensing.  Ford announced Tuesday that it will build a $3.5 billion EV battery plant in Michigan using lithium-iron-phosphate, or LFP, battery technology and technical expertise from Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), the Chinese company that has the largest share in the market. 

 

Korea to send fresh relief team, more supplies to Turkey
The Korean government decided Wednesday to dispatch a fresh team of 21 relief personnel, mainly medical workers, to Turkey on a military aircraft Thursday following the devastating earthquake last week. They will also deliver 55 tons of relief supplies, including tents, blankets and medicine, worth around 1 billion won ($778,000). The squad will replace the first round of 118 personnel of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT), who will wrap up their weeklong search and rescue operations in the country Saturday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Travelers pay cancellation fees for nixing visits to Turkey
Travelers who canceled planned trips to Turkey in the wake of the Feb. 6 earthquake are facing a dilemma: go on their trips despite the disaster or pay exorbitant cancellation fees. Kim Min-ju, a 31-year-old office worker who planned to go on a package tour on Feb. 19, had to cancel the trip after hearing about the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. Kim contacted the travel agency to make the cancelation but was told she would receive only a partial refund due to cancelation fees.


 

 

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

China to resume issuance of short-term visas for S. Koreans
China has decided to lift the restriction on short-term visa issuance for South Koreans starting Saturday. It was a response to the South Korean government resuming the issuance of short-term visas for Chinese, which was suspended to prevent the re-spreading of COVID-19 infections. The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in South Korea posted on its WeChat account on Wednesday that the embassy and the Chinese consulate general decided to resume short-term visa issuance for South Koreans starting Saturday.


Insomnia treatment APP to be permitted as therapeutic device
The government has approved using a smartphone application (app) that treats insomnia. This app is one of the digital therapeutic devices, software forms of medical devices that treat diseases or disorders. This is the first time a digital treatment device has been clinically verified and approved in Korea. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that it has approved the use of ‘Somzz,' a cognitive treatment software for insomnia developed by Aimmed, a Korean company.

N. Korea reduces food rations to soldiers for first time since 2000
North Korea has reportedly reduced its daily food rations per soldier recently from the previous 620 grams to 580 grams. A South Korean high-ranking government official said in a phone interview with the Dong-A Ilbo on Tuesday that it is the first time since 2000 that North Korea lowered its food rationing to the military and that curtailing food rations even to its soldiers, which is the regime's priority group, suggests that the food shortage situation there may be even more severe than many expect. In some key cities, residents are reportedly pressured to donate so-called "patriotic rice" every two or three days for military provisions reserves.


 

 

 

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

Korea adds 411,000 jobs in January, growth slows for 8th month
South Korea added 411,000 jobs in January but the growth continued to slow for the eighth consecutive month due to the sluggish economy and population decline. According to data released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of employed people stood at 27.36 million in January, up 411,000 from the same month in the previous year. It marked the smallest increase in jobs since March 2021.

 

FSC to review measures to induce perfect competition in banking sector
South Korea’s financial regulator will review a measure to induce perfect competition in the consumer banking industry by breaking the current oligopoly led by the country’s five biggest commercial lenders. According to sources on Wednesday, Lee Bok-hyun, head of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSC), instructed executives to consider measures to change oligopoly system led by Woori Bank, Hana Bank, Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and NH Nonghyup Bank.


Samsung chief Jay Y. Lee unlikely to return as registered board member in March
Jay Y. Lee, executive chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., will not return as a registered board member next month as discussions will not take place in the shareholders meeting on March 15. Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday that three issues will be dealt with in the upcoming meeting - approving the financial statement, appointing Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee as an inside director, and approving the cap for director compensation.

 

 

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

Korea, Japan arranging meeting of foreign ministers in Munich
High-level contact between the South Korean and Japanese foreign ministries continues as the two countries seek to resolve the issue of compensating victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period. Following a meeting between their vice foreign ministers in Washington, D.C., their foreign ministers are expected to hold a meeting of their own in Munich.Foreign Minister Park Jin is planning to attend the Munich Security Conference this week [on Feb. 17-19]. If Japan’s foreign minister attends as well, we expect there would naturally be a meeting between the two officials,”

 

Prosecutors likely to request arrest warrant for Democratic Party leader Lee shortly
It appears increasingly likely that South Korean prosecutors investigating allegations of corruption in a development project in the Daejang neighborhood of Seongnam will soon ask the court for an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-myung, head of the main opposition Democratic Party. Given Lee’s attitude about giving testimony and the progress of the investigation, we don’t think there’s much point in further questioning. After reviewing the results of Lee’s second round of questioning over the next day or two, we’ll decide whether to ask for an arrest warrant and how to handle the investigation going forward,”

 

Furor over earthquake response adds to variables ahead of Turkish presidential election
Public opinion in Türkiye is swaying drastically after more than 30,000 people were killed in the worst earthquake in the country’s history. With the presidential election just around the corner in May, the mythicization of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as an “authoritative but capable leader” is losing its credibility. Turks that the Hankyoreh met in quake-hit southeastern areas of the country on Monday (local time) poured out bitter reproaches directed at Erdoğan’s inadequate response to the disaster.



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

Top Five Banks Enjoy a 1.4 Trillion Won “Bonus Party” While People Struggle to Pay Interest on Their Loans
The top five commercial banks handed out bonuses amounting to nearly 1.4 trillion won last year after profits jumped due to soaring interest rates. On February 13, President Yoon Suk-yeol criticized the banks for having a “money party” and politicians followed by pointing out the banks’ excessive bonuses. According to the information that Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Hwang Un-ha received from the Financial Supervisory Service on February 14, the top five commercial banks--KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, and NH Nonghyup--handed out bonuses amounting to 1.38 trillion won last year, up 35.6% from the previous year (1.19 trillion won).

 

People Appealing to Yoon’s Key Aides Are the Most Disgusting” Lee Jun-seok Aims at Kim Jung-jae, who Criticized Chun Ha-ram
On February 15, Lee Jun-seok, former leader of the People Power Party (PPP) attacked PPP lawmaker Kim Jung-jae, who criticized Chun Ha-ram, a candidate for PPP leader, and said, “The people who appeal to others are the most disgusting, because they have to keep appealing to them.” In an interview on CBS radio on Wednesday, Lee asked, “Have you ever seen Yoon’s key aides talk much?” and said that the people appealing to Yoon’s key aides have “begun to move.” Lee asked, “Have you ever heard lawmakers Chang Je-won or Yoon Han-hong speak?” and mentioned that lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong was recently quiet. He then said, “Kim Jung-jae has become loud, hasn’t he? He really has.”


Court, “Three of Kim Keon-hee’s Accounts Were Used in Second Market Manipulation Scheme”
On February 13, the court overseeing the market manipulation of Deutsch Motors concluded that a number of first lady Kim Keon-hee’s accounts, mentioned several times in the ruling, were “used to manipulate market prices.” The court acknowledged that Kim’s accounts were used during the so-called “second scheme,” for which the statute of limitations is still valid. Thus, the latest court decision supports voices calling for an investigation into the first lady’s involvement in the market manipulation.

 



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

S. Korea to Send Second Relief Team to Quake-stricken Türkiye
The South Korean government has decided to send a second disaster relief team to quake-stricken Türkiye on Thursday. The government made the decision on Wednesday in a related meeting presided by foreign minister Park Jin. The second team comprises 21 members, including ten medical workers, five officials from the Korea International Cooperation Agency and two foreign ministry officials. Last week, South Korea sent a 118-member disaster relief team, mostly search and rescue workers.


Biden Reportedly Planning to Host Yoon at State Dinner
U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to host President Yoon Suk Yeol at a state dinner at the White House this spring. Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday that preparations for the visit and state dinner are under way. The sources reportedly said that the visit is currently planned for late April, but the timing remains fluid. A high-ranking official in Seoul told reporters the previous day at the South Korean Embassy in Washington that close consultations are ongoing between the two nations on Yoon's visit to the U.S., adding that an announcement will be made as soon as the plan is fixed.

 

Foreign Minister Heads to Germany for Munich Security Conference
Foreign minister Park Jin departed for Germany on Thursday to attend the annual Munich Security Conference set to open on Friday. Park will attend the world’s largest annual conference on international security policy, which attracts the heads and high-ranking officials of major countries, that is scheduled for Friday to Sunday. The minister will introduce Seoul's Indo-Pacific strategy at the conference and hold bilateral talks with high-level officials of major countries on the sidelines of the event.

 


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

Yoon says will freeze public utility fees in first half of year
President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday the government plans to freeze railroad, postal and other public utility fees in the first half of the year to help ease people's economic burdens. Yoon announced the plan during an emergency economic and public livelihood meeting held amid a public outcry over soaring heating bills, high interest rates and rising inflation. Yoon also called on the communications and financial industries to take part in sharing the people's economic burden by actively taking steps to contain prices.


S. Korea to send medical team, more aid materials to Turkey: ministry.
South Korea said Wednesday it plans to send a new relief team, including 10 medical workers, to Turkey this week as well as 55 tons of aid materials. The decision to send the 21-member squad was made at an interagency meeting on ways to help the country struggling to deal with the aftermath of the devastating 7.8 magnitude quake, according to the foreign ministry. It is scheduled to depart for the city of Adana on Thursday night. Its members include those from the National Medical Center and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare.

 

China's defense chief sends congratulatory message to N. Korea over army anniversary
China's defense minister has sent a congratulatory message to his North Korean counterpart on the occasion of the North's 75th founding anniversary of its armed forces last week, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday. In the letter to North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam, China's defense chief Wei Fenghe pledged efforts to promote the ties of the two nations' armies and defend regional peace, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

 


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

Korea not safe from quakes anymore: experts
South Korea, located on the relatively stable Eurasian Plate, has generally been considered safe from earthquakes. But authorities and experts here are voicing concerns that it is not a safe zone anymore, citing the growing number of earthquakes detected in recent years, changes in geology making Korea more vulnerable to big quakes in nearby regions, and most importantly, inefficient regulations that could minimize the damage if a quake happens.

 

Yoon urges companies, cities to tame bills
President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that the government would freeze public utility fees controlled by the central government, including highway tolls, postal and railroad fees, in the first half of this year, while asking municipalities and private companies to join the efforts to contain steep increases in transportation and communications charges.

 

S. Korea shifts to rebuilding in Turkey
Helping rebuild Turkey following last week’s earthquakes that killed at least 35,000 people is the new priority for South Korea, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, moving away from the role of first responders to helping Ankara set “long-term recovery goals.” Seoul is to field a second rescue team Thursday night. It’s all about reconstruction now, rather than rescue,” a senior ministry official told reporters following a multiagency meeting chaired by Foreign Minister Park Jin. The official noted the second team replacing the current 118-member mission staying in Antakya

 

 

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

Biden plans to host Korean president for state dinner in April: Bloomberg
U.S. President Joe Biden is planning to host Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a White House state dinner this spring, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Preparations for the visit and state dinner were underway but the timing remained fluid, Bloomberg said, adding the current plan was for the visit to take place in late April.

 

Long road ahead before reaching consensus on forced labor issue
Despite the Korean government's efforts to resolve the issue of compensating Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor as soon as possible, it appears that discussions on the matter may last longer than expected, with the two countries still struggling to find a solution that meets the expectations of both sides. Seoul and Tokyo have held a series of talks on the forced labor issue and the latest meeting took place in the United States, Monday (local time) when First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong sat down with Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori.

 

Regulator seeks to break up oligopoly in banking industry
The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has begun to look into ways to induce further competition in the local banking industry, aiming to break up the current oligopolistic system dominated by five major commercial lenders ― Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup. The move follows President Yoon Suk Yeol's criticism earlier this week of local banks paying hefty bonuses to their employees as the public suffers from soaring loan interest rates. "We need to seriously examine various measures that promote further market competition in key banking businesses, including deposits and loans, so that financial consumers could use banking services at more efficient prices,"

 

 

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

 

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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

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