The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Your Excellency:

Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

Korea Post Media

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Special Notice (Good News) for Expatriates:

Excellency, do you have any resident of your esteemed country in Korea wishing to be heard by the Korean public and the international community?

The Korea Post is ready to help them HEARD with all its five media outlets:

Real time-updated Korean Internet news http://www.koreapost.co.kr/

Real time-updated English Internet news http://www.koreapost.com/

20-page Korean-language newspaper http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php

English E-daily http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5821

English monthly magazine The Korea Post http://www.koreapost.com/cover/coverList.html

Please encourage them to write to The Korea Post media to the attention of the Editor at

edt@koreapost.com or pub@koreapost.com.

For details, please call Ms. Kim Jung-mi at 010-3388-1682 or 010-5201-1740 (Publisher-editor).

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For the Excellencies and Madams who might have been on leave, and have not received the invitation to the Lotte World Tower rour, There are only TEN DAYs left to the Tour on Fri. 19 Jan.

Please scroll down to the bottom for Inviation.

Scary? Yes, right down below your feet sprawls the downtown Seoul as you stand on the Observation Room on the 123rd floor of the Lotte Tower.

(For reservation of seat, please call 010-3388-1682 (Korean) or 010-5201-1740 (English, Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post meda)

For details of invitation, please scroll down to the bottom of this Headlines.

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Round-up of important news stories from major Korean dailies today:

The Korea Post media (www.koreapost.com) in English, (www.koreapost.co.kr) in Korean.

Two Koreas set to hold high-level talks on Winter Olympics, ties

South and North Korea are set to hold their first formal talks in more than two years Tuesday to discuss the North's potential participation in next month's Winter Olympics and ways to improve their long-stalled ties.

Pence credits Trump with enabling inter-Korean talks

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence credited President Donald Trump Monday with enabling rare high-level talks between South and North Korea this week, backing Trump's own argument.

Fintech products show biggest growth in mobile app market in 2017

Applications for mobile payments and money transfers marked the biggest growth in the smartphone app market last year, data provided by Nielsen Korea showed Tuesday. Five of the top 10 apps from January to November last year were those referred to as fintech, short for financial technology, apps.

Samsung Electronics expects Q4 operating profit to jump 63.8 pct

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday its fourth-quarter operating profit is expected to jump 63.8 percent on-year and is poised to set another record, apparently pushed up by the global boom in the chip industry.

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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

Unification Minister: Dialogue with N. Korea to Make Olympics Peace Festival

South Korea's chief delegate for inter-Korean talks says that the delegation will calmly engage in dialogue with North Korea to make the PyeongChang Winter Olympics a peace festival. Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon made the remark on Tuesday morning to reporters before departing for the the Peace House in Panmunjeom on the South Korean side of the border.

IOC Extends N. Korea's Winter Olympics Deadline

The International Olympic Committee(IOC) has announced that it extended the deadline for the registration of North Korean athletes for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. An IOC spokesman said in a statement on Monday that the committee’s mission is always to ensure the participation of all qualified athletes, beyond all political tensions and divisions.

Pope Francis Urges Support for Inter-Korean Talks

Pope Francis has expressed support for inter-Korean talks set for Tuesday, stressing that the dialogue is very important for peace in the region and the world. During his annual speech to diplomats in Vatican City on Monday, the pope urged nations around the world to support talks between North and South Korea.

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

Google under fire for referring to wartime sex slave as 'prostitute'

U.S. tech giant Google Inc. came under fire Monday for describing a victim of Japan's sexual slavery during World War II as a "prostitute" in its Korean-based search engine, which the firm claims was caused by an "error" in its algorithm.

50,000 won bills account for 80 pct of value of all banknotes in circulation

Of all banknotes in circulation in South Korea last year, 50,000 won (US$46.70) bills accounted for just over 80 percent of the total value, as demand for the largest-denominated note jumped, according to the central bank Tuesday.

Hyundai unveils hydrogen-powered NEXO at CES 2018

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's leading carmaker, on Tuesday unveiled its next-generation fuel cell electric vehicle "NEXO" at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Hyundai Motor introduced the NEXO packed with a more comprehensive range of new driver assistance technologies in its latest effort to compete against fuel cell rivals such as Toyota Motor Corp.'s Mirai and Honda Motor Co.'s Clarity Fuel Cell, the company said in a statement.

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

Intel’s flaws expose first cloud-based PyeongChang Olympics to hacking threats: expert

The latest revelation by Google’s security team Project Zero about flaws in Intel’s central processor units exposes the upcoming PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games to new hacking threats, according to a South Korean expert on Monday.

Pyongyang’s participation in PyeongChang can be Trojan Horse’

“There is a higher chance that Kim’s message is merely a rhetorical flourish -- a thoroughly calculated peace offensive -- designed to wiggle out of the sanctions and drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington.”

Koreas set for first official talks in two years

A high-level South Korean delegation left Tuesday for rare talks with North Korea after months of tensions over the North's nuclear weapons programme, with Seoul's chief delegate vowing to work towards improving long-strained ties.

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

Man in jewelry theft for his unborn child surenders

A suspect in a jewelry heist surrendered himself to police a month after the incident. The man, identified by his surname Choi, said that he stole the jewelry to provide support for his unborn child.

South Korea to ban English class at daycare centers

The Ministry of Education (MOE) plans to ban English classes at daycare centers and kindergartens, following its recent controversial decision to scrap afterschool English classes at elementary schools.

Tens of thousands of English teachers to lose jobs

Tens of thousands of English teachers across the country are in danger of losing their jobs as the government is set to ban English education for children from preschool to second grade. About 7,000 afterschool English teachers at elementary schools will lose their jobs in March when the new policy comes into force for first and second graders.

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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

Court Asked to Freeze Park's Assets

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office has asked a court to freeze the assets of ex-President Park Geun-hye, who has been newly charged with taking W3.65 billion in bribes from the National Intelligence Service, a spokesman said Monday (US$1=W1,069).

More Salaried Workers Earn Fat Extra Incomes

The number of salaried workers who earn massive outside income is rising. According to the National Health Insurance Service on Sunday, 45,961 people paid extra health insurance fees because they earned over W72 million last year from sources other than their salary (US$1=W1,064).

Japanese Boys Want to Be Scientists, Korean Boys Athletes

Boys in Korean elementary schools want to be sports stars but in Japan they want to be scientists. And while teacher is the most popular future job for little girls in Korea, their Japanese counterparts want to run restaurants.

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

Delegations announced for inter-Korean talks

South Korean Minister of Unification Cho Myoung-gyon will be sitting down with North Korea Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (CPRF) chairman Ri Son-kwon for the first inter-Korean talks under the Moon Jae-in administration on Jan. 9. North Korea announced a list of the five members of its delegation, including Ri.

Vice-level ministers to be included at inter-Korean dialogue

On Jan. 7, North Korea notified the South of the final list of negotiators who will attend the high-level inter-Korean talks, bringing to an end the selection of negotiators for the talks. The heads of the two teams of negotiators came as no surprise.

Trump expresses full support for inter-Korean talks

US President Donald Trump has expressed his full support and expectations for high-level inter-Korean talks, even holding open the possibility of personally engaging in dialogue with North Korea.

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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)

Top Emirati arrives as UAE saga intensifies

An influential adviser to the royal family of the United Arab Emirates visited Korea on Monday amid continued speculation about the presidential chief of staff’s abrupt visit to the Middle Eastern country last month.

Seoul could halt sanctions to let North join Games

South Korea is considering a temporary suspension of its unilateral sanctions against North Korea during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics after local authorities unearthed a web of restrictions that would prevent a North Korean team from participating in the Games.

FTC permits suppliers to renegotiate contracts

Suppliers will be able to charge retailers more for their products later this year as the Fair Trade Commission plans regulations to spread the burden of the minimum wage hike. The FTC on Monday said it is working on reforming five retail-related regulations in hopes they will ease the burden imposed on suppliers due to the minimum wage hike.

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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)

Inter-Korean Talks] Positive Responses from the U.S. and China, "South Korea's Role Is to Provide the Forum and Persuade Neighboring Countries"

As inter-Korean relations quickly shift toward change with North Korea expressing its desire to take part in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in its New Year's address and the two Koreas agreeing to hold high-level government talks, related countries such as the United States and China are showing great interest and expressing their support for the latest development. Perhaps, improved inter-Korean relations may trigger change in the political situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Ratification of ILO Core Conventions: Let's First Change the Illegal Status of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union

The government decided to share our decision to ratify four key conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). On January 7, the Ministry of Justice announced that the government would review and accept the recommendation by the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in the draft report of the third UPR working group to ratify conventions 87 and 98 on the freedom of assembly, the right of organization and the right of collective bargaining and conventions 29 and 105 on the abolition of forced labor.

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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)

Regulator threatens to close virtual bank accounts used for illegal activity

South Korea's top financial regulator threatened to close virtual accounts provided by key banks to cryptocurrency exchanges if they are found to have violated rules related to money laundering.

Prosecutors seek court order to freeze ex-president's assets for confiscation

Prosecutors filed for a court order Monday to freeze assets held by jailed former president Park Geun-hye for confiscation if she is convicted of taking state money from South Korea's main spy agency for personal use.

Regulator threatens to close virtual bank accounts used for illegal activity

South Korea's top financial regulator threatened to close virtual accounts provided by key banks to cryptocurrency exchanges if they are found to have violated rules related to money laundering.

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

Samsung Elec preliminary Q4 OP new high of $14bn, ’17 OP $50bn

Samsung Electronics refreshed record performance in the final quarter ended in December, delivering an operating profit of 15.1 trillion won ($14.1 billion) on sales of 66 trillion won as digitalization and automation continued to fuel mainstay chip demand, its preliminary earnings showed.

LG Chem to supply battery packs for Jaguar’s first EV

LG Chem Ltd., South Korea’s leading battery maker, will supply battery packs for Jaguar Land Rover’s first pure electric vehicle, a move that is expected to further bolster growth in LG Chem’s EV battery business this year.

P2P lending in Korea nearly quadruples, delinquency rate also soars

Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending has been growing exponentially in South Korea, raising that much possibility of bursting in the loans, data showed on Sunday. According to Korea P2P Finance Association, cumulative P2P lending of its 64 member companies amounted to 1.8 trillion won ($1.7 billion) as of the end of December in 2017, almost quadrupling from 468.2 billion won in the previous year.

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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.cnkf@people.cn

China Daily www.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

GwangmyeongDaily 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.comlithuania@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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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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TO ERR ON THE SAFER SIDE!

I trust that Your Excellency may be aware that we are ready to fully meet ALL the information dissemination-acquisition requirements of the Embassies—free of charge.

Please visit the following URLs and order us:

Real time-updated Korean Internet news http://www.koreapost.co.kr/

Real time-updated English Internet news http://www.koreapost.com/

20-page Korean-language newspaper http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php

English E-daily http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5504

English monthly magazine The Korea Post http://www.koreapost.com/cover/coverList.html

To satisfy your information dissemination-acquisition requirements, please drop a line at edt@koreapost.com, pub@koreapost.com or yeskoreapost@gmail.com

The publisher-chairman of The Korea Post media is serving the Diplomatic Community for more than 40 years, 32 years with The Korea Post and 10 years with The Korea Herald as the Cultural Editor who covered the Diplomatic Community.

For quick response, call Chairman Lee directly at 010-5201-1740 or reporters at 010-3388-1682 or 010-7584-5873.

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Hat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France

Time is running out, and there are only 10 days left to the Lotte Tower tour.

Has Your Excellency made reservation yet—for the Ambassador Tour of the Lotte World Tower on Friday 19, January 2018?

As we have already informed the Excellencies, the Host (President and Mrs. Dongki Park of the Lotte World Tower Company) has included in the list of ‘What to See’ that day the treasured Hat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France (1808-1873).

Lotte World recently won a bidding for it for nearly 2.6 billion Won, and puts it on display for the Ambassadors

To see on Friday 19 January 2018!

President and Mrs. Dongki Park of the Lotte World Tower Company cordially invite Your Excellency and Madam, together with other Ambassadadors and Madams, to a Special VVIP Tour of the famed Lotte World Tower on the morning of Friday 19 January 2018.

The exhibits on that day include the Hat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5725

The Tour is orgaized by The Korea Post media at invitation of President and Mrs. Dongki Park of the Lotte World Tower Company.

The tour schedule is as follows:

09:30 hours Friday 19 January 2018: Meet at the Cartier of the Avenuel Hall on the 1st Floor of the Lotte World Jamsil builing. (Cars may be parked at the Parking Lot of the Lotte World Tower Building.)

09:40-10:10 hours: Vivit the Public Information Center, view video presentations.

10:20-11:00 hours: Tour the Lotte World Tower Observation hall.

11:00-12:00 hours: Vivist the 123 Lounge and attend a snack-beverage meeting hosted by President Park and the other leaders of the Lotte World Tower.

12:00 hours: Leave the Lotte World Tower.

Note: The Visitor's Car may be parked at the Parking Lot of the Lotte World.

To make reservation, please call Ms. Kim Jung-mi at 010-3388-1682 or Ms. Shin Eugene at 010-6589-4378.

Very Resepctfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

The Korea Post media

Scary? Yes, right down below your feet sprawl the downtown Seoul as you stand on the

Observation Tower on the 123rd floor of the Lotte Tower.

Picturesque garden and surrounding areas of the Lotte Tower Building.

저작권자 © The Korea Post 무단전재 및 재배포 금지