The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Tuesday, January 16, 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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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.
EU likely to remove S. Korea, 7 others from tax haven blacklist: report
The European Union is likely to remove South Korea and seven other jurisdictions from its blacklist of tax havens, Reuters reported Monday. The eight, including Panama, the United Arab Emirates and Barbados, were among 17 jurisdictions the EU blacklisted as tax havens in December, saying it was a move to deter worldwide tax avoidance.
President Moon to meet SME, venture firm leaders
President Moon Jae-in was set to meet a group of top executives and officials from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on Tuesday. The meeting will be held over dinner at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, involving around 30 business leaders, including the head of the Korea Federation of SMEs.
Starbucks Korea's operating profit tops 100 billion won in 2017
The annual operating profit of Starbucks Coffee Korea Co., the local unit of the U.S. giant, surpassed the 100 billion-won (US$94 million) mark for the first time last year, driven by solid demand from young consumers, industry sources said Tuesday.
N.K. to send 140-member art troupe to S. Korea during Winter Olympics
North Korea agreed Monday to send a 140-member art troupe including an orchestra to South Korea during next month's PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The North's Samjiyon band, consisting of an 80-member orchestra, singers and dancers, will hold concerts in Seoul and Gangneung, a sub-host city of the games, 240 kilometers east of Seoul, according to South Korea's unification ministry.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
N. Korea Requests Use of Land Route for its Art Troupe
North Korea has reportedly requested the use of a land route across the border at the truce village when its art troupe visits South Korea for the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
'Russia Ready to Support Direct Talks on N. Korea Crisis'
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Moscow is ready to support direct talks between the U.S. and North Korea. During the annual press conference on Monday, the minister suggested all the parties involved in the North Korean issue halt confrontational actions, mentioning a roadmap for settling the North Korean nuclear crisis already proposed by Russia and China.
Moon Meets Mongolian Prime Minister to Discuss Bilateral Ties
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has met with the visiting prime minister of Mongolia to discuss ways to improve bilateral ties. The presidential office said that Moon and Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh held talks on Monday afternoon to discuss regional security, bilateral economic cooperation and the state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival with record-setting popularity
The ongoing 2018 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival attracted a record number of visitors over the weekend, reconfirming its status as a global winter festival, the organizer said Monday.
S. Korea to draw up measures to clamp down on 'irrational' cryptocurrency investment
South Korea will come up with a set of measures to clamp down on the "irrational" investment craze for cryptocurrency here, the country's chief economic policymaker said Tuesday, with a potential shutdown of exchanges still on the table.
Statistics show growing number of long-term unemployed
Some 147,000 people have been jobless for six months or longer last year, the highest since recordkeeping began in 2000, latest figures from Statistics Korea showed Tuesday. Last year's number marks a 10.5-percent increase from 133,000 tallied in 2016. It accounts for 14.3 percent of the total number of jobless people, also the highest since 14.1 percent reached in 2000.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
140-member NK orchestra to perform in S. Korea
North Korea will send a 140-member orchestra to South Korea for the PyeongChang Olympics, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Monday. “North Korea will dispatch an art troupe formed of 140 members of the Samjiyon Orchestra,” said a joint press statement released by the ministry.
LG Electronics chief orders revision of ‘G7’ smartphone from scratch: source
Jo Seong-jin, vice chairman and CEO of LG Electronics, has ordered a revision of the company’s upcoming premium phone, temporarily called the “G7,” further delaying its launch to April.
Minor opposition leaders to release joint proposal on merger
The leaders of two minor opposition parties are preparing a joint proposal for a merger and are expected to make the announcement as early as this week, party officials said Monday. Chairmen Ahn Cheol-soo of the center-left People’s Party and Yoo Seong-min of the center-right Bareun Party are likely to release a statement containing the spirit underlying the founding of their new party and its identity, a lawmaker close to Ahn said.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
South Korea vows to regulate cryptocurrency market
The government reaffirmed Monday that it will decide whether to shut down cryptocurrency exchanges after consultations with related ministries and agencies. It warned that investors themselves will have to take full responsibility for losses from their investments in virtual coins.
Decision about 'English education ban' to be revealed Tuesday
The Ministry of Education is flip-flopping on its controversial policy to ban teaching English to preschoolers as parents strongly oppose the move. The ministry had initially announced a plan to stop teaching English at daycare centers and kindergartens.
Doubt grows over fine dust countermeasure
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has failed to draw what it intended to be overwhelming support for a measure exempting fares for those who use public transportation during commuting hours.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
2 Koreas to March Together at Winter Olympics
Athletes from the two Koreas could march together behind a unification flag at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics next month, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-whan said Monday.
N.Korea Demands Return of Defectors
North Korean officials in recent cross-border talks demanded the return of a group of women who defected from a restaurant in China in 2016.
Seoul is legally bound to refuse but seemed acutely embarrassed by the demand.
Imports of U.S. Beef Hit All-Time High
Imports of U.S. beef surpassed $1 billion last year, the Korea Customs Service said on Sunday. According to customs data, imports of U.S. beef from January to November in 2017 hit a record $1.09 billion.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
North Korean women’s hockey players may train with South Korean counterparts
After North and South Korea agreed during high-level talks at Panmunjeom on Jan. 9 to field a unified women’s hockey team at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Hankyoreh reporters have learned that the two sides are working on a plan for 15 or 16 North Korean female hockey players to visit South Korea before the rest of North Korea’s athletes to train with their South Korean counterparts.
Arrest warrants issued for former Blue House officials in bribery case
Prosecutors requested arrest warrants on Jan. 14 for Kim Baek-joon and Kim Jin-mo in connection with their investigation into illicit National Intelligence Service (NIS) payments to the Blue House under former President Lee Myung-bak (2008–13). Kim Baek-joon, 78, is a former Blue House general affairs and planning secretary popularly known as Lee’s “steward,” while Kim Jin-mo, 52, is a former Seoul Nambu District Prosecutors’ Office chief who served as Blue House second civil affairs secretary during the Lee administration.
SK government to institute real name verification system for virtual currency market
As part of a plan to establish a real name verification system for deposits and withdraws related to virtual currencies, the South Korean government has decided to impose penalties such as restricting deposits on individuals who have been trading virtual currencies in virtual bank accounts if they refuse to verify their identity.
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Pyongyang to send 140 artistes to the Olympics
A delegation of 140 members from North Korea’s Samjiyon Orchestra will arrive in South Korea next month and take to stages in both Seoul and Gangneung, one of three venues in Gangwon that will host the Winter Games.
Free rush hour commutes as PM 2.5 dust rises
After the amount of fine dust in the air shot into unhealthy levels, Seoul’s city government offered free public transportation during Monday’s rush hours to encourage more people to leave their cars at home.
Gov’t tries to get its ducks in a row on bitcoin
The government on Monday announced that it will respect market forces and allow cryptocurrency exchanges to continue to operate - but will crack down on any illegalities. It also warned cryptocurrency investors that virtual currencies are not legal currencies and all the risk is on them.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Aiming at the Prosecution Service, the Slowest to Reform
On January 14, Cheong Wa Dae Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk began his announcement of government plans to reform law enforcement agencies with the case of Park Jong-chul, who died after being tortured by law enforcement officers--the case was the subject of the film, 1987.
Rhyu Si-min vs. Jeong Jae-seung
One of the biggest reasons that the credibility of the Moon Jae-in government exceeds 70% is probably because of its transparent and predictable policies. The government's respect for the process and how it transparently releases the results after discussions is different from the previous government, which consistently made decisions behind closed doors and unilaterally notified the results.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
Foreign crypto exchanges welcome S. Korean investors with language support
Foreign cryptocurrency exchanges are ready to warmly welcome South Korean investors with Korean-language services in preparation for their possible "coin exodus" to be caused by strong regulations.
Hyundai Motor workers endorse revised wage package
Unionized workers at South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor have endorsed a revised wage package, ending a prolonged labor dispute that cost some 1.52 billion US dollars in lost production.
Koreas can march together with same flags at Olympic opening ceremony: official
South and North Korean athletes and officials will march together under a flag representing a unified Korea for the opening ceremony of next month's Winter Olympics if the International Olympic Committee agrees, Seoul's sports minister said Monday.
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Maeil Business News Korea ( http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Hyundai Motor to add SUV models in U.S. mkt to recover sales
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group will reinforce its sport utility vehicle lineup in hopes to recover sales in the United States, said Hyundai Motor America’s CEO. Hyundai Motor plans to launch eight SUV models, including two new ones this year in the U.S. by 2020, Lee Kyung-soo, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, said in a press conference held in the U.S. on Saturday (local time).
Lotte Chemical to invest $47.1 mn to ramp up PIA production
Lotte Chemical Corp. will invest 50 billion won ($47.1 million) to add production facilities for high value-added purified isophthalic acid (PIA), a move that is expected to nearly double the PIA output of the Korean company to cement its world’s top rank in the field.
Samsung SDI unveils fast-charging EV battery with 600-km driving range
Samsung SDI Co., a South Korean manufacturer of electric vehicle (EV) and smartphone batteries, unveiled a new electric vehicle battery cell that offers a 600-kilometer driving range after a 20-minute charge at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the United States, on Monday (local time).
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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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