The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, March 6, 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.

N. Korean leader, wife host Moon envoys at Workers' Party headquarters

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hosted South Korean envoys in what the North called a "satisfactory" meeting and dinner at the headquarters of the North's ruling Workers' Party, a spokesman for Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.It marked the first time for the communist state to invite South Korean officials to the headquarters of its powerful ruling party, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom. The meeting and dinner started at 6 p.m. Monday and lasted more than four hours. The South Korean envoys, led by the chief of the presidential National Security Office Chung Eui-yong, arrived in Pyongyang earlier that day seeking to broker talks between the North and the United States.The dinner also involved Kim's highly veiled wife, Ri Sol-ju, Kim Eui-kyeom told a press briefing. Also present at Monday's meeting and dinner was the North Korean leader's younger sister, Yo-jong, who traveled to the South last month to deliver her brother's message for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, inviting him for what would be a third inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.

Ghana: Attractive to invest in for re- gional, continental, domestic markets

The following are based on an exclusive interview with Mrs. Difie Agyarko Kusi, Ambassador of Ghana to the Republic of Korea conducted by The Korea Post for publication on the occasion of the 61st Independence Day celebration on March 6, 2018. Question: Congratulations on the National Day of Ghana. Please introduce in detail the National Day for our readers.Answer: Under the leadership of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana gained independence from British colonial rule on 6th March, 1957 thus ending decades of white minority dominance. Subsequently, Ghana played a central role in the decolonization of Africa. The country’s independence was significant for the continent as it demonstrated the collective strength of the African spirit, and served as a precedent for many African countries to break free from the clutches of colonial rule.Sixty-one years ago on this day, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah proclaimed: “Ghana is free forever. But the independence of Ghana would be meaningless if not linked up to the total liberation of Africa”. Inspired by Ghana, more than 30 African countries broke free from colonial rule within the next decade.

Korea, Uzbekistan agree to en-hance economic cooperation

Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong Yeon attended the 1st Korea-Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Ministers’ Meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on February 13.According to the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong Yeon attended the 1st Korea-Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Ministers’ Meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on February 13. The meeting was a follow-up to last year’s summit as well as in preparation for President Moon Jae-in’s upcoming visit to Uzbekistan this year.DPM Kim underscored the importance of Uzbekistan’s partnership in Korea’s Northern Economic Cooperation Initiative, and added that providing a stable business environment is crucial to enhancing the bilateral economic cooperation.The Uzbek government pledged to promptly resolve the difficulties facing the Korean companies operating in Uzbekistan in relation to Surgil gas field development, smart meters and CNG projects, and agreed to take measures for the loss accumulated by the Korean SMEs following the liberalization of FX regime last September.As a follow-up to last year’s summit, both sides agreed to cooperate in the following areas:

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

Envoys Meet with Kim Jong-un for More than 4 Hours

South Korean envoys to North Korea met with leader Kim Jong-un for more than four hours on Monday and delivered a letter from President Moon Jae-in. Presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a news briefing Tuesday that the meeting and dinner took place at the headquarters of the North's ruling Workers' Party. It marked the first time for the communist state to invite South Korean officials to the headquarters of its powerful ruling party. The North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo-jong, and vice chief of the Central Committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party Kim Yong-chol were also in attendance. Kim Jong-un’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, was present for the dinner along with Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, and Maeng Kyong-il, deputy director of the United Front Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The South Korean envoys, led by the chief of the presidential National Security Office Chung Eui-yong, will return home on Tuesday afternoon after additional talks with North Korean officials.

Governor An Hee-jung Offers to Resign over Sexual Assault Allegations

South Chungcheong Governor An Hee-jung has offered to resign over allegations that he sexually assaulted his secretary several times. An said in a posting on his social networking site early Tuesday that he was offering an apology to his secretary Kim Ji-eun who must have suffered because of him. He added that it was wrong to claim that his sexual relations with Kim were consensual. The governor also said he would step down from his post and stop all his political activities.During a TV interview on JTBC on Monday, An's secretary claimed that the governor raped her four times in the course of eight months from June of last year to February this year, and sexually harassed her on many occasions. Kim said she will file a complaint with the prosecution Tuesday.

N. Korean Women, Children Arrested in Thailand after Defecting

A group of North Korean women and children are reportedly under police custody in Thailand after defecting from the communist country. The Bangkok Post reported on Monday that Thai Police detained five North Korean women and three children, aged three to six, as they were walking along Highway 212 in Ban Khok Kong near the Laos border early in the day. During questioning, they told police they fled from the North and reached Thailand via China and Laos. They apparently traveled to Laos by bus and then by ferry across the Mekong River to the northeastern Thai province of Bung Kan. The daily said around 30 other North Koreans were caught in the country this year after crossing the river from Laos to the Thai province.

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

N. Korean leader, wife host Moon envoys at Workers' Party headquarters

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hosted South Korean envoys in what the North called a "satisfactory" meeting and dinner at the headquarters of the North's ruling Workers' Party, a spokesman for Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.It marked the first time for the communist state to invite South Korean officials to the headquarters of its powerful ruling party, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom. The meeting and dinner started at 6 p.m. Monday and lasted more than four hours. The South Korean envoys, led by the chief of the presidential National Security Office Chung Eui-yong, arrived in Pyongyang earlier that day seeking to broker talks between the North and the United States.The dinner also involved Kim's highly veiled wife, Ri Sol-ju, Kim Eui-kyeom told a press briefing. Also present at Monday's meeting and dinner was the North Korean leader's younger sister, Yo-jong, who traveled to the South last month to deliver her brother's message for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, inviting him for what would be a third inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.

Governor offers to step down amid sexual abuse allegations

A provincial governor offered to resign early Tuesday amid allegations that he sexually abused a female secretary as the "Me Too" movement began to spread to political circles. An Hee-jung, a prominent liberal politician, apologized and offered to step down as governor of the central South Chungcheong Province, hours after his secretary for political affairs revealed that he forced her to have sex four times over the past eight months. In a prime-time TV interview late Monday, the victim, Kim Ji-eun, also said she will file a complaint against An. Local police began investigating the case Tuesday. "I feel very sorry to all ... Above all, I am deeply sorry to Ms. Kim Ji-eun, who has suffered because of me," An wrote on Facebook. He added that his office's reported claim that the sexual relationship was consensual was "false.""I seek forgiveness for my silly action. It is all my fault," he added.

S. Korean trade minister heads to U.S. over steel tariffs

South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong on Tuesday set out on his second trip to Washington, D.C. in a week to meet with government officials and lawmakers to get Seoul exempted from proposed steel product tariffs announced by the United States.His trip comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is set to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports this week, a move certain to affect South Korean steel producers.During the four-day visit, Kim plans to meet senior policymakers, including U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, as part of outreach efforts to help ease toughening import restrictions on South Korean goods, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. Last week, Kim met with Gary Cohn, director of the White House National Economic Council, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, as well as lawmakers and industry people to discuss trade issues.

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

Seoul’s envoys to North to return with ‘results’

The South Korean envoys’ meeting with North Korean leader Kin Jong-un has produced “results,” Seoul’s presidential office said Tuesday.According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, the dinner reception hosted by Kim lasted over four hours with some of North Korea’s top figures attending. “The envoys led by National Security Office chief Chung Eui-young met with Kim Jong-un, and attended dinner reception,” Kim Eui-kyeom said. He said that the dinner was held at the Workers’ Party of Korea building in Pyongyang, and that the initial meeting with Kim Jung-un and the dinner lasted 4 hours and 12 minutes, starting at 6 p.m.Along with Kim Jong-un, Kim Yong-chol and Kim Yo-jong attended the meeting held ahead of the dinner, while Kim Jong-un’s wife Ri Sol-ju and other officials joined the dinner. Kim Yong-chol is vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers‘ Party, and Kim Yo-jong is the North Korean leader’s sister who came to the South as his special envoy last month.

S. Chungcheong Governor Ahn to step down after rape allegations

Ahn Hee-jung, a heavyweight politician and governor of South Chungcheong Province, said Tuesday he would quit after his female secretary claimed that he had sexually assaulted her several times.Ahn said in his Facebook account that I am going to resign from the governor and to stop all his political activities, admitting his sexual misconduct."It is all my fault. I seek forgiveness for my foolish act," he wrote.Ahn has been accused by his former female secretary of sexual assault and rape.Kim Ji-eun appeared on a JTBC news program on Monday evening, where she made her allegations public. She said she plans to file a legal complaint against Ahn with the prosecution on Tuesday.

Release of detainees not on agenda for envoys to N. Korea’

South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s special envoys to North Korea have no plans to discuss the release of South Koreans and Americans detained in the communist state just yet, the presidential office said Monday.“I cannot be 100 percent certain that the matter will not be discussed, but it is not an agenda item (for the special envoys to North Korea,)” an official from the presidential office told reporters on condition of anonymity. “The core of preliminary talks between North Korea and the US is denuclearization.It is not yet in the stage to discuss such details as the release of South Korean and American detainees in the North, and the purpose of the envoys’ visit is to primarily help the US and North Korea sit down for talks, the official added.

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

Kim Jong-un holds 1st direct talks with South Korean envoys

President Moon Jae-in's special envoys had a dinner meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Monday, after arriving in Pyongyang earlier in the day for their two-day mission of persuading North Korea to resume talks with the United States over denuclearization.This was the first time that the reclusive North Korean head has met South Korean officials since taking office in late 2011.Details of the meeting have not been disclosed, including the location and the names of other North Korean officials who attended, according to Cheong Wa Dae. National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who is leading the delegation, delivered a personally written letter from Moon to Kim, in which Moon expressed hopes for an improvement in inter-Korean relations and peace on the Korean Peninsula.The five-member delegation landed at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang via a West Sea route at around 2:50 p.m., an hour after takeoff. Chung was accompanied by National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Suh Hoon, Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, NIS Deputy Director Kim Sang-gyun and senior Cheong Wa Dae official Yun Kun-young, as well as five working-level officials.

Banks expanding blockchain platform

Blockchain-based crypto-assets have become increasingly popular, with bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, continuing to soar. But Korea has recently imposed stringent restrictions on their use due to the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies. Now, the prominence of digital currencies has moved to encouraging the country's support for the development of blockchain technology.Now, preparation for blockchain technology in Korea is smoothly underway focusing on the banking sector, as leading domestic banks work together to develop a payment system that will allow the existing Korean won to be transacted into other currencies via blockchain.While central banks around the world are saying blockchain isn't ready enough to be a universal currency platform, world banks have backed the software because of its huge potential to facilitate transactions.

Son Heung-min, Ki Sung-yueng in EPL's team of the weekend

Two Korean football players -- Son Heung-min and Ki Sung-yueng -- playing in the English Premier League (EPL) were included in ESPN FC's team of the weekend.The sports news site announced its pick for the top 11 players of the weekend, Monday (KST), and Tottenham Hotspur's Son was named one of the best forwards of last week while Swansea City's Ki was recognized as one of the best midfielders.Son hit a double against Rochdale in the English FA cup, March 1, and again against Huddersfield, March 4.The 25-year-old Korean shared the spot along with Glenn Murray of Brighton & Hove Albion and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. Mentioning that Son "followed up his brace against Rochdale in the FA Cup with another two goals in a match-winning display at Wembley," ESPN FC's pundit Gabriele Marcotti noted, "it shows why some call him the South Korean Thomas Mueller."ESPN FC added, "Spurs will be hoping Son can keep up his hot streak as they prepare to host Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday."

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

S.Korean Envoys Have Dinner with Kim Jong-un

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hosted a dinner for a five-member South Korean delegation on Monday, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said. The dinner with the delegation headed by National Security Council chief Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon lasted for about four hours. Chung urged Kim to pursue dialogue with the U.S. about the scrapping of the North's nuclear weapons and delivered a personal letter from President Moon Jae-in about Kim's invitation to Pyongyang. The delegation proposed a three-stage plan starting with dialogue with the U.S. after halting the regime's nuclear and missile tests, followed by discussions to scrap its nuclear weapons and destroy relevant facilities.

3 Americans, 6 S.Koreans Still Detained in N.Korea

Three American citizens and six South Koreans remain detained in North Korea. The most prominent is Kim Dong-chul, a Korean-American missionary, who was arrested in the Rajin-Sonbong Special Economic Zone on Oct. 2, 2015. He was caught in missionary activities and trade while traveling between the North and China. The North Korean regime made him appear at a scripted news conference in Pyongyang on March 25, 2016, where he confessed to "espionage activities on South Korea's instructions in systematically collecting secrets of the North Korean party, state, and military and handing them over to the South."Tony Kim, also known as Kim Sang-duk, was a visiting professor of accounting at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology when he was arrested on April 21 last year for unspecified "hostile acts" against the regime. While teaching earlier at Yanbian University of Science and Technology, Kim was engaged in aid activities. When he was arrested, he had been staying in the North for about a month.

N.Korea 'Worked on Missile Guidance During Olympics'

North Korea has been making progress on improving the guidance of missiles even amid a "relative thaw in tensions around the Winter Olympics," CNN reported Friday."The U.S. believes the North Koreans have been working to improve their rocket engines, mobile missile launchers, and nuclear warhead production," CNN quoted a U.S. intelligence official as saying. However, "the regime is still struggling with the technical challenge of ensuring a warhead can re-enter the earth's atmosphere," it added. Meanwhile, Lindsey Graham, a U.S. Republican senator and North Korea hawk, told CNN last Thursday, "All the damage that would come from a war would be worth it in terms of long-term stability and national security." "I'm completely convinced that President Trump and his team reject the policy of containment," he added. "They've drawn a red line here and it is to never let North Korea build a nuclear tipped missile to hit America."Brent Park at Oak Ridge National Laboratory told a Senate hearing that the nuclear threat from the North has already crossed the tolerable level, he said. Park has been nominated by Trump as deputy administrator for defense nuclear nonproliferation at the National Nuclear Security Administration.

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

South Korean special delegation heads to North Korea on Mar. 5

The special delegation that South Korean President Moon Jae-in is sending to North Korea to discuss improving inter-Korean relations and creating the conditions for North Korea-US talks aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula left for Pyongyang via the West Sea direct route on the afternoon of Mar. 5. The delegation, led by Blue House National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong, is expected to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as early as Mar. 5 to deliver a handwritten letter from Moon.After the Blue House announced the special delegation to North Korea, US President Donald Trump said that North Korea and the US “will be meeting, and we’ll see if anything positive happens… I won’t rule out direct talks with Kim Jong-un.”“President Moon has decided to send a special delegation with National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong as the chief envoy to North Korea on Mar. 5. The delegation’s visit to the North will reciprocate the visit by Kim Yo-jong, who was sent as a special envoy by North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un,” said Yoon Young-chan, Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Relations, on Mar. 4.

Trump’s remarks about US-North Korea meeting raises hopes for bilateral discussions

US President Donald Trump’s remark on Mar. 3 that the US and North Korea “will be meeting” coincides with the official announcement of a special delegation to North Korea, which is the first step in South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s attempt to use the spark of inter-Korean dialogue to ignite North Korea-US dialogue. While Trump recently appeared to be raising the threshold for dialogue by insisting on the “right conditions,” this time he spoke of North Korea-US dialogue as if it were a foregone conclusion. Moon is likely to focus on arranging North Korea-US bilateral talks after trying to gauge Trump’s intentions about dialogue.“A couple days ago they said we would like to talk,” Politico quoted Trump as saying during a mostly light-hearted address at a dinner hosted by the Gridiron Club, a Washington group representing major media organizations, on Mar. 3. “I said, so would we, but you have to de-nuke… So let’s see what happens.”“Maybe positive things are happening, I hope that’s true,” Trump added. “We will be meeting, and we’ll see if anything positive happens."

Burdens of child rearing one primary reason behind South Korea’s low birthrate

Some parents with children in elementary, middle or high school are reluctant to have additional children even though they would like to have more, and the main reason is the burden of raising children, both financial and otherwise, a new report finds.On Mar. 4, the Korea Institute of Child Care & Education (KICCE) published a report titled “A Thorough Analysis of Government Policies Aimed at Countering the Low Birthrate per Life Cycle Stage.” An online questionnaire of 1,200 expecting parents and parents with at least one child of high school age or below found that the average number of children desired by these parents is 2.04. Among the 900 households with children of high school age or below, 65.3% (588 people) responded that they did not intend to have any additional children. But when members of this group were asked whether they currently have their desired number of children, 78.2% said that they did, while 21.8% said they did not.Further questioning of this group of 21.8%, showed that the main reason they are not planning to have more children even though they do not currently have their desired number is the cost of raising children. More than half of this group (53.1%) cited the burden of childcare costs, while other reasons mentioned were the difficulty of maintaining a job and raising children at the same time (21.1%), poor health (7.8%) and the difficulty of looking after children by oneself (4.7%).

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

Moon envoys meet Kim Jong-un

President Moon Jae-in’s envoys met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Monday, the Blue House said. A 10-member delegation left for North Korea in the afternoon on a mission to persuade the Kim Jong-un regime to join denuclearization negotiations of some sort. Starting at 6 p.m., Kim hosted a dinner for the delegation headed by Chung Eui-yong, Moon’s special envoy, according to Kim Eui-kyeom, presidential spokesman. The delegation was welcomed at the airport in Pyongyang by top North Korean officials including Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, the spokesman said. After a 10-minute discussion in an airport VIP reception area, the delegation moved to Kobangsan Guest House, where they will stay for the night. Kim Yong-chol, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party, who is also known to be director of the committee’s intelligence arm, the United Front Department, received them at the guest house.

Gov’t scrambles over U.S.-sparked trade wars

Fears of trade wars sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum are rattling financial markets. The Seoul primary market Kospi on Monday closed at 2,375.06, losing 27.10 points or 1.13 percent compared to Friday’s close. Similar panic was felt in other major markets with the Japanese stock market losing 139.55 points or 0.66 percent and Hong Kong falling at a faster rate of 2.28 percent. The Korean government organized an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the situation. “International trade conflict seems to be expanding and developing as risks to the global and Korean economies,” said Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon, who held the meeting of top government officials including Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Baik Un-gyu and Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee.“The government will continue to explain our situation to the U.S. government while contacting the U.S. Congress, government officials and economic group,” Kim said.

Trump talks up chance of talking with North

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated he would not rule out direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at an annual dinner event in Washington, adding, “we will be meeting,” but only if the regime denuclearizes. “They, by the way, called up a couple of days ago, and said, ‘We would like to talk,’” Trump said Saturday night at the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, referring to North Korea recently expressing a willingness for dialogue with the United States. “And I said, ‘So would we, but you have to denuke,’” he continued. “So, let’s see what happens.” The Gridiron Club is a journalistic association and speeches at its annual dinner are known for jokes, especially self-deprecatory ones by top politicians like the president. According to a White House pool report of his speech, Trump said, “I won’t rule out direct talks with Kim Jong-un. I just won’t. As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that’s his problem, not mine.”

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

The Tides Have Turned: Will the "Conservative Union" Make a Difference?

The June 13 local elections, which will practically be an interim evaluation of the Moon Jae-in government, are a hundred days away as of March 4. Thus a one-hundred-day race has begun for the Democratic Party of Korea (Minjoo Party of Korea), which needs to secure the power to push ahead with state affairs at the halfway point in the government's term; the Liberty Korea Party, which seeks to rebuild the conservatives and reorganize the battle line; and the Bareun Mirae Party and the Party for Democracy and Peace, which aim to secure an independent foundation to survive and to stand as an alternative party, and none of the parties have the leisure to step back. The Democratic Party must win in the local elections to secure the power to push ahead with state affairs as the government enters the middle of its term. Since this is a time when the government needs to see the fruits of their reform policies, such as its efforts to eradicate long-established irregularities and "economic democratization" in the form of institutional reforms, the results of the local elections can be directly related to the success of the entire term of the Moon Jae-in government. If the Democratic Party wins, the Moon Jae-in government's plan to break away from an opposition-majority parliament with the support of the public will gain momentum. Since the upcoming elections are in nature an interim evaluation of the incumbent government, a victory by the ruling party is bound to be interpreted as the people's support for the government's reforms, and it will be difficult for the opposition parties to ignore public demand for institutional reforms.

North Korea's Attitude in Greeting the Special Envoys to North Korea Chung Eui-yong and Suh Hoon

On March 4, Cheong Wa Dae announced that a special delegation of envoys to North Korea including Chung Eui-yong, head of the Cheong Wa Dae National Security Office and Suh Hoon, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) will be dispatched to North Korea on March 5. The special envoys will stay in North Korea for two days, meet with North Korea's senior officials including Kim Jong-un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and comprehensively discuss topics, such as building an environment for North Korea-U.S. dialogue and improving inter-Korean relations. This is the first time that two ministerial-level officials will be dispatched as special envoys at the same time, and this shows that the Moon Jae-in government takes the current political situation seriously.Since the primary goal of the envoys is to seek a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue and to build a bridge in North Korea-U.S. relations, it is desirable to have Chung Eui-yong, who oversees foreign affairs and security, to lead the delegation. Suh Hoon is an expert negotiator who planned the two inter-Korean summits in 2000 and 2007 and is a veteran who has met with Kim Jong-il, chairman of the National Defense Commission the most number of times. Thus he is the right man for a special envoy. The South Korean delegation are expected to personally meet the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, deliver President Moon Jae-in's vision for a peaceful resolution of the North's nuclear issue and listen to Chairman Kim Jong-un's views.

Allegations Against MB Snowball: This Time He Allegedly Received Donations in Exchange for Party Nomination

The Prosecution Service is investigating the allegation that former President Lee Myung-bak (77) received donations of hundreds of millions of won in exchange for a party nomination ahead of the eighteenth parliamentary election in 2008. On March 1, the Prosecution Service called in the former president's big brother, Lee Sang-eun (85), the chairman of DAS for questioning.Special Crimes Department 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office announced this day that they also summoned and questioned Kim So-nam (69), a former Grand National Party lawmaker by proportional representation in the eighteenth National Assembly, as a suspect. Last month, prosecutors searched former lawmaker Kim's house in Yangju-si, Gyeonggi-do.

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

Hyundai Motor launches new division for high-performance vehicles

To break away from the generalized image of a traditional carmaker, Hyundai Motor launched a new division for high-performance and motorsports vehicles, led by a former official from Germany carmaker BMW.Hyundai has built up its reputation as a leading producer of cost-effective vehicles, but it still bears the brand image of a bargain brand. Hyundai cars have been shunned by consumers looking for high-performance vehicles.Hyundai said in a statement on Friday that it has established the High Performance Vehicle & Motorsport Division headed by Thomas Shemera, the former head of BMW's M Division. "We plan to allure car manias who want 'driving fun' with our high-performance vehicles and their unique characteristics," it said.In an attempt to produce high-performance vehicles, it has sponsored motorsport events at home and abroad and operates motorsport teams including a World Rally Championship team.

U.S. imposes new sanctions on N. Korea over chemical weapons

The United States imposed new sanctions on North Korea for its alleged use of chemical weapons, a move that follows the suspected nerve agent assassination of the North Korean leader's half-brother.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson determined on February 22 that the North Korean regime has "used chemical weapons in violation of international law or lethal chemical weapons against its own nationals," the State Department said in a notice published in the Federal Register.It did not elaborate, but the North is suspected of masterminding the killing of leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother, Jong-nam, in a VX nerve agent attack at a Malaysian airport in February last year. The sanctions include a termination of aid to the North, except for urgent humanitarian needs, a termination of arms sales to the regime, and a denial of any credit or other financial assistance.The new measures are unlikely to have a major impact as Pyongyang is already under heavy international sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. But the announcement could serve to underscore the Donald Trump administration's resolve to keep pressure on the regime until it denuclearizes.

S. Korea to support 3D printing industry by investing 42 million dollars

A government-led investment fund for South Korea's 3D printing industry will increase this year to develop related software and materials mainly for medical and biochemical uses, the science ministry said.

The fund aimed at boosting domestic demands by providing firms and organizations in the public sector with 3D printed parts will rise to 45.7 billion won (42.1 million US dollars) this year from 41.2 billion won last year, the ministry said.The ministry promised to establish quality certification standards for 3D printed products. 3D printing is essential in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Products created by 3D printers include human organ parts, metal car parts and food. New York-based market survey company Statistica estimates the global 3D printing Industry will grow to $28.9 billion in 2020.

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

Reappointed BOK gov, Fin min discuss response to trade protectionism

South Korean deputy prime minister and finance minister Kim Dong-yeon and Lee Ju-yeol, Bank of Korea Governor who made a rare case in the Korean central bank history by earning a second term, on Monday vowed synchronized fiscal and monetary responses to offset negative effects on the export-reliant economy from global trade protectionism. The lunch meeting took place after President Moon Jae-in on Friday reappointed Lee whose four-year term ends in March. Under the Bank of Korea law, the governor can serve up to two terms. But there had been only two precedents and none since the BOK governor chaired the monetary policy committee from 1998. “I feel more responsible than happy by the appointment, given the serious and complex conditions at home and abroad,” Lee said after the announcement.

S. Korean business tycoons headed for Boao Forum in China next month

Leaders of South Korea’s top conglomerates including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun and Samsung Electronics CEO and Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun will attend the Boao Forum for Asia, known as Asia’s Davos Forum, which will take place on April 8-11 in Hainan, China. Chey will be accompanied by his brother and SK Group Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won to attend the forum that has invited about 170 political, business, academic and media figures around the globe. Also on the invitation list are Kim Dong-won, managing director of Hanwha Life Insurance and the second son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, and Kim Young-joo, chairman of Korea International Trade Association.

Korean savings banks post record net profit in 2017

South Korean savings banks recorded historic-high net profit of over 1 trillion ($926.9 million) last year as consumers turned to the non-banking sector after Seoul authorities toughened loan regulations to rein in yawning household debt. According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on Monday, the combined net profit of 79 savings banks in 2017 was 1.07 trillion won, up 24 percent from a year earlier. The surge was largely attributed to the spike in interest income as banks moved fast in raising interest rates amid expectations of increases in the key rate. Interest income jumped 619.6 billion won year-over-year while non-interest income fell 123.7 billion won. The government’s tightening on mortgage-backed bank loans to control runaway housing prices forced customers to turn to higher-interest-charging secondary lenders. Savings banks have seen their earnings steadily recover after the bank run crisis in 2011, an industry-wide scandal triggered by risky real estate-backed loans and lax oversight. Total assets of the savings banks amounted to 59.7 trillion won in 2017, up 14.1 percent on year. Net worth rose 18.4 percent to 6.8 trillion won.

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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!

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Please visit the following URLs and order us:

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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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