Other interesting headlines_September 13

- SK Group CEO Choi Tae-won is said to frequently read comic books, and he once recommended fresh employees ‘Mr. Sushi King,’ a very famous Japanese comic book, saying “I think about management a lot while I am reading it.” He ordered SK Research Institute for SUPEX Management to study the book.

- Six out of ten Koreans think KB’s deal with Lone Star to takeover KEB should be annulled, a survey on 1534 adults by Pol & Poll found out. Seventy per cent of respondents consider it would be favorable for KEB to survive on its own. On the current investigation by the prosecution, 79.5 per cent say the probe should continue even if it continues into the next year.

- The impending US sanctions are expected to be tough. Government officials familiar with the issue say the punitive measure might encompass military, economic, political arena including air or sea blockade, strengthened implementation of Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), additional financial sanctions like freeze on North Korea’s oversea bank accounts, and North Korean refugee and human rights issues.

- In the past, North Korean defectors were treated like a hero, but now they lead a harsh life in South Korea or many of them just fall to ‘international refugee’ status as the cold war ended and the number of people fleeing the impoverished North is skyrocketing. The accumulated number of North Korean refugees totaled 8,541 as of June this year. But it is expected that 50,000-100,000 people ran out of the country and failed to come to the South and live in China.

- Kang Jae-sup, the ruling GNP party leader, made it clear that the party will fight against any agreement with the US to transfer military command control in time of a war. He said “even if the US wants to talk about the issue, the president should not respond to it,” and “Now is an emergency when North Korea is preparing nuclear weapons and missiles, so the discussion, in itself, should be stopped.”

- North Korean Cooperation Civil Group Association said the first round of relief supplies, bought with budget raised by ‘Matching Fund,’ will be shipped to North Korea on 27 and 28. Under the fund system, the government supports the fund in proportion to the amount of money raised by civic groups.