Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the State of Kuwait

Friday, 11 August 2017

External Affairs

Kuwaiti air forces partake in "Al-Yarouk 3" exercise in Egypt
Kuwait's Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that some F-18 aircraft of its forces took part in "Al-Yarmouk 3" exercise held in Egypt. The exercise is currently held in collaboration with the Egyptian air forces. The drill included several operations of defense and mutual attacks on targets previously planned, the Ministry's Moral Guidance and Public Relations Directorate said in a press statement. It also focused on training on aerial reconnaissance of hostile targets through using the latest tactics and combat techniques, it added. The "Al-Yarmouk 3" exercise, which also includes lectures, started on August 2 and runs until August 16. It is part of the mutual military cooperation between the two countries.
It also aims to exchange expertise and enhance mutual combat capability. (All Newspapers)

Kuwait reaffirms commitment to UN resolutions on N. Korea
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry rejected on Thursday recent media reports on the existence of large North Korean expatriate workers in Kuwait. The State of Kuwait is committed to the UN Security Council resolution on economic embargo on North Korea, an official source of the ministry said. Responding to media reports in the United States that the Kuwaiti authorities continue issuing entry visas for North Koreans, the source said the Ministry categorically refutes the existence of such alleged numbers of workers. He reaffirmed that the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry, out of commitment to the UN Security Council resolutions relating to economic embargo on North Korea, promptly set up a national interagency committee, to adopt and implement the necessary measures immediately. These measures include suspending the direct flights from and to North Korea; stopping the issuance of entry visas for North Korean workers; halting the issuance of commercial licenses for and remittance to North Korea; blocking any loans from Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) to and all forms of freight shipping from the country; and downgrading North Korea's diplomatic representation in Kuwait.
These measures come in consistency with the Kuwait's international responsibilities and commitment to the resolutions of the international legitimacy as well as Kuwait's future responsibilities when it assumes a non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council early next year, the source pointed out.
The State of Kuwait will continue working with the competent UN bodies and international partners to keep them apprised of the measures its takes in this regard which gained international appraisal, the source added. (All Newspapers)

Kuwait tells AP: North Korean workers welcome amid crisis
US ally Kuwait will continue to grant visas to North Korean laborers whose wages allegedly aid Pyongyang in evading international sanctions, its government told The Associated Press on Thursday before its ruler travels to Washington to meet President Donald Trump. In a statement responding to an AP story, Kuwait also said it never stopped issuing work visas for North Koreans, refuting a major State Department human trafficking report released in June that applauded the Mideast nation for taking steps to limit their presence. Kuwait’s response shows the challenge the US faces in trying to convince Gulf nations to cut back on using thousands of North Korean workers on major construction projects and to close government-run restaurants in the region. Experts and analysts say the money earned from those enterprises helps Pyongyang buy luxury goods and build the missiles it now uses to threaten the US territory of Guam, as well as other parts of the US and America’s Asian allies. Kuwait currently hosts 6,064 North Korean laborers, the country’s Public Authority of Manpower said in a statement sent to the AP by the Information Ministry. That is more than double the estimate offered by two officials with knowledge of Pyongyang’s operations in the Gulf who spoke to the AP. Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence reports, they earlier said some 2,500 North Koreans worked in Kuwait. Kuwait also dismissed the notion it cut off the laborers from coming to its construction sites. “There are no plans to expel North Korean laborers and Kuwait has never done so,” the statement said. However, in June, the State Department said that Kuwait had stopped issuing new worker visas to North Korean laborers. Former Secretary of State John Kerry also had applauded Kuwait in 2016 for stopping direct flights by North Korea’s state-run Air Koryo as a means to stop “an illegal and illegitimate regime in North Korea.”

Forced labor

The State Department’s June report alleged that since 2008, North Korea sent over 4,000 laborers to Kuwait “for forced labor on construction projects, sourced by a North Korean company operated by the Workers’ Party of Korea and the North Korean military.” “According to these reports, employees work 14 to 16 hours a day while the company retains 80 to 90 percent of the workers’ wages, and monitors and confines the workers, who live in impoverished conditions and are in very poor health due to lack of adequate nutrition and health care,” the State Department said. The US Embassy in Kuwait City did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Most North Korean workers in the Gulf earn around $1,000 a month, with about half being kept by the North Korean government and another $300 going toward construction company managers, the officials said. That leaves workers receiving $200 for working straight through an entire month, they said. Even $200 a month can go a long way in North Korea, where the per-capita income is estimated at just $1,700 a year. Outside of Kuwait, Pyongyang sends workers to the Gulf countries of Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, all US allies. The workers face conditions akin to forced labor while being spied on by planted intelligence officers, eating little food and suffering physical abuse, analysts and officials say. Gulf nations keep their ties with North Korea largely quiet while supplying oil and natural gas crucial to the economies of Pyongyang adversaries South Korea and Japan.

Tough position

For Kuwait, the ongoing North Korea crisis puts the tiny, oil-rich nation in a tough position diplomatically. Kuwaitis even today will embrace Americans they meet in the street over the US-led 1991 war that ended Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s occupation of the country. The country hosts some 13,500 American troops, many at Camp Arifjan south of Kuwait City, which also is home to the forward command of US Army Central. Guam, which Pyongyang now threatens to target, hosts 7,000 American troops – showing the strategic importance of Kuwait to the US. But Kuwait also hosts North Korea’s only embassy in the Gulf, through which Pyongyang conducts all its diplomatic affairs. Kuwait’s 88-year-old ruler, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, is scheduled to travel to Washington in September to meet Trump. The visit by Sheikh Sabah comes as he’s been trying to mediate a dispute between Qatar and Arab nations, though North Korea potentially could come up at the meeting as well. However, Kuwait’s long embrace of America should not be seen as it giving up making its own foreign policy decisions, said Shafeeq Ghabra, a political science professor at Kuwait University. Hosting North Korean laborers is part of that, he said. “Being very close does not mean we become identical,” Ghabra sad. – AP (Kuwait Times)

Domestic Affairs

Kuwait Int’l Airport caters to 1,185,623 passengers in July – Dept issues 15,884 visas
Kuwait International Airport catered to 1,185,623 passengers in July according to the report released by the Airport Passport Department. In a press statement, the Public Relations and Security Media Department at the Ministry of Interior cited the report saying the number of arrivals reached 533,270 — 201,726 Kuwaitis; 31,882 GCC nationals and 299,662 other nationalities. On the other hand, the number of departures totaled 652,353 including 256,426 Kuwaitis; 36,484 GCC nationals and 359,443 other nationalities. A total of 15,884 visas were issued; 53 transactions related to deportation fingerprints were processed and 11 individuals were allowed to enter the country after canceling the decision to deport them. Also, 11 persons were arrested for holding fake travel documents and 118 others who are wanted by law for involvement in various crimes. In addition, 182 passengers were instructed to return for undisclosed reasons and the travel ban on 118 people was lifted. Meanwhile, the Traffic Unit in the Airport Security Department confiscated 20 vehicles and issued 2,223 citations for different violations. (Arab Times)

Economy

Kuwaiti oil price up 16 cents to USD 49.65 pb
The price of Kuwaiti crude oil was up 16 cents in yesterday's trading to close at USD 49.65 per barrel after being at USD 49.49 last Tuesday, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said on Friday. (KUNA)

Global demand for OPEC's oil will climb – report
Global demand for OPEC'S crude oil is forecast to climb to 32.4 million barrels per day later this year, the organization said in its monthly report released on Thursday.
Global demand for the crude oil produced by member states of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is predicted to climb by 400,000 bpd, as compared to the 2016 levels, reaching 32.4 million bpd. Next year, the demand is expected to remain unchanged. Average price of the OPEC crudes reached 46.93 dollars per barrel in July, higher by four percent, while forward deals in New York and London improved in July, exceeding 50 dpb, buoyed by a slump in reserves and demand rise. As to demand for non-OPEC crudes, the report said it would reach 57.7 million bpd and would be at 58.8 million bpd. Mounting demand for the crude in the US, Brazil and Canada would be the prime stimulant for the output growth and would make up for the demand decline in Mexico, China and Colombia.
Regarding the total global demand, it would be in the range of 96 million bpd. Next year, it will increase by 1.3 million bpd to 97.7 million bpd. On the global economy growth, the report said it would remain unchanged, at 3.4 percent. (KUNA, 10/08/2017)

18 contracts for roads maintenance -- Min. of Public Works
Minister of Public Works Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa announced on Thursday signing 18 contracts for maintaining roads throughout the country. In a statement during inspection of some maintenance work sites, the minister indicated that 13 of the deals had been submitted to the Central Tenders Committee, pending inking during coming few months. The minister has inspected some works in Hawally and Al-Salam districts. (KUNA, 10/08/2017)

Parl't has final say in approving GCC VAT framework agreement - Finance Ministry
The Ministry of Finance affirmed Thursday that the National Assembly have the final word in either approving or rejecting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) framework agreements of the value added tax (VAT) and selective commodity tax.
The GCC framework agreements, including those related to the VAT and the selective commodity tax which have been ratified by the cabinet recent, are referred to the National Assembly for final approval, the ministry wrote in a post on its tweeter account. It added that all Gulf agreements are firstly discussed and approved by the cabinet, before being referred to the National Assembly for deliberation and final endorsement according to the constitutional procedures. It pointed out that both taxes would be mulled thoroughly by the relevant parliamentary panels which will present their own reports to the parliament.
It argued that all GCC framework agreements are studied in details by joint committees ahead of submitting them to the GCC leaders for approval. (KUNA, 10/08/2017)

Other News

Trump calls remarks on Pyongyang not "tough enough"
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that his recent statement on North Korea maybe "wasn't tough enough." "They (North Korea) will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," Trump told reporters at his golf club in New Jersey. "Frankly, the people who were questioning that statement, was it too tough? Maybe it wasn't tough enough," he added. (KUNA)

Saturday, 12 August 2017

External Affairs

Egypt affirms willingness to resolve Gulf crisis
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry affirmed Thursday his country's willingness to find a solution for the ongoing Gulf crisis through dialogue.
Shoukry made his remarks while meeting with Retired General Anthony Zinni, Envoy of US Secretary of State for Gulf crisis, and Timothy Lenderking, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Gulf Affairs, Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement. The two US envoys are currently on a tour to a number of countries in the region, in which they are meeting with officials to help resolve the ongoing crisis between Qatar and the four other Arab countries through Kuwait's mediation. "Any breakthrough in the Qatari crisis depends on Doha's compliance with the demands of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain," Shoukry said. (KUNA)

Domestic Affairs

EPA seeks hedge against oil spill
Kuwait's Environment Public Authority (EPA) said on Friday it was taking all appropriate measures in order to protect water outlets from an oil spill near Kuwait's southern Ras Al-Zour area. The EPA said in a press release that while it sought to determine the source of the oil spill, it was taking all necessary moves to safeguard the area of water outlets by using rubber bumpers. It added that it was working with the oil sector, mainly the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), to find the source of the oil spill and even determine its exact size. (KUNA)

Felonies have dropped notably
Annual statistics issued by the Justice Ministry in 2016 show the public prosecution received a total of 16,287 cases, varying between felonies, commercial misdemeanors, juvenile crimes, media crimes, cheque fraud, drugs and misuse of information technology. The publication by the statistics and research department at the Justice Ministry has the most accurate and important data as well as statistical indicators of the judiciary’s achievements. “This publication is considered one of the most important achievements the statistics and research department is keen to issue every year. It contains comprehensive data that cover various activities of the court sectors, public prosecution and supporting departments compared with the five previous years and prediction for the next five years,” Director of the department Haifa Al-Shimmari said. “The department wants the largest possible group of researchers to benefit from the accurate information and data in this book,” she added. Statistics show 15,241 cases were processed, distributed between 9,266 cases sent to the comprehensive court and 5,975 cases shelved, while 209 cases are still in courts. Felonies made up the largest share of cases with 6,507 cases received by the public prosecution, followed by 2,865 cybercrime cases. The least number of cases were journalism misdemeanors (251 cases) and finally audiovisual crimes (27 cases). Despite the rise in felonies, stats show that the number of these cases received in 2016 dropped notably compared to previous years by 11.99 percent, as the number of felonies reached 6,507, with 7,389 cases in 2015 and 8,792 in 2014. (Al-Rai, Kuwait Times)

Economy

Kuwaiti oil barrel down USD 1.42 at USD 48.23 Friday
The price of Kuwaiti oil barrel dropped Friday by USD 1.42 reaching USD 48.22 per barrel, compared to USD 49.65 pb on Thursday, said Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) on Saturday. (KUNA)

Govt unlikely to issue decree of necessity to impose taxes – VAT in hands of Parliament
There are no indications that government will issue a decree of necessity to impose tax on citizens and expatriates, especially as the Parliament has completely rejected the plan to implement Value Added Tax and Selective Tax system. Sources reaffirmed Government’s committed to Article 134 of the Constitution, stipulating the establishment, reform and cancellation of public tax cannot happen outside the purview of law and nobody will be partly or fully exemption from tax in contravention to the stipulated conditions. Meanwhile, Ministry of Finance confirmed via its official social Twitter page the implementation of Value Added Tax is in the hand of the Parliament, as per the appropriate constitutional procedure. Statement added the relevant Gulf agreement on the implementation of Value Added Tax and Selective Tax approved recently by Cabinet will be referred later to the Parliament for endorsement. In a related development, MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei said Cabinet’s approval of Value Added Tax may lead the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Anas Al-Sales to grilling podium. Al-Tabtabaei expressed outright rejection of any plan to resort to the pockets of citizens after Kuwait Investment Authority lost Euros 500 million in a bargain with the French Company Areva, without questioning. Government sources disclosed the idea of allowing each Gulf country to specify a list of commodities and services to be excluded from Value Added Tax according to each country’s sovereignty was approved in the recent meeting of the Undersecretaries of GCC Finance Ministries.
Sources said the list covers education, Health, real estate, internal transport, oil, gas and their derivatives, and other commodities. They noted the agreement allows each Gulf country to exclude agricultural products, foodstuffs, medicine and medical equipment. Meanwhile, the MP Waleed Al- Tabtabaei has said he refuses any discussion on Value Added Tax. He stressed the idea of imposing tax should be part of an integrated economic reform that ends with taxation and not to begin with it. MP Majed Al-Mutairi also refused what he described as “infiltration of Government into citizens’ income” and noted Value Added Tax is part of government’s manipulation the parliament is ready to confront. (Arab Times)

Other News

Tone it down on N. Korea – Germany
The German Government on Friday urged stakeholders in the North Korean crisis to abstain from further rhetorical escalation and resort to calm diplomacy.
Government Spokesman Steffen Seibert, in a brief statement, said the heated language in addressing the Asian crisis "would not help us find a solution to it." Moreover, military solutions will not lead to a settlement to the North Korean crisis, the spokesperson stated, warning that war consequences cannot be predicted.
Global decision-making quarters are currently deeply concerned due the stepped up war of words between North Korea and the United States of America. (KUNA)

Sunday, 13 August 2017

External Affairs

Kuwait, Britain discuss boosting military, security cooperation
Means of promoting security and military cooperation featured high on a meeting between the Kuwait National Guard and a visiting British military delegation on Saturday. The meeting discussed boosting mutual cooperation, mainly security and training, the National Guard said in a press statement. The delegation, led by head of International Policy and Planning for the British Ministry of Defence David Hogan-Hern, visited Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Camp, Kuwait's National Guard HQ, and were briefed on its facilities, it added. (KUNA)

Domestic Affairs

Kuwaiti MoI announces capturing 12 of 'Abdali cell' missing convicts
Kuwait's Ministry of Interior announced early Saturday the capturing of 12 convicts of the terror group known as "Al-Abdali cell," who went missing last month. A ministry statement said the convicts were apprehended in different parts on the country, while the search is ongoing for two more individuals. (All Newspapers)

Kuwaiti MoI reveals names of captured 'Abdali cell' convicts
Kuwait's Ministry of Interior revealed the names of the captured 12 Kuwaiti convicts of the terror group known as "Al-Abdali cell," who went missing last month. A ministry statement said the convicts were apprehended in different parts on the country, while the search is ongoing for two more individuals.
They are:
1- Mohammad Jaafar Abbas Haji (10 years' sentence).
2- Mohammad Hassan Abduljalil Al-Husseini (10 years' sentence).
3- Mahdi Mohammad Sayed Ali Al-Mousawi (10 years' sentence).
4- Jafaar Haidar Hassan Jamal (10 years' sentence).
5- Youssef Hasan Shaaban Ghadhanfari (10 years' sentence).
6- Hussein Juma Mohammad Al-Bathar (10 years' sentence).
7- Hassan Ahmad Abdullah Al-Attar (10 years' sentence).
8- Abbas Issa Abdullah Al-Moussawi (10 years' sentence).
9- Issa Jaber Abdullah Baqer (10 years' sentence).
10- Basil Hussein Ali Al-Dashti (five years' sentence).
11- Hassan Ali Hassan Jamal (five years' sentence).
12- Ali Abdulkarim Ismael Abdulrahim (five years' sentence).
(All Newspapers)

His Highness the Amir deeply distressed at Abdulrehdha's demise
His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has expressed deep distress and grief at demise of the great actor Abdulhussein Abdulredha.
Kuwait has lost a great iconic personality in the theatrical art, a pioneer and celebrity in the Kuwaiti, Arab and Gulf theaters, His Highness the Amir stated on the somber occasion. He recalled the artistic message of that stalwart artist, his dramatic and creative contributions that had lasted for 40 years, namely the dramatic and comedian works that would continue to be applauded and admired and would remain a school for those who would follow his steps with regards of his loyalty to the homeland and interaction with its causes.  (All Newspapers)

Official: Efforts still on to finesse oil spill
Aided by concerned state agencies, emergency oil teams are still struggling to put an oil spill near Kuwait's southern Ras Al-Zour area under control, a spokesman said on Saturday. Emergency teams from the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), several other oil companies, the Ministry of Electricity and Water and Environment Public Authority, have harnessed all efforts and capabilities to deal with the oil spill in south Kuwait, the oil sector's spokesman Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-Sabah said in a press release. They are now focusing their efforts on protecting water outlets near the country's northern and southern Al-Zour power and water stations, the spokesman added. Nearby beaches will be cleaned once power and water plants are secured and the oil spill is put under full control, he pointed out. Earlier on Friday, Kuwait's Environment Public Authority (EPA) said it was taking all appropriate measures in order to protect water outlets from an oil spill near Kuwait's southern Ras Al-Zour area. (KUNA)

KJO: No oil spill spotted in joint operations zone
Khafji Joint Operations (KJO) assured on Saturday that no oil leakage has been detected in the company's operation area. In a press statement, KJO Public and Government Relations Officer Riyadh Al-Hassan pointed out that KJO emergency plan was enforced immediately following the reports about oil leakage from an on oil tanker in northeastern Arabian Gulf waters. This included an aerial surveillance to the floated area to check the safety of the facilities and coasts, he said. He emphasized that the surveillance showed that all KJO facilities are okay and spotted no oil spill in its operations zone. Khafji Joint Operations zone straddles the border between the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two countries share the reserves equally, working together to extract, refine and market them for mutual benefit. The Kuwait Gulf Oil Company and Saudi Aramco Gulf Operations are responsible for the management of their countries' share of the resources in the area. (KUNA)

Economy

USD rate stable at KD 0.301
The rate of the US Dollar remained stable at KD 0.301, while the Euro went up to KD 0.356, said the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) Sunday. (KUNA)

KUNA: http://www.kuna.net.kw/Default.aspx?language=en

Al Rai: http://www.alraimedia.com/

Kuwait Times: http://www.news.kuwaittimes.net/website/

Arab Times: http://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/

MEED: http://www.meed.com/

Al Anbaa: http://www.alanba.com.kw/newspaper