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1. The South Korean government held a second meeting of the special medical reform committee on Friday and announced plans to submit documents to the Seoul High Court to verify that the decision to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000 was based on scientific grounds.

2. Top nuclear envoys from South Korea, the U.S., China, and Japan held a series of meetings in Tokyo, during the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue to discuss North Korea issues. Nuclear envoys from South Korea and China met for the first time in two months on Thursday to discuss issues related to the Korean Peninsula.

3. In a speech in Moscow’s Red Square on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his army fighting in Ukraine and accused “Western elites” of provoking conflicts around the world. Putin warned his nuclear forces were “always” on alert and said Russia would not tolerate any Western threats.

1. In a press conference Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol laid out priorities for his remaining time in office for the next three years while pledging to improve livelihoods and create a new ministry to boost the country’s low birthrate.

2. According to data released by the Bank of Korea on Thursday, South Korea logged a current account surplus for the 11th consecutive month in March, reaching 6-point-93 billion U.S. dollars, on the back of strong exports of semiconductors.

3. U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would halt some shipments of American weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.

1. The Ministry of Government Legislation on Tuesday received from the National Assembly a bill that calls for a special counsel probe into controversies surrounding a military report on the death of Marine Corporal Chae Su-geun last year.

2. The South Korean government announced Wednesday that it will provide 9.7 trillion won, or roughly 7.1 billion U.S. dollars, in policy financing this year to support the country's battery and automotive industries. The announcement comes as the U.S. decided to extend tax credits for electric vehicles containing Chinese graphite for two years.

3. A statement reflecting the international community's concerns over North Korea's illegal weapons trade was adopted for the first time at the MIKTA Speakers' Meeting on Tuesday. MIKTA is an informal cooperative group created by South Korea, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkiye and Australia in 2013.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday he has revived the position of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs and appointed Kim Joo-hyun, a former prosecutor who served as vice justice minister in 2015.

2. A senior official at South Korea's Embassy in Beijing said Monday that South Korea and China are in the final stage of talks to set up a visit to Beijing by Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, that would make him the first South Korean foreign minister to visit the Chinese capital in more than six years.

3. French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen urged Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday to ensure more balanced trade with Europe during a meeting in Paris. The Chinese leader, however, showed little sign of being ready to offer major concessions.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday invited around 360 children and their families to the Blue House, the former presidential office, to commemorate Children's Day.

2. According to Statistics Korea on Monday, the growth of dining out prices surpassed the inflation rate in April for the 35th consecutive month. The average prices of major food items at restaurants increased three percent in April, 0-point-1 percentage point higher than the 2-point-9 percent inflation rate.

3. According to the Los Angeles Police Department on Saturday, a Korean man in his 40s was fatally shot at a house in Koreatown by police officers responding to a call from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, sparking allegations of excessive force by the police.

1. The ruling People Power Party on Thursday approved the appointment of {황우여}Hwang Woo-yea, a former five-term lawmaker, to head its interim emergency leadership committee. The main opposition Democratic Party on Friday elected {박찬대}Park Chan-dae as its floor leader.

2. South Korea on Thursday launched the "2024 Korea Season," a six-month program to showcase its diverse artistic and cultural landscape in major cities around France, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

3. According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance on Thursday, the OECD revised its outlook for South Korea's economic growth this year to 2-point-6 percent. The figure marked a 0-point-4 percentage-point increase from its projection of 2-point-2 percent made in February.

1. Rival parties on Thursday passed a special bill mandating a new investigation into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush incident during a plenary parliamentary session. The special bill was passed with 256 voting in favor and three abstentions.

2. According to data from Statistics Korea, South Korea's inflation rose 2-point-9 percent on-year in April, marking the first time in three months that the index fell below 3 percent. Agricultural products spiked 20-point-3 percent on-year last month.

3. South Korean defense firm Hyundai Rotem announced Thursday that the company has been selected as a preferred bidder to export 30 K-808 White Tiger wheeled armored vehicles to Peru. STX Engine will serve as the main contractor for the deal.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to protect the "value of labor" at all costs as South Korea marked Labor Day on Wednesday. In a social media post, president Yoon said the government will make active efforts to provide a safer and fairer workplace for laborers.

2. According to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday, South Korea's exports extended on-year gains for seven consecutive months in April on the back of robust chip demand. Outbound shipments climbed 13-point-8 percent on-year to 56-point-2 billion U.S. dollars last month.

3. South Korea and Australia on Wednesday held a so-called "two plus two" meeting of their foreign and defense ministers in Melbourne, and discussed the possibility of including South Korea in the AUKUS security partnership which comprises the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Australia.

1. Among Seoul's "Big 5" hospitals, Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital suspended outpatient clinics and surgeries Tuesday, as senior doctors began taking a weekly day off amid a protracted walkout by junior doctors in protest of the government's medical reform.

2. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Angolan President (후앙 루렌쑤) João Lourenço on Tuesday held a summit in Seoul, the first bilateral visit by an Angolan leader since 2001. The two called for expanding bilateral cooperation based on their countries' respective strengths in technology and natural resources.

3. According to data from Statistics Korea on Tuesday, South Korea's industrial output decreased two-point-one percent from a month earlier in March, the first fall in five months, posting the largest drop in about four years.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol and opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday sat down for their first-ever meeting since President Yoon came into office in May 2022. The two met over tea at the presidential office, accompanied by three aides each.

2. South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-Pyo and Angolan President Joao Lourenco held a courtesy meeting on Monday. Angola's president is set to hold a summit with President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday, during his official three-day visit to South Korea which started Sunday.

3. According to the South Korean government's report on climate change released Monday, frequent occurrences of abnormal high temperatures last year resulted in flowers blooming two weeks earlier than 50 years ago.

1. According to a senior presidential secretary on Friday, President Yoon Suk Yeol and opposition leader Lee Jae-myung will meet for the first time at the presidential office next Monday. The two sides reportedly agreed on the date following a third round of preparatory talks.

2. Seoul’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Friday that South Korea, the U.S., and Japan have held talks and agreed to bolster cooperation in the fields of export controls and technology protection.

3. Medical professors at all the “Big Five” general hospitals in Seoul have decided to suspend outpatient consultations and surgeries one day each week, amid extended work hours due to the trainee doctors’ mass walkout.

1. A special presidential committee on medical reform launched on Thursday and held its first meeting without the participation of doctors’ groups. The committee’s chairman said the members do not yet plan to discuss the medical school admissions quota.

2. According to data by the Bank of Korea on Thursday, South Korea’s real gross domestic product - a key measure of economic growth - increased 1-point-3 percent on-quarter in the January-March period, on the back of increased construction investment.

3. North Korea on Thursday decried the United States over efforts to build a new sanctions monitoring mechanism against the regime, and warned of “powerful practical actions” to build up its military strength, … as the mandate of a UN expert panel is set to expire later this month.

1. South Korea's health ministry on Wednesday expressed regret over medical professors' decision to take a day off on a weekly basis starting next week and urged them to engage in dialogue amid the prolonged medical vacuum in the country.

2. The Ministry of Science and ICT said Wednesday a South Korean nanosatellite successfully communicated with its ground station after being launched into orbit from a spaceport in Mahia, New Zealand.

3. The Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday that North Korea has sent an economic delegation headed by External Economic Relations Minister Yun Jong-ho to Iran, a rare trip that raises suspicions of cooperation between the two nations over weapons programs.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis agreed Tuesday to boost cooperation in the defense and nuclear energy sectors as part of efforts to strengthen their countries' strategic partnership, during a summit held on the second day of the Romanian leader’s four-day official visit to South Korea.

2. The Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday that North Korea has conducted a tactical drill simulating a nuclear counterattack involving super-large multiple rocket launchers, a day after South Korea said the North fired short-range missiles into the East Sea.

3. The main opposition Democratic Party and the presidential office on Tuesday said they were unable to confirm the schedule and agenda of the inter-party meeting, and had decided to hold a second working-level meeting in the future.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday named People Power Party lawmaker Chung Jin-suk as his new chief of staff, the first personnel replacement since the party's crushing defeat in the April 10 parliamentary elections. President Yoon said the new chief will boost his administration’s communication with the public.

2. According to Nomura Securities of the Global Investment Bank on Monday, South Korea's fruit and vegetable prices have risen the most this year compared to G7 countries or Taiwan, which has a similar economic structure.

3. The U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday approved over 60 billion U.S. dollars in military aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The Ukraine aid was part of a 95 billion U.S. dollar package of national security bills that also includes 26 billion U.S. dollars for Israel.

1. South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday the government has accepted a request from the chiefs of six national universities for flexibility in expanding the medical school enrollment quota. The decision raised hopes for an end to the protracted walkout by trainee doctors.

2. According to a U.S. official on Friday, Israel carried out a military strike inside Iran, in what appeared to be limited retaliatory action for last week’s drone and missile attack by Tehran. Iran's state media reported that explosions were heard near the city of Isfahan.

3. According to an official at the Presidential Office, President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday spoke with opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung via phone call. During the five-minute conversation, President Yoon reportedly proposed the two meet in Yongsan next week to discuss state affairs.

1. The Presidential office said Wednesday that President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed during phone talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to promote bilateral and trilateral cooperation together with the United States.

2. According to an official at the Presidential office, President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo earlier this week to discuss the direction of state affairs, including the future running of government affairs and personnel appointments, after the ruling party’s defeat in last week’s general elections.

3. Following the recent sharp depreciation of the Korean won and Japanese yen against the dollar, the finance chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Wednesday acknowledged "serious concerns" and agreed to consult closely on foreign exchange markets.

1. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday held the 2024 growth outlook for South Korea steady at 2-point-3 percent, citing "surprisingly resilient" global economic activity. The latest projection is the same as its forecast made in January.

2. According to a survey conducted by the gender ministry on 12-thousand-44 households nationwide from June 1st to July 31st 2023, an increased proportion of people in their 20s to 30s indicated having plans for children.

3. South Korea's National Intelligence Service said Wednesday it is monitoring whether North Korea's weapons technology was used in the ballistic missiles that Iran launched against Israel last week.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday he humbly accepts the public sentiment revealed in the parliamentary elections and will work to improve communication with the people. President Yoon made the pledge in his first public remarks on last Wednesday's general elections.

2. South Korea "strongly" protested against Japan on Tuesday after Tokyo issued an annual diplomatic report renewing its territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo. South Korea's foreign ministry called in Taisuke Mibae, the deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.

3. The U.S. Commerce Department announced Monday that it will grant Samsung Electronics subsidies of up to 6-point-4 billion U.S. dollars for its chip manufacturing and research cluster in Texas.

1. Iran launched an unprecedented large-scale drone and missile attack at Israel on Saturday night in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic complex in Syria. An Israeli official said Israel's war cabinet meeting ended Sunday without a decision on how Israel will respond to Iran’s attack.

2. South Korea's finance minister said Monday the government will extend the tax cut on fuel consumption by an additional two months amid growing tensions in the Middle East. The tax cuts were supposed to expire at the end of this month.

3. The top U.S. envoy to the United Nations will meet with South Korea's defense chief Monday as part of her trip to Seoul this week for talks to boost bilateral cooperation amid North Korean threats. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield arrived in the country Sunday for a four-day visit.

1. According to a presidential official Friday, President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to give a public statement sometime after the weekend regarding the ruling People Power Party's crushing defeat in the parliamentary elections.

2. The monetary policy board of the Bank of Korea on Friday kept its policy rate unchanged at 3-point-5 percent for the 10th straight session. The central bank said its current restrictive stance will be maintained for a sufficient period of time amid woes over high inflation and household debt.

3. South Korea and the United States on Friday affirmed plans to execute a joint tabletop exercise simulating North Korea's use of a nuclear weapon. According to a joint statement, the two sides affirmed the plan during the South Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue in Washington D.C. on Thursday.

1. The main opposition Democratic Party retained a majority in the National Assembly in Wednesday's general elections. Including proportional seats, the Democratic Party and its satellite party garnered 175 seats, while the People Power Party and its satellite party clinched 108 seats out of a total of 300.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday vowed to reform state affairs to reflect people's will following the ruling party's crushing defeat in the parliamentary elections. Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, resigned the same day to take responsibility for the election results.

3. U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday called for North Korea to return to dialogue during a summit in Washington. In a joint statement, the leaders also vowed to strengthen defense cooperation and establish a joint command structure.

1. South Korean voters on Wednesday headed to the polls for the country's 22nd parliamentary elections. Voter turnout for this election was higher than the last general election.

2. A senior U.S. official said Tuesday that the United States is considering including South Korea as a partner in Pillar Two advanced military technology development projects under the AUKUS security partnership, which comprises the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.

3. The Booker Prize Foundation on Tuesday announced that South Korean novelist {황석영}Hwang Sok-yong’s novel “Mater 2-10” has been shortlisted for the 2024 International Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world.

1. On the eve of the 22nd general elections Tuesday, both ruling and opposition parties headed to key battleground areas in Seoul and the nearby metropolitan regions to make their final pitch to voters.

2. South Korea's foreign ministry on Monday said that 11 citizens from Haiti evacuated via helicopter due to deteriorating security. The ministry said the citizens were airlifted to the neighboring Dominican Republic, and withheld further details to ensure the safety of other South Koreans in Haiti.

3. Citing sources, Reuters reported on Monday that the Biden administration plans to announce it is awarding more than 6 billion U.S. dollars to South Korea's Samsung next week to expand its chip output in Taylor, Texas.

1. According to the National Election Commission, a record 31-point-28 percent of voters cast their ballots during the two days of early voting for the upcoming 22nd general elections, marking the first time early-voting turnout for general elections exceeded 30 percent.

2. South Korea's defense ministry said Monday that the nation successfully launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the U.S. Kennedy Space Center. The reconnaissance satellite succeeded in communicating with an overseas ground station at 10:57 a.m.

3. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during an interview on Sunday that his government is making "high-level approaches" to North Korea to hold a summit with Kim Jong-un. Tokyo reportedly seeks to resolve "outstanding issues" and promote stable relations between the two nations.

1. Early voting began Friday ahead of next week's parliamentary elections, with turnout reaching a record high just three hours after the polls opened. Leaders of rival parties visited polling stations, urging voters to exercise their rights.

2. According to the Bank of Korea on Friday, South Korea logged a current account surplus for the 10th straight month in February on the back of an increased trade surplus and dividend income. The country's current account surplus reached 6-point-86 billion U.S. dollars in February.

3. A foreign ministry official said Friday that South Korea is in talks with China and Japan to host a trilateral summit next month at the "earliest time convenient" for all sides. A

summit of the three nations was last held more than four years ago in December 2019.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday vowed to support people’s livelihoods by completing as many revisions to lower-level laws as he can within the year, while speaking at a government meeting reviewing the 24 government-public debate sessions held so far this year.

2. South Korean security sources said Wednesday that the government had seized a stateless vessel allegedly involved in violating UN Security Council resolutions against North Korea. The ship was reportedly en route to Russia from North Korea before it was caught last Saturday in waters off the country’s south coast.

3. Gold prices surged to an all-time high on Wednesday after the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted that it was preparing to cut interest rates later this year even as inflation remains above the central bank’s target.

1. A memorial service marking the 76th anniversary of the Jeju April 3rd Incident was held Wednesday morning at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park. Around 15-thousand people attended the ceremony. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo delivered a commemorative address on behalf of the government.

2. According to data by Statistics Korea released Wednesday, the inflation rate for dining out in March was 3.4%, surpassing the average inflation rate for overall consumer prices for 34 consecutive months. The inflation rate for processed foods was below the average for two consecutive months.

3. Taiwan was rocked by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday morning, the strongest the country has seen in 25 years. Taiwanese authorities said the earthquake struck the country's east coast with the depth of the epicenter estimated at 20 kilometers. At least seven people have died and 700 are reportedly injured.

1. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that North Korea fired what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile, possibly equipped with a hypersonic warhead, at 6:53 a.m. The South Korean military said the missile flew about 600 kilometers before landing in the East Sea.

2. The National Election Commission said Tuesday that overseas voting turnout for the April 10 general elections was at an all-time high of 62.8 percent on the final day. A total of 92-thousand-923 people out of more than 147-thousand eligible voters abroad had cast their ballots.

3. According to data from Statistics Korea on Tuesday, South Korea's consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 3.1 percent on-year in March on record prices of fruits and rising global oil prices. Prices spiked 88.2 percent for apples and 87.8 percent for pears, a record surge for both since the agency began compiling data in 1980.

1. During an address to the nation on Monday, President Yoon Suk Yeol said a hike of 2-thousand in medical school admissions is the minimum needed to reform the healthcare system, and apologized to the public for failing to resolve the ongoing standoff between the government and the medical community.

2. According to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Monday, South Korea's exports rose for the sixth consecutive month in March on the back of the robust performance of chips. Exports of chips marked the highest amount since June 2022.

3. South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will attend a foreign ministers’ meeting of NATO to be held in Belgium this Thursday. South Korea was invited to the ministerial meeting for the third year as one of NATO’s four Asia-Pacific partners which includes Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

1. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Friday a yellow dust storm blanketed South Korea with fine dust advisories issued across many regions. Most central regions recorded fine dust levels exceeding the "very bad" level of over 151 micrograms per cubic meter in the morning.

2. Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup stepped down Friday, less than a month after he was named for the job. The announcement came amid criticism of his appointment and departure that came despite the fact that he was subject to an investigation.

3. During a session of the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, Russia vetoed a resolution to extend the mandate of a panel of experts monitoring sanctions on North Korea for a year, with China abstaining. Without the resolution, the panel's mandate is set to expire on April 30th.

1. With official campaigning for the April 10 general elections starting on Thursday, South Korea's government issued a statement vowing to punish all illegal acts related to the elections under a zero tolerance principle.

2. Unionized bus drivers in Seoul returned to work 11 hours after going on a general strike Thursday for the first time in 12 years to demand a wage hike, causing delays for commuters in the morning rush hour. The Seoul Bus Labor Union reached a deal on a 4-point-48 percent wage hike plus holiday bonuses with their employers.

3. In coordination with South Korea, the U.S. Treasury Department announced Wednesday it had imposed new sanctions on six North Korean nationals and two third-country entities for their role to help finance Pyongyang's weapons of mass destruction programs.

1. North Korea's state-run KCNA reported on Tuesday that Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, said North Korea will refuse all contact with Japan, after Tokyo took issue with the problem of Japanese abductees and the North's nuclear program.

2. According to the Bank of Korea on Wednesday, business sentiment slightly improved in March with the Business Survey Index for all industries at 69, up one point from the previous month. This marks a slight improvement from February, when it posted the lowest figure since September 2020.

3. China on Tuesday initiated dispute settlement proceedings against the United States at the World Trade Organization to safeguard its interests in the electric vehicle industry. China said it was contesting "discriminatory subsidies" under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act.

1. South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance said Tuesday that the government will focus next year's fiscal policy on better promoting next-generation research and development projects, boosting the country's low birthrate, and bolstering necessary medical services.

2. The National Election Commission said Tuesday that overseas voting for the April 10th general elections is set to begin on the 27th and run for six days. A total of 147-thousand-989 people are eligible for overseas voting at 220 polling stations across 115 countries between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. everyday.

3. The United Nations Security Council on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages, while the U.S. abstained from the vote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the U.S. of having "abandoned" its previous policy.

1. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said Monday relevant ministries have begun work to hold talks with the medical community, a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday called for a "flexible" measure over the government's move to suspend licenses of defiant trainee doctors.

2. Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, said Monday that Japan had proposed summit talks. In response, Kishida later said that while he is not aware of the specific statement, a summit between the two countries is "important" to resolve many pending issues.

3. South Korea's foreign ministry on Saturday expressed condolences to the victims and their families of a tragic terror attack at a concert hall in Moscow. At least 137 have been killed after gunmen opened fire on Friday. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack.

1. Candidate registration for the 22nd general election, which will be held on April 10th, closes on Friday at 6 PM. The order number on ballots for parties and candidates will be determined as of the deadline.

2. South Korean poet {김혜순}Kim Hye-soon on Thursday became the first Korean ever to win the National Book Critics Circle Award for her work "Phantom Pain Wings." The National Book Critics Circle, an American nonprofit association, announced Kim as the winner in the poetry category.

3. A senior U.S. official on Thursday said South Korean companies' reported move to stop selling used semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China is "encouraging," and that the U.S. is making sure that they have "parity" with allied nations, as Washington seeks tighter export controls on key technologies.

1. The Third Summit for Democracy hosted by South Korea closed in Seoul on Wednesday. The U.S.-led annual summit was held for three days starting on March 18th. In his closing remarks, President Yoon Suk Yeol said the "journey for democracy" will continue.

2. Candidate registration for the April 10 parliamentary elections opened on Thursday. The ruling People Power Party called for voter support in the face of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, while the main opposition Democratic Party urged voters to pass stern judgment on the Yoon administration.

3. The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its benchmark lending rate steady in the 5.25 to 5.50 percent range for a fifth consecutive time, and signaled that it could lower the rate three times this year in line with policymakers' previous projections.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol and the leaders of Denmark and Kenya will jointly open the leaders' plenary during the third Summit for Democracy, which is scheduled to be held virtually on Wednesday. President Yoon will host the second session on "Technology, Elections, and Fake News."

2. South Korea's Education Minister Lee Ju-ho said Wednesday the government allocated an additional 2,000 medical school admission seats to universities nationwide, pushing ahead with the medical reform initiative, despite threat of a general strike from the doctors' group.

3. The Korean Central News Agency reported on Wednesday that North Korea successfully conducted a ground jet test of a solid-fuel engine for its new type intermediate-range hypersonic missile amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

1. The second day of the third Summit of Democracy hosted by South Korea opened on Tuesday with a civil society and youth event. A North Korean defector called for more global attention on the North's human rights situation during the opening ceremony.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday reaffirmed his determination to push ahead with medical reform, calling it the demand of the people and a task for the good of the public.

3. Oil prices climbed about 2 percent to a four-month high on Monday on lower crude exports from Iraq and Saudi Arabia as well as signs of stronger demand and economic growth in China and the U.S. / U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2-point-1 percent to nearly 83 U.S. dollars.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday called for participants in the Summit of Democracy to share their experiences and pool their wisdom to ensure artificial intelligence and new digital technologies protect the safety of individuals and society while promoting democracy.

2. South Korea’s Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo on Monday told reporters that the government plans to revamp a scheme to help doctors in essential medical fields receive more fees from the national health insurance through the adoption of a value-based payment system.

3. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday claimed a landslide election victory, as predicted, securing a fifth term. This means Putin will overtake Joseph Stalin and become Russia’s longest-serving leader in more than 200 years.

1. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong on Friday said health authorities will have top-tier medical emergency centers to prioritize patients in critical condition, while addressing concerns over delays in emergency treatment amid the prolonged walkout by junior doctors.

2. South Korea's finance ministry announced Friday that the economy has been recovering on the solid growth of exports, but disparities among sectors remain wide amid weak consumption and investment. The ministry's assessment report also said the slowdown in inflation has become stagnant.

3. People across Russia and the annexed regions of Ukraine began three days of voting on Friday to decide the country's next president. Incumbent President Vladimir Putin is largely expected to win and secure a fifth term as leader.

1. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Thursday that South Korea and the United States wrapped up the annual Freedom Shield combined military exercise designed to reinforce deterrence against North Korean threats, amid a month-long pause in Pyongyang's missile launches.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday pledged to quickly establish a transportation network in Jeollanam-do Province, by injecting 2.6 trillion won, or around two billion U.S. dollars, to build a superhighway connecting Yeongam and Gwangju that resembles Germany's Autobahn.

3. European Union lawmakers on Wednesday approved the world’s most comprehensive legislation yet on artificial intelligence. The Artificial Intelligence Act establishes obligations for AI based on its potential risks and level of impact, and will take effect in roughly two years.

1. South Korea's trade minister Cheong In-kyo said Tuesday that South Korean companies will receive subsidies under the U.S. CHIPS Act and that the U.S. government is expected to make a related announcement soon.

2. According to data released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, South Korea added more than 300-thousand jobs for the second consecutive month in February, led by solid job growth in the manufacturing sector on the back of rising exports.

3. Former special counsel Robert Hur on Tuesday testified before the House Judiciary Committee about his report that questioned U.S. President Joe Biden’s age and mental competence. Lawmakers turned the hearing on Biden’s handling of classified documents into a proxy campaign battle.

1. According to data from Statistics Korea on Tuesday, the increase in fruit prices last month outpaced the overall inflation rate by a record margin. Fruit prices surged 40.6% on-year in February, which was 37.5 percentage points higher than the country's consumer price index.

2. The health ministry on Tuesday vowed to swiftly implement a set of measures to reform and improve the state medical system, which aims to ease the burden on trainee doctors. One of the measures includes hiring more fellow doctors by counting two trainee doctors as one specialist.

3. South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday it has been providing consular assistance to a South Korean national arrested in Russia on espionage charges. Russia's TASS news agency reported Monday that a South Korean citizen has been held in a Moscow detention facility since late February

1.President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged Monday to ease regulations to boost the tourism industry in Gangwon-do Province, emphasizing that additional cable car systems could be constructed according to the wishes of local residents.

2. South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission announced last Thursday that the International Atomic Energy Agency will participate in cross-verification of samples from the fifth discharge of treated radioactive water from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and that it hopes to participate in future cross-verification.

3. Palestinians in Gaza made preparations to observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Sunday under Israeli siege that has severely restricted food to millions in the besieged enclave, as talks to secure a ceasefire stalled among mediators in Cairo.

1. South Korea’s foreign ministry said late Thursday it will replace the Office of Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs with the Office of Strategy and Intelligence, downsizing the bureau handling the North Korean nuclear issue to create a department focused on foreign policy intelligence-gathering.

2. According to data released by the Bank of Korea on Friday, South Korea's current account surplus reached 3-point-05 billion U.S. dollars in January on the back of strong exports of semiconductors and automobiles.

3. A Montenegro court on Thursday ruled that {권도형}Kwon Do-hyeong, the co-founder of cryptocurrency firm Terraform Labs, should be extradited to South Korea to face trial for financial crimes, reversing an earlier decision to send him to the U.S.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Thursday to boost the aviation industry through projects to expand infrastructure in the city of Incheon. He also promised the government will develop the airline service industry by making sure that Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines creates good synergy.

2. The North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that its leader Kim Jong-un called for intensifying "practical actual war drills" during a visit to a military training base, as South Korea and the United States hold its annual combined military exercises.

3. The European Union's Digital Markets Act came into effect at midnight Wednesday. The DMA is a set of regulations passed to reign in the dominance of the six big tech companies classed as “gatekeepers” — Amazon, Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok owner ByteDance.

1. According to data from Statistics Korea on Wednesday, South Korea's inflation increased to 3.1 percent on-year in February on high prices of fresh food items and energy. Prices of 18 major kinds of fruits combined surged 41.2 percent last month, the largest increase in more than 32 years.

2. The chief spokesperson of the Korean Medical Association appeared before police for questioning Wednesday in connection with the trainee doctors’ walkout. President Yoon Suk Yeol called the doctors’ collective action an act that “shakes the foundations of liberalism and the rule of law.”

3. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump dominated Super Tuesday primaries across the U.S. on Tuesday, setting up a rematch in November's general election despite low approval ratings for both candidates.

1. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for doctors’ collective actions announced Tuesday that 40 medical schools nationwide applied for a combined 3,401 additional admission seats, a number that exceeds the government's planned increase of 2,000 more slots.

2. The Bank of Korea announced Tuesday that the nation's gross national income per capita came to 33-thousand-745 U.S. dollars in 2023, up two-point-six percent from a year earlier.

3. South Korea and the United States announced Tuesday their chief negotiators for talks on the sharing of the costs for the upkeep of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea. Lee Tae-woo, a senior diplomat and former consul general in Sydney, will lead the South Korean delegation, while Linda Specht will lead the U.S. side.

1. The health ministry said Monday it started taking procedures to suspend the licenses of around 7-thousand trainee doctors who have defied the government’s order to return to work after walking off their job in protest of plans to increase the medical school quota.

2. South Korea and the United States started the annual Freedom Shield exercise on Monday. The joint military exercise will run for 11 days until March 14th amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s provocations.

3. China’s largest political event, the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, opened on Monday. China’s parliament is expected to unveil economic targets and policies to reenergize the economy during the Two Sessions.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Friday that South Korea and Japan are partners in the pursuit of global peace and prosperity as they work to overcome their "painful past" and move toward a new future, as he marked the 105th anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement.

2. According to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Friday, South Korea's exports advanced 4.8 percent on-year to 52-point-4 billion U.S. dollars in February, as the outbound shipments of chips continued to grow.

3. Han Kang's latest novel "I Do Not Bid Farewell" won a French literary award, the {에밀 기메}Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature, on Friday. The novel was published in September 2021, and depicts the tragedy of a 1948 civilian massacre on South Korea's southern island of Jeju.

1. According to the Health Ministry, roughly 300 trainee doctors who walked off their jobs to protest the government's plan to increase medical school admissions returned to work as of Thursday - the deadline set by the government for them to return to work before potentially facing punitive measures.

2. Rival parties on Thursday agreed on an electoral district map for the upcoming parliamentary elections in April. The number of seats chosen by direct votes in North Jeolla Province will be maintained at 10, while the total number of seats picked through a proportional representation system will be decreased by one to 46.

3. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held their first bilateral in-person meeting in Washington on Wednesday. Cho stressed that the U.S. and South Korea "are one in condemning North Korea's increasingly provocative rhetoric and actions."

1. Four lawmakers left the main opposition Democratic Party on Wednesday amid an escalating dispute over what they perceive as unfair candidate nominations for the April 10 parliamentary elections. The factional rift peaked when Im Jong-seok, a former chief of staff for President Moon Jae-in, was not nominated on Tuesday.

2. Health ministry officials on Wednesday started visiting the homes of trainee doctors to deliver the government's back-to-work order, in a final step that would allow the government to file a criminal complaint over the doctors' mass walkout.

3. The operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant on Wednesday started releasing a fourth batch of treated radioactive water into the sea. As in previous rounds, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings will discharge 7,800 metric tons of treated water over about 17 days.

1. The health ministry on Tuesday said the number of new patients has fallen 24 percent at general hospitals, while the number of surgeries performed has plunged 50 percent since trainee doctors began the mass walkout in protest of the government's plan to increase the medical school admission quota.

2. The price of bitcoin topped the 55-thousand U.S. dollar level on Tuesday, trading at its highest value in 27 months since November 2021.

3. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said Monday that North Korea appears to be receiving food and other necessities, as well as raw materials and parts used in weapons manufacturing, for supplying weapons to Russia.

1. The health ministry on Monday warned that trainee doctors who refused to return to work by Thursday could start facing punishment next month. The number of trainee doctors who submitted resignations topped 10-thousand against the government's plan to raise the medical school admission quota.

2. The South Korean government will introduce a system to regulate stress debt service ratio for household loans starting from this week for the first time. The move is aimed at strengthening household debt management by reducing the limit of loans.

3. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that some 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began two years ago, acknowledging for the first time in the war, a concrete figure for Ukraine’s toll.

1. The top diplomats of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan held a meeting on Thursday on the margins of a foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 nations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,...and highlighted the importance of trilateral coordination to respond to North Korea's provocative acts and its military support for Russia's war against Ukraine.

2. In response to the prolonged collective action by trainee doctors nationwide, the South Korean government on Friday raised the state health crisis warning to the highest "serious" level and decided to fully extend telemedicine services at hospitals on a temporary basis.

3. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average both surged to record closing highs on Thursday, powered by investors piling into growth and technology stocks the day after artificial intelligence leader Nvidia reported much stronger-than-expected quarterly results.

1. The monetary policy board of the Bank of Korea kept its policy rate unchanged at 3.5 percent for the ninth straight session Thursday, amid woes over slower-than-expected inflation moderation and high household debts. It also maintained its growth outlook for the year at 2.1 percent.

2. At the 14th round of the New Year’s presidential public debates on Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to boost the nuclear power industry by providing three-point-three trillion won, or around two-point-five billion U.S. dollars, worth of projects and 1 trillion won worth of special financing.

3. The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan on Wednesday agreed to continue bilateral cooperation to address North Korea issues, during talks held on the sidelines of a foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 nations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday held phone talks with German and Danish leaders to explain his decision to postpone his visits to the European countries. The presidential office did not give an official reason for Yoon postponing his trip four days before his scheduled departure.

2. Japan's engineering company Hitachi Zosen and the country's government on Tuesday expressed “extreme regret” over a Korean victim of Japan's wartime forced labor receiving Hitachi Zosen’s court deposit money as compensation in accordance with South Korean Supreme Court ruling.

3. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo told reporters that, as of Tuesday, a total of 8,816 trainee doctors had submitted their resignations and 7,813 of them left their work sites, in protest against the government's plan to expand the medical school enrollment quota.

1. The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday ordered 831 trainee doctors to return to work. More than 6,400 trainee doctors have submitted their resignations in protest of the government's plan to add 2,000 to the country's medical school enrollment quota next year.

2. Former prime minister Lee Nak-yon who left the main opposition Democratic Party ahead of April's general elections, said Tuesday he will retract a recent decision to merge with the New Reform Party led by former People Power Party chairman Lee Jun-seok.

3. The family of a South Korean victim of Japan's wartime forced labor on Tuesday received compensation from Hitachi Zosen Corporation in accordance with a Supreme Court ruling, marking the first such move from a Japanese company.

1. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Monday that the government will fully expand telemedicine services in the event of a massive walkout by doctors. Trainee doctors have been warning of a large-scale strike in opposition to the government's decision to add 2,000 to the country's medical school enrollment quota next year.

2. The National Assembly began the February extraordinary session on Monday. The rival parties are expected to clash over two motions on special counsel investigations into the Daejang-dong development scandal and a stock manipulation case allegedly involving first lady Kim Keon-hee.

3. Alexei Navalny, Russian President Vladimir Putin's most formidable domestic opponent, fell unconscious and died on Friday after a walk at the "Polar Wolf" Arctic penal colony where he was serving a three-decade sentence.

1. {김여정}Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Thursday the regime is open to improving its relationship with Japan, and that the Japanese leader may visit Pyongyang if Tokyo does not raise the longstanding issue of Japanese abductees.

2. Worries over doctors' collective action in protest of a plan to increase medical students mounted Friday as trainee doctors at major hospitals decided to resign early next week. In response, the Health Ministry reaffirmed its pledge to deal sternly against the move by ordering 221 training hospitals to ban mass leave.

3. Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, on Friday fired Jurgen Klinsmann as head coach of the South Korean men's national football team, days after the team made a disappointing exit at the top Asian tournament.

1. South Korea established diplomatic relations with Cuba on Wednesday, its mission to the United Nations said, in a surprise announcement that could pose a setback to North Korea that has long boasted brotherly ties with the Latin American country.

2. The Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised the test-firing of a new surface-to-sea missile, named {바다수리}Padasuri-6, and ordered a tighter defense posture near the western maritime border.

3. The Korean Medical Student Association announced Thursday that medical students will take collective action against the government's planned expansion of the quota for medical school admissions, with a survey of 20-thousand students nationwide set to be conducted on whether to take a leave of absence en masse.

1. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired several cruise missiles off the east coast Wednesday. The South Korean military detected the missiles launched at around 9 a.m. into waters northeast of Wonsan on the east coast. It marked the North's fifth cruise missile launch this year.

2. The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, on Tuesday conditionally approved a merger deal of 1.8 trillion-won, or roughly 1.4 billion U.S. dollars, between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. The companies are now waiting for the final approval from the United States, out of 14 countries.

3. South Korean swimming star {황선우}Hwang Sun-woo claimed gold in the men's 200-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar on Tuesday. {김우민}Kim Woo-min also won the gold medal in the men's 400-meter freestyle at the world championships on Sunday.

1. An association of trainee doctors formed an emergency committee on Tuesday in protest of the government's plan to increase the number of medical students by 2-thousand. The association made no announcement about collective action after all-night discussions earlier in the day.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday appointed former Industry Minister {주형환}Joo Hyung-hwan as vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, and {윤오준}Yun Oh-jun as the third deputy director of the National Intelligence Service.

3. The price of bitcoin traded above 50-thousand U.S. dollars on Monday for the first time since 2021. The cryptocurrency has gained almost 15 per cent since the start of the year, largely driven by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approval of several spot bitcoin exchange traded funds.

1. According to the Korea Expressway Corp., some 5.2 million cars are expected to hit the road nationwide Friday, the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday. The Transport ministry designated over 130 locations on highways and roads for special management to ease congestion. Highway tolls will be exempt from Friday through Monday.

2. Four third-party forces which broke away from the ruling and opposition parties, have agreed to merge into one new party ahead of the April general elections. Related officials announced Friday that the envisioned party will be named the Reform Party.

3. According to North Korea's state media on Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again called South Korea the North's "primary foe" and vowed to guard the country through power rather than negotiations.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Lunar New Year holiday interview with KBS TV aired on Wednesday night. During the 90-minute interview Yoon revealed his administration’s policies for the new year.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged Thursday to implement various policy support measures to assist small business owners struggling with loan repayments. The government will work to refund the interest, averaging 1 million won, or 753 U.S. dollars, per person, with the total refunded amount reaching 2.4 trillion won.

3. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Wednesday briefing dismissed Hamas’ proposals for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, calling them “delusional” in a setback to diplomatic efforts to pause the war.

1. South Korea’s Foreign Minister (조태열)Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Tuesday to discuss North Korea and bilateral issues. In the first such talks between the two diplomats since Cho’s inauguration, Wang Yi extended an invitation for Cho to visit Beijing.

2. South Korea and Saudi Arabia’s defense ministries announced Tuesday that the two countries have secured a three-point-two billion dollar deal to export a mid-range surface-to-air missile defense system to Saudi Arabia.

3. The Korea Medical Association is set to hold meetings Wednesday to discuss actions against the government’s plan to expand medical school admissions quota. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it is bracing for a potential strike by doctors and establishing contingency plans.

1. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Tuesday it plans to increase the number of medical students by 2,000 next year, in a bid to address the chronic shortages of doctors in rural areas and the essential health care field. The plan is expected to draw fierce protests from doctors.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday granted special pardons to more than 450-thousand people on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, including former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon.

3. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said Monday the OECD revised down its outlook for South Korea's economic growth this year to 2.2 percent, from its projection of 2.3 percent made in November. The projection was on par with that by the South Korean government.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday reiterated the importance of public education in childcare, while vowing to ensure that the after-school child care program expands to two-thousand elementary schools in the first half of this year, and all elementary schools by 2026.

2. The Seoul Central District Court acquitted Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Monday after he was indicted on charges of involvement in the controversial 2015 merger of Cheil Industries Incorporation and Samsung C&T Corporation to solidify his managerial control of the group.

3. According to the foreign ministry on Sunday, Russian deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko visited Seoul last Friday. Rudenko’s visit came a day after Moscow's Foreign Ministry spokesperson publicly criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol for his remarks on North Korea as being "blatantly biased."

1. According to data from Statistics Korea on Friday, South Korea's inflation fell below 3 percent for the first time in six months in January. Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 2.8 percent on-year last month, compared with a 3.2 percent increase a month earlier.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to hold a pre-recorded interview scheduled two days before the Lunar New Year holidays with public broadcaster KBS, as pressure builds to address the alleged graft scandal involving first lady Kim Keon Hee.

3. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday that North Korea fired several cruise missiles off the west coast at around 11 a.m. in the latest in a series of the North's cruise missile launches this year.

1. The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday held its benchmark lending rate steady between 5.25 and 5.50 percent for a fourth consecutive time. After the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that a rate cut in March is "probably not the most likely case."

2. The main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday rejected the ruling party’s proposal that would have granted small businesses an additional two-year grace period from the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The application of the act was expanded to businesses with fewer than 50 employees last Saturday.

3. The fourth Winter Youth Olympics will conclude on Thursday with a celebration of feats accomplished by teenage athletes over the past two weeks. Organizers of Gangwon 2024 said Tuesday that the closing ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. Thursday under the theme, "Shine Again."

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that the North Korean regime is an "irrational group" that has legalized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons and will likely carry out multiple provocations to interfere with South Korea's April parliamentary elections.

2. The finance ministry said Tuesday that the International Monetary Fund projected the South Korean economy to grow two-point-three percent this year, up zero-point-one percentage point from its previous forecast made last October, in light of the recovery of the global economy.

3. South Korea defeated Saudi Arabia 4-2 on Tuesday in a penalty shootout to advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup. The national football team will face Australia on Saturday as the side seeks their first Asian Cup title since 1960.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday vetoed a special bill mandating a new investigation into the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush. President Yoon exercised his veto power by endorsing a motion demanding the National Assembly reconsider the legislation.

2. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that North Korea fired several cruise missiles off the west coast at around 7 a.m., just two days after it test-fired submarine-launched cruise missiles from the east coast.

3. An Israeli intelligence dossier that have prompted several countries to halt funds for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East includes allegations that some 190 employees took part in abductions and killings during the October 7th raid that sparked the Gaza war.

1. The Korean Central News Agency said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen the test-fire of the new submarine-launched Pulhwasal-3-31 strategic cruise missile and reviewed a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine.

2. Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yon and a group of ex-DP lawmakers declared Sunday that they would merge into a new single party, tentatively named the "Future Reform Party.”

3. The U.S. military said Sunday three American service members were killed and dozens more injured in a drone strike in Jordan. President Biden blamed the attacks on "radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” and vowed the U.S. "will hold all those responsible.”

1. The ruling and main opposition parties on Friday condemned the attack against People Power Party lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin. Bae was hit in the head by a teenager in Seoul's southern district of Gangnam Thursday afternoon, and was transferred to a hospital and is in stable condition.

2. The Korean Central News Agency said Friday that a delegation of Chinese diplomats, led by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, arrived in North Korea Thursday, as the two countries are marking the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations this year.

3. The Chinese foreign ministry announced Friday that U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will meet in Bangkok on Friday and Saturday, building on a commitment by the two countries' leaders to deepen dialogue.

1. North Korea said Thursday it test-fired a new strategic cruise missile, named {불화살}“Pulhwasal-3-31," for the first time on Wednesday in what was seen as an effort to strengthen capabilities to fire nuclear weapons.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Thursday to make sweeping improvements to commuter transport in the Seoul metropolitan area by extending express rail networks and adding new bus lanes and double-decker electric buses.

3. According to data from the Bank of Korea on Thursday, South Korea's real gross domestic product -- a key measure of economic growth -- increased 1.4 percent last year, slowing to the lowest in three years due to a slump in exports amid tightening monetary policies worldwide.

1. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that North Korea fired several cruise missiles toward the West Sea around 7 a.m., the latest provocations amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

2. South Korean ambassador to the U.N. office in Geneva on Tuesday called on Beijing to provide North Korean defectors with the required protections and humanitarian support at China's fourth universal periodic review held under the auspices of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

3. Former President Donald Trump rolled to victory in the Republican Party's second presidential nomination contest in New Hampshire on Tuesday. President Biden scored a win as a "write-in" candidate in Tuesday's Democratic primary in New Hampshire.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol and ruling party chief Han Dong-hoon met Tuesday in Seocheon to inspect a market destroyed by a fire the previous night. Their meeting came after the two reportedly clashed over allegations involving the first lady and party nominations for the upcoming general elections.

2. South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday it has launched talks with Britain to discuss ways to improve their bilateral free trade agreement. The meeting will focus on updating the latest global trade norms in areas, including the digital industry and supply chains.

3. South Korea's top envoy to the U.N. on Monday renewed Seoul's criticism of arms transactions between North Korea and Russia during a U.N. Security Council meeting, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized the West's weapons support to Ukraine.

1. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday, the cold snap that has gripped the nation will likely persist throughout this week. Most areas nationwide are forecast to witness a further decline in morning temperatures on Tuesday.

2. North Korea's Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his willingness to visit Pyongyang at an early date and the country is ready to greet him with the greatest sincerity. Putin last visited North Korea in July 2000.

3. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday rejected calls for Palestinian sovereignty following talks with U.S. President Joe Biden about Gaza’s future, suggesting Israel’s security needs would be incompatible with Palestinian statehood.

1. The U.N. Security Council held closed-door consultations on North Korea-related issues on Thursday in New York, amid tensions heightened by Pyongyang's recent claim of launching a hypersonic missile and its hardening rhetoric against Seoul.

2. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Friday that it will implement an emergency quarantine system ahead of next month's Lunar New Year holiday in response to outbreaks of norovirus and respiratory infections.

3. U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday that U.S. air strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen will continue as the group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping have not halted.

1. The ruling People Power Party and main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday each announced a set of measures aimed at resolving the country's critically low birthrate, as they gear up for April’s parliamentary elections.

2. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Thursday the top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States held talks in Seoul and condemned North Korea's continued military provocations, belligerent rhetoric and its deepening military cooperation with Russia. A three-way talk also took place with Japan.

3. Pentagon officials confirmed Wednesday night that the U.S. carried out another round of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, marking the fourth time the U.S. has struck the Iran-backed rebel group in less than a week. The strikes come amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and the Red Sea.

1. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that the government has imposed independent sanctions on 11 vessels and five individuals and entities engaged in illegal ship-to-ship transfers of oil and other products to North Korea, tightening the sanctions against the North's maritime activities.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday the government will expand eligibility for individual savings accounts, or ISAs, and raise the limit on the non-taxable amount.

3. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he delivered a speech about South Korea's capabilities and policy in the nuclear energy and artificial intelligence sectors.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday said North Korea’s recent definition of South-North relations as those between “hostile” nations amounted to an acknowledgement of the regime’s nature as an “anti-national and anti-historical group.”

2. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui arrived in Russia on Monday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as the Kremlin said it aims to further develop ties with the North in all areas. The two Ministers are set to hold talks on Tuesday.

3. Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday won a landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses, cementing his status as the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came in a distant second.

1. North Korea said Monday it successfully test-fired a solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile. The Korean Central News Agency said the missile loaded with a hypersonic maneuverable controlled warhead was launched Sunday afternoon as part of regular activities to develop powerful weapons systems.

2. South Korea on Monday unveiled plans to establish a "semiconductor mega cluster" in southern Seoul by promoting a total investment of 622 trillion won, or roughly 472 billion U.S. dollars. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday it is expected to create at least 3 million jobs over the next 20 years.

3. Taiwan's current vice president and leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Lai Ching-te, was elected Taiwan's president on Saturday, defeating his China-friendly rival from the main opposition party.

1. South Korea’s new Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, who assumed office this week, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held their first phone conversation on Thursday. The two agreed to work together to address North Korean threats and support peace in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

2. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld another appellate court ruling that ordered Nippon Steel to compensate the family of a late South Korean victim forced into wartime labor during Japan’s colonial rule.

3. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said Friday that South Korea has shown growing signs of an economic recovery led by exports, though domestic demand remains weak.

1. In a widely expected decision, the monetary policy board of the Bank of Korea on Thursday kept its policy rate unchanged at 3.5 % for the eighth straight session, amid woes over a still weak economic recovery and slower-than-expected inflation moderation.

2. Lee Nak-yon, former leader of the Democratic Party, announced his departure from the party Thursday. Lee delivered his plans to join forces with three other non-mainstream lawmakers who quit the party a day earlier to launch a new party ahead of April's parliamentary elections.

3. South Korea’s UN Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook said Wednesday during a U.N. Security Council session that Russia's recent launches of North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine give Pyongyang military insights and could encourage it to export weapons to other countries.

1. North Korea’s state media reported Wednesday that Kim Jong-un called South Korea the country’s “principal enemy” and said he has “no intention of avoiding war.”

2. The Busan Metropolitan Police Agency announced Wednesday that the assailant who stabbed opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in the neck last week committed the crime out of “subjective political beliefs.” Lee Jae-myung left the hospital Wednesday, eight days after the attack.

3. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday his government will allow the reconstruction of homes 30 years or older even if they meet safety requirements in order to improve housing conditions and increase home supply.

1. A heavy snow advisory was issued across the greater Seoul area on Tuesday morning, with up to 10 cm of snow expected to accumulate in the region. The Korea Meteorological Agency said up to 3 cm of snow per hour is forecast to hit Seoul during the evening rush hour.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday called for prioritizing the improvement of people’s livelihoods in the new year during a Cabinet meeting. He listed increased support for vulnerable groups and new transportation systems as some of the government’s latest projects.

3. Wissam Tawil, a senior Hezbollah commander has been killed in an apparent Israeli drone attack in southern Lebanon. Tawil’s death is the latest incident to fuel concerns that the October 7th attack against Israel is now escalating into wider regional conflict.

1. The JCS said Monday the zone designated for the cessation of hostile actions effectively no longer exists with North Korea breaching the September 19th military agreement. Military sources said Sunday that some artillery shells fired by Pyongyang last Friday fell as close as 7 kilometers above the Northern Limit Line.

2. The parliamentary science committee passed a set of bills Monday aimed at establishing an independent space and aerospace agency, named the Korea Aerospace Administration. KASA will operate under the Ministry of Science and ICT and be overseen by the presidential science advisory committee.

3. Korean American actor Steven Yeun won Best Actor for Netflix original "Beef" at the 81st Golden Globe Awards Sunday. He made history as the first actor of Asian descent to receive the "Best Actor" award in the category.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday vetoed two opposition-led special investigation proposals, one of which involves allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee. The Presidential Office called the opposition party's unilateral passage of the two special counsel bills "evil laws meant for the general elections."

2. South Korea's finance ministry said Thursday it expects the country's economy to grow 2.2 percent this year on the back of a rebound in the semiconductor cycle and a recovery of exports. Inflation is projected to be 2.6 percent in 2024.

3. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that North Korea fired some 200 artillery shells into waters off its western coast Friday morning. The shells fell into the maritime buffer zone north of the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday received the first government policy report of the year and said the ban on stock short selling will remain in place until measures are devised to resolve short selling's harmful effects on retail investors.

2. The South Korean Army said Thursday that South Korea and the United States held their first joint training of the year by staging a live-fire exercise near the border with North Korea to bolster their joint combat readiness.

3. At least 95 people have been killed by two explosions near the burial site of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of his assassination by the U.S. The Iranian Health Minister revised the death toll down to 95 from 103 Thursday and said 211 people had been injured.

1. President Yoon Suk-yeol hosted a New Year's meeting on Wednesday at the Blue House, inviting representatives from various sectors. In his address, he stated that the people and their livelihoods will be prioritized in the new year.

2. According to data from the education and interior ministries on Wednesday, South Korea’s student enrollment in elementary schools nationwide is expected to drop below 400-thousand for the first time this year due to the country’s low birth rate.

3. Japan’s Meteorological Agency said Wednesday a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula at 10:54 AM. A series of aftershocks have been observed in Ishikawa prefecture following a devastating quake on New Year’s day and at least 65 people have been killed since then.

1. Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck during a visit to Busan on Tuesday morning. Officials said he was airlifted to Seoul for surgery and the wound is not life threatening. The male suspect was arrested at the scene.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday during a ceremony marking the first trading day of 2024 that he will push to scrap the financial investment income tax which is planned to be implemented in 2025, and resolve the “Korea Discount.”

3. A powerful magnitude 7-point-6 earthquake struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day. According to local media reports, at least 30 people have been killed and thousands have evacuated following tsunami waves hitting South Korea’s east coast.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday in a New Year's Day address that South Korea and the U.S. will complete a strengthened "extended deterrence" regime in the first half of 2024 to seal off North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

2. The Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that North Korea began discussions on dismantling agencies in charge of inter-Korean relations after leader Kim Jong-un said there is no point in seeking reconciliation and unification with South Korea.

3. According to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Monday, South Korea's exports decreased 7.4 percent on-year in 2023 amid sluggish performance of chips coupled with global economic uncertainties.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed four ministers and the chief of the broadcasting watchdog on Friday. Finance Minister {최상목}Choi Sang-mok, Agriculture Minister {송미령}Song Mi-ryung, Ocean Minister {강도형}Kang Do-hyung and SMEs Minister {오영주}Oh Young-ju were appointed.

2. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld two separate rulings in favor of South Koreans forced into wartime labor under Japan's colonial rule. The top court handed down the decisions on two suits filed against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nippon Steel Corporation between 2013 and 2014.

3. According to Statistics Korea on Friday, consumer prices rose 3.6 percent on-year in 2023, slowing from a 5.1 percent gain in 2022. Inflation in December ticked down for a second consecutive month in signs that price pressure is easing.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol nominated {이관섭}Lee Kwan-sup, the director of national policy at the presidential office, as his new chief of staff. According to sources on Thursday, Lee will be replacing outgoing presidential chief of staff {김대기}Kim Dae-ki.

2. South Korea on Thursday struck a free trade agreement with a group of Arab countries known as the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the move is expected to strengthen Seoul's export competitiveness and boost energy security.

3. Japan's NHK reported Thursday that South Korea, China, and Japan are considering holding a summit after February next year to discuss North Korea and pursue regional stability.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol carried out a partial Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday. {김윤상}Kim Yoon-sang was named as the second vice finance minister, Shin Young-sook as the vice gender equality minister, and {손영택}Son Young-taek as the chief secretary of the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

2. South Korea on Wednesday imposed independent sanctions on eight North Korean individuals, including the chief of the North's spy agency {리창호}Ri Chang-ho, for their involvement in arms trade and cyberattacks.

3. According to a survey by the Bank of Korea on Wednesday, South Korea's general public expect consumer prices to rise 3.2 percent for the year ahead, down from the previous month's 3.4 percent.

1. During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol called for approaching the issue of South Korea's rapidly declining birthrate from a fundamentally different perspective, emphasizing the need to identify its causes and find effective solutions.

2. According to Statistics Korea on Tuesday, South Korea’s population of those in their 40s in November was a little over 7.9 million, decreasing 139-thousand from a year earlier. The fall has also led to a lower number of employed individuals in their 40s.

3. Kim Jin-pyo, Speaker of the National Assembly, conducted bilateral talks on Tuesday in Tokyo with the Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives, Fukushiro Nukaga. Kim said the two countries’ improvement in relations has become a positive opportunity for creating security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

1. The Presidential Office said Monday that President Yoon Seok Yeol visited Chungdong First Methodist Church in Jung-gu, Seoul on the morning of Christmas day to participate in the Christmas service.

2. "12.12: The Day," a historical saga about South Korea's military coup in 1979, topped 10 million admissions on Sunday. According to the film's local distributor, Plus M Entertainment, the periodic drama became the second film to hit the milestone this year, following "The Roundup: No Way Out.”

3. Palestinian officials said Sunday at least 78 people were killed in an Israeli attack in central Gaza on Sunday. Strikes that began hours before midnight persisted into Christmas Day on Monday.