Focus on Headline
Focus on Headline delivers in-depth analysis of the day's top news stories. It is produced by Arirang Radio, South Korea's English-language international broadcaster. The show examines major headlines and provides context and perspective. It is aimed at English-speaking audiences interested in Korean and global news.
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Focus on Headline 03/07/2025
1. Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was released from custody Friday after a court accepted his request to cancel his arrest over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Yoon filed the request with the Seoul Central District Court last month, claiming his indictment over the martial law declaration was illegal.2. The defense ministry said Friday a total of 31 people, including 17 civilians, ha
Focus on Headline 03/06/2025
1. The ruling and opposition parties held a meeting on Thursday to discuss pending bipartisan issues on pension reform, a supplementary budget, and a special semiconductor law.2. Military officials and fire authorities said Thursday that fifteen people were injured after two Air Force KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight air-to-surface bombs over a village in Pocheon during live-fire drills
Focus on Headline 03/05/2025
1. The South Korean government announced Wednesday its plan to create a fund worth 50 trillion-won, or roughly 34-point-4 billion U.S. dollars, to support the semiconductor, rechargeable battery, bio, artificial intelligence and other advanced industries as part of efforts to bolster South Korea's industrial competitiveness.2. The Unification Ministry said Wednesday that South Korea's humanitarian
Focus on Headline 03/04/2025
1. During a closed-door gathering held prior to a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Cabinet members agreed unanimously that the appointment of Constitutional Court Justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk requires further consideration. Choi is expected to further delay the appointment of Ma.2. South Korea on Tuesday launched its first alternative stock trading system, named Nextrade, bringing a 12-hour trading syst
Focus on Headline 03/03/2025
1. The Korea Meteorological Administration lifted heavy snow advisories that had been issued for the east coast and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province on Monday morning.2. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday to launch an investigation into the impact of lumber and timber imports on America's national security. A White House official mentioned South Korea as he str
Focus on Headline 02/28/2025
1.The ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party’s special parliamentary committee meeting scheduled for Friday was canceled after the latter refused to attend, stating they cannot recognize Acting President Choi Sang-mok as a legitimate negotiating partner.2.Acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Friday called on the new U.S. administration to take South Ko
Focus on Headline 02/27/2025
1. The Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of a court justice last year is an unconstitutional act, infringing upon the right of the National Assembly.2. Statistics Korea reported Wednesday that the number of babies born in South Korea increased for the first time in nine years in 2024. The total fertility rate also reb
Focus on Headline 02/26/2025
1. During his final statement before the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will focus on revising the Constitution if reinstated, suggesting he could step down before the end of his single, five-year term.2. The ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party agreed Wednesday to establish a special parliamentary committee on pension refor
Focus on Headline 02/25/2025
1. The final hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial opened Tuesday in his absence amid keen attention on what the president will say in his last arguments to defend his short-lived imposition of martial law. 2. The fire headquarters of South Chungcheong Province said Tuesday that at least four workers were killed, and six others injured, after a bridge collapsed at a highway co
Focus on Headline 02/24/2025
1. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s lawyers visited the president at the Seoul Detention Center on Monday to make last-minute preparations, with just one day left until the final hearing in his impeachment trial.2. Most medical schools in South Korea have decided to proceed with their scheduled academic calendar and begin classes in March, despite the slow return of medical students who took a leave of a
Focus on Headline 02/21/2025
1. The Constitutional Court said Thursday that the final hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial will be held on February 25th, increasing the likelihood a verdict will be delivered in mid-March.2. South Korea's industry ministry said on Thursday it has provisionally decided to impose anti-dumping tariffs up to 38 percent on Chinese steel plate imports after an investigation
Focus on Headline 02/20/2025
1. Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for the first preliminary hearing of his criminal trial Thursday on charges of leading an insurrection, making him the nation's first sitting president to stand criminal trial. The preliminary hearing took place at the Seoul Central District Court at 10 a.m. and ended in just 13 minutes.2. Acting President Choi Sang-mok revealed Thursday that the g
Focus on Headline 02/19/2025
1. The Constitutional Court held the first hearing for Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment trial on Wednesday. The Constitutional Court stated that it would determine the date of the ruling after deliberation and notify both parties accordingly.2. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold more talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine aft
Focus on Headline 02/18/2025
1. The Constitutional Court held the ninth hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial Tuesday. Deliberations have entered their final phase and the tenth hearing is scheduled for Thursday.2. South Korea's acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday said the government plans to roll out a record 360 trillion won, or roughly 250 billion U.S. dollars, worth of trade policy financing
Focus on Headline 02/17/2025
1. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team on Sunday rebutted opposition party lawmakers’ claim that martial law troops cut off power to part of the National Assembly at Yoon’s orders in the early hours of December 4. 2. Speaking at a panel session during the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul affirmed that South Korea has "no doubts" about the U
Focus on Headline 02/14/2025
1. The Constitutional Court said Friday it will hold a 10th hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on February 20th. During the 10th hearing, the testimony of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and others will be conducted.2. U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday a comprehensive plan to impose reciprocal tariffs against nations that charge duties on imports of American goods, wh
Focus on Headline 02/13/2025
1. President Yoon Suk Yeol and other witnesses including National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, on Thursday appeared for the eighth, and likely final hearing of President Yoon’s impeachment trial.2. The Ministry of Economy and Finance on Thursday reported that South Korea's cumulative fiscal deficit reached 81 trillion won, or roughly 56 billion U.S. dollars, as of November last
Focus on Headline 02/12/2025
1. The National Assembly will hold a three-day interpellation session starting Wednesday. Lawmakers will question government ministers about politics, foreign affairs, unification and security on Wednesday; the economy on Thursday; and education, society and culture on Friday.2. South Korea's Fair Trade Commission said Wednesday that it has launched a reinvestigation into allegations that the
Focus on Headline 02/11/2025
1. Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik testified for the seventh trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on Tuesday.2. U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday specifying that a 25 percent tariff will apply to all steel imports from South Korea, Japan, the European Union and many other nations starting on March 12.3. Pre
Focus on Headline 02/10/2025
1. The Constitutional Court on Monday held its second hearing on the constitutionality of Acting President Choi Sang-mok’s decision to defer the appointment of justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk to the nine-member bench.2. The Korea Development Institute said Monday in a monthly economic assessment report that South Korea’s economy is faced with increased downside risks due to an anticipated global trade
Focus on Headline 02/07/2025
1. Kwak Jong-keun, former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified Thursday during the sixth formal hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial that the people Yoon ordered to be removed from the National Assembly were lawmakers, not agents, a claim that Yoon again rejected.2. Global credit appraiser Fitch Ratings said Thursday it has reaffirmed South Korea's sovereign rating at "
Focus on Headline 02/06/2025
1. During the sixth formal hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial on Thursday, Army Colonel Kim Hyun-tae testified he had been ordered to seal off and secure the National Assembly building during martial law. Former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun is also set to testify.
2. According to data from the Bank of Korea on Thursday, South Korea's current acco
Focus on Headline 02/05/2025
1. The National Assembly’s Special Committee investigating impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s insurrection charges on Wednesday visited the Seoul Eastern Detention Center to interrogate former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, but failed to do so after Kim refused.
2. According to data from Statistics Korea on Wednesday, South Korea’s Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 2.2 percent on-y
Focus on Headline 02/04/2025
1. Two former military commanders and a former intelligence official testified Tuesday at President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial. This marked the trial’s fifth formal hearing.
2. U.S. President Donald Trump agreed Monday to pause anticipated impositions of tariffs on Canada and Mexico for a month. The last-minute agreement came amid growing fears of higher U.S. consumer prices, supply chain d
Focus on Headline 02/03/2025
1. The Constitutional Court postponed its ruling Monday on the constitutionality of acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of a ninth justice, Ma Eun-hyuk, who was recommended by the opposition, to the bench.
2. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered 25% tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports and 10% on goods from China, starting on Tuesday, kickin
Focus on Headline 01/31/2025
1. Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Friday demanded the National Assembly reconsider an opposition-proposed bill that calls for a special counsel probe into President Yoon Suk Yeol on his failed martial law attempt last month.
2. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico from Saturday, while leaving open the possibility that oi
Focus on Headline 01/30/2025
1. An Air Busan passenger plane bound for Hong Kong caught fire at Gimhae International Airport earlier this week on Tuesday, in the country's southern city of Busan before takeoff. All 176 people on board were safely evacuated using an escape slide, though seven suffered minor injuries.
2. The Korean Central News Agency reported last Sunday that North Korea test-fired sea-to-surface strategic
Focus on Headline 01/24/2025
1. According to legal sources on Friday, the special prosecution team investigating the martial law filed a request with the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday to extend President Yoon Suk Yeol’s detention period until February 6.
2. According to a survey conducted last year by the unification ministry, nearly 76 percent of South Koreans who registered with the government having separated fa
Focus on Headline 01/23/2025
1. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials said Thursday that it has transferred President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law case to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, to indict Yoon on charges of insurrection and abuse of power in connection with his botched martial law move on December 3.
2. According to data from the Bank of Korea on Thursday, South Korea's rea
Focus on Headline 01/22/2025
1. Investigators arrived at the Seoul Detention Center on Wednesday to make their third attempt to forcibly bring in President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his failed martial law bid. The CIO is considering questioning Yoon at the detention center if their repeated attempts fail.
2. According to the Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute on Wednesday, only 269 people passed t
Focus on Headline 01/21/2025
1. President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for the first time at his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, speaking of his long-held belief in "liberal democracy" and asking the bench to consider him favorably.
2. Donald Trump took office as the United States' 47th president on Monday, renewing his vow to "put America first" and tariff foreign countries to enri
Focus on Headline 01/20/2025
1. Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally arrested early Sunday for his failed martial law bid, marking the first such detention of a sitting South Korean president. The Seoul Western District Court issued the arrest warrant citing concerns over destroying evidence.
2. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Monday that 90 people have been detained in connection with the violent disorder
Focus on Headline 01/17/2025
1.The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday rejected a petition challenging impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention in the ongoing investigation into his botched martial law bid. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials said Friday it is "highly likely" to file for a warrant to formally detain Yoon.
2.In its monthly economic report, the Green Book, the
Focus on Headline 01/16/2025
1.The Seoul Central District Court announced Thursday that a hearing to review the legality of the warrant used to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled for 5 p.m.
2.Despite weak growth momentum, the monetary policy committee of the Bank of Korea on Thursday kept its benchmark interest rate frozen at three percent. The decision comes in the wake of the weak local currency amid poli
Focus on Headline 01/15/2025
1.Investigators arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence on Wednesday at 10:33 a.m. during their second attempt to detain him for questioning over his brief declaration of martial law. The arrest occurred 43 days after Yoon’s attempt, and marks the first time a sitting South Korean president has been taken into custody.
2.The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Offi
Focus on Headline 01/14/2025
1.The first hearing of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on Tuesday ended after four minutes in his absence. The Constitutional Court dismissed Yoon's request to exclude Justice Chung Kye-sun from the impeachment trial.
2.The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea at 9:30 a.m. in a provocation staged just days before
Focus on Headline 01/13/2025
1. The first preparatory hearing of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment trial was held on Monday. The hearing discussed witness and evidence selection, among other procedures.
2. The South Korean government announced plans to release a record number of agricultural products into the market to stabilize prices and ease the financial burden on people ahead of the Lunar New Year.3.
According to
Focus on Headline 01/10/2025
1.The chief of the Presidential Security Service (박종준)Park Chong-jun on Friday appeared for police questioning over the security team’s actions to prevent the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol last week. Addressing reporters, Park called for investigation procedures appropriate for a sitting president.
2.Acting President Choi Sang-mok held a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio G
Focus on Headline 01/09/2025
1.Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Thursday pledged to focus efforts on normalizing state affairs amid lingering domestic political turmoil. Choi also said the government will execute 358 trillion won, or roughly 245-point-7 billion U.S. dollars, worth of the budget in the first half of the year to bolster domestic consumption.
2.Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo on Thursday expressed hope
Focus on Headline 01/08/2025
1.The National Assembly on Wednesday rejected two special counsel bills targeting impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid and allegations surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee, after putting them to a revote.
2.The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Wednesday to designate January 27 as a temporary holiday this year to boost private consumption and domestic
Focus on Headline 01/07/2025
1.The National Assembly’s legal team stated Tuesday that the Constitutional Court will assess whether President Yoon Suk Yeol’s alleged "insurrection acts" violate the Constitution, with criminal liability to be determined separately.
2.North Korea said Tuesday it has successfully test-fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead, claiming that the weapons syst
Focus on Headline 01/06/2025
1.The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials said Monday it has asked the police to take over the execution of a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid.
2.The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday that North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile at 12 PM into the East Sea, marking its first provocation this year. T
Focus on Headline 01/03/2025
1.The Corruption Investigation Office for High Ranking Officials on Friday suspended its attempt to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law, following a long standoff between investigators and the Presidential Security Service.
2.The Constitutional Court on Friday began its second preparatory hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial. T
Focus on Headline 01/02/2025
1. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials are set to cooperate with the police to execute the arrest warrant against Yoon Suk Yeol, which was issued by a Seoul court three days ago.
2.The finance ministry forecasts the country’s economy to grow 1.8% on year in 2025, a zero-point-four percentage point downgrade from its forecast from July. Meanwhile, Acting President said Th
Focus on Headline 01/01/2025
1.Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday issued a New Year's message, and pledged comprehensive efforts to help stabilize state affairs, highlighting what he called an "unprecedentedly" grave situation facing the country.
2.The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters confirmed Wednesday that all 179 victims of the tragic Jeju Air plane crash have been identified, four days after
Focus on Headline 12/31/2024
1.The Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday approved a request from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials to issue a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law imposition, making him the first sitting South Korean president to face arrest.
2.The Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday 174 of the 179 victims of the
Focus on Headline 12/30/2024
1.A Jeju Air passenger jet carrying 181 people from Bangkok sped off the runway and burst into flames at Muan International Airport on Sunday morning. Two crew were rescued in what was the country’s worst air disaster in decades.
2.Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday mourned the victims of the tragic Jeju Air plane crash as he visited a memorial altar in the southwestern county of Muan. The g
Focus on Headline 12/27/2024
1. A motion to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo passed unanimously in a 192-0 vote at the National Assembly, marking the first time an acting president was impeached by the parliament.
2.The South Korean currency dipped further against the U.S. dollar to its lowest level in nearly 16 years Friday, amid deepening political crisis. The Korean won opened at 1,467.5 won per dollar, and fell furth
Focus on Headline 12/26/2024
1.The opposition-controlled National Assembly on Thursday passed motions to appoint three Constitutional Court justices. The main opposition Democratic Party also submitted an impeachment motion against acting President Han Duck-soo and reported it to a parliamentary plenary session.
2.The South Korean currency continued its depreciation against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, dipping to its lowest l
Focus on Headline 12/25/2024
1.Churches and cathedrals across South Korea on Wednesday, Christmas Day, celebrated the birth of Baby Jesus while reflecting on the meaning of democracy in light of the recent December 3rd martial law crisis.
2.Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday defied summons for questioning by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials over his short-lived declaration of martial law, marking the sec
Focus on Headline 12/24/2024
1.Acting President Han Duck-soo on Tuesday urged the National Assembly to produce a solution regarding two special counsel bills targeting Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon-hee as well as the appointments of three justices to the Constitutional Court.
2.According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Tuesday, South Korea has formally become a "super-aged" society, as the share of its population a
Focus on Headline 12/23/2024
1.The Constitutional Court said Monday it will hold the first preparatory hearing in Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on Friday as planned. The Court said Yoon will be considered to have been served the necessary documents regardless of whether he received them, as they were delivered by the postal service last Friday.
2.South Korea's first vice foreign minister Kim Hong-kyun, who is visiting the
Focus on Headline 12/20/2024
1.A spokesperson for the Constitutional Court said Thursday that documents the Court had sent to President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding his impeachment trial were returned and refused for the third time. The court will announce next Monday how the failed document deliveries would reflect in the trial proceedings and consider alternatives.
2.The South Korean currency stayed near its lowest level in more
Focus on Headline 12/19/2024
1.The South Korean won weakened past one-thousand-450 won against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, reaching its lowest point in 15 years. The local currency opened at one-thousand-453 won per dollar, following a U.S. rate cut made the previous day.
2.During an extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Acting President Han Duck-soo vetoed six contentious bills, marking his first use of presidential po
Focus on Headline 12/18/2024
1.The Supreme Prosecutors Office said Wednesday the prosecution has decided to transfer its martial law-related investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, amid concerns that multiple agencies handling the same case could lead to overlap issues.
2.The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution
Focus on Headline 12/17/2024
1.President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal defense team said Tuesday that Yoon will state his position in court if a public hearing is held in his impeachment trial, and that the president believes he is innocent of the crime of insurrection.
2.The ruling and main opposition parties remained at odds Tuesday over whether to fill in three vacancies of the nine-member Constitutional Court that will handle Pre
Focus on Headline 12/16/2024
1.The National Assembly on Saturday passed an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3rd, suspending his presidential powers as of 7:24 PM. The motion passed 204-85, with three abstentions and eight invalid ballots.
2.The Constitutional Court said it will hold its first meeting of its justices on Monday to review the parliament
Focus on Headline 12/13/2024
1.The Ministry of Economy and Finance said Friday in its monthly economic report, the Green Book, that the South Korean economy faces "downside risks" due to uncertainties at home and abroad despite signs of stabilizing inflation.
2. A court decision on the formal arrest of Cho Ji-ho, the commissioner-general of the Korean National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, the head of the Seoul Metropolita
Focus on Headline 12/12/2024
1.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday defended his botched martial law declaration as an act of governance and denied insurrection charges facing him, while vowing to fight until the last moment against whether it is impeachment or a martial law probe.
2. Six opposition parties on Thursday submitted a second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law declaratio
Focus on Headline 12/11/2024
1.South Korean novelist Han Kang has made history as the first South Korean and first Asian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in literature. Han received a diploma and a Nobel medal on Tuesday at the Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden.
2.The Democratic Party said Wednesday they plan to submit a second impeachment bill against President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 12th, citing the delay to ongoing reve
Focus on Headline 12/10/2024
1.The Seoul Central District Court is set to convene a hearing to review whether to arrest former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on charges of colluding with President Yoon Suk Yeol to commit insurrection. The result is expected to come out as early as late Tuesday.
2.The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill mandating a permanent special counsel to investigate treason charges against Preside
Focus on Headline 12/09/2024
1.A motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law was scrapped Saturday due to a lack of quorum, raising uncertainties about South Korea’s political future.
2.Leader of the ruling People Power Party Han Dong-hoon vowed to work toward an "orderly retreat" of President Yoon Suk Yeol following a failed impeachment motion against him. National Assembly Sp
Focus on Headline 12/06/2024
1.Leader of the ruling People Power Party Han Dong-hoon said Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeol's duties should be promptly suspended, revealing that Yoon ordered the arrests of politicians during his aborted martial law declaration. Han added that the president might take drastic action again if he stays in office.
2.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday welcomed the lifting of mart
Focus on Headline 12/05/2024
1.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who had proposed the martial law declaration to Yoon. Yoon has nominated Choi Byung-hyuk, a retired four-star Army general currently serving as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, to succeed Kim.
2.The Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday that the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between
Focus on Headline 12/04/2024
1.South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday he would lift a martial law declaration he had imposed just six hours before, backing down after 190 lawmakers present in the National Assembly unanimously passed a motion to reject the decree.
2.The main opposition Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday aft
Focus on Headline 12/03/2024
1.President Yoon Suk Yeol and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov have agreed to elevate bilateral relations between the two countries and form a comprehensive partnership, after a summit at the presidential office on Tuesday.
2.According to data released by Statistics Korea on Tuesday, South Korea's consumer price index stood at 114-point-four last month, up one-point-five percent from a year earlier
Focus on Headline 12/02/2024
1.National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik on Monday decided to put an opposition-led downsized budget bill for next year on hold, urging the ruling and opposition parties to reach an agreement by next week.
2.The Korea Central News Agency reported Saturday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met Russia’s visiting defense minister and expressed his support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
3.According t
Focus on Headline 11/29/2024
1.The European Union announced Thursday that it has given the final approval for a 1.8 trillion-won, or roughly 1-point-4 billion U.S. dollar, merger deal between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.
2.The Korean Medical Association on Thursday urged members of the consultative body on the doctors’ walkout to withdraw from talks, after People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon supported establishing new
Focus on Headline 11/28/2024
1.The Korea Meteorological Administration said Thursday that 28-point-6 centimeters of snow blanketed Seoul as of 8 a.m. at the official weather observation point. This marks the third-heaviest figure from the same location in central Seoul.
2.The Bank of Korea‘s Monetary Policy Board held a meeting Thursday and cut its benchmark interest rate for the second consecutive session to three percent, r
Focus on Headline 11/27/2024
1.The Korea Meteorological Administration said that more than 16 centimeters of snow blanketed Seoul on Wednesday, marking the biggest November snowfall since modern weather observations began in 1907.
2.An Ukrainian delegation led by Kyiv’s Defense Minister is expected to visit Seoul and meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol as early as Wednesday.
3.A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effec
Focus on Headline 11/26/2024
1.South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday that Seoul has expressed regret over Japan’s attitude during bilateral consultations ahead of a memorial event for the Korean and Japanese victims of wartime forced labor at Japan’s newly UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sado mines.
2.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday vetoed a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into corruption allegations in
Focus on Headline 11/25/2024
1.The South Korean government on Monday held its own ceremony in Japan to honor Korean forced labor victims of Japan’s Sado mines during World War II, after boycotting a memorial event that Japan hosted the previous day over Tokyo’s apparent insincerity in delivering its pledge to remember the victims.
2.Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung was acquitted Monday of charges of subor
Focus on Headline 11/22/2024
1.The emergency committee of the Korean Medical Association on Friday called on the government to suspend the recruitment of medical school freshmen for the 2025 academic year.
2.According to the North Korea's state media said Friday, Kim Jong-un has said that his country went to every length in negotiations with the United States, but it only confirmed Washington's unwavering hostile policy towar
Focus on Headline 11/21/2024
1.A U.N. General Assembly committee on Wednesday passed a resolution on North Korean human rights for the 20th consecutive year, calling for the U.N. system as a whole to continue to address the North's "grave" situation "in a coordinated and unified manner."
2.The Korean Railway Workers' Union on Thursday said they will launch an indefinite general strike on December 5th to demand higher pay and
Focus on Headline 11/20/2024
1.President Yoon Suk Yeol wrapped up visits to Peru and Brazil on Tuesday, where he met with leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in Lima and joined the Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro during the six-day trip.
2.The International Monetary Fund said Wednesday that South Korea's economy is forecast to grow 2 percent next year, citing downside risks including a slowdown in
Focus on Headline 11/19/2024
1.President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged Monday that South Korea will provide 10 million U.S. dollars worth of humanitarian aid to address the hunger crisis in Africa as a member of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which was launched at the start of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2.The Suwon District Prosecutors Office on Tuesday indicted opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on charg
Focus on Headline 11/18/2024
1.The leaders of South Korea, the United States, and Japan on Friday held a trilateral meeting in Lima on the sidelines of the APEC summit. In a joint statement, they announced the establishment of a secretariat for trilateral cooperation, and condemned North Korea and Russia’s decision to “dangerously expand” the war in Ukraine.
2.The Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday condemned North Korea for “cro
Focus on Headline 11/15/2024
1.The Seoul Central District Court on Friday sentenced opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung to a suspended one-year prison term for violating the Public Official Election Act during his previous presidential campaign.
2.According to a U.S. Treasury Department report on Thursday, the U.S. has put South Korea back on its list of countries to monitor for their foreign exchange policies, a
Focus on Headline 11/14/2024
1.President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday departed for South America to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Group of 20 summits. President Yoon is scheduled to first land in Lima, Peru, to participate in the APEC summit, then travel to Rio de Janeiro for the G-20 meeting.
2.Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said Thursday the government will take active steps, if necessary, to address excessi
Focus on Headline 11/13/2024
1.The benchmark KOSPI on Wednesday plunged 2-point-64 percent to close at 2-thousand-417-point-08, with the market cap falling below 2,000 trillion won.
2.The United States confirmed Tuesday that North Korean troops, who have been deployed to Russia's western front-line Kursk region, have begun engaging in combat operations against Ukrainian forces.
3.South Korea's government said Tuesday all airc
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