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Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea’s leader on Thursday said he plans to create a new government ministry to tackle the “national emergency” of the country’s infamously low birth rate as it grapples with a deepening demographic crisis. In a televised address, President Yoon Suk Yeol said he would ask for parliament’s cooperation to establish the Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counter-planning. “We will mobilize all of the nation’s capabilities to overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency,” he said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, on, May 9, 2024. Countries like South Korea, Japan and China, however, have shied away from mass immigration to tackle the decline in their working age populations.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Yoon Suk, Kyung, Fumio Kishida Organizations: South Korea CNN, of, South, AP, Korea, Families Agency Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Japan, China

☆ Trump’s bombardment of dishonesty: Fact-checking 32 of his false claims to Time
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +43 min

We’re paying for close to 100% of NATO.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. They don’t pay their bills.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. (It rose to about $314 billion in 2020, Trump’s last full year in office.) Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. Facts First: Trump’s claim that “nobody died other than Ashli” is false.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “, William Barr, Bill Barr, Barr, Bill, I’m, ”, it’s, Biden, Joe Biden, Tamar Hermann, Hermann, Bill Clinton, “ Trump, ” Trump, …, National Guard Trump, I’ve, George Floyd, Tim Walz, Walz, Paul —, –, Erwan, George Washington, “ don’t, they’re, Stoltenberg, Trump’s, Lagadec, Marc Lipsitch, Barack Obama, European Union won’t, Cortellessa, “ Moody’s, Moody’s, Mark Zandi, Zandi, ’ ” Zandi, Joe Biden’s, rioter Ashli Babbitt, Brian Sicknick, Sicknick, Trump’s ‘, patriotically, ‘, patriotically ’, ” Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, “ Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, Christopher Miller, Miller, Eric Cortellessa, Alvin Bragg’s, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Alvin Bragg, ” Cortellessa, Hillary Clinton, —, Roe, Wade, Kimberly Mutcherson, “ Donald Trump’s, Maya Manian, Mary Ziegler, Davis, Ziegler, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Roe should’ve, ’, Crime Biden, don’t, “ Biden, he’s, James Biden, Jeff Asher, Asher, It’s, ” “, ” Asher Organizations: Washington CNN, Time, Trump, NATO, Capitol, Trump’s, Trade Center, didn’t, World Trade Center, Department, ISIS, CNN, Democratic, White House, White, South Korea Trump, Pentagon’s Defense Manpower Data, Biden Administration, Congressional Research Service, Israel, Israeli Democracy Institute, National Guard, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota National Guard, Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Transatlantic, for Disease Control, World Bank, Washington Post, Harvard, Harvard’s, National, Trump -, of Health, Human Services, Strategic, Biden, U.S . International Trade Commission, European, Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, European Union, US, European Automobile Manufacturers ’ Association, Bloomberg Economics, US Capitol Police, Capitol Police, “, Republican, Democratic Rep, National Guardsmen, District of Columbia National Guard, Army, Capitol Police Board, Senate, Justice Department, Pulitzer Foundation, Pulitzer, New York Times, Electoral, Democrat, ” Rutgers Law, American University, university’s Health, University of California, ”, Customs, Border Protection, Crime, Manchurian, Republicans, FBI Locations: “, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Mexico, South Korea, Trump , South Korea, South, Korea, Israel, Washington, Trump , Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Trump, Minnesota, St, United States, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, Harvard University, China, EU, DC, Trump’s, ”, York, Manhattan, York’s, Russia, That’s

☆ Frustrated South Koreans Blame President in Standoff With Doctors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jin Yu Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Eun Sung injured her right thumb in a fall in March and needed surgery to fix a torn ligament. But scheduling one has been difficult even though she lives in one of the most developed nations in the world, South Korea. For more than two months, South Korea’s health care system has been in disarray because thousands of doctors walked off the job after the government proposed to drastically increase medical school admissions. But one thing has changed: Public opinion has turned against the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol. A majority of respondents in a recent poll said that the government should negotiate with the doctors to reach an agreement quickly or withdraw its proposal.

Persons: Eun Sung, ”, Sung, Yoon Suk Locations: South Korea, Seoul

☆ Radical Christians in South Korea Are Spreading a Homophobic Conspiracy Theory - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Raphael Rashid | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Since South Korean voters delivered a full-throated rebuke of their conservative president this month, a small but influential group has been on edge. The country has no national law that explicitly prohibits unfair treatment based on race or ethnicity, language or sexual orientation. The bylaws’ critics argue that the so-called student human rights ordinances overemphasize students’ rights and downplay the rights of teachers. The conservative campaign must be seen for what it is: part of a concerted effort to erase L.G.B.T.Q. visibility from schools and ultimately, South Korean society.

Persons: it’s Organizations: South, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development Locations: Korea, Japan, Turkey, South Korean

☆ North Korea claims it tested new command-and-control system in simulated nuclear counterstrike
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea claims it tested a new nuclear weapons command-and-control system Monday, with the firing of projectiles carrying simulated nuclear warheads from multiple rocket launcher units. North Korea has tested both the rocket launcher system and a simulated nuclear counterstrike before, according to analysts, but KCNA said Monday’s exercise was the first time the “Haekbangashoe” – or nuclear trigger – command-and-control system was used, demonstrating what it claimed was an ability to switch rocket launchers from conventional to nuclear weapons. Though the regime’s true capabilities have not been independently verified, a 2017 report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency concluded North Korea had likely achieved its key goal of miniaturization. Images supplied by North Korea Monday showed four rockets being launched, with KCNA saying they hit targets on an island 352 kilometers (218 miles) away. The US-South Korea exercise has “incited extreme war fever” and cannot be classified as defense or deterrence, the KCNA report said.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, ”, Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, Joseph Dempsey, ” Dempsey, Kim ramped Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Defense Intelligence Agency, miniaturization, North Korea, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Korea, US Air Force Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, United States, North Korea, denuclearization, Washington, U.S

☆ US sends land-attack missile system to Philippines for exercises in apparent message to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The presence of the US Army’s Mid-Range Capability (MRC) ground-based missile system, increases the risks of “misjudgment and miscalculation” in a region already on edge over Chinese-Philippines face-offs in the South China Sea, Beijing says. It’s the first-ever deployment of the MRC missile system, also known as the Typhon system, to the Indo-Pacific theater, and it comes amid a series of US-Philippine military exercises, including the largest-ever edition of the bilateral Balikatan exercises beginning Monday. It also can fire the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, a maneuverable cruise missile with a range of 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles), according to the CSIS. Those are the same rules Washington and Manila accuse Beijing of ignoring with aggressive Chinese actions that have injured Filipino sailors and damaged vessels around disputed features in the South China Sea. US Army PacificChina’s missile advantageAnalysts say the deployment of the Typhon missile battery is the first signal of US plans to address what has long been an advantage for Beijing in the region.

Persons: Lin Jian, ” Lin, Stephen Koehler, “, equalizes, ”, Collin Koh, Christopher Milhal, Koh, Rupert Schulenberg, Donald Trump “, Thomas, CNN’s Steven Jiang Organizations: South Korea CNN, US, MRC, US Army, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Foreign, US Pacific Fleet, Sunday, Xinhua, CNN, US Air Force, US Army Pacific, Beijing, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, ”, don’t, International Institute for Strategic Studies, South, Lewis, McChord, Nuclear Forces Treaty, Russian, Philippine News Agency, CNN Philippine Locations: Seoul, South Korea, China, United States, Philippines, South China Sea, Beijing, Philippine, South China, Taiwan Strait, Qingdao, Washington, Manila, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Taiwan, Guam, Singapore, South, Soviet Union, Palawan, Sulu, Spratly

☆ Oil prices get short-lived boost from attack on Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Laura He | Olesya Dmitracova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was down 0.4% at $86.8 per barrel, having earlier spiked more than 3%. The Israeli military has not commented, and Iran has not identified the source of the attack. Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month. Iran is a big oil producer but exports most of its crude to China because of long-standing international sanctions. Mexico also said earlier this month that it would cut back oil exports because of strong domestic demand.

Persons: Brent, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, ” Neil Shearing, Richard Bronze Organizations: London CNN, CNN, Capital Economics, Organization of, Petroleum, ANZ, United, Nikkei, Kospi, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Locations: Hong Kong, London, Iranian, Isfahan, East, Iran, Syria, Hormuz, China, United States, Mexico, Asia, Israel, Tel Aviv

☆ Oil prices jump on escalating tensions in the Middle East after strike on Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —Oil prices jumped on Friday while Asian markets tumbled, with global investors worrying about an escalation in conflict in the Middle East after explosions were reported near the Iranian city of Isfahan. Iran launched the attack in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on its embassy compound in Syria earlier this month. “Israel’s response could determine whether oil supplies are ultimately under threat.”Elsewhere, ongoing oil disruptions remain high, the analysts added. In Hong Kong, PetroChina, Asia’s largest oil and gas supplier, advanced 2.3%. Sinopec, the world’s largest oil refining company by capacity, rose 1.3%.

Persons: Brent, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ”, “, Korea’s Kospi, Cosmo Energy Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, ANZ, United, Stock, Nikkei, China’s, Energy, Eneos Corp, Oil Corp Locations: Hong Kong, Iranian, Isfahan, Israel, Iran, Syria, United States, Mexico, Asia, China’s Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul

☆ Biden gives Samsung $6.4 billion in grants to boost Texas chip output
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —The Biden administration will award up to $6.4 billion in grants to South Korea’s Samsung Electronics to expand its chip production in central Texas as part of a broader effort to boost US chipmaking, the Department of Commerce said on Monday. The funding from the 2022 Chips and Science Act will support two chip production facilities, a research center and a packaging facility, in Taylor, Texas, the agency said, as previously reported by Reuters. It will also enable Samsung to expand its Austin, Texas, semiconductor facility, Commerce Department Secretary Gina Raimondo added, while boosting chip output for the aerospace, defense and auto industries and bolstering national security, administration officials told reporters. Samsung is expected to invest roughly $45 billion in building and expanding its Texas facilities through the end of the decade, said senior administration officials. Intel won $8.5 billion in grants last month while Taiwan’s TSMC clinched $6.6 billion in April to build out its American production.

Persons: Reuters —, Biden, Gina Raimondo, ” Raimondo, Kyung Kye Hyun, “, Samsung, ”, John Cornyn, Taiwan’s TSMC Organizations: Reuters, South, Samsung Electronics, Department of Commerce, Samsung, Commerce, Samsung Electronics Co, Analysts, Semiconductor Industry Association, SIA, Lawmakers, Texans, Republican, US Commerce Department, ” SIA, Intel Locations: Texas, Taylor , Texas, Austin , Texas, United States, China, Taiwan, Republican U.S

☆ Gold prices rise, Asian markets fall after Tehran’s attack on Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

It had hit an all-time high of $2,431 per ounce on Friday because of fears of a potential attack by Iran on Israel. US gold futures also added 0.1% on Monday. The Middle East was plunged into uncharted waters after Iran launched scores of missiles toward Israel late Saturday. Before Iran’s attack, US stocks ended Friday sharply lower, as Wall Street worried about escalating tension in the Middle East. Dow futures rose 80 points, or 0.2%, in Asian hours on Monday.

Persons: Kospi, Brent, Joe Biden Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Nikkei, ANZ, Dow, Nasdaq Locations: Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Shanghai, Syria, East

☆ South Korea midterms: Opposition wins landslide parliamentary vote in resounding blow to Yoon
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Heather Chen | Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea’s liberal opposition parties scored a landslide victory in a parliamentary election held on Wednesday, dealing a resounding blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol and his conservative party but likely falling just short of a super majority. A splinter liberal party considered allied with the DP was expected to take at least 10 seats, projections showed. It marked the highest ever turnout for a parliamentary election, though the numbers were down from the 2022 presidential vote that narrowly brought Yoon to power. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, watches election results at his district office in Incheon, South Korea, on Thursday, April 11, 2024. “Given his likely lame duck status, the temptation for Yoon will be to focus on foreign policy where he will still have statutory power,” Richey said.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Suk, Lee Jae, myung, Lee, Yoon, ”, Kim Keon Hee, SeongJoon Cho, Mason Richey, “, ” Richey Organizations: South Korea CNN, South, Democratic Party, National Election Commission, Dior, People Power Party, Election Commission, NEC, Bloomberg, Getty, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Incheon

☆ Visits from Japanese and Filipino leaders highlight Biden’s efforts to blunt China’s aggression
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Arlette Saenz | Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Biden’s week also includes an official visit for Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, reinforcing his commitment to cultivating partnerships in the Indo-Pacific in the face of China’s rising economic and military power. The historic leaders summit on Thursday between Biden, Kishida and Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos is expected to produce announcements relating to infrastructure, energy security, digital connectivity and maritime security. Meanwhile, Japan has recently loosened restrictions on the export of military technology – paving the way for deeper collaboration with like-minded allies. The first virtual meeting with the four leaders took place in March 2021 with subsequent in-person summits in the years that followed. Biden and his team also have sought to draw in smaller regional neighbors concerned about China’s military and economic aggression.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kishida, Biden, Jake Sullivan, “, Jill Biden, Kishida Yuko, They’re, Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos, ” Sullivan, ”, John Neuffer, ” Biden, ” Rahm Emanuel, Sullivan, zeroed, Japan’s, Yoshihide Suga, Korea’s, Moon Jae, Yoon Suk Yeol, Rodrigo Duterte, Donald Trump, ” Kishida Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, CNN, Biden White House, Australia, US Steel, APEC, Washington, Semiconductor Industry Association, Clark Air Base, Subic Naval Base, American, White, Kishida, White House, Pacific, PBS Locations: Japan, Philippines, North Korea, Ukraine, Gaza, India, South Korea, China, Manila, ’, lockstep, Netherlands, Taiwan, Beijing, Thursday’s, US, Australia, South China, South, Russia, Kishida, United States, Tokyo, Seoul, David, United Kingdom, Washington, Vietnam, U.S

☆ South Korean Parliamentary Election to Set Tone for Rest of Leader’s Term
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In the two years since he was elected, President Yoon Suk Yeol has made his mark in foreign policy, forging deeper ties with the United States and Japan. Mr. Yoon has a shot at a do-over on Wednesday, when South Koreans head to the polls to select a new Parliament. Dozens of parties are vying for the 300 seats in the National Assembly, South Korea’s single-chamber legislature. However, the contest is largely between Mr. Yoon’s conservative People Power Party and the main opposition camp, the liberal Democratic Party. Both have intense followings, but the eventual winner is expected to be decided by moderate and swing voters.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Organizations: South Koreans, National Assembly, People Power Party, Democratic Party Locations: United States, Japan

☆ South Korea to invest $7 billion in AI in effort to retain edge in chips
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul Reuters —South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Tuesday his country will invest 9.4 trillion won ($6.94 billion) in artificial intelligence by 2027 as part of efforts to retain a leading global position in cutting-edge semiconductor chips. By earmarking investments and a fund, South Korea plans to significantly expand research and development in AI chips such as artificial neural processing units (NPUs) and next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, the government said in a statement. South Korean authorities will also promote the development of next-generation artificial general intelligence (AGI) and safety technologies that go beyond existing models. Yoon has set a target for South Korea to become one of the top three countries in AI technology including chips, and take a 10% or more share of the global system semiconductor market by 2030. “Just as we have dominated the world with memory chips for the past 30 years, we will write a new semiconductor myth with AI chips in the next 30 years,” Yoon said.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, ” Yoon, Yoon, “ Organizations: Seoul Reuters — South, South, Asia’s Locations: Seoul, South Korea, United States, China, Japan, Taiwan

☆ As Doctors’ Walkout Drags On, Some South Koreans Are Losing Patience
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Jin Yu Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Six weeks after thousands of residents and interns at South Korean hospitals walked off the job, frustration is rising. Nurses have taken on duties usually performed by physicians, and military doctors have been deployed to public health centers. The young doctors who walked out in February to protest that plan say it wouldn’t solve the health care system’s problems. But many people are also exasperated with the doctors, despite the exalted position that physicians hold in South Korea’s hierarchical society. Critics accuse them of trying to protect their elite status, and their income, by keeping the number of doctors low.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Critics Organizations: South, Hospitals, Nurses

International sanctions and UN investigations into North Korea’s illegal weapons program have previously been backed by Russia. North Korea has also gained a powerful backer at the UN which wields veto power. While UN sanctions prohibit arms transfers to or from North Korea, the Kim regime has become a big supplier of weapons to Putin’s war effort in Ukraine. The vote in the 15-member Security Council on Thursday was 13 in favor, Russia opposed and China abstaining. But as Russia holds veto power, the resolution to continue the panel of experts’ work failed.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Nebenzia, Kim, Barbara Woodward, “, ” Woodward, ”, Robert Wood, ” Wood Organizations: United Nations CNN, United Nations, Korean, UN, Security Council, CNN, North, Security, South Korea’s Foreign Locations: Russia, Pyongyang, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Korea, Russian, North Korea, South, Korean, China, ”

Shin Joon Hwan, an ecologist, walked along a road lined with cherry trees on the verge of blooming last week, examining the fine hairs around their dark red buds. The flowers in Gyeongju, South Korea, an ancient capital, belong to a common Japanese variety called the Yoshino, or Tokyo cherry. Mr. Shin’s advocacy group wants to replace those trees with a kind that it insists is native to South Korea, called the king cherry. “These are Japanese trees that are growing here, in the land of our ancestors,” said Mr. Shin, 67, a former director of South Korea’s national arboretum.

Persons: Shin Joon Hwan, ”, Shin Locations: Gyeongju, South Korea, Tokyo

☆ South Korea’s 2024 Parliament Election: What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

South Koreans go to the polls on April 10 to select a new 300-member National Assembly. Mr. Yoon won the presidential election in March 2022 by a razor-thin margin, and three months later, his People Power Party won the most big-city mayor and provincial governor races. But two major handicaps have hobbled his presidency: his party’s lack of control in the single-chamber Assembly and Mr. Yoon’s low approval ratings. Mr. Yoon will also see it as lending political legitimacy to his policy of aligning South Korea more closely with the United States. But if the opposition scores a decisive win, it will further weaken Mr. Yoon’s leadership and may turn him into an early lame duck, political analysts say.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon Organizations: National Assembly, Democratic Party, People Power Party Locations: Korea, United States

☆ Son Jun-ho: South Korean soccer player returns home after being detained in China on suspicion of accepting bribes
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —South Korean soccer star Son Jun-ho, who was detained in China for allegedly accepting bribes, has recently returned home, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday. The ministry has been communicating with the Chinese authorities through “various channels” and requested cooperation to “ensure a swift and fair process,” it said without giving details of the release. He has also represented South Korea’s men’s national team and reached the knockout stages of the World Cup in 2022 with the squad. Son became the first foreign soccer player to be investigated and detained since the CSL started in 2004, according to China’s state-run Global Times. His arrest was part of a broader initiative by Beijing to rid Chinese soccer of alleged corruption in the highest levels of the sport, during which the Communist Party’s anti-graft watchdog has been investigating a host of Chinese Football Association figures.

Persons: Son, “, ” Organizations: CNN, South, country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Super League, Football Association, Korea’s, CSL, Times, Communist, Chinese Football Association Locations: South Korean, China, China’s, Liaoning, Shandong Taishan, Beijing

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Shohei Ohtani may be South Korea's most-beloved Japanese athlete, a testament to his charm in softening any lingering animosity between the two neighbors. “I think Ohtani would perhaps be the first Japanese athlete who we can say we like. After his arrival in South Korea, he told reporters that he’s always respected South Korea’s national teams and called South Korea “one of my favorite countries." In 2019, a forced-labor issue triggered widespread public campaigns in South Korea to boycott Japanese goods and services. But despite their often-rocky political relations, South Korea and Japan are closely linked to each other culturally and economically.

Persons: covets, ”, Lee Jong, “, Hwang Seon, he’s, Yoon Suk, Heung, ” Lee, ___ Organizations: Major League Baseball, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Korean, Dodgers, Seoul’s Hanyang University, Ohtani’s South, South, Twitter, Tottenham Hotspur Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Korean, Japan, Korea, South Koreans

☆ South Koreans mourn as country’s first celebrity panda, Fu Bao, heads to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Fu Bao fandomBorn to parents Ai Bao and Le Bao in July 2020 as part of China’s “panda diplomacy” program, Fu Bao is South Korea’s first naturally-bred panda. Some South Koreans said Fu Bao provided them with moments of joy during the pandemic. In one video, Fu Bao clings tightly to Kang’s leg, unwilling to let go, as he spins gently around the room. The other short video shows Fu Bao clinging to Kang’s arm while relaxing on a wooden bench. Once Fu Bao departs for China, there will be four giant pandas left at Everland – Fu Bao’s mother Ai Bao, father Le Bao, and their twin babies Rui Bao and Hui Bao, who were born last July.

Persons: Fu Bao, Fu, Fu Bao’s, Ai Bao, Le Bao, ”, you’re, zookeeper, grandpa, Kang Chul, ” Kang, 판다월드, Everland, Rui Bao, Hui Bao Organizations: CNN, South Korea’s, South, YouTube, China Conservation and Research Center, Samsung, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: South, Yongin city, South Korea, China, Everland, Sichuan Province

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's government criticized senior doctors at a major hospital for threatening to resign in support of the weekslong walkouts by thousands of medical interns and residents that have disrupted hospital operations. But in some major hospitals like the Seoul National University Hospital, they account for about 30%-40% of the total doctors, assisting senior doctors during surgeries and dealing with inpatients while training. Their walkouts have subsequently caused numerous canceled surgeries and other treatments at their hospitals and burdened South Korea’s medical service. But doctors say newly recruited students would also try to work in the capital region and in high-paying fields like plastic surgery and dermatology. Critics say doctors — one of the best-paid professions in South Korea — are only worrying about the possibility of a lower income in the future.

Persons: JaeSeung, Park, Cho KyooHong Organizations: Seoul National University Hospital, Health Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, South

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's president vowed Wednesday not to tolerate the prolonged walkouts by thousands of junior doctors, calling them “an illegal collective action” that threatens public health and shakes the country’s governing systems. Their walkouts have subsequently caused hundreds of canceled surgeries and other treatments at their hospitals and burdened South Korea's medical service. But if senior doctors joined the walkouts, South Korea's medical service would suffer a major blow. The Korean Medical Association, which represents doctors in South Korea, has expressed its support for the striking junior doctors, but hasn't decided whether to take part in the walkouts. Police were investigating allegations that five senior KMA officials incited and abetted the junior doctors' walkouts, and said they summoned one of them Wednesday.

Persons: Yoon Suk, ” Yoon, ”, haven’t, Heath, hasn't Organizations: Health Ministry, Health, South, Korean Medical Association, . Police Locations: SEOUL, South Korea

☆ South Korea and US begin large annual military drills with eye on North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Brad Lendon | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea and the United States began their annual Freedom Shield joint military drills on Monday to bolster readiness against North Korea. The 11-day drills will integrate elements of “live exercises” with constructive simulations, according to United States Forces Korea (USFK) and South Korea’s Defense Ministry. North Korea has previously condemned US and South Korea joint military drills, but it has not yet made any official comment or response to the current exercises. In January, Kim called the South the North’s “primary foe and invariable principal enemy” and ordered a reunification monument in the North Korean capital to be demolished. Meanwhile, North Korea has fostered closer ties with Russia, providing Moscow with arms for its war in Ukraine.

Persons: Seoul’s, Lee Sung, jun, USFK, Kim Jong, Kim, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN, United States, North, United States Forces, Korea’s Defense Ministry, Chiefs, Staff, South, CNN North Korean Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, United States Forces Korea, Northeast Asia, Korea, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, East Asia, United States

☆ Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock index surpasses 40,000 for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Japan’s Nikkei 225 index jumped above 40,000 for the first time on Monday, extending a historic rally that analysts say has just begun. The milestone comes just days after it had set a record closing high of 39,098.68, eclipsing its previous 1989 peak. Optimism regarding semiconductors boosted Taiwan’s stock market as well, with benchmark Taiex hitting an all-time high on Monday, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Premier Li Qiang is set to announce China’s 2024 growth target on Tuesday and is also likely to unveil more stimulus measures to revive the sagging economy. Analysts widely expect the policymakers to set this year’s growth target at around 5%.

Persons: ”, Jefferies, “, chipmaker, Kospi, Hong, Li Qiang, Stephen Innes Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Nikkei, Nasdaq, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Nvidia, Investors, National People’s Congress, NPC, Communist Party’s Politburo Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, Beijing, Shanghai, China

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