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[1/3] Women ride on an escalator past a couple wearing masks to avoid contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea, January 30, 2023. The lifting of the face-covering rules in the majority of indoor locations is South Korea's latest step in easing COVID rules as new cases show signs of a slowdown. People are still required to wear the masks in public transport settings and in medical facilities. But many citizens also said they will still wear masks with the pandemic not fully over. The easing of rules come about three years after South Korea reported its first outbreak of COVID infection on Jan. 20, 2020.

☆ South Korea, Iran summon each other's envoys as spat over Yoon remarks deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Iran and South Korea summoned each other's envoys in a deepening spat over comments by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol that described the Islamic republic as the enemy of the United Arab Emirates. Yoon, speaking to South Korean troops stationed in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, said South Korea and the UAE are under "very similar" circumstances, each facing North Korea and Iran as "the enemy, biggest threat." Relations between Seoul and Tehran had already been testy over frozen Iranian funds in South Korea and suspected arms dealings between Iran and North Korea. Iran has repeatedly demanded the release of some $7 billion of its funds frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions. South Korea was once one of Iran's biggest crude buyers in Asia, but ceased imports after Washington imposed sanctions on Tehran in 2018.

☆ Pentagon asks U.S. forces in South Korea to provide equipment for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Forces Korea (USFK), which has some 28,500 troops in South Korea, said the move is part of U.S. efforts to help Ukraine with its inventories. USFK declined to provide further details, including what types of equipment and how much has been requested or already transferred. The statement comes after the New York times reported earlier this week the United States was diverting munitions in Israel and South Korea to Ukraine for use in the war against Russia. Asked about the report, Seoul's defence ministry said it was closely coordinating with the United states to maintain readiness posture. A U.S. official said in November Washington was in talks with South Korea to buy artillery shells to send to Ukraine, though Seoul insisted that the United States must be the ammunition's end-user.

☆ Ronaldo, Messi roll back the years in nine-goal thriller
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Both teams kept their foot on the gas in the second half, but Ekitike's 78th-minute strike eventually made the difference on the night. Played through on goal by Neymar, Messi was able to poke the ball past goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Owais, who he last faced in Saudi Arabia's shock World Cup win over Argentina in November. Despite going behind early, the Riyadh Season Team - a combined Saudi Pro League XI featuring players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal - had numerous chances. Ronaldo was an ever-present threat and won a penalty when goalkeeper Keylor Navas clattered into him. It was Mbappe's last contribution, as he was taken off shortly after, along with team mates Messi and Neymar, as well as Ronaldo.

☆ UAE pledges to invest $30 billion in South Korea, president's office says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, receives Yoon Suk Yeol, President of South Korea and Kim Keon-hee, First Lady of South Korea, upon their arrival for a state visit reception, at Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, January 15, 2023. Mohamed Al Hammadi/UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERSSEOUL, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to invest $30 billion in South Korea's industries, South Korea's presidential office said on Sunday, as the two countries seek to expand economic cooperation. The investment decision was announced as South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol met his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi during a four-day state visit, Yoon's office said. "We have decided a $30 billion investment based on the trust on South Korea which keeps promises under any circumstances," Yoon's office quoted the UAE president as saying. Seoul's finance ministry said the $30 billion investment would be led by sovereign wealth funds, including Mubadala Investment Company.

☆ South Korean police blame fatal Halloween crush on lack of preparation, poor response
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view of tributes at a memorial at the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Jan 13 (Reuters) - South Korea's police on Friday said a lack of preparations and an inadequate response were the main causes of the deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, wrapping up a monthslong investigation into the tragedy that killed 159 people. "Misjudgement of the situation, delay in sharing information and lack of cooperation among related agencies accumulated to cause large casualties," Sohn told reporters. The investigation team has referred 23 people, including the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to prosecutors. The bereaved families and opposition lawmakers have criticised the police investigation for failing to hold top officials accountable.

☆ South Korea calls China's visa suspension 'deeply regrettable'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Jan 11 (Reuters) - China's recent decision to suspend the issue of short-term visas in South Korea was "deeply regrettable", the South's Foreign Minister Park Jin said on Wednesday. Tuesday's suspension by the Chinese embassy in South Korea was China's first retaliatory move against countries imposing COVID-19 curbs on its travellers. "It's deeply regrettable China took such a countermeasure by entirely suspending issuance of short-term visas," Park told a news briefing, adding that South Korea still issues visas to Chinese visitors for urgent business or humanitarian purposes. Some Chinese tourists have complained over such curbs, which are the strictest among the new rules countries have adopted, but South Korea said they were not discriminatory. "I don't think it's desirable for these measures to have any negative impact on the South Korea-China relations," Park added.

☆ South Korea police find Chinese man missing after being sent to COVID quarantine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Jan 5 (Reuters) - South Korean police found on Thursday a Chinese man who went missing after testing positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, and said he would be taken to a quarantine facility and could later be charged under a disease control law. The man has been on a wanted list for allegedly running away while awaiting admission to quarantine. He could be subject to up to one year in prison, or 10 million won ($7,840) in fines, if convicted of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, officials said. Effective Thursday, arrivals are also required to provide a negative PCR result, taken within 48 hours of the beginning of their journeys to South Korea, or a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours. A total of 4,113 people have arrived from China since Monday and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said 917 test results showed that 239 of them, or 26.1% of them, were infected with COVID.

SEOUL, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A North Korean drone briefly entered a no-fly zone surrounding South Korea's presidential office when it intruded into the South's airspace last week, Seoul's military said on Thursday, fuelling criticism over its air defences. The drone was among five North Korean drones that crossed into the South on Dec. 26, prompting South Korea's military to scramble fighter jets and helicopters. The border crossing has sparked criticism over South Korea's air defences at a time of the North's growing nuclear and missile threats. Reclusive North Korea has pursued missile and nuclear weapons programmes in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

SEOUL/WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States are discussing joint planning and implementation of U.S. nuclear operations to counter North Korea, Seoul's presidential office said on Tuesday, although U.S. President Joe Biden said there would be no joint nuclear exercises. The statement came shortly after Biden said the United States was not discussing joint nuclear exercises with South Korea, seeming to contradict earlier remarks by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in an interview with a local newspaper. Yoon's press secretary, Kim Eun-hye, said Biden "had no choice but to say 'No'" because he was simply asked if the two countries were "discussing nuclear war games," whereas joint nuclear exercises can only be held between nuclear weapons states. "In order to respond to the North Korean nuclear weapons, the two countries are discussing ways to share information on the operation of U.S.-owned nuclear assets, and joint planning and joint execution of them accordingly," Kim said in a statement. Neither side has finalised the timing of the planned tabletop exercises, but they would take place "in the not-too-distant future" and cover scenarios beyond nuclear situations, the official said.

☆ South Korea to require COVID tests for Hong Kong, Macau travellers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Jan 3 (Reuters) - South Korea's health authorities said on Tuesday it will impose mandatory COVID-19 tests on travellers from Hong Kong and Macau, after Beijing's decision to lift stringent zero-COVID policies. Effective Jan. 7, travellers from Hong Kong and Macau would be required to submit a negative result from a PCR test, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The decision comes after South Korea announced it will require travellers from China to take COVID tests before departure and upon arrival in South Korea, joining the United States, Japan and other countries in taking new border measures amid concerns over a new wave of infections and mutations. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Korea says it is in talks over joint planning and implementation of U.S. nuclear asset operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Jan 3 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States are discussing joint planning and implementation of operations involving U.S. nuclear assets to counter North Korea's threats, Seoul's presidential office said on Tuesday. The statement came shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States was not discussing joint nuclear exercises with South Korea, contradicting earlier remarks by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in an interview with a local newspaper. "In order to respond to the North Korean nuclear weapons, the two countries are discussing joint ways to share information on the operation of .U.S-owned nuclear assets, and joint planning and joint execution of them accordingly," Yoon's press secretary, Kim Eun-hye, said in a statement. Kim said President Biden "had no choice but to say 'No'" because he was simply asked if the two countries were "discussing nuclear war games," whereas joint nuclear exercises can only be held between nuclear weapons states. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Korea, U.S. eye exercises using nuclear assets, Yoon says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States are discussing possible joint planning and exercises using U.S. nuclear assets in the face of North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said in a newspaper interview. The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted Yoon as saying the joint planning and exercises would be aimed at a more effective implementation of the U.S. "extended deterrence." The term means the ability of the U.S. military, particularly its nuclear forces, to deter attacks on U.S. allies. "The nuclear weapons belong to the United States, but planning, information sharing, exercises and training should be jointed conducted by South Korea and the United States," Yoon said, adding Washington is also "quite positive" about the idea. Amid talk of South Korea's own nuclear armaments, Yoon said maintaining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons remained important.

☆ North Korea's Kim orders 'exponential' expansion of nuke arsenal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

During the six-day meeting meant to determine new state objectives, Kim called for "an exponential increase of the country's nuclear arsenal" to mass produce battlefield tactical nuclear weapons targeting South Korea. They still reaffirmed that the door to dialogue with North Korea remains open, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry. Worries about North Korea's nuclear program have grown since the North last year approved a new law that authorized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in a broad range of situations and openly threatened to use its nuclear weapons first. Earlier Sunday, South Korea's military detected a short-range ballistic missile launched from the North's capital region. North Korea test-fired more than 70 missiles last year, including three short-range ballistic missiles detected by South Korea on Saturday.

☆ S.Korea's Yoon orders revamp of response to violations of country's air space
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Dec 29 (Reuters) - South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol ordered a revamp of the military's response to objects violating its airspace, his office said on Thursday, after an intrusion by North Korean drones exposed its difficulty in shooting down small aircraft. Five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea on Monday, prompting South Korea's military to scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters, though it failed to bring down the drones, which flew over South Korea for hours. "North Korean drones' intrusion of our airspace is an intolerable incident," Yoon said. The military apologised for its response, and said it could not shoot down the drones because they were too small. "Our military will conduct joint air defence drills ... simulating response to enemy's small-sized unmanned aircraft," a JCS spokesperson told a regular briefing.

☆ North Korea denies media report it supplied munitions to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Dec 23 (Reuters) - North Korea's foreign ministry denied a media report it supplied munitions to Russia, calling it "groundless," and denounced the United States for providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, the North's official KCNA news agency reported on Friday. Japan's Tokyo Shimbun reported earlier that North Korea had shipped munitions, including artillery shells, to Russia via train through their border last month and that additional shipments were expected in the coming weeks. The North Korean foreign ministry statement did not make any mention of Wagner. South Korea's foreign ministry said on Thursday they have been monitoring North Korea's activities amid concerns over possible arms transactions with Russia. In a separate statement, the North Korean foreign ministry also slammed the United States' attempt to issue a U.N. Security Council presidential statement on its latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

☆ North Korea slams Japan's new security strategy, warns of military measures
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Dec 20 (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday denounced Japan's new security strategy as fundamentally changing the regional security environment and warned it will show how "wrong" and "dangerous" Japan's choice is with unspecified actions, official news agency KCNA reported. "Japan is bringing a serious security crisis on the Korean Peninsula and in the East Asia region by adopting a new security strategy that effectively acknowledges its pre-emptive strike capabilities against other countries," the official said in the statement. The security environment in the region has "fundamentally changed" due to Japan's new policy, the official said, denouncing the move as a violation of the U.N. Charter and a "serious challenge" to international peace. "We make it clear once again that we have the right to take bold and decisive military measures to protect our fundamental rights ... in response to the complicated regional security environment," the official said. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Tom Hogue and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un oversees a missile launch at an undisclosed location in North Korea, in this undated photo released on October 10, 2022 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Dec 20 (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday condemned Japan's planned military buildup outlined Tokyo's new security strategy, vowing to show with action how dangerous it is, state media said. Japan's news security strategy effectively formalised a "new aggression policy" and would bring a fundamental change in East Asia's security environment, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson slammed the United States for "exalting and instigating Japan's rearmament and re-invasion plan," saying Washington no right to raise issue with Pyongyang's efforts to bolster North Korea's defence. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi and Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea says latest launches tested 1st spy satellite
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The rocket carrying the test satellite was launched Sunday to assess the satellite’s photography and data transmission systems, KCNA said. He said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities were analyzing further details of the launches but declined to elaborate. A rocket carrying an experimental satellite is launched from Tongchang-ri, North Korea, in images released Monday. In February and March, North Korea said it conducted tests to check a camera and data transmission systems to be used on a spy satellite. Lee said North Korea may be able to covertly get a more advanced camera that enable it to monitor tanks and the deployment of U.S. strategic assets to South Korea.

☆ North Korea says its new spy satellite hit a major milestone, but it may be 'too crude' to be useful
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Park Chan-Kyong | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

North Korea launched a rocket carrying a test satellite was launched on Sunday. The rocket carrying the test satellite was launched on Sunday to assess its photography and data transmission systems, state media said. North Korea launched Hwasong-17 ICBMs in February and March, claiming they were spy satellite test launches. South Korea, Japan and US authorities on Sunday said they detected a pair of ballistic-missile launches by North Korea from its northwestern Tongchang-ri area, where the North's satellite launch pad is located. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter with what North Korean media called a Hwasong-17 ICBM in Pyongyang on November 18.

☆ South Korea protests Japan's island claim in national security strategy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Dec 16 (Reuters) - South Korea issued a strong protest against Japan's territorial claim over disputed islands made in a national security strategy released on Friday while cautiously responding to Tokyo's plans for an unprecedented military buildup. South Korea's foreign ministry on Friday demanded an immediate removal of the territorial claims from Japan's national strategy documents, saying in a statement that the move did nothing to help "building a future-oriented relationship" between the two countries. The foreign ministry later said it summoned a senior diplomat from Japan's embassy in Seoul to lodge the protest. The defence ministry separately said it summoned a Japanese defence official to protest the claim. The islands known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan are controlled by Seoul with a small contingent of coast guards.

☆ North Korea says it tested 'high-thrust solid-fuel motor' for apparent ICBM development
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A view of a "high-thrust solid-fuel motor" test to develop a new strategic weapon, at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea, December 15, 2022, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Dec 16 (Reuters) - North Korea has tested a "high-thrust solid-fuel motor", state media reported on Friday, as the isolated country seeks to develop a new strategic weapon and speeds up its nuclear and missile programmes. The static firing test proved the motor's reliability and stability, providing a "guarantee for the development of another new-type strategic weapon system", KCNA added. North Korea has been working to build more solid-fuel missiles, which are more stable and can be launched with almost no warning or preparation time. North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests this year, including an ICBM capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, despite international bans and sanctions.

☆ North Korean hackers exploited Seoul Halloween tragedy to distribute malware, Google says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Dec 8 (Reuters) - North Korean government-backed hackers referenced the deadly Halloween crush in Seoul to distribute malware to users in South Korea, Google's (GOOGL.O) Threat Analysis group said in a report. Google attributed the activity to a North Korean hacking group known as APT37 which it said targets South Korean users, North Korean defectors, policy makers, journalists and human rights activists. It reported the problem to Microsoft on Oct. 31 after multiple reports from South Korean users on the same day. North Korea does not respond to media inquiries, but has previously released statements denying allegations of hacking. On Thursday, South Korean officials warned businesses against inadvertently hiring IT staff from North Korea.

☆ South Koreans set to become younger as traditional way of counting age scrapped
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pedestrians wearing masks walk with umbrellas as it rains amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in central Seoul, South Korea, November 19, 2020. REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Dec 8 (Reuters) - South Korea on Thursday passed laws to scrap its traditional method of counting ages and adopt the international standard - a shift which will make its citizens either 1 or 2 years younger on official documents. Koreans are deemed to be a year old when born and a year is added every Jan. 1. A separate system also exists for conscription purposes or calculating the legal age to drink alcohol and smoke, in which a person's age is calculated from zero at birth and a year is added on Jan. 1. Since the early 1960s, however, South Korea has for medical and legal documents also used the international norm of calculating from zero at birth and adding a year on every birthday.

Yonhap via REUTERSSEOUL, Dec 8 (Reuters) - South Korea ordered striking truckers in the steel and petrochemical industries to return to work on Thursday, widening a back-to-work decree beyond the cement industry amid a prolonged nationwide strike that has disrupted supply chains. During opening remarks at a televised meeting of the country's cabinet, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told the members to issue the "start work" order. Tens of thousands striking truckers are demanding a minimum wage programme be permanent and broader. Last week, the government issued a "start work" order to force 2,500 striking drivers in the cement industry back on the road. The "start work" order last month was the first time the government had forced striking workers back on the job.

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