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☆ Less Cocaine, More Vegetables: Concert Tour Cooking Goes Healthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Soo Youn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

In Stockholm, it was the cookies — the black sesame, wasabi and white chocolate, or maybe the gluten-free coconut almond dark chocolate — that signaled to Beyoncé’s dancers, crew and roadies that Grant Bird was back. Mr. Bird is an English pastry chef and one of 14 culinary professionals on Beyoncé’s current Renaissance World Tour, which has also employed a vegan chef and three personal chefs just for Queen B and her inner circle. After getting Covid during rehearsals in Paris, Mr. Bird had to take a weeklong break, leaving the dessert duties for the 400 to 600 crew members to two substitute chefs. By then, the crew had gotten used to his lavish desserts, which often featured a dozen different offerings at both lunch and dinner. A pared-down sweets menu spoke to his absence.

Persons: Grant Bird, Bird, Queen B Locations: Stockholm, Paris

☆ US, South Korea, Japan hold missile defence drill after North's ICBM launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from an undisclosed location in North Korea in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on July 13, 2023. Washington and its Asian allies have been working to improve their information-sharing system on North Korea's missiles. South Korea and Japan are independently linked to U.S. radar systems but not to each other's. The exercise aimed at mastering the allies' response to a North Korean ballistic missile launch with a scenario featuring a virtual target, the military said. The North's ICBM launch was denounced by the U.S., South Korea and Japan, though Pyongyang has rejected the condemnation, saying it was an exercise of its right to self-defence.

Persons: Sunday's, Soo, hyang Choi, William Mallard Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Aegis, South Korean Navy, Thomson Locations: North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, U.S, South Korea, Japan, Pyongyang, Washington, Korean

☆ South Korea to provide more demining equipment to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 16 (Reuters) - South Korea will provide more demining equipment to Ukraine, a South Korean official said on Sunday, following President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Kyiv on the weekend where he pledged more military and humanitarian aid in the fight against Russia. "We are thinking to expand support on mine detectors and demining equipment as Ukraine's demand for them was assessed to be desperately huge," Yoon's deputy national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, told a briefing. South Korea is a U.S. ally and major arms exporter but it has been resisting Western pressure to help arm Ukraine directly, citing business ties with Russia and Moscow's influence over North Korea. In a press conference after the meeting on Saturday, Yoon has said South Korea will provide "a larger scale of military supplies" to Ukraine this year, following last year's provision of non-lethal supplies such as body armour and helmets. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Kim Tae, Yoon, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Soo, hyang Choi, Michael Perry Organizations: South Korean, Russia, NATO, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Ukraine, Kyiv, Lithuania, Poland, U.S, Russia, North Korea

SEOUL/CHEONGJU, South Korea, July 16 (Reuters) - The bodies of eight people trapped in a tunnel flooded by heavy rain in central South Korea were retrieved on Sunday, authorities said, with the death toll from days of torrential downpours that have pounded the country rising to 37. Kong Seong-pyo, a 60-year-old Cheongju resident who frequently uses the underpass, said the government should have restricted access to the tunnel when flooding was expected. The Ministry of Interior and Safety said nine people were missing across the country as of 6 p.m. (0900 GMT) as heavy downpours caused landslides and floods, with evacuation orders covering 8,852 people. [1/9]Rescue workers are seen near a recovered electric bus during a search and rescue operation near an underpass that has been submerged by a flooded river caused by torrential rain in Cheongju, South Korea, July 16, 2023. While South Korea often experiences heavy rains in summer, it has witnessed a sharp increase in torrential rains in recent years.

Persons: Seo Jeong, Seo, Kong, Kim Hong, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Han Duck, Gyun Kim, Daewoung Kim, Hongji Kim, Cheongju, hyang Choi, Diane Craft, Michael Perry, Jamie Freed, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: MBC, Reuters, The, of Interior, Safety, REUTERS, Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea Railroad Corp, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, CHEONGJU, South Korea, Cheongju, Seoul, Gangnam, Chungcheong

☆ Rescuers retrieve six bodies from flooded South Korea underpass
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/9] Rescue workers are seen near a recovered electric bus during a search and rescue operation near an underpass that has been submerged by a flooded river caused by torrential rain in Cheongju, South Korea, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-jiCHEONGJU, South Korea, July 16 (Reuters) - The bodies of six people trapped in a tunnel submerged by heavy rains in central South Korea were retrieved on Sunday, firefighting authorities said, taking the death toll from days of torrential rains that have pounded the country to 33. Seo Jeong-il, head of the west Cheongju fire station, said some 15 vehicles, including a bus, are estimated to have been submerged in the flooded underpass in the city. The ministry data does not include those in the flooded tunnel as it was not immediately clear how many people were trapped underwater. Reporting by Do Gyun Kim, Daewoung Kim and Hongji Kim in Cheongju, Soo-hyang Choi in Seoul; Editing by Diane Craft and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Hong, Seo Jeong, Seo, Yoon Suk Yeol, Han Duck, Gyun Kim, Daewoung Kim, Hongji Kim, Cheongju, hyang Choi, Diane Craft, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, of Interior, Safety, Korea Railroad Corp, Thomson Locations: Cheongju, South Korea, Seoul

CNN —Rescue workers pulled seven bodies from vehicles trapped in a flooded underpass in central South Korea, authorities said Sunday, after days of torrential rain caused landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 33 people. The rescue operation was ongoing Sunday morning, with 10 people reported missing while authorities worked to identify the bodies, according to South Korean Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The search and rescue operation at the underpass continued on Sunday, in Cheongju, South Korea, on July 16. Dozens of people have died in South Korea in recent days as torrential monsoon rains triggered flooding and landslides across the country. The latest round of heavy rains in South Korea come just days after devastating floods wreaked havoc in neighboring Japan, killing at least six people and injuring 19.

Persons: Seo Jeong, il, Seo, Kim Hong, ”, Han Duck Organizations: CNN — Rescue, South Korean Ministry of, Safety, Rescue, Ministry of, Yonhap News Agency, Korean, South Korean Locations: South Korea, North Chungcheong, Cheongju, East Asia, Japan, China, Chongqing

☆ South Korea landslides, floods kill 7, over 1,000 evacuated
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] A view of a road submerged by a flooded river caused by heavy rain in Cheongju, South Korea, July 15, 2023. Yonhap/via REUTERSSEOUL, July 15 (Reuters) - Seven people have died, three were missing, seven injured and thousands evacuated in South Korea on Saturday, officials said, as a third day of torrential rains caused landslides and the overflow of a dam. Korea Railroad Corp said it was halting all slow trains and some bullet trains, while other bullet trains might be delayed due to slower operation, as landslides, track flooding and falling rocks threatened safety. A slow train derailed late on Friday when a landslide threw earth and sand over tracks in North Chungcheong province, the transport ministry said. Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Michael Perry and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Han Duck, Joyce Lee, Michael Perry, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Ministry of Interior, Safety, Korea Railroad Corp, Thomson Locations: Cheongju, South Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, North Chungcheong province, Goesan, North Chungcheong

☆ South Korea landslides, floods kill more than 20
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 15 (Reuters) - Twenty-two people have died, 14 were missing and thousands evacuated in South Korea as of Saturday, according to ministry data, as a third day of torrential rains caused landslides and the overflow of a dam. [1/6]A general view shows landslide caused by torrential rain in Yecheon, South Korea, July 15, 2023. Yonhap via REUTERSThe tally is expected to rise as more heavy rain is expected on the Korean peninsula on Sunday, the Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted. Korea Railroad Corp said it was halting all slow trains and some bullet trains, while other bullet trains might be delayed due to slower operation, as landslides, track flooding and falling rocks threatened safety. A slow train derailed late on Friday when a landslide threw earth and sand over tracks in North Chungcheong province, the transport ministry said.

Persons: Han Duck, Joyce Lee, Michael Perry, William Mallard Organizations: Ministry of Interior, Safety, Yonhap, Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea Railroad Corp, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Chungcheong, Yecheon

Hong Kong CNN —Seven people have died and thousands have evacuated their homes in South Korea due to heavy rain. Three others were missing, the country’s Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday, citing the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters. Across South Korea, more than 1,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes and seek temporary shelter on Saturday, Yonhap reported. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered authorities to evacuate those in landslide-prone regions and to carry out rescue efforts, according to the South Korean news agency. Last year, the South Korean capital Seoul logged record downpours that inundated homes, roads and subways, killing at least nine people.

Persons: Yonhap, Han Duck Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Yonhap News Agency, Central Disaster, Safety, South Korean Locations: Hong Kong, South Korea, Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, Seoul, East Asia, Japan, Fukuoka, Oita prefectures, Kyushu, China, Chongqing

☆ South Korea asks China to play 'constructive role' against North's threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It is a common interest of Seoul and Beijing for North Korea to stop provocations and return to dialogue, his office said. Relations between South Korea and China have also worsened since China's ambassador last month warned South Korea against making a wrong bet when it comes to Sino-U.S. rivalry. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had already angered China in April by saying the Taiwan issue was not merely an issue between China and democratically governed Taiwan, but a "global" issue similar to North Korea. "It is hoped that the South Korean side will abide by the one-China principle and handle it prudently and properly." China is willing to work with South Korea on rebuilding mutual trust and pushing their strategic partnership back to a healthy track, Wang said.

Persons: Jin, Wang Yi, Yoon Suk Yeol, Wang, Soo, hyang Choi, Ryan Woo, Christina Fincher, Devika Syamnath, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Korea's Foreign, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, United Nations Security Council, South, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, China, Pyongyang, Jakarta, Seoul, Beijing, North Korea, Russia, Washington, Moscow, emboldening North Korea, South Korea, U.S, Taiwan

SEOUL, July 12 (Reuters) - LG Electronics (066570.KS) said on Wednesday it is targeting 100 trillion won ($77 billion) in sales by 2030 and plans some 50 trillion won of investment as the South Korean company announced its future strategy. "LG Electronics will tranform its business portfolio... increase profits by growing in business-to-business, and transition to a service business," CEO William Cho told a press conference. In 2022, LG reported about 65 trillion won in consolidated sales excluding affiliate LG Innotek (011070.KS), which makes device components such as camera modules for smartphones. That would be up from more than 80 trillion won ($61.72 billion) as of end-March, according to an eBest Investment & Securities report on Monday. On Friday, LG Electronics estimated its second-quarter operating profit rose 12.7% from a year earlier to 892.7 billion won, its second-largest April-June quarter profit ever.

Persons: William Cho, 1,292.1700, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Joyce Lee, Ed Davies, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: LG Electronics, South Korean, LG, Investment, Securities, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, KS

☆ North Korea says longest test launch was latest Hwasong-18 ICBM
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from an undisclosed location in North Korea in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on July 13, 2023. KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, July 13 (Reuters) - North Korea tested its latest Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday, its state media reported, saying the weapon is the core of its nuclear strike force and a warning to the United States and other adversaries. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test, and said the country would take increasingly strong measures to protect itself until the U.S. and its allies drop their hostile policies, the report said. The Hwasong-18's 74-minute flight time was the longest ever for a North Korean missile test, KCNA said, adding the second and third stages were flown on a lofted trajectory to a high altitude for safety. North Korea said the missile flew 1,001 km (622 miles) to an altitude of 6,648 km.

Persons: KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Jamie Freed, David Gregorio Our Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, U.S, Washington, Korean, Thomson Locations: North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, United States, South Korea, Japan, Seoul, Tokyo, Republic, U.S, Japan's

☆ South Korea, Japan leaders to meet; Fukushima radioactive water, North Korea missile launch focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japan plans to soon start releasing more than a million tons of treated radioactive water from its tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, a move which has stirred anger and concern among South Koreans. A South Korean presidential official has said the Fukushima water discharge plan could be discussed at the meeting. But Seoul has said it will decide whether it will agree or not to Japan's release when Tokyo comes up with the final plan. Seoul and Tokyo have in recent years been taking steps to improve ties between the old northeast Asian rivals, especially due to the threat from North Korea. Separately, Yoon also plans hold a meeting with leaders of Japan, Australia and New Zealand while in Lithuania.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Fumio Kishida, Yoon, Soo, hyang Choi, Michael Perry Organizations: NATO, South Koreans, International Atomic Energy Agency, South Korean, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Japan, Seoul, Tokyo, Lithuania, Pyongyang, American, Australia, New Zealand

SEOUL/TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) off its east coast on Wednesday, prompting U.S. condemnation, as well as from the leaders of South Korea and Japan who met on the sidelines of a NATO summit. The White House condemned the launch and said it would take all necessary measures to ensure its security and that of South Korea and Japan. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in Lithuania for the NATO summit, convened an emergency national security council meeting and vowed to use the summit to call for strong international solidarity to confront such threats. [1/3]Passengers wait for their train in front of a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiThe top military generals of the United States, Japan and South Korea gathered for a rare trilateral meeting in Hawaii just before the missile launch.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Adam Hodge, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Kim Hong, Ji, Kim Dong, Yang, Leif, Eric Easley, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyunsu Yim, Hyonhee, Rami Ayyub, David Brunnstrom, Elaine Lies, Tom Hogue, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: NATO, House, National Security, REUTERS, University of North Korean Studies, Analysts, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Asan Institute, Policy Studies, Ewha Womans University, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, TOKYO, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Korean, American, Pyongyang, Lithuania, Japanese, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Seoul, Hawaii, Japan's, U.S, Washington, Tokyo

☆ South Korea's Yoon heads to NATO summit amid North Korea, China tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, July 10 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was set to depart on Monday for a summit with NATO leaders, seeking deeper international security cooperation amid rising North Korean threats and tension over China. Last year, he attended the NATO summit for the first time as a South Korean leader, saying new conflicts and competition posed threats to universal values. There had also been speculation in media that Yoon might visit Ukraine as part of the trip. Last year, two South Korean companies signed a $5.76 billion contract with Poland to export tanks and howitzers, as part of South Korea's biggest ever arms deal. "The NATO summit would be a chance to reinforce cooperation with the countries that share values and norms," Park said.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Choi Sang, mok, Yoon's, Hyonhee Shin, Soo, hyang Choi, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: NATO, North, Asia Pacific, Associated Press, Ukraine, South Korea's, Ewha Womans University, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, China, Lithuania, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, Europe, Ukraine, U.S, Korean, North Korea, South Korea, South, Seoul

☆ South Korea says respects IAEA review of Japan's Fukushima wastewater plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 7 (Reuters) - South Korea's government said on Friday it respected the U.N. nuclear energy watchdog's review of Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean and said it met international standards. Seoul announced its own assessment after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave the greenlight this week to Japan's plan, despite concerns over safety in some neighbouring countries and signs of a consumer backlash. "Therefore the plan meets international standards including those of the IAEA," he said. The plan to discharge the treated water from the Fukushima plant is also expected to "not have any meaningful impact on our ocean areas," Bang said. The announcement comes as Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, is due to arrive in South Korea on Friday for a three-day visit to explain the agency's findings after it approved Japan's plan this week.

Persons: Bang, Yoon Suk Yeol, Rafael Grossi, Jin, Hyunsu Yim, Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: Seoul, International Atomic Energy Agency, Coordination, IAEA, Democratic Party, South Korean Foreign, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo

☆ South Korea to help Africa cut dependence on rice imports - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 6 (Reuters) - South Korea is set to sign an agreement next week with eight African nations to help boost rice production and cut their dependence on imports, Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun told Reuters, amid concerns over food security on the continent. The minister said during several visits to Africa starting late last year officials told him they desperately needed help. Rice prices had almost doubled due to supply chain disruptions," Chung said, noting how food imports had squeezed the countries' foreign exchange reserves. South Korea has been able to produce enough rice to meet more than 90% of local demand, though still depends heavily on some other food imports. "The K-Rice project will bring outstanding rice varieties and hope to the small farmers in Africa suffering from the climate crisis," Marian Sunhee Yun, the director of WFP Korea Office, said.

Persons: Chung Hwang, keun, Yoon Suk Yeol, Chung, Rice, Yoon Suk, Marian Sunhee Yun, 1,302.3500, Soo, hyang Choi, Ed Davies, Sonali Paul Organizations: Agriculture, Reuters, Economic, West African States, United Nations, Food, WFP Korea Office, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Ghana, Guinea, Bissau, Gambia, Senegal, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, Africa, West Africa, Seoul

☆ South Korea to issue assessment of Japan's Fukushima discharge plan on Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 6 (Reuters) - South Korea will announce on Friday its own assessment of Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, a senior government official said. "We are currently at the final stage ... and will be able to explain the results at tomorrow's daily briefing," Park Ku-yeon, a vice-ministerial official at South Korea's Office for Government Policy Coordination, told reporters. The administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol has faced a tricky line responding to the issue given improving relations with Japan, just as the risk of a broader consumer backlash persists. Some consumer have been snapping up sea salt ahead of the planned release of water. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi Editing by Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Soo, Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, South Korea's, Coordination, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Japan

☆ South Korea to issue soon response to Japan's Fukushima discharge plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A discharge outlet being constructed to release Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water into the sea stands in the water, at the disabled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File PhotoSEOUL, July 5 (Reuters) - South Korea will issue its own response as soon as possible after the U.N. nuclear watchdog approved Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean, a government official said on Wednesday. Seoul would give its assessment of IAEA's examination of Japan's wastewater discharge plan when it announces its own review, Park said. South Korea's Agriculture Minister Chung Hwang-keun said on Tuesday the country will not lift a ban on Japanese food products from the area around the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant until public concern over contamination ease. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, now in Japan, will visit South Korea from July 7 to 9 to explain the organisation's findings on Japan's planned discharge of water.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Japan's, Chung Hwang, keun, Rafael Grossi, Soo, Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: Processing, REUTERS, International Atomic Energy Agency, South Korea's, IAEA, Korea's Agriculture, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul, Tokyo

CNN —Japan will soon begin releasing treated radioactive water into the ocean following approval from the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog for a controversial plan that comes 12 years after the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. Radioactive wastewater contains some dangerous elements, but the majority of these can be removed from the water, said TEPCO. The real issue is a hydrogen isotope called radioactive tritium, which cannot be taken away. A survey by Asahi Shimbun in March found that 51% of 1,304 respondents supported the wastewater release, while 41% opposed it. People in Tokyo protest against the Japanese government's plan to release nuclear wastewater into the sea on May 16, 2023.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Fumio Kishida, Daniel Campisi, Grossi, ” Robert H, Richmond, ”, ” Grossi, “, Han Duck, Yonhap, aren’t, Tim Mousseau, Wang Yiliang, Zhang Xiaoyu Organizations: CNN, United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, UN, Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Kewalo, Laboratory, University of Hawaii, Forum, World Health Organization, State Department, Atomic Energy Council, Pacific Islands Forum, Korean, US, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, University of South, Reuters, Getty, Asahi Shimbun, – Locations: Japan, Fukushima, China, Manoa, Richmond, Asia, Pacific, California, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, University of South Carolina, South Korea, Seoul, Xinhua, Tokyo

☆ Robot takes podium as orchestra conductor in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea Reuters —An android robot, EveR 6, took the conductor’s podium in Seoul on Friday evening to lead a performance by South Korea’s national orchestra, marking the first such attempt in the country. The two-armed robot, designed by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, made its debut at the National Theater of Korea, leading musicians in the country’s national orchestra. “Movements by a conductor are very detailed,” Choi Soo-yeoul, who led Friday’s performance alongside the robot, said. “The robot was able to present such detailed moves much better than I had imagined.”EveR 6 is seen on a screen alongside human conductor Choi Soo-yeoul. National Theater of Korea/Handout/ReutersBut EveR 6’s “critical weakness,” Choi said, is that it cannot listen.

Persons: ” Choi Soo, Choi Soo, ” Choi, Lee Young, ” Lee, ”, Choi Organizations: South Korea Reuters, South, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, National Theater of, Reuters Locations: Seoul, South Korea, National Theater of Korea

☆ Robot takes podium as orchestra conductor in Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An android robot, EveR 6, is seen as it takes the conductor's podium to lead a performance by South Korea's national orchestra, in Seoul, South Korea, June 30, 2023, in this handout picture. National Theater of Korea/Handout via REUTERSSEOUL, June 30 (Reuters) - An android robot, EveR 6, took the conductor's podium in Seoul on Friday evening to lead a performance by South Korea's national orchestra, marking the first such attempt in the country. The two-armed robot, designed by the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, made its debut at the National Theater of Korea, leading musicians in the country's national orchestra. "Movements by a conductor are very detailed," Choi Soo-yeoul, who led Friday's performance alongside the robot, said. The humanoid robot guided three of five pieces showcased on Friday evening, including one jointly conducted with Choi.

Persons: Choi Soo, Choi, Lee Young, Lee, Daewoung Kim, Jimin Jung, Soo, hyang Choi, Emma Rumney Organizations: South, Theater of, REUTERS, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, National Theater of, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Theater of Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, National Theater of Korea

REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File PhotoSEOUL, June 29 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday picked a conservative scholar and an outspoken critic of North Korea's human rights record as the country's new unification minister handling relations with Pyongyang in a cabinet reshuffle. Kim, 63, served as a presidential secretary for unification and a human rights envoy under the conservative Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations. North Korea has long rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers. Kim is the right person to pursue a "principle-based" and consistent North Korea policy, said Yoon's chief of staff, Kim Dae-ki. The unification ministry's role ranges from cross-border dialogue and exchanges to studying human rights abuses in North Korea and helping defectors resettle in the South.

Persons: Kim Hong, Yoon Suk, Kim Yung, Yoon, Kim, Lee Myung, Kim Jong, Kim Dae, Jang Mi, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South, REUTERS, Sungshin Women's University, North, Thomson Locations: Korean, South Korean, Paju, South Korea, SEOUL, Pyongyang, North Korea, North Korean, Korea, United States

☆ South Koreans become a year or two younger as traditional way of counting age scrapped
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, June 28 (Reuters) - South Koreans became a year or two younger on Wednesday as new laws that require using only the international method of counting age took effect, replacing the country's traditional method. Under the age system most commonly used in South Koreans' everyday life, people are deemed to be a year old at birth and a year is added every Jan. 1. But many South Koreans continued to use the traditional method for everything else. In December, South Korea passed laws to scrap the traditional method and fully adopt the international standard. Another age system exists in South Korea for conscription, school entrance and calculating the legal age to drink alcohol and smoke: a person's age is calculated from zero at birth and a year is added on Jan. 1.

Persons: Lee Wan, Choi Hyun, It's, Choi, Soo, hyang Choi, Daewoung Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Koreans, South, South Korea, Seoul

☆ South Korea unveils sanctions on Russian national over North's weapons programmes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, June 28 (Reuters) - South Korea on Wednesday announced new sanctions on two individuals and two entities over their alleged involvement in North Korea's weapons programmes, Seoul's foreign ministry said. The sanctions target Choi Chon Gon, a former South Korean national who acquired Russian citizenship, two companies Choi owns and a North Korean who supported Choi, the ministry said. Choi is accused of helping North Korea's illegal financial activities in violation of United Nations Security Council sanctions after acquiring Russian citizenship. "It marks the first time our government has imposed unilateral sanctions on an individual of Korean descent," the ministry said in a statement. Nuclear-armed North Korea has been testing various weapons including its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile, ramping up tension with Seoul and the South's main ally, the United States.

Persons: Choi Chon Gon, Choi, Soo, Ed Davies Organizations: Wednesday, South Korean, North, United Nations Security, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North, Russian, North Korean, North Korea, Seoul, United States

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