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☆ Rebecca Ferguson praised by former costars for speaking out against ‘idiot’ castmate
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Rebecca Ferguson may use “the Voice” while playing her powerful “Dune” character, but she also knows how powerful her own voice can be in real life. While Ferguson ruled out two former costars in the podcast interview – namely, Hugh Jackman and Tom Cruise – speculation has run rampant as to whom she might have been talking about. One of her previous scene partners surfaced on social media to praise the actress for her bravery – Dwayne Johnson, who wrote on X, “Hate seeing this but love seeing her stand up to bulls–t. “I remember being so scared and I looked at this person and I said, ‘You can F off. “I’m not scared of the consequences of saying what I think,” Ferguson said.

Persons: Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Smith, ”, –, “, Ferguson, Hugh Jackman, Tom Cruise, – Dwayne Johnson, Rebecca, ” Johnson, Emily Blunt, couldn’t, Ferguson –, ’ ”, “ I’m, ” Ferguson Organizations: CNN

☆ Rebecca Ferguson says she asked 'idiot' costar to be replaced with a tennis ball after they screamed abuse at her on set
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rebecca Ferguson said she once asked for an "absolute idiot" costar to be replaced with a tennis ball after they screamed abuse at her, reducing her to tears on set. The actor did not name the individual but did confirm it was not her "Mission Impossible" costar Tom Cruise. The next day on set, Ferguson decided to challenge her costar and put an end to his unacceptable behavior. I'm going to work toward a tennis ball. Using a tennis ball attached to a stick as a focal point for the actors to look at is common in movies when CGI is involved.

Persons: Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Smith, couldn't, Tom Cruise, Ferguson, Hugh Jackman, It's, Hugh, Hercules, Dwayne Johnson, Rebecca, — Dwayne Johnson, wouldn't Organizations: Business, Mondadori

☆ Signs of Rare Unrest Among North Korean Workers in China, Researchers Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Ju-min ParkSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's intelligence agency says poor conditions for North Koreans working overseas have led to "incidents and accidents", while researchers report rare protests and unrest in China among workers from a North Korean military-linked trading company. Fed up with unpaid wages and lingering pandemic lockdowns, as many as 3,000 North Korean workers in China staged protests last month, according to two South Korean government-affiliated researchers, including a former North Korean diplomat. The North Korean embassy in Beijing and its consular office in the Chinese border city of Dandong did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment. South Korea's unification ministry said in a report last year that China and Russia were hosting North Korean workers despite the sanctions. That's not easy now, given the North Korean regime wants to keep them in China to raise money for the government."

Persons: Cho Han, Cho, Ko Young, Ko, Jimin Jung, Josh Smith, Eduardo Baptista, Antoni Slodkowski, Laurie Chen, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, . State, Korea Institute for National, South, Korea's National Intelligence Service, Security, Koreans, U.S . State Department, NIS Locations: SEOUL, China, North Korean, Beijing, Dandong, North Koreans, North Korea, Pyongyang, Korean, Helong, Jilin province, Jilin, Russia, Seoul

☆ South Korea's Yoon Vows Clearer Rules After Wife's 'Dior Bag Scandal'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Heekyong Yang and Josh SmithSEOUL (Reuters) - The release of hidden camera footage showing South Korea's first lady accepting a Dior bag as a gift was a "political manoeuvre", President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday, but vowed to draw clearer lines to ensure such incidents do not happen again. The comments were his first public response to a controversy, dubbed the "Dior bag scandal" by local media, that has roiled his ruling party ahead of a key election in April. "What's important is to set clearer boundaries with others to prevent something like this from happening in the future." A Gallup Korea weekly poll on Friday showed that Yoon's approval ratings had fallen to 29%, the lowest in nine months. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Ju-min Park, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)

Persons: Heekyong Yang, Josh Smith SEOUL, Dior, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon, it's, Kim's, Abraham Choi, Josh Smith, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: People Power Party, KBS, Reuters, Gallup Korea Locations: North Korea, April's

☆ North Korea's Kim Calls for South to Be Seen as 'Primary Foe', Warns of War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kim said the constitution should be amended to educate North Koreans that South Korea is a "primary foe and invariable principal enemy" and define the North's territory as separate from the South. "We don't want war but we have no intention of avoiding it," Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, at a cabinet meeting, said Pyongyang was being "anti-national" for calling the South a hostile country. Analysts have said North Korea's foreign ministry could take over relations with Seoul, and potentially help justify the use of nuclear weapons against the South in a future war. Ruediger Frank, professor of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna, said Kim's new policies "will trigger a cascade of changes across inter-Korean relations and regional dynamics".

Persons: Hyunsu Yim, Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA, Yoon Suk, Ruediger Frank, Frank, Josh Smith, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Supreme, Assembly, North, East Asian, Society, University of Vienna, U.S Locations: Hyunsu Yim SEOUL, Korea, North, Seoul, North Koreans, South Korea, KCNA . North Korea, South, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea says interference in its satellites would be declaration of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Heekyong Yang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks on as a rocket carrying a spy satellite Malligyong-1 is launched, as North Korean government claims, in a location given as North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on November 21, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Dec 2 (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday it would consider any interference with its satellite operations a declaration of war and would mobilise its war deterrence if any attack against its strategic assets were imminent. Pyongyang would respond to any U.S. interference in space by eliminating the viability of U.S. spy satellites, state media KCNA reported, citing a statement from North Korea's defence ministry spokesperson. North Korea says it successfully launched its first military spy satellite on Nov. 21, transmitting photos of military installations in the U.S. mainland, Japan and the U.S. territory of Guam. The United States on Thursday targeted North Korea with fresh sanctions after the launch, designating foreign-based agents it accused of facilitating sanctions evasion to gather revenue and technology for its weapons of mass destruction programme.

Persons: Kim Jong, Washington, Heekyong Yang, Josh Smith, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic People's, U.S . Space Command, Korean, Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, U.S, Japan, Guam, United States, Korea, South Korea

☆ SpaceX launches South Korean spy satellite from California
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 1 (Reuters) - A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying South Korea's first spy satellite launched on Friday from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, after North Korea successfully launched its own military reconnaissance satellite last month. SpaceX ended its livestream of the mission minutes after liftoff and then recovery of the rocket's core stage booster without showing the South Korean payload's deployment. After two earlier attempts ended in rocket crashes this year, North Korea used its own Chollima-1 launch vehicle to place the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satellite in orbit. Pyongyang has yet to release any imagery from that satellite, and analysts say its full capabilities are unknown. Reporting by Michael Martina, Joey Roulette and Josh Smith Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: California's, Michael Martina, Joey Roulette, Josh Smith, Chris Reese, Leslie Adler Organizations: SpaceX, California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, North, American, Thomson Locations: North Korea, South Korea, Pyongyang

☆ North Korean special economic zone poised for revival in new Russia trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

China accounted for 97% of North Korea's overall trade in 2022, according to South Korea's Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA). But Russia resumed oil exports to North Korea in December 2022 and had exported 67,300 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea by April, United Nations data shows, the first such shipments reported since 2020. "Assuming North Korea and Russia's honeymoon period becomes a long one, North Korea could get Russian support on food, energy and infrastructure through Rason," Cho said. Those ships are suspected of military supplies from North Korea to Russia, the reports said. From Rason's port, North Korea has sent Russia an estimated 2,000 containers suspected of carrying artillery shells, and possibly short-range missiles, South Korean military officials have told reporters.

Persons: Rason, Jeong Eunlee, Jeong, Lee Chan, Cho Sung, Cho, Alexander Kozlov, Chung Songhak, Chung, Kim Jong Un, Kozlov, Kim Il Sung, Abraham Choi, Choi, Rason . Lee, Lee, Josh Smith, Gleb Stolyarov, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, South, Korea Institute for National Unification, Russian Federal Customs Service, South Korea's Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency, United, Teikyo University, North Korean, Korean, Kremlin, Korea Institute for Security, South Korea's National Institute for Unification Education, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korean, Russia, Ukraine, China, North Korea, Rason, Korea, South Korea’s, Russian, South Korea's Korea, United Nations, Tokyo, South Korean, Pyongyang, Rason's, Soviet, North, South

☆ North Korea cites rare dissent in elections even as 99% back candidates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un casts his ballot during a local election, in South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, in this picture released on November 27, 2023. The North's parliament and regional councils serve as a rubber stamp to the ruling Workers' Party, with their elections usually registering over 99% voter turnout. This month's election marks the first time North Korea has referred to dissenting votes in local polls since the 1960s, an official at South Korea's unification ministry handling relations with the North said. Held every four years, the latest regional election was also the first polls since North Korea revised its election law in August to allow multiple candidates. "The portrayal of a more democratic society, particularly in comparison to South Korea and the U.S., is aimed at reinforcing the regime's legitimacy and authenticity on the world stage," think tank, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said in a report.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Ed Davies, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Workers ' Party, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Thomson Locations: South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, North, Korea, South Korea, U.S, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea Says Its New Spy Satellite Photographed White House, Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

On Tuesday North Korean state media said leader Kim Jong Un had reviewed spy satellite photos of the White House, Pentagon and U.S. aircraft carriers at the naval base of Norfolk. North Korea last week successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite, which it has said was designed to monitor U.S. and South Korean military movements. Since then state media has reported the satellite photographed cities and military bases in South Korea, Guam, and Italy, in addition to the U.S. capital. Commercial imagery of those cities on Nov. 27, the day North Korea says it captured its photographs, was not immediately available. The United States and South Korea have condemned the satellite launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions banning any use of ballistic technology.

Persons: Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Kim Jong Un, Chad O'Carroll, Dave Schmerler, James Martin, Schmerler, Jeffrey Lewis, Kim, KCNA, Hyonhee ShinEditing, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Tuesday North, White House, Pentagon, U.S, NK News, Falcon, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Andersen Air Force Base, U.S . Locations: Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, North Korea, Norfolk . North Korea, Korean, South Korea, Guam, Italy, Pyongyang, Seoul, U.S, U.S . Western, Norfolk, Newport, British, Korea, United States

☆ South Korean city turns to matchmaking to boost low birth rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They were participants at a mass blind-dating event hosted by Seongnam city, an attempt by the local government to reverse a falling birth rate in a country where the popularity of marriage and enthusiasm towards parenthood have nosedived. Jung Jae-hoon, a professor at the department of social welfare at Seoul Women's University, said it was "nonsense" to expect these events to lead to higher birth rates. "You need to spend more money directly on supporting pregnancy, child delivery and parenting to call it a policy to boost birth rates," Jung said. Despite criticism, thousands of people have signed up for this year's blind-dating events arranged by the Seongnam city. "Low birth rates cannot be resolved with a single policy," Shin said.

Persons: Lee Yu, Hwang Da, Hwang, Jung Jae, Jung, Shin Sang, Shin, It's, Soo, hyang Choi, Daewoung Kim, Josh Smith, Stephen Coates Organizations: Seongnam, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, Seoul Women's University, Minwoo, Thomson Locations: SEONGNAM, South Korea, Seoul, Korean, United States, Japan, Seongnam

☆ North Korea's Kim inspects spy satellite photos of 'target regions', US bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nuclear-armed North Korea launched the satellite on Tuesday, but South Korean defence officials and analysts said its capabilities have not been independently verified. Kim examined photos of Seoul and other cities of Mokpo, Kunsan, Pyeongtaek and Osan, where U.S. and South Korean military bases are located. The photos were taken as the satellite passed over the peninsula on Friday morning, state news agency KCNA said. On Saturday, Kim visited the control centre once again to examine more photos taken in the morning of different target regions in South Korea: Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu and Gangneung. On Thursday, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said North Korea had "exaggerated" by saying Kim had already viewed images of Guam.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Carl Vinson, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, Yonhap, Josh Smith, Jihoon Lee, Clarence Fernandez, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korean, National Aerospace Technology Administration, Naval, Hickam Air Force, U.S . State Department, U.S, South Korean Defence Minister, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Seoul, North Korea, Mokpo, Pyeongtaek, Osan, Pyongyang, South Korea, Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu, Gangneung, Korean, Harbor, Hawaii, United States, Japan, Pacific, Guam, U.S

SEOUL, Nov 23 (Reuters) - One of the stages of North Korea's satellite launch rocket exploded after separation on Tuesday, video captured by an South Korean astronomy observatory showed, in what some analysts said may have been deliberate destruction to prevent recovery. North Korea launched its first spy satellite into orbit on Tuesday, after two previous attempts this year ended with the rockets crashing during flight. The South Korean military is seeking to find and salvage debris from the rocket, South Korea's defence ministry told parliament on Thursday. Recovering parts of the rocket could provide valuable intelligence on its capabilities and components, experts have said, and South Korea has accused Russia of providing technical aid to North Korea for this latest launch. Russia denied any military cooperation, but President Vladimir Putin in September publicly promised to help North Korea build satellites.

Persons: Byun Yong, Marco Langbroek, Langbroek, Vladimir Putin, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Gerry Doyle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Korea's Yonsei University, Yonsei University, Reuters, Delft University of Technology, South, South Korean, Russia, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korean, North Korea, U.S, Netherlands, China, South Korea, Russia

[1/6] A rocket carrying a spy satellite Malligyong-1 is launched, as North Korean government claims, in a location given as North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on November 21, 2023. North Korea said it placed its first spy satellite in orbit on Tuesday and vowed to launch more in the near future. Officials in South Korea and Japan, which first reported the launch, could not immediately verify whether a satellite was in orbit. Russia and North Korea have denied conducting arms deals, but are publicly promising deeper cooperation. South Korea's military said it believed the latest rocket carried a reconnaissance satellite and was launched toward the south.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Sabrina Singh, Han Duck, Yoon Suk Yeol, Moon Jae, Kim Jong, KCNA, Adrienne Watson, Vladimir Putin, Lee Choon, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North, Pentagon, South Korean, Korean, National Security Council, South Korea's National Security Council, National Aerospace Technology Administration, . National Security, South Korea's Science, Technology Policy Institute, South, U.S ., Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, Pyongyang, United States, North Korean, Japan, U.S, Britain, South, Korea, Russian, Moscow, Russia, Okinawa

☆ North Korea scraps military deal with South, vows to deploy new weapons at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, February 7, 2023. Russia and North Korea have denied arms deals but have promised deeper cooperation, including on satellites. South Korea resumed the use of crewed and uncrewed reconnaissance aircraft in the border area on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported. Critics have said that the pact weakened Seoul's ability to monitor North Korea, and that Pyongyang had violated the agreement. South Korea has said the North Korean satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally.

Persons: Kim Hong, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Moon Jae, Moon Chung, Moon, Kim, Critics, Bruce Klingner, Klingner, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, David Brunnstrom, Sonali Paul, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, North, ., U.S . Department of State, CMA, ROK, South Korean, Yonsei University, CIA, U.S, Heritage Foundation, North Korean, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Seoul, Russia, Pyongyang, . North Korea, Korea, Washington

☆ What to know about North Korea's spy satellite launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

WHAT ARE THE CAPABILITIES OF NORTH KOREA'S ON-ORBIT SPY SATELLITE? To launch a more-capable satellite, North Korea will most likely need to develop a larger rocket, which it appears to be doing, he said. South Korea's spy agency has said North Korea may have overcome technical hurdles with the help of Russia, which in September publicly pledged to help Pyongyang build satellites. The United States and its allies called North Korea's latest satellite tests clear violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit development of technology applicable to North Korea's ballistic missile programs. "North Korea is no longer shy about testing ICBMs, so no - this really is an SLV," he said.

Persons: Jonathan McDowell, Hong Min, Kim Jong Un, Vann Van Diepen, Van Diepen, Jeffrey Lewis, Chang Young, Lee Choon, Pyongyang’s, Lewis, Hyun Young Yi, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, U.S . Space Force, Korea Institute for National Unification, Stimson, North, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Korea Aerospace University, South Korea's Science, Technology Policy, United Nations, Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, North, Korea, Pyongyang, U.S, Washington, South Korea, RUSSIA, Russia, Moscow, United States

North Korea said it placed its first spy satellite in orbit on Tuesday. South Korea's military said North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally. Critics have said the pact weakened South Korea's ability to monitor the North's near the border while North Korea had violated the agreement. South Korea said it was suspending a clause in the agreement and resuming aerial surveillance near the border. North Korea had notified Japan of a satellite launch after two failed attempts to put what it called spy satellites into orbit this year.

Persons: Kim, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Adrienne Watson, Jonathan McDowell, Shin Won, sik, Kim Jong, Shin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Moon Jae, Critics, Carl Vinson, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Hong Min, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Joyce Lee, Liz Lee, Satoshi Sugiyama, Ed Davies, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle, Alex Richardson, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, North, ., U.S, Andersen Air Force Base, Pentagon, . National Security, Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, U.S . Space Force, South Korea's Defence, National Security, South Korean, Korea's Defence, Korea Institute for National Unification, South, U.S ., Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Korea, South Korea, SEOUL, United States, . North Korea, Pyongyang, Pacific, Guam, U.S, South, Britain, North, Santa Fe, Korean, Japan, China, North Korea's, RUSSIA, Russian, Russia, Minwoo, Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo

☆ Rival Koreas race to launch first spy satellites this month
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A still photograph shows what appears to be North Korea's new Chollima-1 rocket being launched in Cholsan County, North Korea, May 31, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency and taken from video. KCNA via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Both South and North Korea aim to launch their first spy satellites into orbit by the end of the month, entering a race for military capabilities in space. North Korea has notified Japan it plans to launch a satellite between Wednesday and Dec. 1, after two failed attempts to launch spy satellites earlier this year. Seoul plans to use SpaceX to launch four more spy satellites by 2025, and has test launched its own liquid and solid fuel rockets to launch more civilian and military satellites in the future. South Korea's capabilities are more advanced, but it still has to make more progress to see results, Chun said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Kim Hyun, chong, Chun, Panda, Josh Smith, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, SpaceX, California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, Carnegie Endowment, International, North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration, South Korean, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Cholsan County, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, South Korea, Seoul, Korea, South, U.S, Pyongyang, United States, Washington

☆ Britain to Launch South Korea Trade Talks During Yoon Visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain and South Korea will launch negotiations on a new free trade agreement (FTA) and sign a new diplomatic accord during a state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol this week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said on Monday. The Downing Street accord will see the countries agree to work closely on areas such as semiconductors - which South Korea is a major producer of - and artificial intelligence. Speaking to members of the South Korean community, Yoon said South Korea and Britain are partners that share universal values of freedom, human rights and rule of law, and form an economic community through trade, Yonhap news reported. The talks on a new trade deal will aim to replace the carry-over trade deal from when Britain left the European Union, which was based on replicating a deal with the EU from 2011 and reduced tariffs in a range of areas. Britain said it hoped a new trade deal would pave the way for increased digital trade and streamline currently complex procedures, and have a new rules of origin chapter.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Rishi Sunak's, Yoon's, King Charles, Charles, Yoon, Sunak, Alistair Smout, Josh Smith, Alistair Bell, Stephen Coates Organizations: South, Britain, Accord, European Union, Trans, Pacific Partnership Locations: Britain, South Korea, Downing, Korea, London, cybersecurity, United States, China, Japan, Seoul

☆ Britain to launch South Korea trade talks as president visits
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

King Charles greeted President Yoon Suk Yeol with a royal guard of honour following his arrival in London, and then rode with him by carriage to Buckingham Palace. He will hold talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, and sign an accord on closer diplomatic ties. Under the accord, the countries will agree to work closely on areas such as semiconductors - of which South Korea is an important producer - and artificial intelligence. [1/4]Members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee, as they arrive at Stansted Airport, near London, Britain, November 20, 2023. "REFRESHED, MODERNISED DEAL"Under Yoon, South Korea has focused on strengthening economic, political, and military ties with the U.S. while seeking to maintain trade with China and working to overcome historical disputes with Japan.

Persons: Yoon, King Charles Yoon, King Charles, Yoon Suk, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee, Toby Melville, David Beckham, Son Heung Min, Kemi Badenoch, Alistair Smout, Kylie MacLellan, Sarah Young, Josh Smith, Alistair Bell, Stephen Coates, Timothy Heritage, David Gregorio Our Organizations: LONDON, British, Accord, Trade, Downing, North, Royal Air Force, South, Stansted Airport, REUTERS, Trans, Pacific Partnership, European Union, Thomson Locations: Britain, Korea, London, Buckingham, United Kingdom, Downing, South Korea, North Korea, U.S, China, Japan, Seoul

☆ US, Japan and South Korea leaders hold brief meeting at APEC
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ethan Rosenzweig, Acting Chief of Protocol shakes hands greeting Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a welcome reception for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. The leaders posed for a photograph together before leaving without making remarks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, news agency Yonhap reported. The brief meeting comes three months after the leaders met at Camp David in August for talks. Yoon and Kishida promised to push for deeper cooperation in a separate meeting earlier Friday, Yoon's office said. The pair met on Thursday, a day before they were due to attend a roundtable on technological cooperation at Stanford University.

Persons: Ethan Rosenzweig, Japan's, Fumio Kishida, Loren Elliott, Yoon Suk Yeol, Joe Biden, Yonhap, Camp David, Yoon, Kishida, Yoon's, Biden, Josh Smith, Sam Holmes, Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Japanese, Camp, Stanford University, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights SEOUL, San Francisco, United States, Japan, North Korea, South, Seoul

[1/6] A Russian delegation led by Alexander Kozlov, the minister of natural resources, presents flower baskets to the statues of North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung and late leader Kim Jong Il at Mansudae Hill, in Pyongyang, North Korea, November 14, 2023. Russia and North Korea were conducting talks on the economy, science and technology, KCNA state media reported, without elaborating. North Korea's missile programme, as well as its nuclear weapons, have been banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions, which imposed sanctions on the country. Washington has accused North Korea of supplying military equipment to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, and Moscow of providing technical military support to help North Korea. North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals, though their leaders pledged closer military cooperation at their September summit.

Persons: Alexander Kozlov, North, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kozlov, Lloyd Austin, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Grant McCool, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Defense, North, St, U.S, Korea's General Missile Bureau, Military, U.N ., Thomson Locations: Mansudae, Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, North Korean, Seoul, China, Russia, Russian, Russia's, Petersburg, Korea, South, Washington, Ukraine, Moscow

Two officials from a Korean defence company confirmed the syndicated loan plan. Two officials at South Korean banks said there would be loans, but did not specify the type. That deal was worth $13.7 billion, South Korea's largest to date. The South Korean government didn't immediately provide a comment when asked for one. The South Korean government official did not elaborate on the size of the potential syndicated loan.

Persons: Kacper, didn't, 1,320.4500, Cynthia Kim, Seunggyu Lim, Jihoon Lee, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, South Korean, South, Korea's, Hyundai Rotem Co, Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem, U.S, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Wierzbiny, Orzysz, Poland, Rights SEOUL, South Korean, South, Seoul, Ukraine, Russia, Europe

☆ North Korea closes multiple embassies around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The North Korean flag flutters at the North Korea consular office in Dandong, Liaoning province, China April 20, 2021. Both Angola and Uganda have forged friendly ties with North Korea since the 1970s, maintaining military cooperation and providing rare sources of foreign currency such as statue-building projects. "This can be a sign of North Korea's difficult economic situation, where it is difficult to maintain even minimal diplomatic relations with traditionally friendly countries." North Korea has formal relations with 159 countries, but had 53 diplomatic missions overseas, including three consulates and three representative offices, until it pulled out of Angola and Uganda, according to the ministry. Correspondence with the Spanish Communist Party released on the party's website showed the North Korean embassy announcing the closing in a letter dated Oct. 26.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, KCNA, Chad O'Carroll, Kim Jong, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle, Ed Davies Organizations: North, REUTERS, Rights, NK Pro, Spanish Communist Party, North Korean, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Dandong, Liaoning province, China, Rights SEOUL, Spain, Hong Kong, Africa, Korean, Angola, Uganda, Korea, Italy, Madrid, Pyongyang, United States

[1/6] Park Young-soo, whose son died in the Halloween crowd crush a year ago, visits the memorial park where her son's ashes were buried in Pocheon, South Korea, October 24, 2023. She says she may not be able to move on with her life until she sees some kind of accountability from the government. Park is one of more than 100 family members who say the authorities have done little to hold those responsible to account. Relatives of the victims want a special law that would allow an independent and comprehensive investigation into the cause of the crush. "Nothing is reported to us nor communicated to us," said Nari Kim from Austria, who lost her younger brother in the crush.

Persons: Kim Soo, soo, Lee Nam, Lee, Yoon Suk, Lee Sang, Kim Young, Kim, Nari Kim, Jong, Woo Paik, Hyunsu Yim, Daewoung Kim, Heejung Jung, Jimin Jung, Josh Smith, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Interior, National Assembly, Power Party, Korean Society, Thomson Locations: Pocheon, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Itaewon, Hamilton, Seoul, North Korea, Seoul's, U.S, Japan, Iran, Austria, Korea

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