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☆ 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

☆ Beijing Calls for 'Positive, Objective, Friendly' China Policy From South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China hopes South Korea will pursue a "positive, objective and friendly" policy towards Beijing, foreign minister Wang Yi said in a phone call with his South Korean counterpart on Tuesday. China and South Korea have close economic ties, and should work together to maintain the stability and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains, China's foreign ministry quoted Wang as saying in a statement. During the phone call, South Korean foreign minister Cho Tae-yul asked China to play a "constructive role" in curbing North Korea's military threats, and to help North Korean defectors not to be sent back home against their will, South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement. Wang has invited Cho to China and both countries would continue to discuss Cho's visit, the ministry said. (Reporting by Ethan Wang, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo and Ju-min Park; Editing by Alison Williams and Stephen Coates)

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Cho Tae, yul, Cho, Ethan Wang, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Alison Williams, Stephen Coates Organizations: South Korean Locations: BEIJING, China, South Korea, Beijing, North

☆ South Korea flies solid-fuel rocket amid space race with North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] A solid-fuel space rocket is launched during a test flight over the sea near Jeju Island, South Korea, December 4, 2023. The Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Dec 4 (Reuters) - South Korea on Monday successfully conducted a flight of a solid-fuel rocket carrying a satellite over the sea near Jeju Island, the defence ministry said, amid a growing space race with neighbouring North Korea. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried South Korea's first spy satellite into orbit on Friday from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. North Korea on Monday denounced what it called Washington's "double standard" over the two Koreas' satellite launches and said such "brigandish" American standards would never be tolerated. A functioning reconnaissance satellite could allow North Korea to remotely monitor U.S., South Korean, and Japanese troops.

Persons: California's, Kim Jong, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: The Defense Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Agency for Defense Development, Korea's Hanwha, Hanwha Systems, SpaceX, California's Vandenberg Space Force, White House, Pentagon, U.S, Thomson Locations: Jeju, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, Pyongyang, United States, Korea, Norfolk , Virginia, South

☆ 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's Kim says satellite launch was exercise of right to self-defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un meets with members of the Non-Standing Satellite Launch Preparation Committee, in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on November 24, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 24 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country's recent launch of a spy satellite was an exercise of its right to self-defence, as Pyongyang celebrated the event as showing it could strike anywhere in the world, state media reported. North Korea hosted a reception to celebrate the launch on Thursday, where Premier Kim Tok Hun said the satellite would develop the North Korean military into "the world's best army possessed of capability for striking the whole world". Russia and North Korea have denied arms deals but have promised deeper cooperation. South Korea has said that the North Korean satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but that it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA, Kim Tok Hun, Kim's, Vladimir Putin, Soo, hyang Choi, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, National Aerospace Technology Administration, DPRK, Democratic People's, Korean, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Russia, Korea

☆ Foreign ministers of S.Korea, China, Japan to discuss trilateral summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will meet for talks in South Korea on Sunday, South Korea's foreign ministry said on Friday, as the three countries seek to hold their first leaders' summit in four years. The meeting of foreign ministers, which will take place in the South Korean port city of Busan, is also the first such meeting since 2019. "The foreign ministers plan to exchange views extensively on the direction of development of trilateral cooperation including preparations for a ninth trilateral summit, and regional and global issues," the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement. The talks come as South Korea and Japan have seen improving ties and also deepening security cooperation with the United States amid concerns over China's growing regional influence. Beijing has previously warned that U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with South Korea and Japan could increase tension and confrontation in the region.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon, Issei Kato, Hyonhee, Ed Davies, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Tokyo International, REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, South Korean, South, Thomson Locations: Korean, Tokyo, Japan, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, China, Busan, United States, Beijing, North Korea

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

☆ Military agreement fractures as tensions rise with North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

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. South Korea had accused Pyongyang of violating the agreement after North Korean artillery shells fell into a maritime buffer zone that was supposed to be free of live-fire drills under the agreement. The North then said South Korea had resumed the use of propaganda loudspeakers at the border in violation of the agreement. South Korea's military will restart aerial surveillance in border areas, which had been conducted before the agreement was signed, the defence ministry said. South Korea said, however, its decisions on whether to take further actions to pull out of the military agreement would depend on the North's follow-up moves.

Persons: Han Duck, Kim Jong Un, Moon Jae, denuclearisation, Kim Myung, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, South, Korean, CMA, North, BE, Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, Korea, South, Pyongyang, Seoul

☆ 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

☆ South Korea to ban eating dogs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Nov 17 (Reuters) - South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to the controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal rights, a ruling party policy chief said on Friday. The government and ruling party would introduce a bill this year to enforce a ban, Yu said, adding that with expected bipartisan support, the bill should sail through parliament. First lady Kim Keon Hee has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption and, along with her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, has adopted stray dogs. Eating dog meat has been an age-old practice on the Korean peninsula and is seen as a way to beat the summer heat. A Gallup Korea poll last year showed 64% opposed dog meat consumption.

Persons: Yu, Chung Hwang, keun, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon Suk, Ed Davies, Robert Birsel Organizations: Power Party, Agriculture, Humane Society International, Gallup, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korea, South Korea, Gallup Korea

☆ South Korea to Ban Eating Dogs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Ju-min ParkSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea aims to ban eating dog meat and put an end to the controversy over the ancient custom amid growing awareness of animal rights, a ruling party policy chief said on Friday. The government and ruling party would introduce a bill this year to enforce a ban, Yu said, adding that with expected bipartisan support, the bill should sail through parliament. First lady Kim Keon Hee has been a vocal critic of dog meat consumption and, along with her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, has adopted stray dogs. Eating dog meat has been an age-old practice on the Korean peninsula and is seen as a way to beat the summer heat. A Gallup Korea poll last year showed 64% opposed dog meat consumption.

Persons: Yu, Chung Hwang, keun, Kim Keon Hee, Yoon Suk, Ed Davies, Robert Birsel Organizations: Power Party, Agriculture, Humane Society International, Gallup Locations: SEOUL, Korea, South Korea, Gallup Korea

☆ Sapeon, backed by South Korea's SK Group, launches new AI chip
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Sapeon, an artificial intelligence (AI) chip startup backed by South Korea's telecom-to-chip conglomerate SK Group, has launched its latest chip for data centres, the company said on Thursday, joining the global race to develop AI chips with bigger rivals like Nvidia (NVDA.O). The new Sapeon X330 chip "represents roughly twice the computational performance and 1.3 times better power efficiency" than competitors' products launched this year, the company said in a statement, without elaborating further on the competitors. Sapeon designs AI semiconductors for data centres, which require huge amounts of data processing. The X330 chip is manufactured by TSMC (2330.TW), the world's largest contract chipmaker, Sapeon said. SK Telecom (017670.KS), South Korea's top telco company, is Sapeon's parent.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sapeon, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, SK Group, Nvidia, TSMC, SK Telecom, telco, SK Hynix, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, South

☆ Samsung Elec sold more ASML shares in Q3 -company filing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Nov 15 (Reuters) - South Korea's Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) cut its stake in semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker ASML (ASML.AS) further in the third quarter, the company's latest financial statement showed. Samsung Electronics more than halved its stake in ASML earlier this year. The stake Samsung sold is worth around 726.7 million euros ($789.92 million) based on the latest share prices. That brought Samsung Electronics' holding in the Dutch chip equipment maker down to 0.4%, or 1.58 million shares, according to the report. Samsung Electronics did not have an immediate comment.

Persons: Ed Davies Organizations: Samsung Electronics, Samsung, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, ASML

☆ South Korea court grants ex-Samsung exec bail in industrial espionage case
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Employees walk past the logo of Samsung Electronics during a media tour at Samsung Electronics' headquarters in Suwon, South Korea, June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A South Korean court has granted bail to a former executive of Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) accused of stealing sensitive information developed by the technology giant, court records showed on Tuesday. The district court in Suwon, south of Seoul, accepted a bail request for Choi on November 10, court records showed, without providing further details. Lawyers for Choi were not immediately available for comment, but a source close to Choi confirmed he had been released on bail. Samsung Electronics did not immediately provide a comment.

Persons: Kim Hong, Choi Jinseog, Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: Samsung Electronics, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Suwon, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korean, China, Seoul, South

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a welcome ceremony before an annual security meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea on November 13, 2023. 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 the North. "If the countries that backed North Korea during the Korean War ever try to help again, then those countries will also receive grave punishment from the international community along with North Korea." China and North Korea are parties to the armistice with the UNC. The defence chiefs also agreed to step up joint drills and cooperate with Japan to deter and better prepare for any North Korean attack.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Lloyd Austin, Austin, We're, Shin Won, Shin, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, Rights, . Defense, . Command, UNC, Security, Democratic People's, DPRK, ., Defence, Korean, United Nations, Command, Soviet Union, U.N, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, China, Russia, North Korea, Pyongyang, People's Republic of China, North, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Washington, Ukraine, Moscow, . North Korea, Russia's, North Korea's, Soviet, United States, Britain, Australia, Turkey, U.S, Austin, Japan

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik in Seoul on Sunday with Japanese defence minister Minoru Kihara joining the meeting online. U.S. President Joe Biden agreed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at an Aug. 18 summit that by the end of this year the three countries would share North Korea missile warning data in real time. The ministers also condemned growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a violation of U.N. resolutions, the South Korean defence ministry said in a statement, and also stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul on Sunday, the South Korean military said. In his first visit to South Korea since he took office in October, the top U.S. general discussed the "continuous provocations" of North Korea including missile launches, and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to the defence of South Korea, the South Korean joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Lloyd Austin, Shin Won, Minoru Kihara, Kihara, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Charles Q, Brown, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Miral Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Korean, Sunday, . Defence, South Korean, Korea, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, Thomson Locations: Rights TOKYO, SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, United States, South, Sunday ., Seoul, North Korea, Russia, Taiwan, TOKYO

☆ South Korea inflation likely to ease in November, finance minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Nov 12 (Reuters) - South Korean inflation is likely to ease in November to about 3.6% as prices of agricultural products have started to fall, the finance minister said on Sunday. South Korea's consumer price index stood 3.8% higher in October from a year ago, the fastest inflation rate since March 2023 and above the 3.6% forecast by a Reuters poll. If this is the trend, the inflation rate will be around 3.5% to 3.6%, and this kind of price stabilisation will happen gradually, albeit slowly," Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho told public broadcaster KBS TV. Consumer inflation accelerated for a third month in October amid higher food costs, keeping policymakers on edge as they are monitoring whether current interest rates are tight enough to bring inflation to heel. Reporting by Ju-min Park and Jihoon Lee; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Choo Kyung, Jihoon Lee, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: KBS TV, Thomson Locations: SEOUL

☆ South Korea's Yoon to Attend APEC Summit, Visit Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the APEC summit in San Francisco on Nov. 15-18, Yoon's office said on Wednesday. After the U.S. trip, Yoon is set to pay a state visit to Britain on Nov. 20-23 following an invitation from King Charles and visit France on Nov. 23-26 as part of efforts to bolster support for hosting the 2030 World Expo, Yoon's deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo said. The host country for the 2030 expo is expected to be decided this month by a vote of the member states of the International Bureau of Expositions, the expo organising body. Yoon will also visit the Netherlands on Dec. 12-13 following an invitation from King Willem-Alexander, local media reported, in what would be the first state visit by a South Korean president since the countries established diplomatic ties in 1961. (Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Ju-min Park; Editing by Ed Davies)

Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon, King Charles, Kim Tae, hyo, King Willem, Alexander, Soo, hyang Choi, Ed Davies Organizations: APEC, International, South Locations: SEOUL, San Francisco, U.S, Britain, France, Paris, Netherlands, South Korean

SEOUL, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Operations at Kia Corp's (000270.KS) assembly plant in South Korea have been suspended due to disruptions in parts supplies, the carmaker said on Wednesday. Poongki Industrial Co Ltd, a Kia supplier that makes chassis parts, suffered a fatal accident that resulted in the death of one worker on Tuesday and halted its own operations, causing supply disruptions at Kia's plant, a Kia spokesperson said. Labour authorities are investigating the accident, putting a halt to forklift truck operations at the Kia supplier's factory, a labour ministry spokesperson said. Kia is checking on alternative sources for Poongki's components, according to the Kia spokesperson. The plant located in the southwestern city of Gwangju produces about 2,000 vehicles a day, according to media reports.

Persons: Kia Corp's, Poongki, Kia, Lee Jae, Heekyong Yang, Ed Davies Organizations: Kia, Poongki Industrial Co Ltd, Labour, Eugene Investment, Securities, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Gwangju

☆ North Korea's Chances of Succeeding in Spy Satellite Launch High -S.Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea is in the final stages of preparations for the launch of a spy satellite and the chances of the third attempt succeeding are high, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing South Korea's intelligence service. North Korea has made two attempts to launch its first reconnaissance satellite this year that ended in failure as stages of the boosters experienced malfunctions. The North had previously pledged to make a third attempt in October, but has so far shown no indication that it was going ahead with the launch. "North Korea is also seen to be trying to use the Israel-Hamas war in a multifaceted way," Yoo was quoted as saying after the spy agency briefing. The spy agency also said that North Korea dispatched a delegation that mainly consists of experts on artillery to Russia in mid-October, news reports said.

Persons: Yoo Sang, Kim Jong, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Yoo, Jack Kim, Ed Davies Organizations: National Intelligence Service, NIS, Israel Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Russian, Moscow, South Korea, Japan, United States, Israel

☆ North Korea's chances of succeeding in spy satellite launch high -S.Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Nov 1 (Reuters) - North Korea is in the final stages of preparations for the launch of a spy satellite and the chances of the third attempt succeeding are high, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing South Korea's intelligence service. North Korea has made two attempts to launch its first reconnaissance satellite this year that ended in failure as stages of the boosters experienced malfunctions. The North had previously pledged to make a third attempt in October, but has so far shown no indication that it was going ahead with the launch. "North Korea is also seen to be trying to use the Israel-Hamas war in a multifaceted way," Yoo was quoted as saying after the spy agency briefing. The spy agency also said that North Korea dispatched a delegation that mainly consists of experts on artillery to Russia in mid-October, news reports said.

Persons: Yoo Sang, Kim Jong, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Yoo, Jack Kim, Ed Davies Organizations: National Intelligence Service, NIS, Israel, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Russian, Moscow, South Korea, Japan, United States, Israel

☆ South Korea economic growth to exceed potential rate in 2024, Yoon says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President of South Korea Yoon Suk-Yeol speaks at the opening session of Saudi Arabia's Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 24, 2023. South Korea's potential growth rate - the maximum economic growth that can be achieved without triggering inflationary pressure - is estimated to be around 2%, policymakers have said. In a Reuters survey conducted early this month, economic growth was forecast to slow to 1.2% in 2023 from 2.6% in 2022, followed by a recovery to 2.1% in 2024. The government in August unveiled its 2024 budget plan that included the smallest increase in two decades amid weakening tax revenue due to slower economic growth. He also pledged South Korea would maintain mutually beneficial cooperation with China, South Korea's largest trading partner.

Persons: South Korea Yoon Suk, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, 1,348.7800, Jihoon Lee, Ed Davies Organizations: South, Saudi, Future Investment Initiative, Saudi Press Agency, Handout, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Gross, Bank of, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Rights SEOUL, United States, Bank of Korea, Washington, China, South

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