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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and nominated his ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Choi Byung-hyuk, as new defense minister, Yonhap news reported on Thursday. Kim has been reported as having advised Yoon to declare martial law on Tuesday, which was lifted after a parliament vote demanding Yoon reverse it. Parliament introduced a motion early on Thursday to impeach him over the botched attempt to impose martial law, but his party vowed to oppose the move, throwing the process into doubt. The main opposition Democratic Party has called Yoon's martial law attempt a treasonous act, and its lawmakers could lead a vote for the bill as early as Friday. U.S. officials said they were caught completely off guard by Yoon's martial law declaration, which Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said was "badly misjudged."
Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Yong, Choi Byung, Yoon's, Choi, Chung Jin, suk, Yonhap, Kim, Yoon, Kurt Campbell Organizations: South, Democratic Party Locations: Saudi Arabia
The martial law order, South Korea’s first since 1980, was reversed so quickly that many South Koreans weren’t aware of it until they woke up on Wednesday. People her age who had experienced martial law under the military dictatorship rushed to convenience stores to buy canned food, she said. Biden, who hosted Yoon for a state visit to Washington last year, has worked to enhance military and other ties with South Korea as a deterrent against China and North Korea, establishing a new trilateral security partnership with South Korea and its historic rival Japan. Earlier this year, South Korea became the first country outside the U.S. to host Biden’s annual Summit for Democracy. As South Korea grapples with political instability, the U.S. “should remain a steadfast ally,” Easley said.
Persons: “ Aren’t, Jeong, Yoon Suk, Kim Hong, Yoon, Emily Jo, , Jo, Yoo Yong, Yoo, Han Dong, ” Han, Lee Jae, myung, Jung Yeon, Ulf Kristersson, Lloyd Austin, Biden, Pat Ryder, Philip Fong, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley, ” Easley, Stella Kim, Cho Beomsoo, Jennifer Jett Organizations: Lawmakers, , People Power Party, NBC, National Assembly, Getty, Democratic Party, Gallup, Korea Times, Swedish, Defense, South, for Democracy, South Korea, Pentagon, Embassy, Ewha Womans University Locations: , Seoul, AFP, Gallup Korea, North Korea, Korean, Washington, South Korea, China, Japan, U.S, Korea, Hong Kong
South Korea's president, Yoon Suk-yeol, shocked the nation on Tuesday evening by declaring martial law. AdvertisementThe last time martial law was declared in South Korea was in 1980, when a military dictatorship took over. 12 a.m. — Martial law forces reach the complexAs the National Assembly started to meet its quorum requirement, the first of the martial law forces arrived outside. Related stories12:48 a.m. — Lawmakers vote to lift martial lawLed by Woo, the National Assembly officially began the vote on reversing martial law. 4:40 a.m. — Martial law is lifted and troops withdrawYoon's martial law was officially rescinded by an emergency Cabinet meeting, and dispatched forces returned to their bases.
Persons: Yoon Suk, yeol, Yoon, — Yoon, Kim Hongmin, Kim, Han Dong, Han, Chris Jung, Yonhap, Lee Jae, Myung, mobilizes, Lee, Kim Hong, Woo Won, Woo, Park Jie, Park, Chung Sung, , Lee Tae, Daniel Ceng, Ellen Kim, Yun, Donald Trump, Yoon's Organizations: Assembly, North Korean, Democratic Party, People Power Party, Getty, National Assembly, Lawmakers, Protesters, Police, , South Korean, — Troops, Democratic Party's, REUTERS, Korean, Soldiers, South, Park, National, Center for Strategic, International Studies, CSIS Locations: Seoul, Republic of Korea, Korean, Hongdae, South Korea, Yeouido, South, Gwangju, South Korea's, , Anadolu, Korea, YONHAP, Ukraine, Gwanghwamun
Yoon was forced to back down and lifted the martial law order just hours later, after lawmakers unanimously voted to block the decree amid a fierce national outcry. That was the last time martial law was declared in South Korea. Seoul citizens walk beside an army tank on Saturday, Oct. 27, 1979, after martial law was declared following the death of President Park Chung-Hee. Outsted South Korean leader Park Geun-hye arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, August 25, 2017. Yoon also faces rising discord within his party, which has opposed his move to introduce martial law and called it unconstitutional.
Persons: Park Chung, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, , , Yoon’s, Chun, Hee, Kim Chon, Roh Moo, Lee Myung, Chung, Park, hye, Kim Hong, Leif, Eric Easley, Yonhap Organizations: CNN, Yonhap News Agency, Min Consulting, National Assembly, Ewha University, Democracy Party, People Power Party Locations: South Korea, South, Seoul, Japan, Gwangju, Korean
A man holds the South Korea flag outside the National Assembly in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law. South Korean heavyweight stocks fell in a volatile trading session Wednesday amid political upheaval that saw President Yoon Suk Yeol reverse a surprise martial law decree that he imposed hours earlier. The South Korean won depreciated further by 0.05% to trade at 1,415.78 against the greenback. South Korean stocks experienced significant fluctuations in the U.S. overnight. The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, which tracks more than 90 large and mid-sized companies in South Korea, tumbled as much as 7% to hit a 52-week low before trimming losses to close 1.6% down.
Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Suk, Kim Byung, Yoon, Chong Koon Organizations: South, National Assembly, South Korean, Samsung Electronics, LG Energy, Hyundai Motor, SK Hynix, Naver Corp, Samsung SDI, Korea Gas Corporation, greenback, Standard Chartered Bank, CNBC, Bank of, Korea ETF Locations: South Korea, Seoul, Korean, Korea, Japan, Bank of Korea, U.S
South Korea's foe, North Korea, could seek to exploit the turmoil. Kim Jong Un, North Korea's emboldened leader, is likely watching the events in South Korea closely and may use the turmoil to his benefit. Advertisement"We should not be surprised if Pyongyang exploits the domestic crisis in South Korea to its advantage, either rhetorically or otherwise," he added. Kim could use the crisis to intimidate and undermine its neighbor, and drive a wedge between South Korea and the US, say analysts. "I would expect some rhetorical gloating about the superiority of North Korea's political system, but not much else," he said.
Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, South, Kim Jong Un, Korea's, Edward Howell, Seiler, Kurt Campbell, Campbell, Kim, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, David Welch Organizations: University of Oxford, CNN, US National Intelligence Council, South, ROK, Department of European, International Studies, SOAS, University Research, Political Science, University of Waterloo, Newsweek Locations: Korea, North Korea, South Korea, Seoul, Pyongyang, South, East Asia, Ukraine, China, Taiwan, Republic of Korea
AdvertisementSouth Korea's largest labor union has issued an indefinite general strike. The call went out to its 1.1M members after South Korea's president declared martial law. South Korea's largest labor union launched an indefinite general strike late on Tuesday, calling for the country's embattled president to resign after he declared martial law. The decree, which suspended civilian government functions and established temporary military control, was South Korea's first declaration of martial law since the country's democratization in 1987. AdvertisementMeanwhile, South Korea's former foreign minister, Kang Kyung-hwa, told CNN that the president's move and the way it was handled was "completely unacceptable" and an "aberration."
Persons: Kim Jong, Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's, Yoon, Andrew Minjun, Kang Kyung, Robert E, Kelly, India's, he'll Organizations: South, Korean, of Trade Unions, South Korean, Korean Confederation of Trade Union, Seoul National University, CNN, Associated Press, Pusan National University Locations: South, North Korea
A visitor looks at screens at the Korea Exchange (KRX) headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. The political whiplash thrust South Korea, a key U.S. ally and critical link in international supply chains, into the global spotlight and rattled financial markets. U.S.-listed Korean equities fell sharply on Yoon's initial martial law order, while South Korea's won notched a fresh two-year low against the U.S. dollar on the news. "Martial law hasn't been introduced since 1979 and is seen as deeply negative. Investor sentiment could turn for the betterNot everyone was as downbeat on the market implications of South Korea's unfolding political drama.
Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Byung, Yoon, Jonathan Garner, Morgan Stanley, CNBC's, Garner, Rory Green, South Korea's, Trinh Nguyen, hasn't, Nguyen, Thomas Mathews, Yoon Suk, Anthony Wallace Organizations: Korea Exchange, Bloomberg, Getty, South, National Assembly, South Korea's, U.S, Yonhap News Agency, Deutsche Bank, Tech, Samsung, Korea's, LG Energy, Hyundai Motor, TS Lombard, greenback, Bank of, Asia Pacific, Capital Economics, Afp Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North, Korea, U.S, Asia, China, Bank of Korea
In a surprise, nationally televised address, he declared martial law, the first such decree in the country in decades. Inside, lawmakers who included members of Mr. Yoon’s own People Power Party voted unanimously to strike down his martial law. Image Soldiers trying to enter the main hall of the National Assembly on Tuesday after the declaration of martial law. On Wednesday, all senior aides to Mr. Yoon tendered their resignations to Mr. Yoon, leaving him more isolated than ever. As president, Mr. Yoon appointed Mr. Han as justice minister and later helped make him the head of his governing party.
Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Yoon Suk, Yoon’s, , Chun Doo, Chang W, Lee, , Sung Deuk, Mr, Kang Won, Hahm, , Kim Byung, Shin Hyun, Kim Yong, Moon Jae, ” ​, Kim Keon Hee, Han Dong, Han, Ahn, “ sycophantic, Yonhap Mr Organizations: National Assembly, Power Party, Agence France, United, South, Chosun Ilbo, ., New York Times, Kyonggi University, Seoul National University, Democratic Party, MBC Radio, Paratroopers, National, Mr, Student, Korean Central Intelligence, Associated Press, North, Kyung Hee University, People Power Party Locations: South Korea, , United States, Asia, Seoul, Korean, North Korea, Gwangju, Japan, Goyang
Key US military installations dot South Korea, and there are nearly 30,000 American troops stationed in the country. Video Ad Feedback Analyst says South Korean president made one of the ‘great political errors’ 01:31 - Source: CNNIs this unusual for South Korea? South Korea has been a vibrant democracy since the 1980s, with regular protests, free speech, fair elections and peaceful transfers of power. But South Korea has a dark political past. It wasn’t until 1988 that South Korea elected a president through free and direct elections.
Persons: Yoon Suk, Yoon’s, Yoon, , Yoon Suk Yeol, Chung Sung, ” Yoon’s, he’d, , Jung Yeon, Camp Humphreys, Kim Jong Un’s, Yonhap Organizations: South Korea CNN, Democratic Party, National Assembly, South, Getty, US, Japan, Reuters, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, South Koreans, United States, sympathizing, North Korea, Korea, AFP, Philippines, Asia, Pacific, Ukraine, Korean, South Korean
South Korea's president, Yoon Suk Yeol, on Tuesday invoked martial law, a stunning move that threw the nation into turmoil. The last time that a South Korean leader declared martial law was in 1979 following the assassination of the president. South Korea's parliament voted unanimously to block the president's decree, declaring the shocking move invalid, but martial law remains in effect. The semi-official South Korean news agency also said that media and publishers fall under the control of the South Korean military. Hours after Yoon declared martial law, live TV showed South Korea's parliament passing a motion requiring the law to be lifted.
Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Yoon Suk, Kim Jong, Yoon didn't, South Korea Philip Goldberg, Yoon's, Biden, Han Dong, Lee Jae, Yonhap Organizations: South, People Power Party, Democratic Party of Korea, National Assembly, Associated Press, South Korean, State Department, Power Party, Korean, US National Security, KB Financial Group, POSCO Holdings, Wall Street Locations: Korean, South Korea, Korea's, North Korea, Korea, South
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 28: Haerin, Danielle, Hanni, Minji and Hyein of girl group NewJeans attend the press conference on November 28, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. K-pop girl group NewJeans hold a press conference an announcement on the termination of their contract with their agency Ador. South Korea's largest K-pop agency Hybe lost over $423 million in market cap on Friday after rookie group NewJeans announced it was terminating its contract with Hybe sub-label ADOR. In 2024, NewJeans had also won the Group of the Year Award at Billboard's Women in Music ceremony. Billboard's citation said the group scored entries across 10 Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200, and Billboard Global 200.
Persons: Danielle, Hanni, Hybe, NewJeans, ADOR, Min Hee, Min Organizations: SOUTH, Hybe, South, JoongAng Ilbo, Group, Billboard Locations: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, South Korea, South, ADOR, South Korean, South Korea's, NewJeans, U.S
AdvertisementNorth Korean troops sent to aid Russia will likely be deployed to the most dangerous fighting spots. That's according to South Korea's defense minister, who said they'd likely be used as "cannon fodder." North Korean forces have already taken casualties, per reports. North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces will likely be sent to some of the most dangerous spots in the war, Kim Yong-Hyun, South Korea's defense minister, said on Thursday. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to aid Russia in its war efforts, according to officials from South Korea, Ukraine, and the US.
Persons: they'd, Kim Yong, Kim, Joonkook Hwang, South, Andrii Kovalenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Dmytro Ponomarenko, Kim Song Organizations: Russian, North, Yonhap News Agency, UN, Financial, Shadow, Street Journal, Western, Storm, Ukraine's Center, Bloomberg, UN Security Locations: Russia, South, Korea, South Korea, Ukraine, Korean, Kursk, North Korea
CNN —A controversial American live-streamer is facing the prospect of prison in South Korea for his offensive antics, in a case that is shining a light on the rise of so-called “nuisance influencers” seeking clicks overseas. Ramsey Khalid Ismael, 24, commonly known by his online alias, “Johnny Somali,” has been indicted of causing a “commotion” at a convenience store, Seoul prosecutors confirmed to CNN. Angry locals threatened reprisals against the live-streamer in online posts following the incident. Separately, a man was arrested in Seoul last month for allegedly punching Ismael in the face, the Yonhap News Agency reported. Last year, the live-streamer was arrested in Osaka on suspicion of trespassing in a construction site, according to the Kyodo News agency.
Persons: Ramsey Khalid Ismael, “ Johnny, , Ismael, JTBC, John Lie, ” Lie, , Ava Ko Organizations: CNN, MBC News, Yonhap News Agency, Kyodo News, University of California Locations: South Korea, Seoul, Asia, Instagram, Tokyo, Japan, Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Berkeley
Seoul, South Korea CNN —A South Korean man who ate to the point of obesity in an attempt to dodge the army has avoided prison after he pledged to take up his mandatory military service. The man, whose age was not revealed by the court, has since “expressed his intention to fulfill his military duty sincerely,” the ruling said. Women are exempt from compulsory conscription, and volunteer females account for only 3.6% of the Korean military, according to the Defense Ministry. In a 2018 survey, 72% of Korean men in their 20s said they thought the draft was a form of gender discrimination, and almost 65% believed women should also be conscripted. Nearly 83% said it was better to dodge military service if possible, and 68% believed it was a waste of time.
Persons: Organizations: South Korea CNN, country’s, Amnesty International, Constitutional, Korean, Defense Ministry, Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korean
North Korea said it tested a new long-range intercontinental ballistic missile this week. Related storiesPrior to this latest test, North Korea had last launched an ICBM test in December 2023, according to the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies North Korea Missile Test Database. AdvertisementHowell said the latest test's reportedly longer flight time would suggest North Korea was "improving the sophistication of its delivery systems." "Through Moscow's assistance, North Korea has advanced its artillery and missile capabilities," Zelenskyy wrote. It comes as the US and South Korea held joint drone strike drills for the first time, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Friday.
Persons: , KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Read, kA8m36NARX, Kim Jong, Virginie Grzelczyk, Grzelczyk, Edward Howell, James Martin, Howell, Lee Sangmin, Sangmin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, NK News, Korea, NK NEWS, School of Social Sciences, Humanities, Aston University, Korea Foundation, Chatham, Pacific Program, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies North Korea Missile Test, South Korea's Korea Institute for Defense Locations: Korea, Japan, Korean, North Korea, Chatham House's Asia, South, Ukraine's, South Korea
It is clear what Russia stands to gain from an influx of some 10,000 North Korean troops to aid its war in Ukraine. North Korean troops are expected to help with that. North Korea, for its part, needs a partner that will shield it from the United Nations Security Council as it pursues its nuclear ambitions. “North Korea is trying to get as many benefits as it can from this relationship,” said Edward Howell, an expert on North Korea at the Chatham House think tank. “If thousands of North Korean troops learn how to survive on a battlefield full of drones,” Gabuev said, “that is a lesser problem than North Korea having quieter nuclear-capable submarines.
Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Vladimir Putin, ” Alexander Gabuev, Russia —, Mark Rutte, NBC’s Keir Simmons, Putin, ” Putin, didn’t, ” Gabuev, Kim Jong Un, Mikhail Metzel, , Edward Howell, , Gabuev Organizations: West, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, NBC News, Pentagon, Ukraine, NATO, Vostochny, Getty, Yonhap News Agency, United Nations Security Council, Chatham House, . Security Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Asia, United States, North Korea, Berlin, , West, Russia’s Kursk, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kursk, Washington, Kazan, Pyongyang, Korea, North Korean, AFP, South Korea, Seoul
Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korean soldiers may be being readied for a move to the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine after being taught basic Russian commands, South Korean lawmakers told news agency Yonhap on Tuesday, citing the country’s intelligence officials. Russia is teaching North Korean soldiers about 100 basic military words like “fire” and “in position,” the lawmakers told Yonhap. However, they added, it’s clear that North Korean soldiers are struggling to communicate – and it’s not clear whether they’ll be able to bridge the language gap. This could mark the first time North Korea makes a significant intervention in an international conflict. She likely traveled to discuss potentially dispatching more North Korean troops – and what Pyongyang would receive in return, the lawmakers told Yonhap.
Persons: Yonhap, , Lee Seong, they’ll, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Choe Son Hui, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin Organizations: South Korea CNN — North, Ukraine, Pentagon, White House, Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Korean, Sun, North, CNN, North Korean Foreign Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Russia, Korea, North Korea, Ukraine, Russian, Pyongyang, Washington
South and North Korea troops potentially entering the Russia-Ukraine war is unlikely to stoke a wider conflict between the two Korean countries, experts said. The U.S. on Wednesday confirmed that North Korean troops had been sent to Russia. "The messaging we are seeing is likely intended to deter the actual deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine from Russia. But that will depend on how the North Korean troops are deployed, she added. "In such a case, South Korean troops would be shooting in self defence, thus limiting the nature of such combat encounters."
Persons: Yonhap, Yoon Seok Yeol, Liang, Nah, Naoko Aoki, Aoki, Pyongyang's Organizations: stoke, Yonhap, NBC News, CNBC, Singapore's, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Seoul, RAND, North Locations: Korea, South, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, North, Moscow, Pyongyang, Seoul
But South Korea remains wary of getting involved in the Ukraine war. GAVRIIL GRIGOROV via Getty ImagesSouth Korea hesitatesSignificant obstacles stand in the way of South Korea arming Ukraine, though. Chan said South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol was domestically unpopular and would encounter difficulties repealing the law via South Korea's center-left-dominated National Assembly. AdvertisementBut the escalating alliance between Russia and North Korea may soon reach a point where South Korea feels it needs to act. Because of Russia's increasing reliance on North Korea, Kim finds himself in a powerful position to negotiate sophisticated technology in return.
Persons: , Yonhap, Jeremy Chan, Chan, Ellen Kim, Kim, Lloyd Austin, Kim Jong, Russia's Vladimir Putin, GAVRIIL GRIGOROV, Yoon Suk, yeol, Kim Jong Un, Joon Cho, Yoon, Sean McFate Organizations: Russia, Service, Security Council, South, Eurasia Group, Center for Strategic, International Studies, North, US, Getty Images, National, National Assembly, Kremlin, Georgetown University Locations: Korea, Ukraine, South Korea, North Korea, Russia, Seoul, Korean, China, Asia, Poland, Washington ,, Kyiv, Pyongyang, South Korea's, South, Moscow
Seoul, South Korea AP —South Korean intelligence has found that North Korea has dispatched 12,000 troops including special operation forces to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, news reports said Friday, a development that could bring a third country into the war and intensify a standoff between North Korea and the West. North Korea has 1.2 million troops, one of the largest militaries in the world, but it lacks actual combat experience. Many experts question how much the North Korean troop dispatch would help Russia, citing North Korea’s outdated equipment and shortage of battle experiences. The statement said participants of the meeting agreed that North Korea’s troop dispatch poses a grave security threat to South Korea and the international community. Outside officials and experts say North Korea in exchange possibly received badly needed food and economic aid and technology assistance aimed at upgrading Kim’s nuclear-armed military.
Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Dmitry Peskov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we’ve, ” Zelenskyy, Mark Rutte Organizations: South Korea AP — South, National Intelligence Service, NIS, North, NATO Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, Korean, Russia, Pyongyang, Russian, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Moscow
North Korea is set to send thousands of troops to aid Russia in the Ukraine war, South Korea's spy agency has said. South Korea's National Intelligence Service made the announcement on Friday, Yonhap news agency reported. AdvertisementNorth Korea is set to send thousands of troops to aid Russia in its war in Ukraine, South Korea's spy agency has said, per Yonhap news agency. If confirmed, it would be the North's first major involvement in a war since the Korean War in 1950-1953. Business Insider has contacted South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, NATO, and the UK Ministry of Defence for comment.
Persons: , Volodymyr Zelenskyy, We've, Zelenskyy, Pat Ryder, Ryder, Mark Rutte Organizations: Korea's National Intelligence Service, Korean, Service, Pentagon, NATO, Business, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, UK Ministry of Defence Locations: Korea, Russia, Ukraine, South, North Korea
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has blown up sections of an inter-Korean road on its side of the heavily militarized border between the two Koreas, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday. At around midday, some parts of the road north of the military demarcation line dividing the countries were blown up, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message sent to media. Yonhap / via ReutersSouth Korea’s military had ramped up surveillance and its readiness in response, it said. A spokesman for the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff declined on Monday to answer questions over whether the South Korean military or civilians had flown the alleged drones. DPRK is short for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.
Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA Organizations: South Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Joint Chiefs, Reuters South, South’s, South Korean, DPRK, Democratic People’s Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, South, Paju, Seoul, Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North
Smoke rises after North Korea blows up sections of inter-Korean roads on its side of the border between the two Koreas, according to South Korea's military, as seen from the South Korean side, October 15, 2024, in this screen grab from a handout video. South Korean Defense MinistryNorth Korea has blown up sections of inter-Korean roads and rail lines on its side of the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas, South Korea's military said on Tuesday, ratcheting up tensions on the Korean peninsula. The explosions came after Pyongyang pledged last week to completely cut off the inter-Korean roads and railways and further fortify the areas on its side of the border. Around 180 billion won ($132 million) in taxpayers' money was spent by South Korea to rebuild the inter-Korean road, according to the Yonhap news agency. North Korea on Friday said the drones had scattered a "huge number" of anti-North leaflets, in what it called political and military provocation that could lead to armed conflict.
Organizations: South Korean Defense Ministry, Joint Chiefs, Staff Locations: Korea, South, Pyongyang, Seoul, South Korea, North Korea
SEOUL, South Korea — Prosecutors in South Korea have decided not to charge first lady Kim Keon Hee over allegations of inappropriately accepting gifts last year, including a Christian Dior handbag, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Seoul prosecutors’ office. The scandal has caused a political uproar in South Korea and contributed to a bruising election defeat for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s governing party in April. Prosecutors also decided to drop graft charges against the pastor, Rev. Choi had told reporters, when he appeared for questioning by prosecutors, that he asked for several favors when he handed the gifts to Kim. Opposition lawmakers have called for a special counsel investigation into the case and allegations of other irregularities involving the first lady.
Persons: Kim Keon Hee, Dior, Yoon Suk, Kim, Yonhap, Prosecutors, Abraham Choi, Yoon, Choi, Organizations: South Korea — Prosecutors, , Seoul Central, Prosecutors ’, Yoon YouTube Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul
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