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SEOUL, July 17 (Reuters) - A year after South Korea vowed to step up readiness for extreme weather driven by climate change, experts say not enough work has been done even as greater volumes of sudden and torrential rains are expected in coming decades. South Korea is mountainous and urban development has left many regions vulnerable to landslides, while readiness to respond to extreme weather has not been up to speed. [1/3]Rescue workers look for victims during a search and rescue operation near an underpass that has been submerged by a flooded river caused by torrential rain in Cheongju, South Korea, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-jiA 2020 study by the Korea Meteorological Administration found that property damage costs and casualties from extreme weather have tripled compared to the yearly average of the previous decade. "In advanced countries, they allocate 70% for prevention and 30% for recovery, prioritising recovery over prevention."

Persons: Jeong Chang, Jeong, Yoon Suk, Yoon, Kim Hong, Sejong, Jung, Lee Su, Lee, 1,267.1100, Hyun Young Yi, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Tom Hogue Organizations: Induk University, REUTERS, Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea Environment Institute, University of Seoul, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korea, Cheongju, Seoul, Busan, Gangnam, South Korea, North Gyeongsang, Gyeongsang

☆ South Korea flood death toll rises to 39 as Yoon orders all-out effort
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 17 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered on Monday an all-out effort to handle the devastation caused by days of torrential rain, as the death toll grew to 39 on Monday, including a dozen people found dead in a submerged underpass. The rains have pummeled the country's central and southern regions since Thursday, as the rainy season starting in late June reaches its peak, with the interior ministry also reporting nine people missing and 34 injured. Among the casualties, 12 deaths occurred in a tunnel in the central city of Cheongju, where some 16 vehicles, including a bus, were swamped by a flash flood on Saturday after a levee of a nearby river collapsed. Yoon convened an intra-agency meeting on disaster response and called for authorities to make the utmost effort to rescue victims and vowed support for recovery work, including designating affected areas as special disaster zones. Reporting by Hyunsu Yim Editing by Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies Organizations: Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Cheongju

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[1/8] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shake hands after a joint statement, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 15, 2023. South Korea is a U.S. ally and the world's ninth biggest arms exporter, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think tank. In a press conference, Yoon said South Korea plans to provide "a larger scale of military supplies" to Ukraine this year, following last year's provision of non-lethal supplies such as body armour and helmets. Yoon said South Korea also plans to provide Ukraine with $150 million in humanitarian aid this year, following about $100 million in 2022. Yoon said on Saturday South Korea has delivered safety equipment and humanitarian aid that Ukraine needs, since May, including mine detectors.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Yoon Suk, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Zelenskiy, Yoon's, Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Pacheco Pardo, Joyce Lee, Olena, Josh Smith, Hyonhee, William Mallard, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: South, REUTERS, NATO, Russia's, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Ukraine, Brussels School, Saturday, Seoul's, Seoul's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, U.S, Seoul, SEOUL, KYIV, Lithuania, Poland, South Korea, Stockholm, North Korea, Korea, South

☆ South Korea's President Yoon visits Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary South Korea's Yoon to meet Ukraine's Zelenskiy - Yoon's officeS.Korea facing renewed pressure to provide weapons to UkraineS.Korea to play a role in Ukraine's reconstruction -ministrySEOUL, July 15 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was visiting Ukraine on Saturday for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the South Korean presidential office said. Yoon said this week his administration was preparing to send de-mining equipment and ambulances, following a request from Ukraine, and will join NATO's trust fund for Ukraine. Zelenskiy asked Yoon to boost military support when they met for the first time in May. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Friday it planned to support the reconstruction of Ukraine's infrastructure, such as transportation, energy and industry. South Korean companies and companies in Ukraine and other countries signed agreements on Friday for cooperation in the reconstruction of Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement.

Persons: Yoon, Ukraine's, Ukraine S.Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Irpin, Zelenskiy, Andrzej Duda, Joyce Lee, Hyonhee, William Mallard Organizations: South Korean, NATO, Ukraine, South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, SEOUL, Lithuania, Poland, Bucha, Kyiv, U.S, South Korea, North Korea, Seoul, Korea

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

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

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

CNN —North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, just days after Pyongyang threatened to shoot down US military reconnaissance planes flying over nearby waters. Here’s what we know about the ICBMs in North Korea’s arsenal. Past tests have shown the possible range of North Korea’s missiles – the tests in March and April all traveled about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). Video Ad Feedback Here's how US missile defense could be fooled by an ICBM 03:44 - Source: CNNWhat’s next in North Korea’s missile program? The US and international observers began warning last year that an underground nuclear test could be imminent, after satellite imagery showed new activity at North Korea’s nuclear test site.

Persons: Kim Jong, It’s, CNN What’s, Kim, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida Organizations: CNN, North Korea’s, NATO, Security, South Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, Japanese, North Locations: Korea, Pyongyang, –, Korea’s, North Korea, United States, Korean, North, Lithuania, South, Beijing

[1/3] Passengers wait for their train in front of a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiSEOUL/TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - North Korea fired a long-range missile off its east coast on Wednesday, as leaders of South Korea and Japan were set to meet on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Lithuania to discuss rising threats including the nuclear-armed North. Japan's Coast Guard said what was believed to be a ballistic missile appeared to have landed as of mid-morning. United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea's use of ballistic missile technology, including for satellite launches. The Security Council, as well as a number of nations, have imposed sanction on North Korea for its missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

Persons: Kim Hong, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Yoon Suk, Hirokazu Matsuno, Matsuno, Yoon, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong, Kim, Leif, Eric Easley, Elaine Lies, Tom Hogue Organizations: REUTERS, Ji, NATO, Japan's Coast Guard, Asahi, Japanese, South Korean, United Nations, Security, Ewha Womans University, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Ji SEOUL, TOKYO, Japan, Lithuania, American, Japan's, Korean, Australia, New Zealand, Beijing, Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Tokyo, Lincoln

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

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

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

☆ China lashes back at NATO criticism, warns it will protect its rights
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The PRC's malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the summit that while China was not a NATO "adversary", it was increasingly challenging the rules-based international order with its "coercive behaviour." "Any act that jeopardises China's legitimate rights and interests will be met with a resolute response," it said. In the communique, NATO also said China sought to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains, and that Beijing also used its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence. Reporting by Liz Lee and Ryan Woo; Editing by Tom Hogue and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kishida, Liz Lee, Ryan Woo, Tom Hogue, Michael Perry Organizations: NATO, Alliance, South, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Asia, Pacific, Lithuanian, Vilnius, People's Republic of China, NATO, Ukraine, Taiwan, East Asia, Japan, Tokyo

☆ S.Korea opposition lawmakers want more experts to review Fukushima discharge plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi and South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Wi Seong-gon attend their meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, July 9, 2023. Yonhap via REUTERS/File PhotoJuly 12 (Reuters) - More expert organizations should take part in reviewing Japan's plan to release Fukushima wastewater into the sea in addition to the U.N nuclear watchdog, South Korean opposition lawmakers said on Wednesday while visiting Japan. Democratic Party lawmaker Wi Seong-gon, who was among the group of lawmakers from the opposition parties, made the comment in a joint statement at a press conference in Tokyo. When asked about the South Korean government's position, Wi said Seoul needed to relay the voices of people who were concerned and opposed to the plan. "We are doing our best to persuade the government and this is why we are visiting Japan right now," Wi said.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Wi, Yoo Suk Yeol, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies Organizations: Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Democratic Party, National Assembly, Yonhap, REUTERS, Democratic, International Atomic Energy Agency, Korean, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korean, Japan, Tokyo, South

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

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

☆ China and Taiwan loom large behind Ukraine at NATO summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —The presence of four Asia-Pacific leaders at the NATO summit this week suggests that Ukraine is not the only major security issue on the agenda of the European-North American defense alliance. For its part, China says Taiwan is an internal matter and it sees no role for countries in the region, let alone NATO members, to be interfering. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida waves before departing on a government plane on July 11, 2023, for the NATO summit. US President Joe Biden meets with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Oval Office of the White House on June 13, 2023. “NATO is a regional alliance of Europe and North America, but the challenges we face are global,” he wrote, noting the summit invitations for the Pacific leaders.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, ” Stoltenberg, ”, “, Wang Wenbin, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk Yeol, Anthony Albanese, Chris Hipkins, Fumio, Stoltenberg, Joe Biden, Kim Sun, Yoon, Alex Wong, Emmanuel Macron, Boris Pistorius Organizations: South Korea CNN, NATO, Foreign Affairs, Communist Party, Communist, Foreign, CNN, Japanese, Australian, New Zealand, Pacific ., Kyodo, US Institute of Peace, Pacific, White, South Korean, White House, NHK, Pacific . British, German Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Asia, Pacific, Ukraine, Beijing, China, Taiwan, Japan, Europe, South, Vilnius, Lithuania, “, lockstep, Paris, North American, France, Tokyo, North America, Guam, Canadian, American, Berlin

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

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

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

☆ North Korea denounces US move to bring ballistic missile submarine to peninsula
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jack Kim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The statement cited past incidents of the North shooting down or intercepting U.S. aircraft at the border with South Korea and off the coast. North Korea has often complained about U.S. surveillance flights near the peninsula. A U.S. nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine arrived at the port of Busan in South Korea last month. In April, the leaders of South Korea and the United States agreed a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine will visit South Korea for the first time since the 1980s but no timetable has been given for such a visit. Yoon is scheduled to attend the NATO summit in Lithuania this week where he is expected to seek greater cooperation with NATO members over North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, his office has said.

Persons: KCNA, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, North Korea's, Jack Kim, Lisa Shumaker, Diane Craft Organizations: Ministry of National Defence, North, United, U.S . Navy, South, Associated Press, NATO, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, United States, U.S, South Korea, Busan, Lithuania, Korea, North

☆ IAEA chief in South Korea to allay Fukushima water dump concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

No expert behind the IAEA's Fukushima report disagreed with the content, Grossi told news agency Yonhap on Saturday, hinting at his comment during an interview with Reuters one day earlier. Prior to that, Grossi said during a Friday press conference in Japan that he wanted to also meet with the opposition party in South Korea which has been critical of the discharge plan. South Korea's government said on Friday it respected the IAEA's report and that its own analysis had found the release will not have "any meaningful impact" on its waters. But the plan has stirred anger and concern among South Koreans, prompting some shoppers to buy up sea salt. Despite South Korea's assent for the plan, a ban on food and seafood products from the Fukushima region would remain in place.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Yonhap, Yoo Suk Yeol, Lee Jae, myung, Hyunsu Yim, Richard Chang, Kim Coghill Organizations: United Nations, South, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Reuters, Opposition Democratic Party, International Tribunal, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, Seoul's, Tokyo, South, Fukushima

That initiative follows a visit to Japan by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in January when he said the lessons China was learning from Ukraine could influence its decisions. NATO documents have begun to reflect concern about China, East Asia and the Indo-Pacific, but Japan needs to deepen its awareness of those issues, a Japanese official involved in discussions about NATO ties said. Diplomats from two European NATO countries who spoke to Reuters said unease in the alliance about a Tokyo office went beyond France. Another Japanese official involved in preparations for Kishida's NATO visit said the idea of a NATO office in Japan had nothing to do with China, but that is how it became framed, and each NATO country has its own relations with China. Under Yoon, South Korea has set up a liaison office with NATO in Brussels and has embraced a call for unity among like-minded countries.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, ”, Michito Tsuruoka, Kishida, Jens Stoltenberg, Emmanuel Macron's, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Anthony Albanese, We’ll, Albanese, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Irish, Josh Smith, Praveen Menon Organizations: NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Keio University, NATO's, Diplomats, Reuters, Japanese, SYDNEY South, Australian, Asia Pacific, Ukraine, Sky News, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Lithuania, Ukraine, Asia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, U.S, Europe, Russia, NATO, East Asia, China, Taiwan, North Korea, Lithuania's, Vilnius, Tokyo, France, Brussels, Danish, SEOUL, Poland, Paris, Seoul, Sydney

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ South Korea wants to be a top A.I. hub — its chip dominance could be an advantage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty ImagesSouth Korea's dominance in the memory chip market and a robust artificial intelligence ecosystem gives it an advantage in the global AI chip race, said industry observers. South Korea dominating in the memory market is definitely an advantage," said James Lim, senior research analyst at Dalton Investments. "South Korea seeks to emerge as a prominent player in rapidly growing and promising areas such as AI semiconductors," said Lee. "South Korea has a robust local AI ecosystem, capable of competing with global tech giants," said Sung Nako, executive for large scale AI development at South Korean internet giant Naver. ChatGPT maker OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman had urged South Korea to lead AI chip production during his meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in June.

Persons: Jung Yeon, James Lim, Lee, Dylan Patel, SemiAnalysis, ., TrendForce, Sung Nako, Sam Altman, Yoon Suk, Altman, Dalton's Lim, Geoffrey Cain Organizations: Getty, Dalton Investments, CNBC, Samsung, SK Hynix South, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Science, Micron, South, South Korean, Nvidia, Intel Locations: Seoul, Korea, South Korea, China, U.S

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea is getting older – and its care facilities are changing to match. Elderly facilities include senior care homes, specialized hospitals, and welfare agencies that help the elderly navigate social services or protections. The shift illustrates a years-long problem South Korea has thus far failed to reverse. Young students pictured in Seoul, South Korea, on November 23, 2021. The rapid rise in elderly facilities in recent years may help alleviate some of these problems.

Persons: ’, Young, Anthony Wallace, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yonhap, Ed Jones, hobbling, – Organizations: South Korea CNN, Getty, South, OECD, Economic Co Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, AFP, Daejeon, Japan, “

☆ South Korea's Yoon tells unification ministry to be less soft on North
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 2 (Reuters) - Having appointed a new unification minister days earlier, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Sunday that the ministry had focused too much on providing aid for North Korea in the past and needed to change. "The Unification Ministry has been acting like the ministry of North Korea aid and it is wrong," Yoon was quoted as telling staff in a statement issued by his press secretary. "It's time for the unification ministry to change." Yoon also urged the ministry to stand up for liberal democratic values and said unification should bring a "better and more human life" to people in the South and North. In 2019, Kim wrote in an online column that the path to unification would open once North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's "regime is overthrown and North Korea is liberated."

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Yung, Yoon, Kim, Kim Jong, Hyunsu Yim, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, South, Korean

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