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☆ South Koreans worry about Fukushima water; more disapprove of Yoon - poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Korean people chant slogans during a protest against Japan’s discharge of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, in Seoul, South Korea, August 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 1 (Reuters) - A majority of South Koreans are worried about Japan's discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea despite efforts by their government to allay fears, a poll published on Friday showed. The South Korean government, however, has said it sees no scientific problem with the water release, though stressing it does not approve of it, and banning the import of seafood from waters off Fukushima, north of Tokyo. Despite such efforts, South Korean environmental groups and many members of the public are alarmed and Yoon's disapproval rating has risen to the highest in months, a Gallup Korea poll of 1,002 people showed. The Fukushima nuclear plant was wrecked by a tsunami triggered by an offshore earthquake in 2011.

Persons: Kim Hong, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, 1,321.1500, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Gallup, Gallup Korea, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, South, Japan, China, Fukushima, Tokyo, South Korean, Gallup Korea

☆ North Korea fires several cruise missiles towards sea, says South Korean military
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Sept 2 (Reuters) - North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea in the early hours of Saturday, according to the South Korean military. Details of the launch were being analyzed by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Seoul announced sanctions on Friday on five North Korean individuals and one company in response to Pyongyang's launch of what it said was a space rocket last month. On Thursday state media KCNA reported that Pyongyang had conducted a simulated "scorched-earth" nuclear strike on targets across South Korea, drawing criticism from Seoul. North Korea protested the deployment of the U.S. strategic bombers by firing two ballistic missiles just hours later in retaliation.

Persons: Hyunsu Yim, Jonathan Oatis, Sandra Maler Organizations: South Korean, South Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, U.S, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, South, Seoul, Pyongyang, South Korea, U.S, Korea

Participants march with a banner with rainbow colours during the annual pride parade in Hong Kong, China, November 7, 2015. "Hong Kong has a real opportunity to take the lead here and give a clear message," said Gigi Chao, the vice chair of listed Hong Kong property firm Cheuk Nang Holdings and a prominent gay rights advocate in Asia. "WAKE UP"Business groups in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan have become increasingly vocal in making the case that Asia's leading economies must do more to encourage diversity. A poll this year by Kyodo news agency of just over 1,500 people showed that nearly 70 percent supported same-sex marriage. While corporates rarely lobby Asian governments directly on LGBTQ rights, activists say they show their support through sponsorship of LGBTQ events and Pride-themed marketing.

Persons: Bobby Yip, Janet Ledger, Jimmy Sham, Asia's, Gigi Chao, Chao, Kida, Kiyong Shim, Dyson, Nomura, Kathy Teo, Singapore's, they're, Teo, Revolut, Jessie Pang, Justin Fung, Xinghui, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Kong's, Community Business, Gay Games, Nang Holdings, Reuters, American Chamber of Commerce, Fortune, Kyodo, Liberal Democratic Party, EY, FINANCE, Rights Watch, Gallup, WeWork, Standard Chartered Bank ., Google, IBM, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, TOKYO, Tokyo, Singapore, Asia, Taiwan, Nepal, India, South Korea, York, Japan, EY Japan, Korea, Seoul, Standard Chartered Bank . Singapore, Xinghui Kok

☆ South Korea opposition leader starts hunger strike over government policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lee Jae-myung, leader of South Korea's Democratic Party, speaks at campaign rally while campaigning for the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea March 8, 2022. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, listed an assortment of reasons for his protest at a news conference, without saying how long his hunger strike would last. South Korea has said it neither supports nor agrees with Japan's action, unlike China, which opposed the plan. Yoon's approval ratings slipped slightly to 34% according to a Gallup poll released on Friday, with foreign policy and the Fukushima water issue cited as factors behind his high disapproval ratings. Opposition leader Lee has had his own problems since becoming the head of his party a year ago, just months after he lost the presidential election.

Persons: Lee Jae, myung, Kim Hong, Lee, Yoon Suk Yeol, Hyunsu Yim, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: South Korea's Democratic Party, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic Party of Korea, Gallup, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, China, North Korea

☆ US deploys B-1B bombers for separate drills with South Korea, Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

US Air Force B-1B bombers, F-16 fighter jets and South Korean Air Force F-35A take part in a joint air drill, South Korea, March 19, 2023. South Korean Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The United States separately deployed B-1B bombers for joint drills with South Korea and Japan on Wednesday, as the three allies have stepped up responses to threats from North Korea. A U.S. B-1B flew alongside South Korean FA-50 jets and U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters as part of ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, South Korea's defence ministry said. The U.S.-led bomber drills came days after North Korea attempted a satellite launch that ended in failure. Japan also participated in a trilateral naval missile defence exercise with the U.S. and South Korea on Tuesday.

Persons: 1Bs, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Hyunsu Yim, Kantaro Komiya, Gerry Doyle Organizations: US Air Force, South Korean Air Force, South Korean Defence Ministry, Rights, United, South, South Korean FA, . Air Force, North, U.S . Air Force, South Korea, U.S ., Wednesday, U.S, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Rights SEOUL, United States, Japan, North Korea, U.S, American, Camp, Seoul, Tokyo

☆ North Korea launches space rocket months after failed satellite attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A smartphone screen shows J-Alert warning messages regarding North Korea appearing to have fired a missile and that residents of Okinawa prefecture should take cover indoors, in Chatan, Okinawa prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023. Two days ago North Korea said it would launch a satellite between Aug. 24-31. But the North's May 31 bid to launch a "Chollima-1" satellite rocket went wrong, with the booster and payload plunging into the sea. It was not immediately clear if North Korea had used the Chollima-1 again, or a new system. The secretive North considers its space and military rocket programmes a sovereign right, and analysts say spy satellites are crucial to improving the effectiveness of its weapons.

Persons: Issei Kato, Hirokazu Matsuno, We've, Elaine Lies, Chang, Ran Kim, Josh Smith, Joyce Lee, Hyunsu Yim, Phil Stewart, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Thomson Locations: Korea, Okinawa, Chatan, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, Rights SEOUL, TOKYO, North Korea, Tokyo, Pyongyang, U.S, Seoul, Washington

☆ North Korea's Kim visits tractor factory amid food crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the Kumsong Tractor Factory in North Korea August 23, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 24 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Kumsong Tractor Factory on Wednesday alongside his powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, amid the ongoing food crisis, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. North Korea has been pushing agriculture amid growing concerns over food shortages. Earlier this week, Kim criticized top officials over their response to flood damage including over 270 hectares (667 acres) of rice paddies, news agency KCNA said. Last week, KCNA also reported that Kim had inspected typhoon-hit farmlands after tropical storm Khanun swept over the Korean Peninsula.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim Yo Jong, Kim, Hyunsu Yim, Sandra Maler Organizations: Factory, North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Kumsong, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, China

☆ Troubled World Scout Jamboree bows out with K-pop in Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A couple takes a selfie with the camping site for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Buan, South Korea, August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File PhotoSEOUL, Aug 11 (Reuters) - South Korea hosted a K-pop concert on Friday for thousands of teenage scouts, seeking to salvage national prestige as an ill-fated World Scout Jamboree hit by extreme weather and criticised for poor organisation draws to an end. Around 40,000 people gathered for the concert headlined by NewJeans and IVE at Seoul's World Cup stadium. K-pop agency HYBE and tech group Kakao said they were providing free merchandise for scouts attending Friday's concert. "It is the first time in over 100 years history of World Scout Jamborees to face such compounded challenges," Ahmad Alhendawi, Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Persons: Kim Hong, NewJeans, Han Duck, Han, Kakao, Ahmad Alhendawi, 1,325.0700, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, Democratic Party of, World Organization of, Scout Movement, Thomson Locations: Buan, South Korea, SEOUL, Saemangeum, South Korea's, Singapore, Seoul, North Jeolla Province, Democratic Party of Korea

☆ Typhoon Khanun makes landfall in South Korea after lashing Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO/SEOUL, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Typhoon Khanun made landfall on the southeast coast of South Korea on Thursday after dumping heavy rain across southern Japan over the past week. Warnings have been issued across South Korea, with more than 330 flights cancelled and more than 10,000 people moved to safety. In South Korea, outdoor activities have been halted for participants of the World Scout Jamboree. South Korea is still recovering from intense monsoon rain last month, when more than 40 people were killed in floods and landslides, including 14 in a flooded tunnel. Typhoon Khanun brought heavy rain in southern regions of Japan as it continues to head towards South Korea where it could make landfall on ThursdayReporting by Elaine Lies and Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Khanun, Lan, Elaine Lies, Hyunsu Yim, Lincoln, Ed Davies Organizations: Japan Meteorological Agency, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, Gyeongsang Province, Jeju, Kyushu, Tokyo, North Korea, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea's Kim dismisses top general, calls for war preparations
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

General Ri Yong Gil was named to replace the military’s top general, chief of the General Staff Pak Su Il, KCNA reported, without elaborating. The United States has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine, including artillery shells, rockets and missiles. Russia and North Korea have denied those claims. North Korea is set to stage a militia parade on Sept. 9, marking the 75th anniversary of the Day of the Foundation of the Republic. North Korea has a number of paramilitary groups it uses to bolster its military forces.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, Ri Yong Gil, General Staff Pak Su Il, KCNA, Ri, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Stephen Coates Organizations: 8th Central Military Commission of, Workers ' Party of Korea, Central Committee of, Workers ' Party of, KCNA, REUTERS, Central Military Commission, General Staff, United, Foundation of, Thomson Locations: Workers ' Party of Korea, Pyongyang, North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, Seoul, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Republic . North Korea, U.S, South Korea

☆ South Korea evacuates thousands of scouts ahead of typhoon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Participants gather under the shade as they prepare to leave the camping site of the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Buan, South Korea, August 8, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiBUAN, South Korea, Aug 8 (Reuters) - South Korea on Tuesday started evacuating thousands of teenage participants at the World Scout Jamboree from a campsite in the southwest of the country to safer areas mainly around the capital Seoul ahead of an approaching typhoon. Typhoon Khanun, which has already wreaked havoc in southern Japan, is expected to hit southern areas of South Korea on Thursday before tracking up the peninsula, bringing strong winds and rain, according to weather forecasters. Seoul and its surrounding province of Gyeonggi would host more than 16,000 scouts, with others fanning out to six other areas of South Korea, he said. Poland is due to host the next World Scout Jamboree in 2027, but President Andrzej Duda cancelled plans to visit the event in South Korea this week due to the typhoon, an official at the Polish Embassy in Seoul said.

Persons: Kim Hong, Ji BUAN, Khanun, Lee Sang, Ahmad Alhendawi, Yoon Suk, Andrzej Duda, Hyunsu Yim, Hyun Young Yi, Ed Davies, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Tuesday, UK Scouts, Reuters, World Organization of, Scout Movement, Polish Embassy, Games, Japan, South Korean, Thomson Locations: Buan, South Korea, Seoul, Japan, Gyeonggi, Poland, Polish, Busan

[1/3] Participants play with a ball at the camping site for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Buan, South Korea, August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiSEOUL, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Organisers of the World Scout Jamboree raced on Monday to evacuate thousands of mainly teenage participants from their South Korea campsite before a typhoon is expected to hit the area just days after a debilitating heatwave. Typhoon Khanun, which has wreaked havoc in southern Japan, is forecast to reach southern South Korea on Thursday, near the jamboree's campsite in Jeolla province. South Korea's government has informed the group that they were planning an early departure from the campsite due to the typhoon, the World Organization of the Scout Movement said. South Korea has pledged to ensure the event's safety, and have laid on water trucks, air-conditioned spaces and medics.

Persons: Kim Hong, Ji, Khanun, Yoon Suk, Kim Kwan, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, World Organization of, Scout Movement, Local, Scouts, ABC, Thomson Locations: Buan, South Korea, Ji SEOUL, Korea, Japan, Jeolla province, Seoul, North Jeolla, Australian, U.S, British

☆ Heatwave-hit jamboree in S.Korea in doubt as American scouts leave
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Participants wait in a long line to get into a souvenir shop at the camping site for the 25th World Scout Jamboree in Buan, South Korea, August 4, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiBUAN, South Korea, Aug 5 (Reuters) - The World Scout Jamboree in South Korea faced calls to be cancelled on Saturday after large contingents from the United States and Britain pulled out a week early over extreme heat and weather conditions. The U.S. contingent will take part in a jamboree programme on Saturday before moving to U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys near the jamboree site on Sunday, according to an email reviewed by Reuters. "The US Contingent to the World Scout Jamboree has made the difficult decision that we will be departing the 25th World Scout Jamboree site early because of ongoing extreme weather and resulting conditions at the jamboree site," said the email sent to parents by the U.S. group's media team. Organisers would meet on Saturday to discuss whether to continue, cancel or scale back the event, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

Persons: Kim Hong, Ji BUAN, U.S . Army Garrison Humphreys, Hyunsu Yim, Tom Hogue, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, South Korean, U.S, U.S . Army, Reuters, Contingent, Organization of, Scout Movement, Korean Scout Association, Minwoo, Thomson Locations: Buan, South Korea, United States, Britain, U.S, Saemangeum, South Korea's, Seoul

☆ Permanent Mission of North Korea to U.N. defends Pyongyang's nuclear weapons as sovereign right
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Mike Segar/File PhotoSEOUL, Aug 5 (Reuters) - The Permanent Mission of North Korea to the United Nations has criticized the U.S. for having nuclear weapons and urged it to stop "sharing nuclear" or "beefing up extended deterrence," state media KCNA reported on Saturday. While criticizing the U.S. over the AUKUS alliance and the Nuclear Consultative Group with South Korea, Pyongyang defended its nuclear weapons as an "exercise of sovereignty." DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "Its nuclear force will never be a threat to those countries respecting its sovereignty and security interests," the permanent mission said. Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: United Nations Kim Song, Mike Segar, Hyunsu Yim, Leslie Adler, Sandra Maler Organizations: United Nations, General Assembly, . Security, REUTERS, Nuclear, South, NPT, DPRK, UN Office, Democratic People's, Thomson Locations: China, Russia, North Korea, U.N, New York City , New York, U.S, SEOUL, South Korea, Pyongyang, DPRK, Vienna, Democratic People's Republic of Korea

The widely anticipated parade in the capital on Thursday night commemorated the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day". Kim, Shoigu and Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong talked, laughed and saluted as North Korean troops marched and weapons rolled below, photos released by North Korean state media showed. Kim hosted a reception and had a luncheon with Shoigu, where the North Korean leader vowed solidarity with the Russian people and its military. Shoigu praised the North Korean military as the strongest in the world, and the two discussed strategic security and defence cooperation, KCNA said. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Sergei Shoigu's, Kim, Li Hongzhong, Shoigu, KCNA, Vladimir Putin, Vedant Patel, Ankit, Panda, Kang Sun Nam, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Ed Davies, Lincoln, William Mallard Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Russian, United Nations Security Council, Communist Party, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Defence, Ewha Womans University, . Security, Security Council, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, North Korean, Soviet Union, Beijing, Moscow, Korean, United States, PYONGYANG, MOSCOW, Shoigu, Russian, Ukraine, Washington, Russia, U.S, Korea, China, Seoul

☆ North Korea's Kim Jong Un meets Russian defence minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu, July 26, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. Shoigu handed Kim a letter from Russian President Vladimir Putin, the report said. The Russian delegation and a Chinese delegation including Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhongas arrived in North Korea this week for the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War celebrated in North Korea as "Victory Day." The groups are the first such prominent public visitors to North Korea since the start of the pandemic. Shoigu made the remarks while meeting his North Korean counterpart Kang Sun Nam, the report said.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Li Hongzhongas, Yonhap, Kang Sun Nam, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, DPRK, Russian, Chinese Communist Party, Korean, Korean Central Broadcasting Station, North Korean, Thomson Locations: REUTERS SEOUL, North Korea, Russia, Pyongyang

The company, which supplies General Motors Co (GM.N), Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and others, warned it faces weaker EV demand in Europe and China than previously expected. The U.S. is the only market where demand forecasts have not been cut, the company said. LGES reported an operating profit of 461 billion won ($363 million) for the April-June period, up from 196 billion won a year earlier, but that was far below the company's estimate of 612 billion won and an average analyst forecast of 641 billion won compiled by Refinitiv SmartEstimate. "LGES' comment on sluggish EV demand in Europe, where it has major customers like Volkswagen and Renault, seems to be affecting the company's share price," said Kang Dong-jin, an analyst at Hyundai Motor Securities. Revenue for the quarter rose 73% to 8.8 trillion won, LG Energy said in a regulatory filing.

Persons: bln, Lee Chang, LGES, Refinitiv SmartEstimate, Jang Seungkwon, Kang Dong, 1,271.1000, Heekyong Yang, Jihoon Lee, Hyunsu Yim, Shri Navaratnam, Sonali Paul Organizations: GM Bolt, Korea's LG Energy Solution, General Motors, General Motors Co, Tesla Inc, sil, Volkswagen, Renault, Hyundai Motor Securities, Revenue, LG Energy, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Europe, China, U.S

☆ North Korea's Kim Jong Un visits Chinese military cemetery ahead of Victory Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Chinese People's Volunteer Army Martyrs' cemetery in this photo released on July 26, 2023 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, July 26 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a cemetery for Chinese soldiers who fought in the Korean War, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday. His visit, accompanied by his powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, comes ahead of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War truce on Thursday, which is celebrated as "Victory Day" in North Korea, often with a grandiose military parade. Kim also visited the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery on Monday, KCNA reported, as he touted the soldiers as "inflicting defeat" on U.S. imperialism. The Great Fatherland Liberation War is a name used by Pyongyang to refer to the Korean War.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim Yo Jong, Kim, Hyunsu Yim, Sandra Maler Organizations: People's Volunteer Army, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, Fatherland, Thomson Locations: North, REUTERS SEOUL, North Korea, Pyongyang

☆ Russian delegation to join Chinese in North Korea visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, July 25 (Reuters) - A Russian delegation led by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu will visit North Korea this week, state media agency KCNA reported on Tuesday, joining a Chinese group as the first such public visitors to the country since the start of the pandemic. The delegations will visit to celebrate the 70th anniversary of "Victory Day" on Thursday in Pyongyang, KCNA reported, with Chinese Communist Party politburo member Li Hongzhong leading the group from his country. North Korea closed its border in early 2020 to all trade and diplomatic exchanges, even with its main economic and political partners China and Russia. China's exports to North Korea in June were eight times higher than a year before, when the secretive state was reporting tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases per day and had shut its border. The United States, meanwhile, has accused North Korea of providing military aid to Russia for the war in Ukraine, a claim that both Pyongyang and Moscow deny.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, KCNA, Li Hongzhong, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Russian, Defence, Chinese Communist Party, European, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Pyongyang, China, Russia, North Korea's, European Union, Beijing, United States, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Russian military delegation arrives in North Korea to join Chinese
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The two delegations will take part in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of "Victory Day" on Thursday in Pyongyang, state media agency KCNA reported, with Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong leading the Beijing group. Russia's Defence Ministry said it had been invited by its North Korean counterpart and would attend the Victory Day events. The ministry posted a short video on its Telegram messaging app showing Shoigu being greeted by a North Korean military official on a red carpet at an airport's tarmac. North Korea closed its border in early 2020 to all trade and diplomatic exchanges, even with its main economic and political partners China and Russia. The United States has accused North Korea of providing military aid to Russia for the war in Ukraine, a claim that both Pyongyang and Moscow deny.

Persons: Sergei Shoigu, KCNA, Li Hongzhong, Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu, Vedant Patel, Patel, Hyunsu Yim, Andrew Osborn, Simon Lewis, Lidia Kelly, Ed Davies, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Mark Heinrich, Sandra Maler Organizations: Russian, Defence, Chinese Communist Party, Russia's Defence Ministry, North Korean, Comrade, Russian Federation, European Union, United, . State Department, DPRK, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, MOSCOW, North Korea, Pyongyang, Beijing, Russian, Korean, China, Russia, North Korea's, United States, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Melbourne

☆ Anger in South Korea as court rejects removing minister over Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Judges of South Korea's Constitutional Court sit for the ruling on the National Assembly's impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, at the constitutional court in Seoul, South Korea, July 25, 2023. Yonhap via REUTERSSEOUL, July 25 (Reuters) - South Korea's top court on Tuesday ruled against a parliamentary vote to impeach the interior minister over a botched government response to a deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, sparking anger and dismay among relatives of the victims. Dozens of relatives and supporters gathered in front of the court chanting "condemn the constitutional court that gave immunity to Lee Sang-min!" Choi Sun-mi, the mother of Park Ga-young, one of the victims, described the court ruling as "truly devastating." The Itaewon district in South Korea’s capital is known to revellers as a place of fun, freedom and openness.

Persons: Lee Sang, Lee Jong, Lee, Yonhap, Choi, Yoon Suk Yeol, partygoers, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Lincoln Organizations: South, South Korea's Constitutional, Yonhap, REUTERS, National Assembly, Thomson Locations: South Korea's, Seoul, South Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, Itaewon, South Korea’s

☆ UN Command talking to North Korea about US soldier Travis King
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, July 24 (Reuters) - The United Nations Command and North Korea have begun discussing the case of Travis King, the U.S. soldier who crossed into the North last week, the deputy commander of the U.S.-led command that oversees the Korean War truce said on Monday. King, a U.S. Army private serving in South Korea, sprinted into North Korea on July 18 while on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone on the inter-Korean border, landing Washington in a fresh diplomatic quandary with the nuclear-armed North. Last week, North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests hours after a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine arrived at a South Korean port. North Korea is banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions from using ballistic missile technology, which Pyongyang defiantly rejects. Late last week, North Korea warned that deployment of U.S. aircraft carriers, bombers or missile submarines in South Korea could meet criteria for its use of nuclear weapons.

Persons: Travis King, General Andrew Harrison, Harrison, King, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: United Nations Command, U.S . Army, UNC, North, British Army, Korean People's Army, ., Joint Security Area, People, U.S, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, South Korea, Washington, Korean, Pyongyang, Fort Bliss , Texas

☆ North Korea threatens nuclear retaliation over US displays of military force
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. and North Korean national flags are seen at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore June 12, 2018. The comments raise the stakes as each side steps up displays of military force in a standoff over the isolated country's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. The KCNA report came after a U.S. soldier crossed the border into North Korea on Tuesday at a time of heightened tension between the two Koreas and the United States. North Korea has yet to comment on the incident involving the U.S. soldier. Last year, the reclusive state codified a new, expansive nuclear law declaring its status as a nuclear-armed state "irreversible".

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Kang Sun Nam, Ankit, Panda, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Bernadette Baum, Mike Harrison, Tom Hogue Organizations: North Korean, Capella, REUTERS, U.S, Nuclear Consultative, DPRK, Democratic People's, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, USS, Korean, U.S ., Carnegie Endowment, International, South, Thomson Locations: Sentosa, Singapore, SEOUL, North Korea, South Korea, United States, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ohio, Busan, USS Kentucky, Korea, U.S, Washington

☆ North Korea threatens nuclear retaliation over U.S. displays of military force
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The comments raise the stakes as each side steps up displays of military force in a standoff over the isolated country's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. "The ever-increasing visibility of the deployment of the strategic nuclear submarine and other strategic assets may fall under the conditions of the use of nuclear weapons specified in the DPRK law," the statement said. The report comes after a U.S. soldier crossed the border into North Korea on Tuesday at a time of heightened tension between the two Koreas and the United States. North Korea has yet to comment on the incident involving the U.S. soldier. "The utmost significance of legislating nuclear weapons policy is to draw an irretrievable line so that there can be no bargaining over our nuclear weapons," North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un was quoted as saying at that time by KCNA.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, Kang Sun Nam, Kim Jong Un, Hyunsu Yim, Bernadette Baum, Mike Harrison Organizations: North Korean, Capella, REUTERS, DPRK, Democratic People's, U.S, U.S ., KCNA, Thomson Locations: Sentosa, Singapore, SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, South Korea, United States, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Ohio, Busan

☆ K-pop's biggest music label HYBE looks to lift language barrier with AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The technology enabled HYBE (352820.KS), South Korea's largest music label, to release a track by singer MIDNATT in six languages – Korean, English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese in May. Native speakers read out the lyrics, and later the two were seamlessly combined with the help of HYBE's in-house AI music technology, Chung said. 'IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE'MIDNATT said using AI had allowed him a "wider spectrum of artistic expressions." While the technology is not new, it is an innovative way to use AI in music, said Valerio Velardo, director of The Sound of AI, a Spain-based consulting service for AI music and audio. Not only professional musicians but also a wider population will benefit from AI music technology in the long term, Velardo said.

Persons: MIDNATT, Chung Wooyong, Lee Hyun, Chung, Kim Hong, Supertone, Choi Hee, HYBE, Valerio Velardo, Velardo, Choi Jin, Hyunsu Yim, Daewoung Kim, Hyun Young Yi, Josh Smith, Jamie Freed Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Neural, Supertone, The, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Seoul, Korean, HYBE, South, South Korea, Spain

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