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☆ S. Korea Opposition Leader Hospitalised After Hunger Strike, Prosecutors Seek Arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Soo-hyang ChoiSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's main opposition leader was hospitalised on Monday, days into a hunger strike in protest against government policies, while prosecutors sought an arrest warrant for him over corruption allegations. Hours after Lee was transferred to a hospital, prosecutors said they had requested an arrest warrant for him as part of an investigation into a development project and bribery allegations. Prosecutors also accused Lee of bribery in connection with a company suspected of $8 million in illegal money transfers to North Korea. A Seoul court needs the 300-member parliament, where the Democrats hold a majority, to waive Lee's immunity from arrest to review the prosecution's request. Parliament rejected their previous request for an arrest warrant in February.

Persons: hyang Choi SEOUL, Lee Jae, myung, Kim Gi, Lee, Prosecutors, Yoon Suk, 1,327.4000, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyonhee Shin, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Democratic Party of Korea, National Assembly, Power Party, Seongnam Development Corporation Locations: Seoul, Seongnam, North Korea

☆ Senior S.Korea, US officials agree N.Korea-Russia arms cooperation violates UN sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk during a tour, in Russia, September 13, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. The officials, meeting in Seoul to discuss "extended deterrence" against growing threats from North Korea, called on Moscow to show responsibility as a permanent member of the Security Council. "We agreed to work together to ensure there is a price to pay for the grave violation of Security Council resolutions," South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin told a news conference. Under Secretary of Defence Sasha Baker said the allies will identify, expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment for the war in Ukraine. U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the summit between the increasingly isolated Moscow and Pyongyang was aimed at allowing Russia to acquire ammunition from the North to supplement its dwindling stocks.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Chang Ho, Kim Jong Un, Sasha Baker, Bonnie Jenkins, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, United, Security, South Korean, U.S, Thomson Locations: Russia, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, Seoul, Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Pyongyang

☆ South Korea's Yoon heading to New York next week for UN General Assembly
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the ASEAN-South Korea Summit at the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 6, 2023. Tatan Syuflana/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 14 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will visit New York next week to attend the United Nations General Assembly, Yoon's office said on Thursday. Yoon is scheduled to depart on Sept. 18 for the five-day trip during which he is expected to give a keynote speech on Sept. 20, Yoon's deputy national security advisor, Kim Tae-hyo, said. The trip would follow North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's rare summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week where they discussed military matters and possible Russian help for the North's satellite programme. Yoon will deliver a message on possible military exchanges between Pyongyang and Moscow at the General Assembly, South Korean news agency Newsis said, citing the presidential office.

Persons: Yoon Suk, yeol, Tatan, Yoon, Kim Tae, Antonio Guterres, Kim, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Newsis, Soo, hyang Choi, Hyunsu Yim, Clarence Fernandez, Lincoln Organizations: South, ASEAN, South Korea Summit, Association of, Southeast Asian Nations, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, New, United Nations General Assembly, U.N, North, General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights SEOUL, New York, Ukraine, North, Pyongyang, Moscow, South Korean

Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's formal name. At the opening of the meeting with Putin, Kim said it was an unwavering position of the North to further develop its traditional friendship and ties with Russia. Russian media said Putin showed Kim around the building where Russia's new space launch rocket, the Angara, is assembled. Humanitarian aid to North Korea and U.N. Security Council resolutions imposed on Pyongyang may also be discussed, Russian officials have said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, North, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Smirnov, Kim, Putin, Kim Jong, Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, KCNA, Jo Chun Ryong, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, North, DPRK, Democratic People's, Russia, Kremlin, Vostochny, Munitions Industry, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, MOSCOW, SEOUL, Washington, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North, Moscow, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's, South, United States, Korea, Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne

☆ North Korea fires two ballistic missiles with leader Kim away in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Sept 13 (Reuters) - North Korea fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Japanese Coast Guard said on Wednesday, just hours before leader Kim Jong Un was expected to meet President Vladimir Putin in Russia. It was the first such launch to occur while Kim was abroad for a rare trip, analysts said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that Japan had lodged a protest against North Korea through diplomatic channels in Beijing. The nuclear-armed North has conducted regular launches of everything from short-range and cruise missiles to massive intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that can strike the continental United States. In 2018 and 2019 he visited China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Russia in nine separate trips, but his current visit in Russia is the first since then.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kim didn’t, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Komiya, Chang, Ran Kim, Tom Hogue, Christian Schmollinger, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, Japanese Coast Guard, Japan's Coast Guard, North, United Nations, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, South, Russia, Japan, Beijing, United States, China, Moscow, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Seoul, Tokyo

☆ Kim invites Putin to North Korea as he continues Russia visit - KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Putin accepted the invitation, state news agency KCNA said, without mentioning when a visit might take place. "At the end of the reception, Kim Jong Un courteously invited Putin to visit the DPRK at a convenient time," KCNA said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's formal name. On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said there was no plan for Putin to visit Pyongyang. The U.S. State Department said the Biden administration "won't hesitate" to impose additional sanctions on Russia and North Korea if they conclude any new arms deals. On Wednesday, Putin gave numerous hints that military cooperation was discussed but disclosed few details.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, KCNA, Dmitry Peskov, Biden, Matthew Miller, Kim Young, Sergei Shoigu, Hyonhee Shin, Jack Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Kim Coghill, Lincoln, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Russian, Democratic People's, cosmodrome, U.S . State Department, Security, State, Thomson Locations: Amur Oblast, East Region, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Russia's Far, Russian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North, Pyongyang, U.S, Ukraine, Moscow, North Korea

☆ North Korea's Kim appears to have departed for Russia for summit with Putin -YTN
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 11 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have departed for Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, South Korean broadcaster YTN reported on Monday, citing an unnamed senior government source. Kim appears to be headed to North Korea's northeastern border on a special train, with the summit likely to be held as early as on Tuesday, according to the report. His last trip abroad in 2019 was also to Vladivostok for his first summit with Putin after the collapse of North Korea's nuclear disarmament talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Jack Kim; Editing by Toby Chopra and Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Alexander Zemlianichenko, YTN, Kim, Putin, Donald Trump, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Toby Chopra, Himani Organizations: Rights, National Intelligence Service, U.S, Thomson Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, Rights SEOUL, South Korean, North

☆ Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Zulu Nationalist and a Mandela Rival, Dies at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Robert D. Mcfadden | More About Robert D. Mcfadden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the Zulu nationalist who positioned himself as Nelson Mandela’s most powerful Black rival in South Africa’s tortuous transformation from a white segregationist society to a multiracial democracy in the 1990s, died on Saturday. His death was announced in a statement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa. Proud, ambitious, descended from royalty and intolerant of criticism, Mr. Buthelezi was a hereditary chief of the Zulus, South Africa’s largest ethnic group. Like his battle-hardened ancestors, who had challenged colonial invaders in the 19th century, Mr. Buthelezi sometimes wore leopard skins and wielded assegai spears, but only in ritual war dances for political advantage. He was also the prime minister of KwaZulu, the homeland of six million Zulus, and the founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party, a Zulu political and cultural movement with 1.9 million members.

Persons: Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Nelson, Cyril Ramaphosa of, Buthelezi, ”, goh, de Klerk, Mandela Organizations: Zulu, Freedom Party Locations: South, Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, South Africa, KwaZulu, Zulu

[1/7] People attend what North Korean state media report was the country's launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine, in North Korea, in this handout image released September 8, 2023. North Korea plans to turn its existing submarines into nuclear weapons-armed attack submarines, and accelerate its push to build nuclear-powered submarines, Kim said. North Korea has test-fired a number of submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and cruise missiles that can be fired from submarines. It is also unclear whether North Korea has fully developed the miniaturised nuclear warheads needed to fit on such missiles. North Korea has a large submarine fleet but only the experimental ballistic missile submarine 8.24 Yongung (August 24th Hero) is known to have launched a missile.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim Kun, Kim, they've, Tal Inbar, Vladimir Putin, Yoon Suk, Premier Li Qiang, Soo, hyang Choi, Leslie Adler, Sandra Maler, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: North, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, ., DPRK, Democratic People's, Carnegie Endowment, International, Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, Twitter, South, Premier, Security, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Korean, United States, South Korea, State, Korea, U.S, Russia, Moscow, Jakarta, Beijing

☆ South Korea's Yoon meets China Premier Li at ASEAN summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the ASEAN-South Korea Summit at the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 6, 2023. Tatan Syuflana/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 7 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with China's Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Thursday, just hours after Yoon called for a rules-based maritime order in the South China Sea. Yoon's meeting with Li comes after the South Korean leader vowed to enhance cooperation with China and Japan. Just hours earlier, Yoon said any attempts to change the status quo by force in the South China Sea cannot be tolerated. He was speaking at the East Asia Summit which includes the ASEAN bloc, China, Japan, the United States and others.

Persons: Yoon Suk, yeol, Tatan, Yoon Suk Yeol, China's Premier Li Qiang, Yoon, Li, Indonesia's, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Tom Hogue, Michael Perry Organizations: South, ASEAN, South Korea Summit, Association of, Southeast Asian Nations, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, China's Premier, East Asia, United Nations, . Security Council, The United, Thomson Locations: South Korean, Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights SEOUL, Indonesian, South China, China, Japan, South, United States, Pyongyang, Russia, Moscow, The United States, North Korea, Ukraine, South Korea

☆ South Korea's Yoon says any military cooperation with North Korea must stop
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jack Kim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, center, arrives to the ASEAN-South Korea Summit at the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 6, 2023. Tatan Syuflana/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 6 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday any attempt to cooperate with North Korea on military affairs in a way that damages international peace must immediately halt. "Attempt at military cooperation with North Korea that harms international peace must immediately halt," Yoon's office quoted him as saying at a meeting with the leaders of ASEAN countries. North Korea and Russia have denied they were in arms negotiations. Before the pandemic, China hosted the largest number of North Korean workers abroad, with as many as half of the estimated 100,000 people earning more than $500 million a year.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Tatan, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Sergei Shoigu, Fumio Kishida, Li Qiang, Jack Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Christopher Cushing Organizations: South, ASEAN, South Korea Summit, Association of, Southeast Asian Nations, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, New York Times, Japanese, Security, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, Russia, Vladivostok, Moscow, Ukraine, South Korea, China, Korean, Seoul

☆ South Korean teachers to rally after colleague's death
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The South Korean teachers union is not involved in organising the demonstrations on Monday, said the group leading the protests, Everyone Together As One. President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday ordered officials to listen to the teachers' demands and work to protect their rights, his office said. In July, an elementary school teacher was found dead at school after reportedly expressing anxiety over complaints from a parent over a dispute among students. One hundred public school teachers committed suicide in South Korea during the past six years as of June. The education ministry has vowed to prevent incidents of teachers' being punished for legitimate educational activity, and improve communication between teachers and parents.

Persons: Kim Hong, Yoon Suk, Soo, hyang Choi, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . Government, Authorities, South, Monday, Teachers, National Assembly, World Health Organisation, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korea

☆ Rapidly aging South Korea prepares to open door for foreign maids
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A man and children wearing masks to protect against contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) take a walk at a Han River Park in Seoul, South Korea April 4, 2020. The issue sits at the confluence of South Korea's sharply declining birthrate, aging population, and its historical reluctance to accept more immigrants. South Korea is in talks with the Philippines as one of the potential sources of workers with an aim to start the pilot programme as early as December, officials said. The new scheme is the latest in a series of efforts by the government to reverse the plunging birth rate of Asia's fourth-largest economy. "There is no one-size-fits-all solution to low birth rate," Oh said.

Persons: Heo, hoon, 1,322.1800, Soo, hyang Choi, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Organisation for Economic Co, Development, OECD, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, South, Philippines, Koreans

KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - North Korea conducted a simulated "scorched-earth" nuclear strike on targets across South Korea, state media reported on Thursday, in reaction to allied exercises that it said amounted to plans for a preemptive nuclear attack by the United States. ROK is the initials of South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, hours after the U.S. deployed B-1B bombers for allied air drills. South Korea's presidential office convened a security meeting after North Korea's late-night launch, which followed its second failed attempt last week to put its first spy satellite into orbit. Japan will intercept North Korea's missiles if they fly over Japan's territory, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.

Persons: North Korea's, Fumio Kishida, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim Jong, Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Kantaro Komiya, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Satoshi Sugiyama, Stephen Coates, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Korean People's Army, North, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, ROK, U.S, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Republic of Korea, Japan, Pyongyang, U.S, Korea, Seoul, Kantaro, Tokyo

☆ North Korea to convene rubber-stamp parliament in Sept
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un addresses the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's parliament, which passed a law officially enshrining its nuclear weapons policies, in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 8, 2022 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, will convene on Sept. 26 to discuss organisational matters and other issues, state media said on Thursday, as the country slowly reopens after years of pandemic lockdowns. The North has suffered serious food shortages in recent decades, including famine in the 1990s, often as a result of natural disasters. The decision was made at a Plenary Meeting of the parliament's Standing Committee on Wednesday, where members also discussed a law for "revitalizing domestic tourism and expanding international tourism simultaneously." North Korea has recently approved the return of its citizens who were abroad after years of strict border restrictions, state media reported on Sunday as the isolated country cracks open its border to passenger travel.

Persons: Kim Jong, KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Lincoln Organizations: Assembly, North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Supreme, Workers ' Party, Thomson Locations: Korea's, Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korea

[1/4] Missiles from tactical nuclear operation unit of the western district of the Korean People's Army are launched at an undisclosed location in North Korea in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and obtained by Reuters on August 31, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - North Korea conducted a simulated "scorched-earth" nuclear strike on targets across South Korea, state media reported on Thursday, in reaction to allied exercises that it said amounted to plans for a preemptive nuclear attack by the United States. "The KPA staged a tactical nuclear strike drill simulating scorched-earth strikes at major command centers and operational airfields of the 'ROK' military gangsters on Wednesday night," it said, using initials of South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, hours after the U.S. deployed B-1B bombers for allied air drills. The latest launch came a day before South Korea and the U.S. wrap up 11 days of combined military drills, which Pyongyang has long denounced as a war rehearsal.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Stephen Coates Organizations: Korean People's Army, North, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Staff, ROK, U.S, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Republic of Korea, U.S, Pyongyang

The mayor of Fukushima, Hiroshi Kohata, said on Saturday the city’s town hall alone had received about 200 such harassment calls in two days. Security officers in front of the Japanese embassy in Beijing, China, on August 26, 2023. In an echo of the Japanese embassy’s statement, it urged Tokyo to protect the safety of Chinese residents in Japan. Many countries, including China, release treated radioactive water from their own nuclear plants, sometimes at higher concentrations than in Fukushima. Other prefectures are considering similar programs, with the Osaka governor proposing Fukushima seafood be served at all government cafeterias.

Persons: China’s, Hiroshi Kohata, It’s, ”, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Yoon Suk Yeol, Han Duck, Yoon, Han, Yuriko Koike, Rahm Emanuel, Matsuda, Xi Jinping, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Tokyo CNN, NHK, CNN, Security, Kyodo, Chinese Foreign Ministry, University of Tokyo’s Institute, Advanced Studies, South, Osaka, US, East China, Reuters Locations: Fukushima, Japan, China, Tokyo, Fukushima prefecture, Beijing, “, Qingdao, China’s Shandong, Suzhou, China’s Jiangsu, Asia, East

☆ US holds drills with allies off Korean peninsula, Pyongyang vows to bolster navy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Naval Command of the Korean People's Army (KPA) on the occasion of the Navy Day, in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and obtained by Reuters on August 29, 2023. The three nations staged exercises in international waters off South Korea's southern Jeju island to improve their ability to detect and track targets, and share information in the event of provocation by Pyongyang, South Korea's military said. The drills come as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for "radically" modernising the weapons and equipment of its naval forces, criticising an increased presence of U.S. strategic assets in the region. South Korea and the United States last week began the Ulchi Freedom Shield summer exercises, designed to enhance their joint responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Chris Reese, Grant McCool and Michael PerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Soo, hyang Choi, Chris Reese, Grant McCool, Michael Perry Organizations: Naval Command, Korean People's Army, Navy, North, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, South Korea, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, United States, South Korea, Japan, Washington, Jeju, Pyongyang, South, Camp David , Maryland, U.S

☆ North Korea denounces 'gang bosses' of US and allies amid drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the Naval Command of the Korean People's Army (KPA) on the occasion of the Navy Day, in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and obtained by Reuters on August 29, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The United States, South Korea and Japan staged joint naval missile defence drills off the Korean peninsula on Tuesday, as North Korea denounced the "gang bosses" of Washington and its allies for increasing the risk of nuclear war. The three nations staged exercises in international waters off South Korea's southern Jeju island to improve their ability to detect and track targets, and share information in the event of provocation by Pyongyang, South Korea's military said. The drills come as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for "radically" modernising the weapons and equipment of his country's naval forces, criticising an increased presence of U.S. strategic assets in the region. South Korea and the United States last week began the Ulchi Freedom Shield summer exercises, designed to enhance their joint responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Soo, hyang Choi, Kantaro Komiya, Chang, Ran Kim, Grant McCool, Michael Perry, Nick Macfie Organizations: Naval Command, Korean People's Army, Navy, North, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, South Korea, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, United States, South Korea, Japan, Washington, Jeju, Pyongyang, South, Camp David , Maryland, U.S, Republic of Korea, Korea, SEOUL, TOKYO

☆ North Korea approves return of its citizens from abroad after COVID lockdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 27 (Reuters) - North Korea has approved the return of its citizens who were abroad after years of strict border restrictions during the COVID pandemic, state media reported on Sunday as the isolated country cracks open its border to passenger travel. "Those returned will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week," the statement said. Cargo train and ship traffic has slowly increased over the past year, but North Korea has only just begun to allow some international passenger travel. Many foreign delegations closed their embassies in Pyongyang because they were unable to rotate staff or ship in supplies for much of the pandemic.

Persons: Kim Hong, lockdowns, Soo, hyang Choi, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Epidemic, Koryo, North, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, Beijing, China, Russian, Kazakhstan

SEOUL, Aug 24 (Reuters) - North Korea appears to have made progress in its space program, despite a second rocket failure on Thursday, but its unusually quick launch pace may be causing problems, analysts said. North Korea's second attempt to place a spy satellite in orbit failed after the booster experienced a problem with its third stage, state media reported. South Korea scheduled nearly a year between each of the three launches of its new Nuri rocket, none of which failed as spectacularly as the North Korean attempts. North Korea plans to launch the Chollima-1 three times in less than six months. "I am not sure if North Korean leadership knows the characteristics of large-scale science," he said.

Persons: Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, Chang Young, Kim Jong, Yang Uk, Nuri, Yang Moo, Kim, Lee Choon, Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation, Korea Aerospace University, Asan Institute, Policy Studies, University of North Korean Studies, South Korea's Science, Technology Policy Institute, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, South Korea, Pyongyang, Seoul, Korea, Korean

☆ South Korea's Naver launches generative AI services
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Naver said its AI product, named HyperCLOVA X, will provide generative AI-driven searches for users as well as new customised services for enterprise clients. Naver has said it is jointly developing with Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) new chip solutions that will be smaller and more efficient to support its AI technology development. The company plans to open a new data centre for the HyperCLOVA X services in November, Naver said on Thursday. "We are ready to face a new transformation called generative AI," Naver Chief Executive Choi Soo-yeon said. Choi said the company was in talks with global partners about its new AI services' overseas expansion but it was not ready to identify those partners.

Persons: Heo, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Naver, HyperCLOVA, Choi Soo, Choi, Miyoung Kim, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Samsung Electronics, Microsoft, Google, U.S, Thomson Locations: Seongnam, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Seoul, Japan, Southeast Asia

☆ Reaction to Japan's release of water from Fukushima nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is seen from Namie Town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Kyodo/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Here are reactions to Japan's release of treated radioactive water from its destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Thursday. HONG KONG PROTESTER JACAY SHUM, 73:"Japan's actions in discharging contaminated water are very irresponsible, illegal, and immoral. CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY:"The disposal of contaminated water in Fukushima is a major nuclear safety issue with cross-border implications, and is by no means a private matter for Japan alone. "Since the peaceful use of nuclear energy by mankind, there has been no precedent for man-made discharge of water polluted by nuclear accidents into the ocean, and there is no accepted disposal standard.

Persons: HONG, JACAY SHUM, RAFAEL MARIANO GROSSI, MARK BROWN, Lincoln, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, GENERAL, IAEA, SOUTH, COOK, OF, PACIFIC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Fukushima prefecture, Japan, HONG KONG, Fukushima, SOUTH KOREA

☆ S.Korea police arrest 16 Fukushima protesters targeting Japan embassy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Hongji Kim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A university student is detained while attempting to break into the Japanese embassy on the occasion of Japan releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, in Seoul, South Korea, August 24, 2023. The protest came the day Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, a polarising move that prompted fresh, fierce criticism from around the region. A Reuters photographer on the scene saw police officers physically carry and drag protesters from the building and bundle them into a bus. A police officer at the Jongno police station in the South Korean capital said 16 people were arrested on charges of trespassing, accusing them of trying to break into the embassy. The Japanese embassy had advised its citizens on Tuesday not to approach Fukushima-related rallies in front of the embassy building, so as to "avoid getting into unnecessary trouble".

Persons: Kim Hong, Han Duck, Hongji Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Clarence Fernandez, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Korean, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Japan, Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Fukushima, Tokyo

☆ Fukushima wastewater released into the ocean, China bans all Japanese seafood
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sales to China and Hong Kong accounted for 42% of all Japanese aquatic exports in 2022, according to government data. Separately from China, Hong Kong and Macau have announced their own ban starting Thursday, which covers Japanese seafood imports from 10 regions. Japan will conduct monitoring around the water release area and publish results weekly starting on Sunday, Japan's environment minister said. PROTESTSIn Hong Kong, Jacay Shum, a 73-year-old activist, held up a picture portraying IAEA head Rafael Grossi as the devil. "The Fukushima nuclear disaster is not over.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Geraldine Thomas, Han Duck, Jacay Shum, Rafael Grossi, Shum, Iizuka, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro Komiya, Irene Wang, Bernard Orr, Farah Master, Joyce Zhou, Hongji Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: IAEA, Tokyo Electric Power, International Atomic Energy Agency, Japan, Hong, REUTERS, Minwoo, World Health Organization, London's Imperial, Japan Fisheries Co, Korean, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Japan, TOKYO, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Fukushima, Busan, South Korea, China , Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, South, Beijing, Lincoln

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