News

Powell's termination cannot come fast enough: Trump

2025/04/18 17:00

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly rebuked Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell following the latter's remarks about inflation and growth concerns in the face of sweeping tariffs. Lee Seung-jae has details. U.S. President Donald Trump continued to increase the pressure on U.S. Fed chairman Jerome Powell on Thursday, stressing that he should lower interest rates. He also said Powell's "termination cannot come fast enough." Trump's comments on Powell came a day after the U.S. Fed chair warned of potential economic consequences from U.S. tariff policies, saying they would likely generate "higher inflation and slower growth." Trump also responded to a reporter's comment at the Oval Office on the same day, that Powell said he wouldn't leave his post even if told to by the U.S. leader. "Oh, he'll leave, if I ask him to he'll be out of there. I don't think he's doing the job. He's too late. Always too late. A little slow, and I'm not happy with him. I let him know it. And if I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast, believe me." However,.. Powell's concerns appear to have been echoed by other central banks around the world. This includes the European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, who said the sharp increase in tensions in international trade and the resulting uncertainty are likely to reduce exports in the euro zone and lower growth. World Bank President Ajay Banga also expressed his concerns over Trump's tariff policies earlier this week, stressing that tariff hikes create conflicts that result in lower transparency and growth. International organization are also warning of an economic slowdown. The World Trade Organization said international trade volumes will decrease this year, while the International Monetary Fund said that there will be a notable downward revision in the new economic outlook report to be released next week. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Trump says Ukraine close to signing minerals deal with U.S. as peace talks start in France

2025/04/18 17:00

A critical minerals deal may finally be sealed between the U.S. and Ukraine amid efforts to ensure a ceasefire to halt the Kremlin's aggression against Kyiv. Byeon Ye-young reports. U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington and Kyiv could sign a minerals and economic cooperation deal as early as next week. "Well, we have a minerals deal, which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday, Scott (Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent), next Thursday, soon. And I assume they're going to live up to the deal, so we'll see. But we have a deal." While Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later clarified the likely signing date as April 26th, the agreement appears close to finalization. Later the same day, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on X that Ukraine and the U.S. had signed a memorandum of intent. Although she did not mention a minerals deal directly, she wrote that the memorandum would pave the way for economic cooperation and Ukraine's reconstruction, adding that the final agreement would benefit both nations. When asked about Russia's response to a ceasefire proposal, Trump said he expected a reply soon and reaffirmed his desire to end the war. "We'll see what that will be. We're gonna be hearing from them this week, very shortly, actually. And we'll see, but we want it (the war) to stop. We want the death and the killing to stop." Meanwhile, Ukraine and the U.S. joined Germany, France and the U.K. for high-level talks in France to discuss ending the war. The participants expressed support for Trump's peace efforts and discussed steps toward a lasting peace — including a full ceasefire, deployment of multinational troops, and stronger security guarantees for Ukraine. The five nations are set to reconvene in London the following week to move toward a comprehensive end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang news.

K-HISTORY ACKNOWLEDGED, K-POP APPLAUDED, K-TOURISM APPRECIATED

2025/04/18 17:00

Welcome to Press Perspective for April 18th here in Seoul. I'm Min Sun-hee. It's Friday and time for our talk on various matters of social interest here that made international headlines as well. For more I have Chloe Borgnon with French broadcaster France 24. Chloe it's good to have you here. I also have writer Colin Marshall with the pundit's take on today's issues. Colin it's been a while. Welcome back. 1) Colin, let's begin with details about a painful chapter in history over in the southern island of Jeju being included in UNESCO's documentary heritage. 2) Chloe, I hear a special exhibition is being held in Paris to commemorate the incident's UNESCO listing. 3) Colin, do you suppose more can be done to share knowledge about Korea's history on a global scale? 4) Meanwhile Chloe, findings for this year show K-pop remains the most recognized symbol of South Korean culture worldwide. 5) Colin, findings also show Korean screen productions are the 2nd most-watched content on Netflix worldwide, just behind the U.S., but ahead of the U.K. and Japan that ranked 3rd and 4th respectively. 6) Chloe, despite its popularity on the small screen, Korea's big screen productions will be absent at this year's Cannes Film Festival for the first time in 12 years. 7) Colin, beyond the screens, along with the growing global popularity of the Korean Wave, there is mounting concern about the overly commercial nature of some of its related initiatives. 8) Chloe, CNN recently covered the popularity of Asia's tourist information centers including that here in South Korea, claiming that they serve as top tourist attractions. 9) Colin, how much of an impact do Korea's tourist information centers have on overall tourism enjoyment here, do you think? 10) Chloe, also in recent times, there has been much foreign coverage about the academic pressure on children in Korea. All right.

K-wave AI News

2025/04/18 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. Renowned Korean author Han Kang is set to release her first new book since receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature last year. Titled "Light and Thread," the book is a collection of essays featuring Han's previously unreleased works, including poems, diary entries, and the speech she delivered at the Nobel ceremony. Much attention is being drawn to her pieces that had never been made public before. It will be available in bookstores starting April 24. The 'Jongmyo Daeje,' a royal ancestral ritual held each spring at Jongmyo Shrine, will be held on May 4 this year. It will be unveiled to the public for the first time in six years. Jongmyo Daeje is held annually on the first Sunday of May to honor the spirits of past kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty enshrined at Jongmyo, the royal ancestral shrine. The National Heritage Service has designated April 24 to May 4 as "Jongmyo Week," during which a variety of cultural and experiential programs will be offered to the public. The Heojun Museum, dedicated to the legacy of Joseon's most revered physician Heo Jun, is marking its 20th anniversary with a special exhibition. The exhibit highlights the stories of doctors and court physicians of the Joseon Dynasty who embodied the Confucian virtue of "in," or benevolence, through the practice of medicine. Around 100 artifacts are on display, showcasing how these scholar-physicians devoted themselves to healing the people. Located in Seoul's Gangseo-gu District, the Heojun Museum was established in 2005 to honor Heo Jun's contributions to medicine and his spirit of compassion, as well as to promote the global recognition of traditional Korean medicine. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

Latest in K-sports

2025/04/18 14:00

It's time now for the latest in the world of K-sports, we have updates on the KBO, Korean players in the major and minor leagues as well as golf news. For all of that, we have our sportscaster Jason Lee in the studio. Hello Jason! Q1. Jason, you said before that the LG Twins have been the hot team in the early going so far this KBO season I understand they also made history with a No-Hitter tell us more That's right! 4 members of the LG Twins combined for a no-hitter as the first place Twins blanked the Samsung Lions 3-0 on Tuesday. Elieser Hernandez started things off pitching 6-innings without a hit. He was followed by Kim Jin-Sung, Park Myung-Geun and Jang Hyun-Sik, who each threw a hitless inning each.That's just the 4th time EVER that we've seen a combined No-Hitter. And the one question that'll never get answered is could Hernandez have completed the No-Hitter himself? He was removed after 6 innings of work despite throwing just 79 pitches due to a cramp in his right thigh. The perfect game was ruined when Hernandez hit Lee Jae-Hyeon with a pitch in the 6th. Q2. Now Hernandez isn't the only pitcher off to a great start so far James Naile is also making headlines Yeah, James Naile had the best ERA last year, but missed the last month of the regular season allowing Kyle Hart to pass him in Wins and Strikeouts,but he's picked up right where he left off. He's allowed just 1 run in 31-innings that's a ridiculous 0.29 ERA the Kia Tigers haven't given him much run support so he only has 2-wins, but he is off to a great start. Last year with a month left in the regular season, he took a ball off the chin and that broke his jaw so he missed the last month. Had he not missed that last month, I think there's a good chance that he would've won the Choi Dong-Won award for best KBO pitcher but instead that went to Kyle Hart who played the full season. Naile showing early that last year wasn't a fluke. Q3. Speaking of players on hot starts, let's talk about "the Son of the Wind" or to be exact "the Grandson of the Wind" I hear Lee Jung-Hoo has been RED Hot lately in Major League Baseball Q4. How about Kim Hye-Seong? He's in the minor leagues, but I heard he's been playing well lately Q5. The biggest event in golf is the Masters, which just wrapped up last weekend and while it wasn't WON by a Korean, it was not a bad finish for Im Sung-Jae . That's right Rory McIlroy clearly stole the headlines by completing the career Grand Slam after winning the Masters for the first time but a great tournament overall for Im Sung-Jae. He fired a final round 3-under-69 to finish 7-under for the tournament. That tied him with Bryson DeChambeau for 5th place it also earned him just under $800,000 so he should shoot up the rankings soon. 2 other Koreans participated in the event and both made the cut. Byeong Hun An tied for 21st at 2-under overall while Tom Kim tied for 52nd. Q6. Also the much talked about LIV Golf will be coming to Korea for the first time in just two weeks time right? That's right, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon will be hosting the event starting May 2nd. Of course LIV Golf has been very controversial because they're competing with the PGA. But the reality is they're bringing some of the biggest names in golf to Korea very soon. Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson, John Rahm and of course Kevin Na will be among the local fan favourites captaining the Iron Heads team. Thank you for all the updates Jason, have a great weekend. Thank you Bella! We'll see you next week.

[K-enter] BTS Jin set to kick off first solo world tour at Goyang in June

2025/04/18 14:00

Time for some K-entertainment news with Bella Kim. Today we start off with BTS Jin. He has some exciting news for his fans? Jin announced the dates for his first-ever solo world tour. According to the poster he shared on Weverse, a global fandom platform, Jin will kick off his solo tour "#RUNSEOKJIN_ EP.TOUR" at the Goyang Sports Complex auxiliary stadium from June 18th to 19th. Jin will then perform 18 shows across nine cities, including Osaka in Japan, Dallas in the U.S., London in the UK, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Jin's solo tour title, "#RUNSEOKJIN_ EP.TOUR," contains the meaning of heading out to meet BTS fans, 'ARMYs,' and is also a spinoff from Jin's YouTube channel entertainment program title "Run, Jin." In the upcoming tour, Jin will fill the stage with variety of performances. Jin will show off his new tracks on the tour from his upcoming second mini-album, "Echo" that will drop on May 16th. Very exciting for ARMYs around the globe. Next we are going to stay on the topic of tours, but this time let's look at a foreign artist visiting Korea to perform? British rock band Coldplay kicked off their Korean concert of the "Music of the Spheres" tour on Wednesday at the Goyang Sports Complex Main Stadium. This marks the band's second visit to Korea, last coming here 8 years ago back in 2017. With 50-thousand audience members for each of the six days of concerts, the band is set to perform for a total of 300-thousand fans. And guess what? All six shows are sold out! Not only that. Coldplay also broke records as this is the biggest scale of concerts in Korea ever held by any foreign artist. Each concert will go on for about two and a half hours, unfolding in four themed sections-Planets, Moons, Stars and Home. Coldplay's performances in Goyang will go on until April 25th. I unfortunately wasn't able to get my hands on any tickets. I heard there's also a special guest for their shows in Korea? Girl group TWICE is their special guest for all six shows in Korea. And what's even more exciting is that Coldplay and TWICE released a collaboration single TODAY, that's Friday Korea time. It's actually a re-make of Coldplay's "WE PRAY," but this time, it includes verses in Korean. TWICE said about the collaboration that (quote), "We believe that 'WE PRAY' is a song about overcoming hardships together and sharing a message of peace and hope. We're especially proud that each of us recorded our lines in Korean, allowing us to deliver our heartfelt emotions in our own language." Coldplay and TWICE performed the new release of "WE PRAY" for the very first time at the first round of Coldplay's concert on Wednesday. Great music with such a meaningful message. Thank you Bella for today's stories. Our AI anchor Ari also has interesting culture stories for us. Let's go over to her!

Two people killed and at least 5 wounded in Florida State shooting

2025/04/18 10:00

Starting in the U.S., a shooting has occurred at a university campus in Florida. Yes. A shooting on Thursday at Florida State University has led to two deaths and at least five injuries. The suspect has been identified as a 20-year-old student at FSU and the son of a local sheriff's deputy. Authorities report that he used his mother's handgun in the attack. The incident began around 11:50 AM local time, near the university's student union. There were eight to ten gunshots before responding officers confronted the shooter, who was shot after failing to comply with commands and then taken into custody. The two people who lost their lives were not students. One of the injured remains in critical condition. The motive behind the shooting is still under investigation. It was the second significant campus shooting at FSU, following a 2014 incident at the university library.

Government returns medical student quota to pre-increase level of 3,058

2025/04/18 10:00

The 14-month standoff between the government and medical students is likely to come to an end, with the government retracting its plan to hike medical school seat numbers to address the country's physician shortage. Byeon Ye-young has the details. The government announced on Thursday that the 2026 medical school enrollment quota will be returned to the 2024 level of 3,058 students. "We will push for a legal amendment to allow universities to adjust their 2026 medical school enrollment quotas to 2024 levels." Last year, the government raised the quota by 2,000 to 5,058, but doctors and medical students strongly opposed the move, alleging it would hurt training conditions. This led to a wave of leaves of absence among medical students, resulting in a significant gap in their medical education. Presidents of 40 medical schools proposed that the government restore the original quota for 2026 admissions if all first-year students returned to class. The government accepted the proposal on March 7th but only if a sufficient number of students to ensure classes could proceed without disruption returned by the end of March. A surge in last-minute enrollments at the so-called "Big 5" medical schools led to that number being achieved. While many former students returned, a number opted to "register but not attend." So even after reversing the quota increase, the government still has more to do to get these students back to classes and resolve the healthcare workforce shortage. This raises questions about the future of medical education. "We need to predict how the healthcare landscape will change 10 to 20 years from now, and based on that vision, we should determine how many medical professionals we need and what kind of education they should receive." Universities are now required to submit revised admissions plans that reflect the updated quota to the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) by the end of this month. The proposed changes will then be reviewed and finalized following KCUE approval, expected around May. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang news.

Cabinet holds emergency meeting to discuss 12 tril. won supplementary budget

2025/04/18 10:00

Acting President Han Duck-soo is convening an emergency Cabinet meeting on Friday to review the government's proposed supplementary budget worth 12 trillion won, or eight-point-four billion U.S. dollars. According to Han's office, the Cabinet will deliberate on plans to funnel two billion dollars for disaster response, including wildfire recovery efforts, two-point-eight billion for boosting trade and competitiveness in Artificial Intelligence, and another two-point-eight to support small business owners. The government increased the total amount from an expected budget worth seven billion dollars, citing pressing needs. Once approved by the Cabinet, the proposal must be reviewed and passed by the National Assembly.

DP to move top office from Seoul to Sejong; PPP kicks off primaries with media day

2025/04/18 10:00

The first stop for the presidential primaries for the three contenders of the Democratic Party is Chungcheong-do, a region considered a key battleground in presidential elections. And the 8 contenders of the People Power Party are now preparing themselves for debates set for this weekend. Our Kim Do-yeon reports. Preliminary presidential candidates from the Democratic Party of Korea unveiled their strategies to boost growth in the Chungcheong-do provinces on Thursday, coinciding with the start of online voting by DP electors the day before. All three candidates shared a common pledge to fully establish Sejong City, located within Chungcheong-do, as South Korea's administrative capital, proposing to relocate the presidential office there. This pledge also follows a move by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who previously relocated the presidential office from the Blue House to Yongsan—a decision heavily criticized by the DP as an unnecessary budget expenditure, and notably, the site of his martial law declaration. Chungcheong-do remains a crucial battleground for presidential candidates; notably, the winner of this region has also secured victory in the last seven presidential elections. Meanwhile, the People Power Party held a media day for its primary contestants on Thursday. With eight contestants, they broke the first round debates into two groups by topic. Future for the young generations and social unity. The future for the young generations debate will be held by Yoo Jeong-bok, Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Moon-soo, and Yang Hyang-ja on Saturday. Social unity by Lee Cheol-woo, Na Kyung-won, Han Dong-hoon, and Hong Joon-pyo on Sunday. The People Power Party also launched its preparatory committee for the presidential election. Chaired by lawmaker Yun Jae-ok, the committee is set to prepare for the PPP presidential election campaign once the party's candidate is chosen. Yun said it's long overdue as the prep should've started before but said, "the tortoise beat the hare." Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

Ukraine-U.S. minerals deal could be signed by next week: Trump

2025/04/18 10:00

Onto the latest on the Ukraine war. Trump said Thursday that Washington and Kyiv could sign a minerals and economic cooperation deal as soon as next Thursday. Speaking to reporters at the White House, the U.S. president added that he "assumes" Kyiv will "live up to the deal." Trump also said that while he doesn't hold Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "responsible" for Russia's invasion, he is "not a big fan" of the Ukrainian leader. Also on Thursday, U.S. and Ukrainian officials held talks with their British, French, and German counterparts. Ukraine and the three European countries expressed their shared support for Trump's efforts to bring an end to the war. More meetings in the same format will take place next week in London.

Powell's termination cannot come fast enough: Trump

2025/04/18 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump snapped back at the Fed Chair Jerome Powell, a day after Powell warned of potential economic consequences from tariffs. However, central banks around the world appear to be on the same page as Powell. Lee Seung-jae reports. U.S. President Donald Trump continued to increase the pressure on U.S. Fed chairman Jerome Powell on Thursday, stressing that he should lower interest rates. He also said Powell's "termination cannot come fast enough." Trump's comments on Powell came a day after the U.S. Fed chair warned of potential economic consequences from U.S. tariff policies, saying they would likely generate "higher inflation and slower growth." Trump also responded to a reporter's comment at the Oval Office on the same day, that Powell said he wouldn't leave his post even if told to by the U.S. leader. "Oh, he'll leave, if I ask him to he'll be out of there. I don't think he's doing the job. He's too late. Always too late. A little slow, and I'm not happy with him. I let him know it. And if I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast, believe me." However,.. Powell's concerns appear to have been echoed by other central banks around the world. This includes the European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, who said the sharp increase in tensions in international trade and the resulting uncertainty are likely to reduce exports in the euro zone and lower growth. World Bank President Ajay Banga also expressed his concerns over Trump's tariff policies earlier this week, stressing that tariff hikes create conflicts that result in lower transparency and growth. International organization are also warning of an economic slowdown. The World Trade Organization said international trade volumes will decrease this year, while the International Monetary Fund said that there will be a notable downward revision in the new economic outlook report to be released next week. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

S. Korea sees leverage in shipbuilding and LNG with U.S. trade talks

2025/04/18 10:00

And ahead of South Korea-U.S. tariff talks, Seoul's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said South Korea is trying to reach good outcomes through talks on industries like shipbuilding and LNG. During his visit to Vietnam, Cho said that President Trump specifically mentioned those sectors. He said these are areas where only countries like South Korea or Japan can really compete, giving the country strong "leverage." Minister Cho also said the Trump administration seems to want to prioritize talks with certain countries for better results, and that South Korea plans to stay in close contact with Vietnam in responding to U.S. tariffs.

Trump says U.S. will make deal with China over the next 3-4 weeks

2025/04/18 10:00

The Trump administration has buckled down to holding tariff talks with the top 15 economies. Now, that could include China with Trump now hinting a deal with Beijing could be sealed within a month. Our Choi Soo-hyung starts us off. U.S. President Donald Trump says he believes trade negotiations with China will be done over the next 3 to 4 weeks. "We'll have a deal. I think we're going to make a very good deal with China. I think that you will see we'll make a good deal with China." He said the U.S. is in talks with China, adding that Beijing had reached out several times. On Thursday local time, during a meeting in White House with Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, President Trump also said that he's not concerned about Chinese President Xi Jinping, building alliances during his Southeast Asia tour in response to U.S. tariffs. Meanwhile, as the U.S. begins tariff negotiations with other countries during a 90-day pause, President Trump said on Wednesday local time that he had very productive talks with Japan and Mexico. He posted on his social media that he made great progress in talks with the Japanese trade delegation led by Minister for Economic Revitalization, Ryosei Akazawa. However, on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said there are still differences between the two countries and announced plans to meet directly with President Trump. President Trump emphasized that while other countries want to negotiate more than the U.S., it's the U.S. that decides the deals. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said they are prioritizing negotiations with the world's major economies. "We're working on the big 15 economies first. We had a fantastic meeting with Japan yesterday. I believe there's been calls with the EU already. And then we have South Korea coming in next week." South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Choi Sang-mok, and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun are expected to visit Washington soon. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.

[Weather] Dusty for west of central regions, warming trend continues

2025/04/18 10:00

Spring has sprung, and that warmer breeze will also be carrying some dust our way. We are expecting ultrafine dust levels to rise to 'unhealthy' levels in the capital area from the afternoon. Meanwhile, some of the east coast regions might see the effects of yellow dust during the day. We'll be under mostly sunny skies this afternoon with Seoul reaching 22 degrees Celsius, Daegu and Gyeongju will have a summer heat, both topping out at 29 degrees this afternoon. Then we have rain in store for the entire country tomorrow. It will start in the northern parts of Gyeonggi-do Province in the morning, spreading to the entire country. West of central regions could see up to 20 millimeters of rain with a chance of gusty winds and thunder. 5 to 10 millimeters are in store for the rest of the country. Central regions will see rain mostly on Saturday but southern provinces will see showers on Sunday, plan accordingly for your weekend.

'The Great Gatsby' musical debuts in London

2025/04/18 10:00

Finally, in the UK, author F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic 1925 novel The Great Gatsby has been brought to life on the musical stage in London's West End. While an official opening is scheduled for April 24 and previews began on April 11, the show's launch event was held on Wednesday. The production features Jamie Muscato as Gatsby, Frances Mayli McCann as Daisy Buchanan, and Corbin Bleu as Nick Carraway, the narrator. After its Broadway run, the adaptation received praise for its vibrant energy and lavish production, allowing audiences to immerse themselves in Jay Gatsby's dazzling world through a theatrical experience. The musical will run at The London Coliseum until September 7.

Four dead in Italian cable car accident near Naples

2025/04/18 10:00

In Italy, near Naples, four people died and one person was critically injured when a cable car crashed on Thursday. The victims included two British tourists, an Israeli woman, and the cable car operator. According to reports, the cable car crashed to the ground after a traction cable snapped during its ascent. The incident occurred on Monte Faito, a popular tourist destination known for its panoramic views of the Bay of Naples. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is visiting the U.S., extended her condolences to the victims' families from Washington, D.C., and emphasized the government's commitment to uncovering the cause of the tragedy.

Russia’s top court lifts terror group designation on Afghanistan’s Taliban

2025/04/18 10:00

Over in Russia, the Supreme Court has officially removed Afghanistan's ruling Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organizations, a designation that had been in place since 2003. While the Taliban remains unrecognized as Afghanistan's official government, the ruling on Thursday, local time, reflects Moscow's intent to normalize ties. It also reflects efforts to collaborate with the Taliban to counter threats posed by Islamic State Khorasan, which has been responsible for deadly attacks in both Russia and Afghanistan. Russia's attitude toward the Taliban has changed over the past two decades. It was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban's takeover, seeing the group as a strategic partner to advance its political and economic interests.

Government returns medical student quota to pre-increase level of 3,058

2025/04/17 20:00

In other news. The government is reversing its earlier expansion of medical school seats in a bid to resolve its protracted standoff with current students and junior doctors. Byeon Ye-young explains. The government announced on Thursday that the 2026 medical school enrollment quota will be returned to the 2024 level of 3,058 students. "We will push for a legal amendment to allow universities to adjust their 2026 medical school enrollment quotas to 2024 levels." Last year, the government raised the quota by 2,000 to 5,058, but doctors and medical students strongly opposed the move, alleging it would hurt training conditions. This led to a wave of leaves of absence among medical students, resulting in a significant gap in their medical education. Presidents of 40 medical schools proposed that the government restore the original quota for 2026 admissions if all first-year students returned to class. The government accepted the proposal on March 7th but only if a sufficient number of students to ensure classes could proceed without disruption returned by the end of March. A surge in last-minute enrollments at the so-called "Big 5" medical schools led to that number being achieved. While many former students returned, a number opted to "register but not attend." So even after reversing the quota increase, the government still has more to do to get these students back to classes and resolve the healthcare workforce shortage. This raises questions about the future of medical education. "We need to predict how the healthcare landscape will change 10 to 20 years from now, and based on that vision, we should determine how many medical professionals we need and what kind of education they should receive." Universities are now required to submit revised admissions plans that reflect the updated quota to the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) by the end of this month. The proposed changes will then be reviewed and finalized following KCUE approval, expected around May. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang news.

Bills aimed at special probes into fmr. Pres. Yoon fail to pass parliamentary revote

2025/04/17 20:00

The National Assembly today voted down contentious bills that had been vetoed by the acting president. These include a special investigation bill related to former president Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. The political standoff between rival parties over contentious bills continues in the National Assembly ahead of the early presidential election. The National Assembly on Thursday voted down a Democratic Party-led bill calling for a special investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law last December and the related insurrection charges. In an anonymous vote, of the total 299 votes cast, 197 voted for the bill and 102 voted against. The bill was vetoed in January by then-Acting President Choi Sang-mok and sent back to the parliament for a revote. For a bill already vetoed to pass, it requires approval from two-thirds or more of the lawmakers present in addition to a majority attendance. During Thursday's plenary session, the Assembly also voted down a bill that had been sent back for a revote, which called for a special probe into a political broker called Myung Tae-kyun. The DP in February unilaterally passed the bill seeking to investigate allegations of election fraud involving former President Yoon, former First Lady Kim Keon Hee , and Myung. Ahead of the session, the rival parties issued sharp messages over the bills up for a revote. "It's time for the PPP to break ties with Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office. If they oppose the special investigation again, it will clearly show they're siding with insurrection and acting against the Constitution." "These are populist and unjust bills that the DP pushed through without sufficient public consensus or regard for national interests and people's livelihoods, just to strengthen its political position." The parliament also rejected a Commercial Act amendment, which was vetoed by Acting President Han Duck-soo earlier this month. The bill sought to revise the Commercial Act to add the word "shareholders" to the director's duties from just "company," in efforts to tackle the so-called "Korea Discount." Meanwhile, driven by the DP, the Assembly passed a motion to fast-track a bill introducing a special act aimed at boosting the domestic semiconductor industry. The People Power Party wants to introduce a special act that would provide chip companies an exemption from the current labor law so that employees in the sector can work for more than the current limit of 52 hours per week. On the other hand, the DP wants to exclude this special exemption and instead lay out other means to support the industry. At maximum, fast-tracked bills can take up to 330 days to pass, including going through reviews by the standing and judiciary committees, followed by a final vote at a plenary session. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.