News

Latest gov't insights on N. Korea: Pyongyang deepens Russia ties, seeks to restore China relations

2025/03/27 14:00

In other news. South Korea believes North Korea has thus far been reliant on Russia for strategic support and may this year seek China for economic stability. Our Unification Ministry Correspondent Kim Jung-sil explains. South Korea’s latest intelligence points to a North Korea in transition—militarily assertive abroad, yet economically fragile and socially strained at home. According to the Ministry of Unification on Thursday, North Korea appears to be emerging from its pandemic-era slump—but signs of recovery remain limited. Experts say progress in the 20x10 campaign to build a new factory each year in 20 provinces has been largely symbolic with many of the new factories sitting idle. And for ordinary residents, daily hardship is deepening. Food prices are rising, the currency is weakening, and Chinese imports continue to decline. To sustain construction drives, Pyongyang is mobilizing housewives and soldiers Former soldiers who defected say some troops worked on as little as four hours of sleep, with compensation for their deaths as low as 70 U.S. dollars. Officials in Seoul say economic pressure could be accelerating Pyongyang’s diplomatic pivot—starting with Russia. Since August 2023, Kim Jong-un has referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “comrade”—a title previously reserved for four socialist allies: China, Vietnam, Laos, and Cuba. "In socialist countries, the term 'comrade' is typically used to convey not just familiarity, but also a deeper emotional and ideological bond. It can be seen as an indirect way of signaling a relationship as close as a blood alliance." That symbolic shift reflects Pyongyang’s deepening alignment with Moscow—while ties with Beijing remain far more cautious. Though tourism resumed and Chinese media returned to Pyongyang this year, North Korea has held nearly six times more high-level exchanges with Russia than with China since mid-2023. Analysts say the regime is hedging its options—leaning on Moscow for strategic support, while carefully looking to Beijing to stabilize its economy. This year also marks key anniversaries for North Korea, China, and Russia. Analysts say how these regimes coordinate upcoming events could reveal the future direction of their trilateral ties. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

Seoul International Sports and Leisure Industry Show 2025: New era for S. Korea's sports technology industry

2025/03/27 17:00

Back on the local front. Seoul is hosting an exhibition aimed at giving you a glimpse of the latest in the leisure and sports industry. Our Choi Soo-hyung was there. People exercise without getting bored by playing games. A smartwatch-style wearable device with an optical sensor helps maximize the effectiveness of workouts. Under a new era of smart fitness, the Seoul International Sports and Leisure Industry Show 2025 opened on Thursday at COEX in Seoul. Marking its 25th year, this year's event features around 320 Korean and international companies, showcasing various products and technologies in fitness, sportswear, extreme sports, and the future of the sports industry. This year, the focus is "Sport-tech," combining sports with smart devices. "In the sports industry, Korea's advanced technology is emerging in the "sport-tech" sector. Overseas buyers are increasingly seeking tech-integrated products. The ability to analyze body types and suggest personalized exercise plans using AI is gaining attention." By using robots, people can strengthen specific parts of their body, such as their core muscles. In addition to muscle-strengthening exercises, advanced devices are also available to help improve body balance and maintain a well-proportioned shape. Artificial Intelligence screens and equipment also provide personalized workout services. "Some people suffer from pain, while others aim to lose weight—each person has different goals and motivations. Unlike traditional approaches applied to a single concept, we use AI models to analyze individual needs and provide personalized solutions." One of the hosts of the event, the Korea International Trade Association, set up an export booth to help Korean companies expand overseas. "The South Korean sports technology industry has grown over the past few decades and is now gaining significant attention worldwide." Especially in Southeast Asia, foreign companies say Korean culture is familiar, and its sports and leisure products are trendy and creative. "Korean brands have been, you know, very, very prominent in the past years You know, we have a lot of them around in Manila. So that's why we're looking to the Korean brands, right? Because they are very trendy, right they are innovative." SPOEX 2025 will run until Sunday, March 30th. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.

Netanyahu threatens to seize territory; Gaza sees mass anti-Hamas protests

2025/03/27 17:00

In the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shared intentions to seize territory in Gaza if Hamas fails to release all remaining hostages. Byeon Ye-young covers this latest development. Israel has pledged to increase military pressure until Hamas releases the remaining 59 hostages. In a parliamentary address on Wednesday, local time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel may seize parts of Gaza as part of its military pressure campaign. "The fighting in Gaza continues. The more Hamas persists in its refusal to release our hostages, the more powerful the pressure we will exert. And I say to Hamas -this includes seizing territory, and this includes other things that I will not list here." Israel resumed military operations in Gaza last Tuesday. According to the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, 142 thousand people were displaced in just one week. At the daily UN press briefing on Wednesday, the spokesperson said that Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that everything in Gaza was running out: supplies, time and life. Meanwhile in Gaza, hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the streets of Beit Lahia in the largest anti-Hamas protests since the beginning of the war. For two days straight since Tuesday, protesters took to the streets to demand an end to the war and showed defiance against Hamas' governance, chanting "Out, out, Hamas, out" and "we want to live". "We want to live in peace, we are tired, I raised my son for fifteen years only for him to be gone now (meaning dead), I built my house for ten years and then what? gone? We want to live." Hamas official Basem Naim said on social media that people have the right "to cry out in pain", but suggested the anger should be directed towards Israel. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News.

Seoul envoy calls on N. Korea to stop sacrificing its people for Russia's war

2025/03/27 17:00

South Korea's ambassador to the UN has urged North Korea to halt the sacrifice of its soldiers in return for Russian support to maintain its regime. Speaking at a UN Security Council session on Wednesday Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook underscored the pain of the people of Ukraine as well as that of Russian and North Korean soldiers amid the war. He also pointed to interviews with captured North Korean soldiers that reveal the troops were tricked into believing they were heading to Russia for training.

N. Korea sent at least 3,000 more troops to Russia earlier this year: JCS

2025/03/27 17:00

North Korea dispatched at least three-thousand additional soldiers to Russia this past January and February in support of the latter's aggression against Ukraine. This is according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Military authorities here also assert that North Korea continues to supply Russia with critical ammunition including short-range ballistic missiles. Separately officials in neighboring Japan have called the military collaboration between North Korea and Russia a "serious concern". In fact Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook for this year states such collaboration not only aggravates the situation in Ukraine but also looks to affect regional security here in this part of the world.

Hyundai Motor Group celebrates opening of third auto plant in U.S.

2025/03/27 17:00

And staying with Hyundai Motor Group. Earlier on Wednesday the group celebrated the official opening of its third plant in the U.S. The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America over in Georgia is expected to produce 3-hundred-thousand cars a year contributing to the group's total U.S. capacity of one million cars annually. During the opening ceremony the group's chairman Chung Eui-sun also called for joint efforts between the Korean government and businesses with regard to tariff talks with the U.S.

Trump announces 25% tariffs on all cars not made in the U.S.

2025/03/27 17:00

All foreign-made cars entering the U.S. market will face a 25-percent tariff starting early next month. Kim Bo-kyoung reports. U.S President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday, local time, to impose a 25-percent tariff on cars from overseas. The tariffs will go into effect on April 2nd the day Washington is expected to announce wide-ranging levies on other goods from around the world. It will apply to finished cars and trucks that are shipped into the United States. This follows Trump's 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, which went effect on March 12th. While saying this executive order is going to lead to tremendous growth in the automobile industry, he added many foreign car companies that already have factories in the U.S. would be able to expand their currently-low utilization rate, cheaply and quickly. "But this is very exciting to me. This is the automobile industry. And this will continue to spur growth like you haven't seen before. Inevitably, the tariff plan will significantly impact South Korea, which is the third-largest car importer to the U.S. following Mexico and Japan. In 2024, South Korea's automobile exports to the U.S. amounted to around 34-billion U.S. dollars, about 51 trillion Korean won accounting for more than 49-percent of the total automobile exports. Amid such tariff pressure, Hyundai Motor Group has come up with a strategy to overcome this by expanding local production in the U.S. On Monday, it announced an investment of worth 21 billion U.S. dollars in the U.S. over the next four years, including a plan for Hyundai Steel to build a new plant in Louisiana, which is set to supply steel for Hyundai's auto parts and auto plants in Alabama and Georgia. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.

Wildfire spreads to Jirisan Mountain, national treasures evacuated

2025/03/27 17:00

In related news. Efforts are also underway to ensure the safety of Korea's cultural heritage from the raging fires. Lee Seung-jae has details. The wildfires raging in Sancheong-gun, and Hadong-gun counties have now spread to the Jirisan National Park. Jirisan National Park is considered a sacred mountain to the people of Korea, and was the first national park in the country. Forestry officials have made every effort to prevent the further spreading of the wildfire at the national park by spraying fire retardants and mobilizing helicopters. Residents and livestock are being evacuated from the area, and major cultural heritage items, including national treasures, are also being moved to safety. By Wednesday, the Korea Heritage Service said it had moved 15 historic pieces to safety from areas affected by wildfires. Among them are 10 national treasures, including a seated stone Buddha statue from the now-destroyed Gounsa Temple in Uiseong. 15 national heritage items have been destroyed by wildfires, including 11 designated as national heritage and 4 as provincial heritage. While items can be moved to safety more freely, sites such as temples are impossible to move. This has led to historically important temples like Gounsa Temple being damaged. "This temple is an important and historic temple where many masters and believers have been practicing and receiving comfort for over 1,300 years. It is a place of comfort for many people, but I am very afraid that it may disappear." The Korea Heritage Service, on Tuesday, issued the highest national heritage disaster alert level. In the four-tier alert system, the KHS issued the "serious" level for the first time ever. The KHS explained that the highest alert level was issued due to the very high risk of damage to the national heritage items and sites due to the rapidly spreading wildfires. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

[Weather] With only a small amount of rain, dry weather continues

2025/03/27 17:00

Today, all over the country, there was the rain that we have been waiting for. But in Gyeongsang-do provinces, which have seen large wildfires, there was less than 5 millimeters of rain, not enough to put out the fires. With only a small amount of rain, dry weather warnings and advisories remain in many areas. Temperatures have been staying higher than usual until today, but cold air will rush from the northwest from tonight. The temperatures will drop tomorrow with Seoul plummeting to 3 degrees Celsius in the morning, which will be about 10 degrees lower than today. Daytime temperatures will drop to single digits this weekend. Tomorrow morning, Seoul, Chuncheon, and Gyeongju will start off at 3 degrees. Daejeon and Gwangju at 5 degrees. Daytime temperatures will move up to 11 degrees in Gwangju, 15 degrees in Busan. Chilly conditions will be seen during this weekend with Seoul plunging to zero to 1 degree in the morning. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

K-wave AI News

2025/03/27 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. As wildfires rage on for a sixth day across the Gyeongsang region, local governments are canceling or scaling down spring festivals. Tongyeong City has postponed the 'Bongsutgol Flower Outing Festival' to next month, while Namhae has also indefinitely postponed the county's flower and bracken festivals originally set for this weekend. Hadong County has canceled the 'Hwagae Market Cherry Blossom Festival,' and Changwon City is considering scaling down events for Jinhae Gunhangje, Korea's largest cherry blossom festival. Asia's largest art fair, Art Basel Hong Kong, has opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This year's edition features 240 galleries from 42 countries and regions, with more than half of the participating galleries from the Asia-Pacific region. 20 galleries from Korea are taking part this year, with nine leading Korean galleries, including Arario Gallery, Gallery Baton, and Hakgojae Gallery, showcasing works in Art Basel's main 'Galleries' section. Art Basel Hong Kong is an annual international art fair and one of the most prominent art events in Asia. Various hands-on programs are in store across Korea commemorating listing of Korea's traditional 'jang' making culture as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. On April 4, a special event will be held at Gyeongbokgung Palace, offering visitors a chance to experience how jang, or fermented paste, is made. Attendees can explore traditional jang jars, jang ingredients and tools, learn about related history, and also get a taste of various fermented sauce at the palace's royal kitchen. Reservations will be available through Naver Reservation starting this Friday. Over in Jeollabuk-do Province, Sunchang county, known for its high-quality 'gochujang,' or red pepper paste, will host a series of immersive activities on April 5, including gochujang making in the traditional Sunchang style. These events aim to promote the value and significance of Korea's jang culture and ensure its preservation and development. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

[Short-form] Daejeon=No Fun? Think again – it’s changing fast!

2025/03/27 14:00

Dive into the excitement of Daejeon and rediscover the city’s charms with its latest must-try activities!

[Hallyu People] From JYP to SM... meet K-pop producer and songwriter Paul Thompson aka MZMC

2025/03/27 14:00

K-pop is the number one sector that comes to people’s minds when asked about the Korean wave or hallyu. In today’s “Hallyu People” segment, we meet with a person who is deeply involved in the K-pop scene and will talk about Korean pop music, its global impact and more. Let's meet Paul Thompson, a K-pop producer and songwriter who is behind numerous hit songs by well-known K-pop artists. He's also known as MZMC, the founder and CEO of MZMC Inc. Welcome! 1-1) Please introduce yourself to ‘The Kulture Wave’ viewers. 1-2) Paul, you have been behind more than 100 K-pop songs to date. Please name us a few of them, also what kind of K-pop stars you have worked with. 2) You've been in the Korean pop music industry for over 10 years and worked with JYP and SM Entertainment. How did it all start? Tell us about your journey. 3) Speaking as an expert, what are the unique characteristics of K-pop music, in terms of melody, rhythm or lyrics? (Could you also share with us your process in making songs?) 4) What sets K-pop apart from other music? Why is K-pop so popular around the world? 5) Your label MZMC Inc. is also involved in creating new K-pop groups. Tell us more about it. 6) There also exist so-called “localized” K-pop groups like NiziU and Katseye. What do you think about the adoption of Korean idol training methods overseas? 7) Where do you see the K-pop business in ten years from now?

[K-enter] Korean stars donate to support wildfire relief efforts

2025/03/27 14:00

Bella, today we start on a somber note. Korea is still battling the wildfires in the southeast of the country. The little rain we are seeing today is not enough to stop the fires. During this difficult time, Korean celebrities have shown support for relief efforts? Korean celebrities have come forward to show support for the wildfire relief efforts by making donations. According to the Korea Disaster Relief Association on Wednesday, singer-actress Lee Ji-eun, better known by IU, donated 200 million won, which is about 136-thousand US dollars, expressing hopes that this contribution would be a small help to those affected. JYP Entertainment, an agency for K-pop idol groups TWICE, Stray Kids and ITZY, also donated 500 million won. In addition, singer-actress Suzy, NCT member Mark and trot singer Lee Chan-won each donated 100 million won. There are many more celebrities showing support for the victims of wildfires, including broadcaster Yoo Jae-suk, actress Kim Ji-won, singer Taeyeon, and virtual idol group PLAVE. Now we move onto our next story. It’s an impressive achievement by Korean content on Netflix? Not one, but two Korean original works on Netflix have topped the global weekly charts. First, the mystery thriller “Revelations,” starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Shin Hyun-bin, claimed No.1 on the Global Non-English Movies chart, with 5.7 million views. The film is a story that revolves around a pastor and a detective, each driven by their own beliefs, as they pursue a missing person case that forces them to confront their own demons. Also topping the Netflix chart is “When Life Gives You Tangerines.” It has claimed the top spot in Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English Shows category with 5.5 million views. The series tells the adventurous life story of ‘the remarkable rebel’ Ae-sun and ‘unyielding iron’ Gwan-sik on Jeju Island. Since its premiere on March 7th, the series has earned positive reviews for its heartwarming narrative, bringing both laughter and tears. The series is set to release its final act this Friday, tomorrow. Great achievements for both dramas and movies on Netflix. Our last story is on another film that's currently running in the theaters here in Korea, but there's great news for global viewers? Korean thriller film “Streaming,” released last week domestically, has achieved pre-sales in 98 overseas countries and territories, gaining a hot response globally. “Streaming” has completed pre-sales in Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and France, among others. Release dates have been confirmed for March 27th in Singapore, April 17th in Malaysia, and September 26th in Japan, bringing much anticipation. “Streaming,” starring Kang Ha-neul, is a story about a crime streamer with the highest number of subscribers discovering clues in an unresolved serial murder case and broadcasting the process of tracking the perpetrator in real time. Excited to see Korean films expand globally. Thank you Bella for today’s stories.

On-point: Wait for impeachment ruling for President Yoon likely to continue into April

2025/03/27 10:00

While the acquittal has maybe paved a smoother path for Lee and his presidential bid, we're still waiting for another big political event here: the ruling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. Let's turn to legal expert Kwon Hyuk-seong. Good morning. 1. Would you say there are now no hurdles left for Lee Jae-myung as a potential presidential candidate? 2. Why does the timing of the Supreme Court's ruling on Lee matter? 3. And prosecutors say they are appealing the ruling that cleared the opposition leader, aren't they? 4. A ruling date for President Yoon Suk Yeol is yet to be announced, as we are speaking on Thursday morning. 5. April 18th is obviously not an appropriate date to be a ruling day considering that's also the date that the terms of two of the justices involved come to an end. Thanks so much for connecting with us this morning.

Appeals court acquits DP leader Lee Jae-myung over election law violation charges

2025/03/27 10:00

An appellate court on Wednesday acquitted the opposition leader Lee Jae-myung of election violation charges, overturning the lower court's decision. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. The main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung has been acquitted by an appeals court with regard to election violation charges. The Seoul High Court on Wednesday overturned a ruling by a lower court, which had handed Lee a suspended prison term. Lee was indicted on charges of making false statements in December 2021, during a media interview where he denied knowing the late Kim Moon-ki, an executive involved in a development scandal in Seongnam City where Lee previously served as mayor. He is also accused of having made false claims that there was pressure from South Korea's land ministry to rezone a research institute site in the Baekhyeon-dong area. The appellate court ruled that neither of the statements made by Lee can be seen as spreading false information, overturning the Seoul Central District Court's ruling in November. The lower court found Lee guilty of making false statements, though it said that parts of statements regarding Kim could not be considered a violation of the election law. It handed Lee a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years. Prosecutors demanded the Seoul High Court give a two-year prison term for Lee during the appellate trial, the same sentence as they demanded in the first trial. Right after the ruling, Lee thanked the court for delivering what he called "a proper ruling." "I appreciate the court for delivering a proper ruling based on truth and justice. But it's frustrating that so much effort and national resources were spent on something so obvious." The DP also welcomed the ruling, saying that the investigation and indictment were baseless from the start. Meanwhile, the ruling People Power Party expressed regret over court's ruling and said that it will wait for the Supreme Court's decision. "We deeply regret this ruling. Many politicians have lost their political careers due to false statement charges, so I can't understand how Lee was acquitted on the same issue, even from a legal professional's perspective." The prosecution announced that it will appeal the Seoul High Court's ruling at the Supreme Court. Now if the Supreme Court decides to overturn Wednesday's ruling, sentencing Lee to a fine of one million Korean won which is about 680 U.S. dollars, or more, he would lose his legislative seat and be barred from running in elections for five years. If sentenced to a prison term, the ban extends to ten years. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

Seoul envoy calls on N. Korea to stop sacrificing its people for Russia's war

2025/03/27 10:00

South Korea's UN ambassador has called on North Korea to stop sacrificing its people to maintain its regime in exchange for Russian support, stressing that the Ukraine war has caused "serious" suffering. Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting on the maintenance of the peace and security of Ukraine on Wednesday, Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook called for Moscow and Pyongyang to end their military cooperation. The envoy said that the war has not only led to suffering for the Ukrainian people, Russian soldiers, and their families, but "also those of North Korea." He also said that interviews with captured North Korean troops revealed that the North Korean leadership deceived them to believe they were sent to Russia for training.

Wildfire spreads to Jirisan Mountain, national treasures evacuated

2025/03/27 10:00

It's not just people the fires have put at danger. The disastrous wildfires have also engulfed a number of historic sites, pushing authorities to relocate some national treasures. Lee Seung-jae has more. The wildfires raging in Sancheong-gun, and Hadong-gun counties have now spread to the Jirisan National Park. Jirisan National Park is considered a sacred mountain to the people of Korea, and was the first national park in the country. Forestry officials have made every effort to prevent the further spreading of the wildfire at the national park by spraying fire retardants and mobilizing helicopters. Residents and livestock are being evacuated from the area, and major cultural heritage items, including national treasures, are also being moved to safety. By Wednesday, the Korea Heritage Service said it had moved 15 historic pieces to safety from areas affected by wildfires. Among them are 10 national treasures, including a seated stone Buddha statue from the now-destroyed Gounsa Temple in Uiseong. 15 national heritage items have been destroyed by wildfires, including 11 designated as national heritage and 4 as provincial heritage. While items can be moved to safety more freely, sites such as temples are impossible to move. This has led to historically important temples like Gounsa Temple being damaged. "This temple is an important and historic temple where many masters and believers have been practicing and receiving comfort for over 1,300 years. It is a place of comfort for many people, but I am very afraid that it may disappear." The Korea Heritage Service, on Tuesday, issued the highest national heritage disaster alert level. In the four-tier alert system, the KHS issued the "serious" level for the first time ever. The KHS explained that the highest alert level was issued due to the very high risk of damage to the national heritage items and sites due to the rapidly spreading wildfires. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Live from Andong City: Wildfires rage across southern S. Korea, death toll at over 20

2025/03/27 10:00

Wildfires that have pierced through South Korea's southeastern area for the past week are still burning. We head over to one of the hardest hit areas, Andong, with our Lee Eun-hee standing by. Eun-hee, how are things looking as of this morning? Yes, Dami, I'm in Andong City in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. Firefighting efforts resumed at around 6:30 AM this morning with a total of over 4-thousand-500 personnel and nearly 80 helicopters deployed or set to be deployed to the scene. I'm currently in a village that has been severely impacted by the wildfire, with small fires still burning and destroyed houses nearby. The mountains behind me are barely visible through the smoke. Multiple casualties have been reported in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and Gyeongsangnam-do Province as people fled the fires, with the latest provisional estimate of at least 24 people dead and at least 26 injured as of Wednesday evening. While many died while evacuating, yesterday, one elderly person was found to have been completely consumed by the fire. The pilot of a firefighting helicopter was also killed in a crash in Uiseong-gun County on the same day. The areas most heavily impacted are Uiseong-gun County and Andong City in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, where the Korea Forest Service says an estimated 370 square kilometers of the region is on fire or affected by smoke. As of Wednesday, over 23-thousand people are taking shelter in temporary facilities in the province. Also, more than 200 structures, including homes, factories, and cultural heritage sites, have been damaged by the flames. The wildfires started in Uiseong-gun County on Saturday and continue to spread to northeastern cities and counties in the province due to strong winds, including the counties of Yeongdeok, Yeongyang, Cheongsong, and here in Andong. Eun-hee, this is when we really need that rain to put out the fire And thankfully, some rain is in the forecast? Yes Dami, we're eagerly awaiting the rain forecast from this morning, but the expected amount is small, so it's uncertain whether it will help extinguish the fire. A light rain of around 5mm is expected in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, where a dry weather advisory remains in effect. Also, in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, rain of 5 to 20mm is expected, and light rain is forecast to begin around noon in the counties of Sancheong and Hadong, where wildfires have been raging for seven days. Over there, over 1-thousand 5-hundred residents were relocated to shelters as of Wednesday evening. Overall, in the provinces of Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do, the overnight fire containment progress is still being calculated and is expected to be updated throughout the day. That's all I have for you, Dami. All right Eun-hee thank you for that report. That was our Lee Eun-hee reporting live from Andong in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.

Trump announces 25% tariffs on all cars not made in the U.S.

2025/03/27 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump has pressed ahead with his long-warned tariffs on foreign cars. 25% tariffs will be slapped on all imported vehicles starting in April. Our Kim Bo-kyoung starts us off. U.S President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday, local time, to impose a 25-percent tariff on cars from overseas. The tariffs will go into effect on April 2nd the day Washington is expected to announce wide-ranging levies on other goods from around the world. It will apply to finished cars and trucks that are shipped into the United States. This follows Trump's 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, which went effect on March 12th. While saying this executive order is going to lead to tremendous growth in the automobile industry, he added many foreign car companies that already have factories in the U.S. would be able to expand their currently-low utilization rate, cheaply and quickly. "But this is very exciting to me. This is the automobile industry. And this will continue to spur growth like you haven't seen before. Inevitably, the tariff plan will significantly impact South Korea, which is the third-largest car importer to the U.S. following Mexico and Japan. In 2024, South Korea's automobile exports to the U.S. amounted to around 34-billion U.S. dollars, about 51 trillion Korean won accounting for more than 49-percent of the total automobile exports. Amid such tariff pressure, Hyundai Motor Group has come up with a strategy to overcome this by expanding local production in the U.S. On Monday, it announced an investment of worth 21 billion U.S. dollars in the U.S. over the next four years, including a plan for Hyundai Steel to build a new plant in Louisiana, which is set to supply steel for Hyundai's auto parts and auto plants in Alabama and Georgia. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.

[Weather] Much-needed rain across Korea but not enough

2025/03/27 10:00

We're finally seeing the rain we've been waiting for. Light rain is falling in parts of central regions, along the southern coast and Jeju this morning. It will gradually spread to the rest of the southern provinces in the afternoon. While it's much needed, especially in the areas affected by wildfires in Gyeongsang-do and surrounding regions, unfortunately, the rain isn't as heavy as hoped, less than 5 millimeters in the area, but at least the dryness in the air will be eased with humidity boosted. For now, dry weather alerts continue across the eastern regions, and the wildfire risk alert remains at the highest level nationwide. Adding to the fire risk, intense winds will continue. Temperatures are staying on the warmer side at 20 degrees Celsius in the capital, Daegu at 24 degrees. Dust levels are forecast to rise again in the west of central regions beginning in the afternoon. Today's rain will bring chilly air to the country. Expect a big drop in temperatures through the weekend. Take care and stay safe!