News

Trump calls on Jordan to take in refugees from Gaza during meeting with King Abdullah II

2025/02/12 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his plan to take over the Gaza Strip this time to King Abdullah the second. As Trump pressured Jordan to accept refugees from Gaza, the Jordanian king offered to take in 2-thousand sick Palestinian children. Lee Seung-jae reports. U.S. President Donald Trump held talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House on Tuesday, where Trump reiterated his plan to take over and develop the Gaza Strip. As the two leaders discussed ending the Israel-Hamas war, Trump also pressured Jordan to take in Palestinian refugees. This comes as Trump suggested Monday, that he would withhold U.S. funding from Jordan and Egypt to persuade the Middle Eastern countries to accept Palestinians from Gaza. While King Abdullah II did not say Jordan would be accepting the Palestinian refugees, he offered to take in two thousand sick Palestinian children. "I think one of the things that we can do right away is take 2,000 children that are either cancer children or in very ill state to Jordan as quickly as possible and then wait for, I think, the Egyptians to present their plan on how we can work with the president to work on Gaza challenges." Trump showed appreciation for what he called "a beautiful gesture," adding that Jordan, along with Egypt will see "great progress" moving forward. "What you just said 2,000 children with cancer or other problems. And that's really a beautiful gesture. That's really good. And we appreciate it. And we'll be working on the rest. With and with Egypt, I think you're going to see some great progress. I think with Jordan, you're going to see some great progress, three of us, and we'll have some others helping and we're going to have some others at a very high level helping and the whole thing will come." While the Jordanian king did not agree to take in the displaced Gazans during their talks, Trump said both Jordan and Egypt would ultimately agree to house the refugees. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Wintry mix on Daeboreum, staying mild even after wet weather

2025/02/12 10:00

Yesterday's weather was such a treat after all the bitter chill. But today, we're having another round of wintry weather. A mix of rain and snow is expected in much of the country. Central regions could see up to 8 centimeters of snowfall mainly in the morning, parts of Chungcheongbuk-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do Provinces could see 3 to 8 centimeters of snow throughout the day. Southern provinces could see rain due to milder temperatures. Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeollanam-do Provinces could see 30 to 40 millimeters of rainfall. It's Daeboreum today, when we can see the first full moon of the new year under the lunar calendar. The moon rises at 5:46 PM and should be at its brightest at 10:53. But checking out the full moon might not be easy due to cloudy skies. Meanwhile, highs in Seoul will be at 4 degrees, Busan at 12 degrees this afternoon. Today's wet weather won't drop temperatures any further, in fact, we could have spring-like warmth from Friday. But it's messy out there today stay safe!

Iraqi artifacts returned from Switzerland and Japan

2025/02/12 10:00

Finally to Iraq, where the country's foreign minister on Tuesday announced the successful recovery of Iraqi artifacts from Japan and Switzerland. Speaking at the Iraqi National Museum the minister said the historic items, including a statue of the sun god, rare murals, and some textured paintings, date back to ancient Mesopotamia and the Assyrian civilization. He said that some of the recovered artifacts had been loaned to Japan in the 1970s, adding that the returned items are not just objects but integral parts of Iraq's national identity. Iraq's government has been using diplomatic channels to recover items stolen during years of conflict in the country.

Private jets collide at airport in Arizona, killing at least 1 person

2025/02/12 10:00

Now to the U.S. state of Arizona, where one person died and at least three others were injured on Monday afternoon local time when a private jet collided with another aircraft. The private jet, owned by Vince Neil the lead singer of rock band Motley Crue, collided with a parked plane as it was landing at Scottsdale Municipal Airport. The arriving jet reportedly veered off the runway before crashing. Two pilots and two passengers were onboard Neil's jet, and one person was in the parked jet. Three people were taken to hospital for treatment. Neil was not on the plane.

OpenAI's Altman rejects Musk's offer, saying 'We are not for sale'

2025/02/12 10:00

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he has rejected Elon Musk's offer to acquire the firm behind ChatGPT, intensifying the ongoing rift between the two figures. On Tuesday, a consortium of investors led by Elon Musk proposed to buy the non-profit that runs OpenAI for approximately 97.4 billion U.S. dollars in an attempt to take control of its research and strategic decisions. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declined the offer, saying it was "ridiculous" and that it was "not for sale." Instead, he suggested buying the social platform X, which is owned by Musk. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, left the organization in 2018 and has since been highly critical of its direction. His ongoing legal battle with OpenAI claims that the company abandoned its founding mission by partnering with Microsoft and is shifting toward a for-profit model.

UK and U.S. refuse to sign international AI declaration

2025/02/12 10:00

Good morning, I'm Choi Chi-hee, And this, is The World Now. At the recent AI Action Summit in Paris, the United States and the United Kingdom declined to sign a declaration, aimed at promoting "open" and "inclusive" artificial intelligence, setting them apart from 60 other nations. On Tuesday, the U.S. and the UK chose not to join the list of signatories of the "Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence." The statement had received support from countries including France, France, China, and India. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance expressed concerns that strict regulations might hinder innovation, stressing the nation's preference for "pro-growth AI policies." The UK government cited concerns about national security and "global governance" as the reasons for not signing the declaration. Contrastingly, French President Emmanuel Macron said, "We need these rules for AI to move forward."

Fed's Powell says U.S. in no rush to cut interest rates on strong economy

2025/02/12 10:00

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has stated that the central bank is not rushing to lower interest rates, describing the economy as "strong." Powell told lawmakers on Monday, that the U.S. economy is strong overall and has made significant progress over the past two years, particularly in labor market conditions. He added that while inflation has moved closer to the Fed's 2-percent target, it remains somewhat elevated. He cautioned against reducing policy restraints too quickly, as doing so could increase demand and push prices higher, reversing progress on inflation. Subtly referencing the Trump administration's latest import taxes, Powell said the Fed's policy is "well positioned to deal with the risks and uncertainties" facing the U.S.

Gov't to push for last-minute talks with U.S. following tariff announcement

2025/02/12 10:00

In the meantime, there's just a month left before Trump's 25% tariffs come into force. And South Korea is looking to make a breakthrough by pushing for last minute talks with the U.S. Our Kim Jung-sil reports. The South Korean government is on high alert as the U.S. moves forward with a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and aluminum—a move that could hit key industries hard. Following the U.S. announcement, top officials in Seoul met on Tuesday to discuss response measures. "While we are concerned about the decline in profitability for our industry, we also see opportunities in a fair competitive environment. We will work closely with the industry to strengthen its competitiveness." The government said it will also push for last-minute negotiations. "With some time left until March 12th, we will actively engage in negotiations with the U.S. to ensure our interests are fully reflected." South Korea had previously faced export limits instead of tariffs, but with the new policy, those restrictions will also be lifted on March 12th. "From calculations done in a report by an analyst at Citi Bank, this could reduce Korea's GDP by 0.1 to 0.2 percent. But because the quota has been removed the damage from tariffs should be less than 0.2 percent of the GDP." With Trump hinting at tariffs on autos and semiconductors, experts warn negotiations must be strategic. "Because Trump has threatened many other tariffs on other goods such as automobiles and pharmaceuticals. For a full negotiation, we should wait until we know exactly what range of goods that the U.S. will put tariffs on." Officials say they will closely monitor U.S. trade moves and coordinate responses with Japan and the EU. With time running out, South Korea faces tough choices to protect its export-driven economy. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

On-point: Netanyahu threatens to resume Israel’s war on Gaza if captives not released

2025/02/12 10:00

The Gaza ceasefire deal has been called into question with Hamas accusing Israel of violating their truce. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now threatening to resume the war. Let's turn to Professor Robert Lawrence for more. Good morning. 1. Hamas has suspended the release of captives, pointing to Israel for its violation of key provisions of the agreement. But doesn't Israel have its own suspicions about the rationale behind Hamas' delay? 2. And isn't Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now threatening to end the deal unless Hamas releases the captives held there by this weekend? 3. U.S. President Donald Trump also said Israel should "cancel" the ceasefire and that "all hell is going to break out." He didn't elaborate on what that would mean. What do you think he meant by that? 4. Some analysts point out U.S. President Donald Trump's call for 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza is front and center in the ceasefire agreement breakdown. Do you also believe so? 5. Would you say Hamas may be wondering if it's worth engaging in phase 2 of the ceasefire talks? Thanks so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

S. Korea wins first-ever Winter AG biathlon gold

2025/02/12 10:00

South Korea added five medals at the 2025 Winter Asian Games in Harbin on Tuesday, including its first-ever gold medal in biathlon. Ekaterina Avvakumova, a Russian-born biathlete, who became a naturalized South Korean in 2017, finished first in the women's 7-point-5 kilometer biathlon sprint event, giving Team Korea their 12th gold medal overall. The top podium finish marks the first time a South Korean has won a Winter Asian Games gold in the sport. South Korea also finished with two silver and two bronze in speed skating on the day, with Lee Na-hyun winning her fourth medal in Harbin. On Wednesday, the women's figure skating event kicks off with its short program, with the South Korean women's curling team looking to continue its success, this time against the Philippines. South Korea is second in the medal standings with 12 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze, for a total of 35 medals.

K-wave AI News

2025/02/12 14:00

Hello and welcome to AI News. Let's take a look at the latest stories capturing attention in Korea's cultural sector today. Chungcheongnam-do Province has submitted an application to UNESCO to designate the expansive Garorim Bay tidal flat in Seosan as a World Natural Heritage site. Being a part of Korea's southwestern coastal flats, and one of the world's top five tidal flats, Garorim Bay was designated as the nation's first marine life protection zone in 2016. Home to 600 tidal flat species, it is also Korea's only inland habitat for the spotted seal, an endangered species, and natural monument. The final decision will be made at the 48th World Heritage Committee meeting in July, following an evaluation by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Horim Museum Sinsa is hosting a special exhibition featuring over 100 national treasures from its collection. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to view masterpieces of Korean art and cultural heritage amassed by its founder, Horim Yoon Jang-seop over his lifetime. The late Yoon was a prominent businessman and art collector known for his lifelong dedication to preserving and promoting Korean cultural heritage. Highlights of the exhibition include significant ceramic artifacts, such as the 'Buncheong Flat Bottle with Lotus and Fish Design,' the first piece from Yoon's collection to be designated a National Treasure, and the 'White Porcelain Jar with Plum and Bamboo Design in Underglaze Cobalt Blue.' The event runs through July 26. Namwon City in Jeollabuk-do Province is now accepting participants for the 'Global Chunhyang Beauty Contest,' Korea's oldest beauty pageant. It's not only open to domestic contestants but also overseas Koreans and foreigners. Anyone born between 1997 and 2008 can apply, with no regional restrictions. Application forms can be downloaded from Jeonju MBC or the Chunhyang Festival website, with a submission deadline of March 31. The contest is part of the 95th Chunhyang Festival which will be held from April 30 to May 6 at Gwanghallu Garden. The Chunhyang Festival is celebrated annually to honor the legendary love story of Chunhyang, one of Korea's most famous folktales. That's all from me. Stay tuned to Arirang.

[K-Correspondent] Fostering cultural exchange between Korea and the Philippines through Hangeul exhibition

2025/02/12 14:00

Once a week we connect live to a correspondent overseas who fills us in on K-culture news in their respective country. Today, we go over to the Philippines where a special exhibition on Korean culture more specifically "Hangeul" is underway. Our correspondent Jellaine Buen-Melgar, Educational Administrative Officer at the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines is joining us online. Hello Jellaine! Q1. Jellaine, please introduce yourself, the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines, and your role there. Q2. As a person working at the Korean Cultural Center and experiencing the Korean wave up close, please share with us how big hallyu is right now in the Philippines and what's currently trending. Q3. Marking 75 years of diplomatic ties between South Korea and the Philippines last year, the two countries have been engaged in economic and cultural exchanges. As part of that, we want to delve into an exhibition that's currently taking place, about the Korean writing system Hangeul. Please introduce us to the event. Q3-1. Any stories behind the launching of such exhibition focused on Hangeul? Q4. What other events are running alongside the exhibition? Q5. Please tell us about the response by visitors. Q6. Jellaine, have your Hangeul skills gone up through the event by any chance? Q7. How long will this exhibition run for, and what else is planned this year or beyond? Jellaine, thank you very much for connecting with us today and please keep us updated on further exciting events coming up. Thank you Walter for your contribution this week, I'll see you back next week.

[K-Enter] G-Dragon to hold world tour starting in Korea on March 29-30

2025/02/12 14:00

Now it's time for our K-Entertainment news with Walter Lee. Starting off with some world tour news from a big star—a BigBang star, to be more specific. Yes, on Monday, G-Dragon announced on his social media pages that he will be holding a world tour, kicking off at Goyang Sports Complex in Goyang City, Gyeonggi-do Province, on March 29 and March 30. This marks his first solo concert in nearly eight years. The tour is titled 'G-DRAGON 2025 WORLD TOUR ', with "UBERMENSCH" also being the title of his upcoming third solo album, set for release on March 25. This will be his first solo studio album in 11 years and five months, following 'COUP D'ÉTAT' in September 2013. I'm sure this concert will be marked in many K-pop fans' diaries this year. Moving onto news about a member of BTS, who are we talking about this time? It seems that not even mandatory military service can slow down BTS's youngest member, Jungkook , as he continues his record-breaking streak with his solo single "Seven". The song currently ranks No. 77 on Billboard's Global Excl. U.S. chart and No. 122 on the Billboard Global 200. Jungkook has now spent 82 weeks on the Global Excl. U.S. chart and 81 weeks on the Global 200, making him the longest-charting K-pop solo artist on these rankings. Additionally, "Seven" has surpassed 2.2 billion streams on Spotify, making it the first song by an Asian artist to reach this milestone on the world's largest music streaming platform. And his group BTS have also surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify with their hit song "Dynamite", further cementing their status as living legends in the K-pop industry. This just goes to show how loyal Jungkook and BTS fans are and how much they miss him while he is away on military duty. Ending off, we have a fan meeting from one of the most exciting K-dramas out right now. Yes, the cast of Korea's current No. 1 drama series, "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call," held what we could call a "Dopamine Recharge Emergency Fan Meeting" . on Monday at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul, responding to overwhelming love from fans. The application to take part in this event, conducted over two days via Netflix Korea's Instagram account, attracted an incredible 20,000 applicants, leading to a highly competitive 114:1 selection ratio for those lucky enough to attend. The event featured appearances from Joo Ji-hoon , Chu Young-woo , Ha Young , Yoon Kyung-ho , Jung Jae-kwang , and director Lee Do-yoon . Fans were treated to a special experience, including behind-the-scenes stories, games, and interactive activities with the cast. I'm sure that got fans' hearts beating! Thanks for the updates, Walter. Now, let's see what Ari has for us in other culture news. Take it away, Ari!

[Short-form] Jeongwol Daeboreum: The Great Full Moon Festival

2025/02/12 14:00

Discover how Koreans celebrate the first full moon of the Lunar New Year and the meaning behind each tradition.

[Features-reporter] 2025 "Jeongwol Daeboreum": Wishes under the first full moon of the year

2025/02/12 14:00

So, today Korea celebrates one of its most cherished traditional holidays, "Jeongwol Daeboreum." To give us a glimpse of how "Jeongwol Daeboreum" festivities are being celebrated, we now go live to our News Features Reporter Lee Eun-hee. Eun-hee, tell us where you are, and what exciting activities are taking place there? Hi Soa and Walter! Today I'm here at the National Folk Museum in Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace. I've been here since this morning, and I'm very excited to share this special event being held to celebrate "Jeongwol Daeboreum." As you can see, a captivating music performance has just begun, filling the space with beautiful sound, and it aims to convey a message of happiness and good fortune. To give you a bit of context, "Jeongwol Daeboreum" also known as "The Great Full Moon Festival," celebrates the first full moon of the lunar year. It falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and in 2025, that special day is today. On the night of the brightest full moon, the tradition of watching the moon rise and praying for prosperity and well-being held deep significance in Korea's agricultural society. It was a day to drive away bad luck and bring good fortune, and was celebrated with food and folk games. In light of this special day, the National Folk Museum of Korea hosted a special event that honored tradition while offering several hands-on activities. These include making a full moon-shaped lamp to symbolize a peaceful night and coloring activities to explore traditional "Jeongwol Daeboreum" customs like the tug-of-war and crafting fish amulets to ward off bad luck. Since the day is closely tied to the moon, are there any special traditions people still celebrate that are associated with the rising full moon? Yes of course. On the night of "Jeongwol Daeboreum", many people in South Korea gather under the bright moonlight and start a bonfire known as "daljip." This "Daljip" is a pile of straw and firewood stacked together and set alight during the evening of "Jeongwol Daeboreum" to drive away negative energy. It is one of the key traditions of the holiday, and is kept alive across the country. For those looking to make a wish under the full moon this evening and embrace the spirit of the season, the full moon is expected to rise in Seoul at 5:46 PM, with the perfect full moon occurring at 10:53 PM. For other regions, the moonrise times are expected as follows: Incheon city at 5:47 PM, Gangneung city at 5:38 PM, Gwangju city at 5:51 PM, Busan city at 5:42 PM and Jeju Island at 5:56 PM. I'll make sure to check out the moon later on. Thank you Eun-hee for sharing about this special day. Thank you Eun-hee. Hope we all make wishes and receive all the positive energy for the year ahead! Thank you, it was my pleasure.

Witnesses claim martial law was legal but ill-advised at Yoon's 7th impeachment hearing

2025/02/12 10:00

Was the martial law on December third last year legally proclaimed? That was the key question at President Yoon's seventh impeachment trial hearing on Tuesday. Our Oh Soo-young starts us off. President Yoon Seok Yeol's martial law was ill-advised but lawfully proclaimed, according to his officials who were present at his office on the night of December third. This came at Yoon's seventh impeachment trial hearing, as more witnesses were summoned on Tuesday, amid claims by some senior Cabinet ministers that Yoon had bypassed the Cabinet procedures required by the Constitution before declaring the decree. Former interior minister Lee Sang-min said otherwise. While admitting a Cabinet meeting hadn't been called in advance, he said the seven or so members who initially gathered at the President's Office waited for the 11-member quorum to be filled,.. after which Yoon spoke briefly before proclaiming Martial Law on live TV. Lee said he believes "those present considered themselves at a Cabinet meeting." National Security Advisor Shin Won-sik also said he was told by the President's Chief-of-Staff that a Cabinet meeting was ongoing when he later arrived at the scene. Both Lee and Shin said while they, along with other ministers and secretaries, tried to dissuade the President from declaring Martial Law, they understood the political context of the decision. On this, Yoon took the chance to speak, reiterating his claim that the opposition Democratic Party had sabotaged the administration with a series of impeachments, and, a major budget cut. The hearing also addressed the election fraud allegations raised by Yoon as a pretext for declaring martial law. Former intelligence official Baek Jong-wook said the National Election Commission's servers upon inspection seemed highly vulnerable to external attack and could potentially trigger a social crisis. But he wouldn't comment on election fraud, saying the servers hadn't been examined for such irregularities. Secretary-General of the Election Commission Kim Yong-bin said he hadn't been made aware of the false voting ballots mentioned by Yoon's legal team, and insisted regular inspections were conducted. Given the conflicting narratives and discrepancies with previous statements, experts say it's likely the Court will have to summon more witnesses,.. inevitably extending the trial date. While the Court has focused on delivering a speedy verdict, the President's side has continued raising objections to the trial proceedings. Yoon himself opposed the Court's decision to accept investigation records as evidence, arguing it is crucial to hear out witness statements in person. However, the opposition has called for a quick end to the trial,.. saying the evidence is out there. "Our patience is wearing thin. How much longer must we put up with baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud? There's already been enough consideration given to the respondent through this week's witness examination. We hope for a swift conclusion to the proceedings." The Court on Tuesday rejected Yoon's request to summon Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as a witness, deeming it unnecessary. The next and final hearing for now is scheduled for Thursday with three witnesses to testify. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

DeepSeek launches AI revolution: Impact on Korea's IT industry

2025/02/11 20:00

Welcome to Within The Frame where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus, I'm Kim Mok-yeon. The global AI landscape is undergoing a seismic shift with the emergence of DeepSeek's groundbreaking generative AI model, R1, which has sent shockwaves across the tech industry. Developed by China-based startup "DeepSeek," R1 is being hailed as a formidable competitor to OpenAI's models, showcasing unprecedented performance despite being built with just a fraction of the budget typically required for such large-scale AI projects. What sets DeepSeek apart is its "open-source approach" and the use of cost-effective, older-generation hardware—a strategy that challenges the traditional AI development model and opens new doors for innovation. In today's Within The Frame, we explore the impact of DeepSeek R1 on the global AI market and its implications for the future of the AI industry. For this, we invite Sung Soo Eric Kim, Adjunct Professor at Yonsei Graduate School of Business. Welcome, Professor. Also joining us via Skype is Ashique KhudaBukhsh, Assistant Professor of Software Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology. Great to have you with us. 1. (KhudaBukhsh) Let's begin with Professor KhudaBukhsh, The Chinese open-source AI model "DeepSeek R1" was released on January 20th, and its low-cost, high-performance technology has shocked the global AI market. As an AI expert, how do you assess the performance of DeepSeek and China's AI capabilities? 2. (KhudaBukhsh)The most noteworthy part is that DeepSeek R1 was reportedly developed in just two months with 10 percent of the research funds of big tech companies. Unlike the closed AI models developed by American big tech companies such as OpenAI, DeepSeek has adopted an open-source approach. Professor, What is the significance of this difference? 3. (Kim) Now to Professor Kim, what impact will the competition between "open-source" and "closed-source" AI development approaches have on the AI industry? Also, will the spread of open-source methods be an opportunity for South Korean companies, who are later entrants in the generative AI field? 4. (Kim) Despite U.S. restrictions on the export of high-performance AI chips, China's AI technology development continues to accelerate. Does this mean the U.S. sanctions have not been effective? What is your outlook on the future of the U.S.-China power struggle? 5. (KhudaBukhsh) Meanwhile, governments around the world, including that of South Korea, are ramping up efforts to block the use of DeepSeek. Professor KhudaBukhsh The ongoing debate about data leakage with generative AI is a concern, but why have countries only taken action against DeepSeek specifically? 6. (KhudaBukhsh) Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing forward with a 500 billion-dollar AI infrastructure investment project called "Stargate." Professor, what impact will the emergence of DeepSeek have on Trump's AI policy direction, including Stargate? 7. (Kim) Then Professor Kim, amidst the strong competition from China, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited South Korea last week and made it clear that the company plans to expand its presence in the Korean market. Why is Sam Altman focusing on South Korean companies? 8. (Kim) In particular, the meeting between Sam Altman, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, and SoftBank's Masayoshi Son has garnered attention. It is reported that the main topic was "Stargate." If Samsung participates, what role will it play? Also, will it be an opportunity for Samsung to make a comeback? 9. (KhudaBukhsh) The global AI industry is facing a dramatic shift due to DeepSeek from China. Prof. KhudaBukhsh, How do you foresee the future of the AI power struggle? Also, what direction should South Korea's AI-related technologies take? 10. (Kim) South Korea is set to implement the AI Basic Act, which will support the development of the AI industry starting next year. What are the challenges South Korea must address to enhance its AI industry competitiveness Prof.Kim ?

Live: President Yoon claims opposition was trying to "destroy administration," officials back legality of martial law

2025/02/11 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial resumed on Tuesday, with more witnesses testifying at the Constitutional Court. It's the second-to-last hearing, but the fiery debates are showing no signs of ending soon. We have our Oh Soo-young live to bring us the latest. So the hearing today began with questions over whether President Yoon declared martial law after correct procedures. Let's start with the first witness, former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. Sure. Former minister Lee Sang-min appeared to back the President's claims that his martial law was legal, against assertions that Yoon had bypassed Cabinet procedures required before declaring the decree. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has claimed a formal Cabinet meeting was not held beforehand, and he had not seen Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun recommend the decree to the Prime Minister, as per the Constitutional requirement for martial law. Lee said while it wasn't scheduled as a Cabinet meeting, around seven members initially gathered, and waited for the 11-member quorum to be filled. He said, "Those present would have considered themselves to be in a Cabinet meeting." Also, in direct contradiction with prosecutors' records, Lee denied he'd asked the National Fire Agency to cut water and power to news organizations, and said he did not receive such orders from Yoon. While the former minister said he tried to dissuade the President from declaring martial law, he understood where the decision came from. Yoon himself took to reiterate his claim that the opposition Democratic Party had sabotaged the administration by constantly impeaching officials, and, crucially, cutting the government budget. Yoon added he believed the martial law proclamation could be signed off on afterwards, given the highly sensitive nature of the decree. National Security Advisor Shin Won-sik also indicated that a Cabinet meeting had been held, saying he'd been told it was ongoing by Yoon's Chief of Staff Chung Jin-seok. Questions for the third and fourth witnesses focused on election fraud allegations raised by Yoon as a pretext for declaring martial law. Former Third Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Baek Jong-wook said the National Election Commission's servers seemed vulnerable to external attack, to the point of a social crisis, but said he wouldn't comment on election fraud as the servers hadn't been examined for related irregularities. Secretary-General of the National Election Commission Kim Yong-bin also stood witness. He said he had not been made aware of any false voting ballots, and said various inspections had been conducted ahead of the General Election last year, and it would be virtually impossible to replicate ballots. Meanwhile,.. the Constitutional Court has yet to decide on additional hearings beyond the final and eighth hearing this coming Thursday. That's right. In order to conclude the hearings, the bench must hear the closing arguments from both legal teams and President Yoon's final statement. This would take around two to three hours, and given that four witness testimonies are planned for Thursday, it is unlikely that justices will conclude the hearings then. Experts say more witnesses are likely to be summoned as some of the main testimonies we've heard so far have caused more confusion due to discrepancies with previous statements made in prosecutorial records or conflicting narratives between witnesses. While the Court has emphasized its commitment to a speedy trial, there's been concern that back-to-back witness questioning, twice a week doesn't allow much time for a thorough review of the testimonies or evidence. Still, the opposition has called for a quick end to the trial,.. saying the evidence is out there. "Our patience is wearing thin. How much longer must we put up with baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud? There's already been enough consideration given to the respondent through this week's witness examination. We hope for a swift conclusion to the proceedings." Thank you for the latest on the president's impeachment trial.

[Weather] Cold wave eases, more rain and snow on Wednesday

2025/02/11 20:00

All of the cold wave warnings have been lifted as the bitter cold exits the country. However, uninvited dust has made a return. The Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon-do Province, and the Chungcheong-do provinces will see "bad" levels of ultra-fine dust on Wednesday. Rain will begin tonight on the west coast of Jeollanam-do Province and Jeju Island. Rain and snow are expected across the country tomorrow. Especially, it will snow strongly from dawn into morning tomorrow. Please be careful on the way to work. Seoul will start off at zero degrees tomorrow morning, and Chuncheon and Gyeongju at minus 3 degrees. Gwangju will move up to 9 degrees, and 12 degrees in Busan. Tomorrow night, which is Jeongwoldaeboreum, you will be able to see the full moon through the clouds. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

Why do global entrepreneurs choose S. Korea as a destination for their startup?

2025/02/11 20:00

In other news. Young entrepreneurs from overseas are opting to start their business ventures here in South Korea. Our Ahn Sung-jin tells us why. Eight years ago, former Samsung employee Pankaj Agarwal started his own business here in South Korea. Now, that business has dozens of employees across two countries. "My journey started with Samsung in Korea and in Samsung there is a program called C-lab that gave me a chance to spin off my company and very naturally from an employee at Samsung we became an individual company." He choose Seoul as the base for his edu-tech startup. "Then what are some of the opportunities that a lot of foreign entrepreneurs see in Korea whether it be perks or what are some of the characteristics or reasons as to why foreign entrepreneurs would find Korea as an attractive destination?" "I think Korea is very unique in that there are a lot of support programs. The government makes sure that startups have a lot of opportunities because startups are always afraid that they will die for us our first office was sponsored by the government." Pankaj says basing his business in Korea has helped in other ways too. "What I benefit the most from Korea is the brand, you know there is Kpop, K-drama and I say why not K-education. I want to create a successful venture that can help showcase Korea's image in the world that a foreign entrepreneur can really build up a business in Korea." U.S. consultancy Startup Genome has ranked Seoul's startup ecosystem 9th out of 300 cities around the world. And to help start-ups get off the ground, the Ministry of SMEs provides special programs to help foreign entrepreneurs settle and grow their businesses, including assistance with visa process, business development funds and other support. "So far we've mostly focused on helping Korean startups expand, but in order to foster a startup ecosystem in Korea, we figured its also important to host foreign entrepreneurs and startups and garner talents from abroad to Korea." More global entrepreneurs are choosing Korea as a place to start their business, and this global startup center also facilitates market entry for these companies through patent and administrative support or corporate partnership matching. "Korea was the one offering the biggest ecosystem, the most developed infrastructure and the best opportunities as well. I would say that the visa process was actually very smooth." "Being able to always ask other entrepreneurs how they're managing their startup entrepreneur life in Korea so we can accelerate our business here much faster." The beginning of a start-up involves struggles such as finding resources and investment. That's why efforts from the government and other stakeholders could be the catalyst for attracting global entrepreneurs and sustaining a healthy startup ecosystem for Korea. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.