News

Impact of Trump's tariff implementation on global supply chain?

2025/02/18 20:00

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus, I'm Kim Mok-yeon. As President Trump intensifies his aggressive trade policies, the recent announcement of a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports marks a significant shift in U.S. economic strategy. The latest announcement has sparked concerns over potential repercussions for global trade. South Korea's Acting President Choi Sang-mok has vowed to roll out a record 360 trillion won in trade policy financing to assist exporters facing increasing challenges. In Within The Frame today, we explore the rationale behind the U.S. administration's decision to target steel and aluminum first, the potential for further reciprocal tariffs, and the wider impact on industries such as automobiles and semiconductors. To provide deeper insight into these pressing issues, we are joined by Jeff Moon, President of China Moon Strategies, LLC, and former Assistant US Trade Representative for China via Zoom. Welcome. Also joining us is Yang Jun-sok, Professor of Economics at the Catholic University of Korea. Great to have you. (MOON) 1. So let's start with Mr. Moon, On March 12, President Trump officially announced a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum products imported into the United States. Why were steel and aluminum selected as the first targets for "item-specific tariffs"? Is this aimed at China? (YANG) 2. If we go back to Trump's first term, when steel tariffs were also imposed, South Korea was granted an exemption for a certain quota. However, this time the abolition of the quota system has been included, which is expected to affect the domestic steel industry. Professor Yang, what measures can be taken to minimize the damage to Korean steel companies? (MOON) 3. Alongside steel and aluminum tariffs, President Trump announced that he would calculate and impose reciprocal tariffs based on the "tariff and non-tariff barriers of each country." Mr. Moon, what impact could the imposition of reciprocal tariffs have on the global trade order? (YANG) 4. The Trump administration plans to review the situation in each country by April 1 before determining and implementing country-specific tariff rates. Prof.Yang, What "non-tariff barriers" in South Korea do you think President Trump might target? (MOON) 5. Meanwhile, President Trump has also particularly pinpointed value-added tax (VAT) as a major focus in the trade war. What is the reason behind this Mr. Moon? (YANG) 6. The U.S. has stated that there will be no exceptions to tariff impositions, even for allies or countries with free trade agreements (FTA). Since the specific details of implementation have not yet been disclosed, and there is still time before the early April enforcement, do you see any room for negotiations Prof.Yang? What possible responses could be taken? (YANG) 7. And just one day after officially announcing reciprocal tariffs, President Trump announced new tariffs on automobiles too. Given that these are South Korea's top export to the U.S.,professor how significant do you expect the impact to be on Korean car exports? (MOON) 8. As for tariffs on semiconductors, there seem to have been no announcements yet. There is an opinion that imposing semiconductor tariffs would not be beneficial to the U.S. due to the high demand and potential cost increases in the American market. Mr.Moon, what is the likelihood of semiconductor tariffs being implemented? (MOON) 9. As the U.S. moves forward with its tariff policies, other countries around the world are also responding swiftly. Some analysts suggest that these tariffs are less about raising trade barriers and more about leverage in negotiations to gain a strategic advantage. Mr.Moon, What are your thoughts on this perspective? (YANG) 10. On the 17th, Park Jong-won, deputy minister for trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will begin a visit to the U.S., followed by a South Korean economic delegation on the 19th. Prof.Yang, High-level meetings with the Trump administration are planned. Do you expect any meaningful outcomes in discussions regarding tariffs, investment, and trade cooperation? (Yang) 11. South Korea's Acting President Choi Sang-mok has vowed pan-governmental efforts to address the challenges, announcing a record 360 trillion won, or 250 dollars, finance support plan on trade, which is the largest ever. Prof.Yang, what strategies would you suggest for the government? Which areas must these funds be focused on?

Court dismisses President Yoon's request to postpone impeachment hearing date

2025/02/18 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. We start at the Constitutional Court where the ninth hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial took place today. For details, we have our correspondent Oh Soo-young standing by. Q1. Soo-young, I understand today's hearing saw the two sides laying out their respective arguments with regard to the legality of the president's declaration of martial law. That's right. Today's hearing began at 2 PM but without President Yoon Suk Yeol. He was supposed to make an appearance -as he has for the past six hearings -but ended up sitting out the ninth hearing today. As the last few hearings focused on questioning witnesses, the session was intended for each side: the National Assembly's impeachment team and President Yoon's lawyers to summarize their cases for and against impeachment and to go over the evidence that the bench hasn't covered yet. To go over the main arguments made so far The National Assembly panel has claimed: that Yoon's declaration of martial law itself was illegal as he did not go through Cabinet procedures, as were his proclamation of martial law decrees. The panel says Yoon also tried to disrupt parliamentary activities by deploying troops to the National Assembly as well as the National Election Commission an independent constitutional body and tried to arrest judicial figures. The panel continued to claim Yoon intended to shut down the National Assembly,.. and cited how witnesses and other central figures have indicated that the martial law declaration was procedurally flawed. "This is a direct attack on the principles of the rule of law and the separation of powers. From the perspective of constitutional protection, it is an absolutely unacceptable act." Meanwhile, Yoon's side has continued to insist martial law was Constitutional as an executive right of the president, and that the opposition party had made it impossible for the government to function by constantly impeaching officials, introducing and dramatically cutting the budget. The team on Tuesday further built on suspicions of election fraud in the General Election last year, saying there appeared to have been false ballot papers and irregularities that need to be investigated. Q2. Moving forward then what can we expect on Thursday? The 10th hearing on Thursday will feature three witness examinations beginning with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Han previously said that the President had not held a proper Cabinet meeting before declaring martial law on December 3rd. Former Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jang-won was summoned last week by the National Assembly's side but will return to be questioned by Yoon's legal team. Hong claims there was a list of 14 to 16 figures the President wanted to arrest under martial law. National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho will also stand witness, after missing two sessions for health reasons. Both the National Assembly's panel and Yoon's legal team plan to question the Prime Minister and the police commissioner-general. Q3. I also hear the court rejected an earlier request by the President's defense team for a rescheduling of Thursday's session. That's right, despite Yoon's legal team asking for more preparation time, given that they have to also cover his criminal trial proceedings starting the same day, the Constitutional Court decided to push ahead with the tenth hearing on Thursday. When Yoon's team asked for a reconsideration, the bench merely pushed back the hearing by an hour so it will now begin at 3 PM, instead of 2 PM. Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae suggested as Yoon's pretrial for his criminal case is at 10 AM, the legal team should be able to make it in the afternoon, and added the Court is also juggling three other trial hearings this week. So Thursday looks to be the last witness examination at this point, as the Court rejected all other applications made by Yoon's lawyers, and has emphasized the need for a swift trial. Now, if there's one more session scheduled to wrap up the arguments and hear Yoon's closing statement, it's likely a verdict would be delivered in the first half of March. All right. That was our Oh Soo-young with the latest on the president's impeachment trial.

[Politics & Diplomacy] U.S.-Russia talks begin in Riyadh with Ukraine, Europe sidelined

2025/02/18 20:00

Talks started in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine involving U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. For more on this, we have our Kim Bo-kyoung in the studio. Bo-kyoung, first of all, what could be on Trump and Putin's minds? Well, Jung-min, it seems Trump and Putin have agreed on some things during their phone talks. Conceding some Ukrainian territory, and Kyiv not being part of NATO. The fact that Trump agreed to what U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, that a return to Ukraine's old borders is an "illusory goal, " and how its NATO membership was unrealistic, shows this. Given that Russia is making grinding progress on the battlefield, Moscow could be calculating whether it is better to strike a peace deal, giving Trump a huge win, or to continue the fight. And, to raise the chances of the peace deal, Trump has already demanded Russia be readmitted to the Group of Eight industrialized nations. One expert says this could have been a big incentive for Putin, to come to the negotiating table. Let's take a look. "I'd love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. I think Putin would love to be back." "The most important thing is that Donald Trump promised Vladimir Putin to get Russia back as a member of the international community, showing his desire to restore economic relations with Russia. This implies that most of the sanctions would be lifted in the near future. Guaranteeing economic activities again, I think that served as a significant incentive for Putin." Ukraine is not a party to this meeting in Riyadh. How is Ukraine reacting to this, and what could be the most concerning part for Ukraine? Despite U.S. officials suggesting that Ukraine and Europe would have a role in any peace talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday dismissed Tuesday's negotiations taking place without him, and told reporters that he "did not know anything about them." And, in response to recent U.S. statements about ruling out Ukraine's NATO membership, Zelenskyy cautioned the West against repeating past mistakes, warning that it could lead to a scenario similar to Afghanistan in 2021 where the Western troops hastily withdrew from Afghanistan, leading to the Taliban quickly seizing Kabul and taking power. The expert says Ukraine knew it could be difficult to be a member of NATO, and to restore all territory taken by Moscow. What matters for Kyiv is strong security guarantees. "If Ukraine does not join NATO, the key question is what kind of security guarantees the international community can offer. The fact that such discussions are not taking place at the same time as the peace talks is what is making Zelenskyy uneasy. The most crucial issue for Ukraine is whether a strong security guarantee system can be established as an alternative to NATO." Europe too, has been sidelined from the peace talks. What's been the response from European leaders? Europe is trying to raise its voice, holding emergency talks in Paris on Monday. As it is quite clear that the U.S. is set on diminishing its footprint in Europe, the leaders' meeting reportedly focused on the potential deployment of European troops to Ukraine and the willingness of European allies to step up defense spending. The expert says European countries will eventually have to take more responsibility for the security of Ukraine for their own sake. Listen to this. "All Europeans have to step up when it comes to Ukraine, and at the same time step up when it comes to defense spending at home. Because Russia is threatening all of Europe now, unfortunately." "Trump does not consider NATO of high value, and believes that Europe should take responsibility for its own security. so it seems clear that NATO allies will have to take on a greater role." Alright, thank you Bo-kyoung for sharing this with us. We appreciate it. Thank you.

S. Korea's military deploys new bunker buster missile, capable of striking N. Korean underground targets

2025/02/18 20:00

South Korea's military has deployed a new locally-developed bunker buster missile to its frontline units, that can destroy North Korean targets buried deep underground. The Korean tactical surface-to-surface missile is capable of striking North Korean command facilities and long-range artillery systems that threaten South Korea's capital area. Also named Ure, or "thunder" in Korean, the missile has a range of 180 kilometers and is equipped with a warhead that can penetrate several meters underground. Development began back in November 2010.

Court dismisses President Yoon's request to postpone impeachment hearing date

2025/02/18 17:00

We start at the Constitutional Court here in Seoul where the ninth hearing took place at President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial. For details I have our correspondent Oh Soo-young standing by live. Soo-young it's good to have you on. Q1. I understand today's hearing saw the two sides laying out their respective arguments with regard to the legality of the president's declaration of martial law. That's right. Today's hearing began at 2 PM but without President Yoon Suk Yeol. He was supposed to make an appearance -as he has for the past six hearings -but ended up sitting out the ninth hearing today. As the last few hearings focused on questioning witnesses, the session was intended for each side: the National Assembly's impeachment team and President Yoon's lawyers to summarize their cases for and against impeachment and to go over the evidence that the bench hasn't covered yet. To go over the main arguments made so far The National Assembly panel has claimed: that Yoon's declaration of martial law itself was illegal as he did not go through Cabinet procedures, as were his proclamation of martial law decrees. The panel says Yoon also tried to disrupt parliamentary activities by deploying troops to the National Assembly as well as the National Election Commission an independent constitutional body and tried to arrest judicial figures. The panel continued to claim Yoon intended to shut down the National Assembly,.. and cited how witnesses and other central figures have indicated there wasn't a proper Cabinet meeting before the martial law declaration, and that the proclamation of martial law orders was not approved by the Cabinet either. "This is a direct attack on the principles of the rule of law and the separation of powers. From the perspective of constitutional protection, it is an absolutely unacceptable act." Meanwhile, Yoon's side insists martial law was Constitutional as an executive right of the president, and that the opposition party had made it impossible for the government to function by constantly impeaching officials, introducing and dramatically cutting the budget. He also cited suspicions of election fraud at the National Election Commission and calls to investigate its servers and ballot papers for irregularities. Q2. Moving forward then what can we expect on Thursday? The 10th hearing on Thursday will feature three witness examinations beginning with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Han previously said that the President had not held a proper Cabinet meeting before declaring martial law on December 3rd. Former Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jang-won was summoned last week by the National Assembly's side but will return to be questioned by Yoon's legal team. Hong claims there was a list of 14 to 16 figures the President wanted to arrest under martial law. National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho will also stand witness, after missing two sessions for health reasons. Both the National Assembly's panel and Yoon's legal team plan to question the Prime Minister and the police commissioner-general. Q3. I also hear the court rejected an earlier request by the president's defense team for a rescheduling of Thursday's session? That's right, despite Yoon's legal team asking for more preparation time, given that they have to also cover his criminal trial proceedings starting the same day, the Constitutional Court decided to push ahead with the tenth hearing on Thursday. When Yoon's team asked for a reconsideration, the bench merely pushed back the hearing by an hour so it will now begin at 3PM, instead of 2PM. Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae suggested as Yoon's pretrial for his criminal case is at 10am in the morning, the legal team should be able to make it in the afternoon, and added the Court is also juggling three other trial hearings this week. So Thursday looks to be the last witness examination at this point, as the Court rejected all other applications made by Yoon's lawyers, and has emphasized the need for a swift trial. Now, if there's one more session scheduled to wrap up the arguments and hear Yoon's closing statement, it's likely a verdict would be delivered in the first half of March. The National Human Rights Commission on Monday adopted a statement, calling for a lawful trial process that ensures the right to defend oneself in Court, and for a thorough witness examination process. All right Soo-young thank you for that coverage. That was our Oh Soo-young with the latest on the president's impeachment trial.

World News: Israel launches drone attack in southern Lebanon killing head of Hamas' military operations

2025/02/18 17:00

This is The World Now, brining you the latest stories from around the globe. Just before the deadline for Israel's full withdrawal from Lebanon, an Israeli drone strike killed the head of Hamas' military operations in the country. On Monday, the Israeli military confirmed that a targeted drone strike in Sidon, southern Lebanon, killed Muhammad Shaheen, the head of Hamas' operations department in Lebanon. Israel says Shaheen was involved in planning attacks against Israeli citizens with support from Iran. The incident occurred just one day before the February 18 deadline for Israel's full withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as stated in a recent ceasefire agreement. In response, Hezbollah's leadership has issued strict warnings, stating that any Israeli presence in southern Lebanon beyond the agreed-upon deadline will be considered an occupation, and they are prepared to take necessary actions. China has condemned the United States, following a recent update to the U.S. State Department's website concerning Taiwan. The alteration has contrastingly received a welcome response from Taiwan. On Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized updates made by the U.S. State Department last week on its online fact sheet on Taiwan. The State Department removed the phrase that said it does not support Taiwan's independence. The Chinese spokesperson said the U.S.' position sent the wrong message to Taiwan's independence separatist forces and urged the U.S. to immediately rectify its mistakes. Conversely, the Taiwanese government described the updated language as "positive and friendly," reflecting the strengthening ties between Washington and Taipei. In Canada, a Delta Air Lines plane crash-landed on Monday at Toronto Pearson International Airport, flipping upside down upon impact. The aircraft carried 76 passengers and four crew members. Emergency responders reported at least 15 injuries, with three critical injuries, including a child. While the cause of the crash is yet unknown, the flight was operating amid windy weather after a snowstorm. Initial investigations point to the recent heavy snowfall as the cause of the crash. All flights at the airport were suspended, causing delays and diversions. Finally, in Hong Kong, its first locally born giant panda twins were revealed to the public for the first time. The six-month-old cubs, born in August 2024, were introduced to large crowds at Hong Kong's Ocean Park over the weekend. The two baby pandas are currently referred to as "Elder Sister" and "Little Brother," but a public contest to name them has been launched, and the submissions will open until March 7. The so-called "panda economy" is expected to boost tourism and local businesses in the city. Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.

U.S. Secy. of State Rubio and Saudi crown prince meet on Mon.

2025/02/18 17:00

Staying in Saudi Arabia. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday. While details of their discussions have not been fully disclosed a statement by the U.S. State Department claimed the meeting quote "reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring the release of all hostages." Rubio also reportedly touched upon the prospects of greater economic and defense cooperation between their two countries.

U.S., Russia top officials to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tues. for talks to end Ukraine war

2025/02/18 17:00

Senior U.S. officials and their Russian counterparts are sitting down in Saudi Arabia today to outline a peace plan for Ukraine BUT the absence of Ukraine and Europe at the table is prompting much concern. Choi Min-jung has the latest. High-ranking officials from Washington and Moscow are set to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, to lay the groundwork for potential peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The U.S. and Russia confirmed that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet, along with other top officials. This marks one of the first high-level in-person meetings between the two sides in years, and is expected to pave the way for a future U.S.-Russia summit. "President Trump mentioned Saudi Arabia when talking about a possible venue for a possible summit. It is understood that this place suits both American and Russian sides, so this joint decision was made." This development has raised concerns among leaders of Ukraine and Europe, who have been left out of the U.S.-led diplomatic effort. U.S. President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said on Monday, that it was unrealistic for everyone to be at the table, but emphasized that no peace deal would be imposed on Kyiv. He also said the U.S. would act as an intermediary,.. alongside Ukraine and Russia as the two main protagonists. "The fact is, we're looking at you can have the Ukrainians, the Russian, and clearly the Americans at the table talking. But we've got to have specifics to get to a point." European leaders held an emergency meeting in France on Monday, and insisted they must have a say in the talks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Europe's security is "at a turning point," stressing the issue was not just about Ukraine but also Europe. And despite U.S. officials suggesting that Ukraine and Europe would have a role in peace talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday dismissed Tuesday's negotiations taking place without him, and told reporters that he "did not know anything about them." In response to recent U.S. statements about ruling out Ukraine's NATO membership, Zelenskyy cautioned the West against repeating past mistakes, warning that it could lead to a scenario similar to Afghanistan in 2021. Back then, the Taliban rapidly took control of Afghanistan after the U.S. and NATO withdrew their forces Choi Min-jung, Arirang News.

Choi calls U.S. tariffs 'total trade war' pledging record-breaking support for trade

2025/02/18 17:00

Acting President Choi Sang-mok has declared an all-out effort aimed at negotiating a constructive trade deal with the U.S. amid the latter's tariff campaign adding that each country's respective response to America's new trade policy will determine its fate. Remarks to this end were shared at a Cabinet meeting earlier on this Tuesday during which Choi pledged 3-hundred-60 trillion Korean won or some 2-hundred-50 billion U.S. dollars in support of financing trade. This latest amount is the largest level of support for trade in the nation's history. He also revealed that plans have been in the works to diversify export markets and products. Separately making note of a planned trip to the U.S. by a business delegation also this week he claimed joint efforts by the government and corporate sector will guide the country beyond this current challenge.

Deputy trade minister angles for 'mutually beneficial' path amid Trump's tariff pressure

2025/02/18 17:00

Moving on. BOTH a South Korean government delegation and a separate business delegation are seeking talks with relevant American officials in the U.S. as the Trump administration prepares to put in place a broader blanket of tariffs on its friends and foes in the name of quote "fair trade". Lee Seung-jae reports. South Korea's Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won arrived in the United States on Monday, where he's set to meet with a number of officials at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representatives. Upon arrival, Park stressed the importance of holding the talks, especially as U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies affect all of America's trading partners. "I believe America's major trading partners around the world are all affected. So I think that our country also needs to be even more careful in negotiating with the United States." Park also said that he would seek "mutually beneficial" discussions during his talks in Washington by listening to what the U.S. has to say and explaining Seoul's positions. He also noted that talks on the tariff issue may continue following his visit, raising speculation that Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun could also visit the U.S. for high-level talks. Amid growing concerns over the impact Trump's tariffs may have on South Korea's economy, a business delegation led by the chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chey Tae-won will visit Washington for a two-day trip starting Wednesday. It will mark the first visit by a Korean business delegation since the Trump administration took office last month. The Korea International Trade Association also plans to send a ten-member delegation to a number of southern states next month, to promote South Korea's investments in the region. The Federation of Korean Industries is also looking to send a delegation to the U.S. Faced with Trump's aggressive trade policies, South Korean businesses are expected to seek strategies to mitigate the risk of operating in the U.S. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

China condemns U.S. State Department's deletion of statement on Taiwan

2025/02/18 10:00

China has condemned the United States, following a recent update to the U.S. State Department's website concerning Taiwan. The alteration has contrastingly received a welcome response from Taiwan. On Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson criticized updates made by the U.S. State Department last week on its online fact sheet on Taiwan. The State Department removed the phrase that said it does not support Taiwan's independence. The Chinese spokesperson said the U.S.' position sent the wrong message to Taiwan's independence separatist forces and urged the U.S. to immediately rectify its mistakes. Conversely, the Taiwanese government described the updated language as "positive and friendly," reflecting the strengthening ties between Washington and Taipei.

Israel drone attack in southern Lebanon kills key Hamas leader

2025/02/18 10:00

Let's begin in southern Lebanon, where an Israeli attack has killed a Hamas leader. Right. Just before the deadline for Israel's full withdrawal from Lebanon, an Israeli drone strike killed the head of Hamas' military operations in the country. On Monday, the Israeli military confirmed that a targeted drone strike in Sidon, southern Lebanon, killed Muhammad Shaheen, the head of Hamas' operations department in Lebanon. Israel says Shaheen was involved in planning attacks against Israeli citizens with support from Iran. The incident occurred just one day before the February 18 deadline for Israel's full withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as stated in a recent ceasefire agreement. In response, Hezbollah's leadership has issued strict warnings, stating that any Israeli presence in southern Lebanon beyond the agreed-upon deadline will be considered an occupation, and they are prepared to take necessary actions.

On-point: How will President Yoon make use of last 2 impeachment hearings?

2025/02/18 10:00

President Yoon now has just 2 hearings left to defend himself and prove the legitimacy of his martial law declaration. How will he make use of the remaining sessions? Let's turn to Professor Song Se-ryun. It's good to have you back. 1. Why do you think Yoon may not show up for today's hearing? Do you think he'll show up? Why? Or why not? 2. On Thursday, Han will appear as a witness. Why do you think the court decided to have Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as a witness after turning down requests from Yoon's side? Why the need? 3. At the 10th hearing on Thursday, Han and President Yoon will face each other for the first time since the martial law declaration in December, IF Yoon does attend today's hearing. What kind of statements do you expect to hear from Han? 4. Yoon's lawyers have filed a petition to change the date of the 10th hearing, arguing for more time as the president is also preparing for criminal trial proceedings. Will the court accept the request? Why? Or why not? 5. If the court accepts Yoon's request, the ruling day will be pushed back as well, right? Thank you Professor Song as always.

U.S. Secy. of State Rubio and Saudi crown prince meet on Mon.

2025/02/18 10:00

Ahead of the U.S.-Russia peace talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his Middle East tour on Monday, where the two sides are presumed to have discussed Washington-Moscow talks. Considering close ties between U.S. President Donald Trump and bin Salman, Saudi is expected to play a mediating role in the scheduled peace dialogue. According to a statement released by the U.S. State Department, Rubio and bin Salman also "reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas releases all hostages, including American citizens." Rubio also discussed increasing economic and defense cooperation between the two countries.

U.S., Russia top officials to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tues. for talks to end Ukraine war

2025/02/18 10:00

U.S. and Russian officials are set to sit down in Saudi Arabia and detail out their plans to end the war in Ukraine but this time without the direct involvement of Ukraine and Europe in the talks. Choi Min-jung reports. High-ranking officials from Washington and Moscow are set to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, to lay the groundwork for potential peace negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. The U.S. and Russia confirmed that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet, along with other top officials. This marks one of the first high-level in-person meetings between the two sides in years, and is expected to pave the way for a future U.S.-Russia summit. "President Trump mentioned Saudi Arabia when talking about a possible venue for a possible summit. It is understood that this place suits both American and Russian sides, so this joint decision was made." This development has raised concerns among leaders of Ukraine and Europe, who have been left out of the U.S.-led diplomatic effort. U.S. President Donald Trump's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, said on Monday, that it was unrealistic for everyone to be at the table, but emphasized that no peace deal would be imposed on Kyiv. He also said the U.S. would act as an intermediary,.. alongside Ukraine and Russia as the two main protagonists. "The fact is, we're looking at you can have the Ukrainians, the Russian, and clearly the Americans at the table talking. But we've got to have specifics to get to a point." European leaders held an emergency meeting in France on Monday, and insisted they must have a say in the talks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Europe's security is "at a turning point." stressing the issue was not just about Ukraine but also Europe. And despite U.S. officials suggesting that Ukraine and Europe would have a role in peace talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday dismissed Tuesday's negotiations taking place without him, and told reporters that he "did not know anything about them." In response to recent U.S. statements about ruling out Ukraine's NATO membership, Zelenskyy cautioned the West against repeating past mistakes, warning that it could lead to a scenario similar to Afghanistan in 2021. Back then, the Taliban rapidly took control of Afghanistan after the U.S. and NATO withdrew their forces Choi Min-jung, Arirang News.

Deputy trade minister angles for 'mutually beneficial' path amid Trump's tariff pressure

2025/02/18 10:00

South Korea is actively seeking to brace for the aggressive tariff push by the Trump administration. Seoul's Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won has made his way to Washington to engage in what he aims to be "mutually beneficial" discussions with U.S. trade officials. Lee Seung-jae has more. South Korea's Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won arrived in the United States on Monday, where he's set to meet with a number of officials at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representatives. Upon arrival, Park stressed the importance of holding the talks, especially as U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies affect all of America's trading partners. "I believe America's major trading partners around the world are all affected. So I think that our country also needs to be even more careful in negotiating with the United States." Park also said that he would seek "mutually beneficial" discussions during his talks in Washington by listening to what the U.S. has to say and explaining Seoul's positions. He also noted that talks on the tariff issue may continue following his visit, raising speculation that Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun could also visit the U.S. for high-level talks. Amid growing concerns over the impact Trump's tariffs may have on South Korea's economy, a business delegation led by the chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chey Tae-won will visit Washington for a two-day trip starting Wednesday. It will mark the first visit by a Korean business delegation since the Trump administration took office last month. The Korea International Trade Association also plans to send a ten-member delegation to a number of southern states next month, to promote South Korea's investments in the region. The Federation of Korean Industries is also looking to send a delegation to the U.S. Faced with Trump's aggressive trade policies, South Korean businesses are expected to seek strategies to mitigate the risk of operating in the U.S. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Uncertainty over President Yoon's impeachment trial schedule

2025/02/18 10:00

President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial continues on Tuesday with its ninth hearing, but there's still uncertainty over whether the hearings will stretch beyond this week. We connect to our Oh Soo-young at the Constitutional Court for more. Q1. Give us a run-down of what the hearing will look like. I understand the President might not attend today. That's right Dami. Today's hearing will begin in the afternoon at 2PM. President Yoon's lawyers say it's undecided whether or not he will attend the ninth hearing. Yoon missed the first two hearings but has attended the six most recent sessions. According to Court officials, today's session is intended for each side the National Assembly's impeachment team and President Yoon's lawyers to summarise their cases for and against impeachment and go over evidence that the bench hasn't covered so far, as the last few trials focused on witness examinations. To go over the main arguments made so far The National Assembly panel has claimed: Yoon's declaration of martial law itself was illegal as he did not go through Cabinet procedures, as was his proclamation of Martial Law decrees. The panel says Yoon also tried to disrupt parliamentary activities by deploying troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission, and tried to arrest judicial figures. Meanwhile, Yoon insists martial law was constitutional as an executive right. He says the opposition party had made it impossible for the government to function by constantly impeaching officials, railroading controversial bills and cutting the budget. He also cited suspicions of election fraud at the Election Commission and called on the Court to investigate the commission's servers and ballot papers for irregularities. Q2. And it's still unclear whether the Court will accept President Yoon's appeal to postpone Thursday's hearing. Yes. When asked about it on Monday, Court Press Officer Chun Jaehyun said no decision had been made. So the bench will have to comment on it at the start or towards the end of today's hearing. Yoon's lawyers are expected to strongly push for the postponement during today's session, as they also have to prepare for Yoon's criminal trial proceedings which begin on Thursday morning. 15 lawyers are working on the criminal case but 13 of them are also covering the impeachment trial, so they've been calling for the twice weekly trials to be reduced to one hearing a week, saying it's critical for Yoon's right to legal defense. However, the National Assembly's impeachment team has called on the Court to not postpone the sessions. Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission on Monday adopted a statement calling for a lawful trial process that ensures the right to defend oneself in Court. Q3. This all affects the timeline of the verdict, which has taken around two weeks in the past. Yes. Let's say the Court sticks to the current pace, they'll likely add one hearing next week to wrap up the arguments with a final statement from Yoon. Then a verdict would be delivered in the first half of March. But if the Court agrees to adjust the date of the tenth hearing, it would take place next Tuesday, and one or possibly two sessions after that could lengthen the trial by potentially weeks if they're scheduled seven days apart. So it's a real high stakes decision whether or not to postpone the 10th hearing. Let's wait and see. Thanks for your coverage.

Discussion on Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations, future of Middle East

2025/02/17 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 recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has provided a temporary halt to hostilities, but uncertainty looms over its stability and future developments. Though an agreement had been reached last month, tensions remain high as both sides navigate fragile negotiations and external pressures. With hostage exchanges, diplomatic interventions, and new geopolitical proposals shaping the discourse, critical questions arise about the sustainability of the truce and its broader implications. To discuss these pressing issues, we invite Paik Seung-hoon, a researcher at the Institute of Middle East Studies. Welcome, Dr. Paik. Also joining us is Robert Lawrence, Assistant Professor at Dongduk Women's University. Great to have you with us. 1. (Paik) Let's start with Dr. Paik. On the 19th of last month, Israel and Hamas agreed to a phased ceasefire, halting fighting for six weeks. 2. (Lawrence) What about you Professor Lawrence, last week, Hamas announced the indefinite postponement of the sixth hostage release, pushing the agreement to the brink of collapse. Fortunately, they released the hostages as scheduled. Could you also tell us why this ceasefire is so unstable? 3. (Paik) Regarding the latest delay of hostage release, U.S. President Trump warned, "If Hamas does not release the hostages, hell will break out." What did he mean by this Dr. Paik? And do you think this warning influenced Hamas's change in stance? 4. (Lawrence) Although the ceasefire didn't collapse this time, the likelihood of continued conflict seems high. The first-phase agreement will expire by the 1st of next month, and negotiations for the second phase are needed to reach an agreement. How do you foresee this developing Prof. Lawrence? 5. (Lawrence) On the 16th, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who visited Israel, once again expressed his full support for Israel, stating that "Hamas must be eradicated." 6. (Paik) Then negotiations for the second agreement seems all the more crucial, what conditions need to be met for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire to continue Dr. Paik? 7. (Lawrence) Amid this, President Trump has proposed relocating Palestinian residents to neighboring countries and occupying the Gaza Strip to develop it into a coastal resort city. This plan has caused a stir. What is President Trump's intention behind such a plan Prof.? 8. (Paik) Jordan and Egypt, which have been mentioned as potential countries for the relocation of Palestinian residents, are protesting. 9. (Lawrence) Professor Lawrence, How do you think Trump's latest plan on Gaza will impact the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement and the broader Middle Eastern situation? 10. (Paik) Arab nations, as well as European and Western countries, have criticized President Trump's Gaza plan, arguing that it clearly undermines the 'two-state solution' where Israel and Palestine coexist as independent nations. Dr. Paik, how do you think the international community will respond to or cooperate with Trump's Gaza plan?

Will the Constitutional Court postpone Yoon's 10th impeachment hearing?

2025/02/17 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial enters its final week with two additional hearings on Tuesday and Thursday but his legal team has requested a rescheduling of Thursday's session as the president's criminal trial starts on the same day. Our correspondent Oh Soo-young has the latest. The Constitutional Court has not decided whether or not to change the date of President Yoon Suk Yeol's tenth impeachment hearing, as it also falls on the day his criminal trial proceedings begin. Court Press Officer Cheon Jaehyun told reporters Monday that the judicial bench has not yet conveyed its decision, and it may or may not be announced before the 9th hearing on Tuesday. After the Court decided to schedule two additional trial dates for Tuesday and Thursday this week, Yoon's team has objected to Thursday's session, and on Friday filed a request to postpone the date to February 25th. The President's lawyers have on various occasions complained about the twice-weekly hearings, calling for just one session per week, to allow for sufficient preparation. Especially as the Seoul Central District Court will begin Yoon's pretrial hearings for his criminal case on Thursday morning, Yoon's legal team would be spread out over both trials. 15 lawyers are working on his criminal case, 21 on his impeachment trial. Among them, 13 are working on both. While some experts say the overlapping schedule weakens the right to legal self-defense, the Constitutional Court might still push ahead with the impeachment hearing in the afternoon, as the criminal trial is at 10 AM. The Court officer added that the National Assembly's impeachment panel has submitted its position that the Thursday hearing must not be delayed. Meanwhile, she said Tuesday's hearing will see the Assembly and Yoon's side each organize and make their claims from 2 PM. Thursday's hearing for now will have three witness examinations beginning with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Han previously said that the president had not held a proper cabinet meeting before declaring martial law on December 3rd. Former Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jang-won was summoned last week by the National Assembly's side but will return to be questioned by Yoon's legal team. Hong claims there was a list of 14 to 16 figures the President wanted to arrest under martial law. National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho will be questioned by both sides, after missing two witness sessions for health reasons. "With the Constitutional Court having rejected other witness applications, it remains to be seen whether they will schedule additional hearings beyond the tenth session. It would take around two weeks for the justices to deliver a verdict, based on past Presidential impeachment trials. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News."

Trump's threat of targeting VAT systems raises further concerns for S. Korea

2025/02/17 20:00

In a recent post on his social media platform, U.S. President Donald Trump sought to DEFEND his reciprocal tariff proposal and DISPUTE the so-called value-added taxes, claiming that America has been mistreated by its friends and foes alike. Lee Soo-jin covers his latest remarks. U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to impose new tariffs on countries that utilize value-added tax systems have added another layer of uncertainty to South Korea's export competitiveness. Trump said Saturday that Washington will treat countries with a value-added tax system, the same as those with tariffs in order to help calculate reciprocal duties on other countries. The comment raises concerns for South Korea, which, unlike the U.S., collects value-added tax. Typically, companies in countries with a VAT system, including South Korea, receive a VAT refund when exporting to the U.S. and only have to pay a relatively low sales tax. However, U.S. companies exporting to foreign countries have to pay a high VAT rate that they do not pay in the U.S. And for that reason, Trump has criticized VAT as being an unfair trade barrier for the U.S. "They do have something that is somewhat similar which is the sales tax effectively the U.S. sales tax can be considered something that is very similar at least the results." And since South Korea's VAT rate is 10 percent, higher than the average U.S. sales tax of 6.6 percent as of 2023, it's fueling speculation that Trump will impose a 10-percent reciprocal tariff on all South Korean imports in April. Amid concerns over Trump's trade policies, Deputy Minister for Trade Park Jong-won left for the United States on Monday. During the 5-day visit, Park will meet with high-ranking officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to discuss trade and other pending issues. This will be the first official visit to Washington by a high-ranking trade official since President Trump took office. Park is expected to hear the specifics of the trade policies under the Trump administration, and convey Seoul's position on the matter. These discussions are particularly important because it will be challenging for the Korean government to devise response measures, as VAT is applied based on the value added at each stage of production. "In the end, it is the consumers which pay the value-added tax and right now except for foodstuff which is exempted, it's 10 percent so we'll have to figure out some way to eliminate the import component of that 10 percent and that could be difficult." The same expert also added that another factor that makes this situation complex is how a large portion of the tax revenue for many nations, not just Korea, relies on VAT. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.