News

[On-point] S. Korea's Lee expected to meet Trump this month in major foreign policy test

2025/08/04 12:37

As we just heard, officials from South Korea and the United States are working to set a date for a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump which is set to be a key test for Lee's foreign policy. For more on this, we're joined by Professor Robert Kelly, Professor of International Relations at Pusan National University. Security is expected to be at the top of the agenda when they do meet and the United States will likely ask Korea to increase its defense contributions. How do you think the talks will play out? Could the upcoming summit change the role of American forces that are stationed here,.. and could this align with a potential shift in Trump's policy toward East Asian countries, as Washington tries to better counter China? Seoul and Washington also recently struck a trade agreement, setting the tariff rate at 15%. Could there also be further discussions on the details of the deal when Trump and Lee meet? Trump has made it clear he's putting American interests over those of U.S. allies. How do you think the Lee administration should manage its alliance with the United States over the course of its five-year term? Alright, Professor Kelly, thank you so much for your insight today. We appreciate it.

Four-term lawmaker Jung Chung-rae becomes ruling DP’s leader

2025/08/04 12:36

The ruling Democratic Party launched its new leadership at its national convention over the weekend, electing four-term lawmaker Jung Chung-rae as party leader. Our political correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. Four-term lawmaker Jung Chung-rae has been elected as the new leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea. At the party's national convention on Saturday, Jung won with 61-point-7-4 percent of the vote, defeating rival candidate Park Chan-dae , the party's former floor leader. In his acceptance speech, Jung said that he would quickly push ahead with prosecution, media, and judiciary reforms. "As soon as the party convention ends, I will launch task forces to reform the prosecution, media and judiciary. I will complete these three reforms before the Chuseok holiday." During the press conference, Jung said he is unable to work hand in hand with the main opposition People Power Party as it still includes members who support former President Yoon Suk Yeol. "We're at war with the insurrection. It's not about ruling and opposition parties." Jung also emphasized that he would make sure the party, government, and presidential office work together as one to support the success of the Lee Jae Myung administration. According to the Presidential Office, President Lee called Jung on Saturday to congratulate him on his win and emphasized the importance of a "one team spirit" and working effectively for the people. Saturday's convention was held to fill the leadership vacancy after former party leader Lee Jae Myung was elected president in June. Jung will serve the rest of Lee's term over the next year and lead the party in next year's local elections. First on his public schedule as the new leader, Jung visited the city of Naju in Jeollanam-do Province on Sunday to help with flood recovery efforts. Meanwhile, following Kim Min-seok's resignation from the Supreme Council after becoming Prime Minister, the vacant seat was filled by Hwang Myeong-seon , the sole candidate, who was elected with a majority of the vote. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

Hamas releases videos of Israeli hostages

2025/08/04 12:35

Over in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eliminate Hamas and secure the release of hostages after videos of two visibly emaciated Israelis being held by the militant group were released. Lee Seung-jae has more. Palestinian militant group Hamas has released two videos of two Israeli hostages, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski. The video released by Hamas on Saturday, showed David saying that he hasn't eaten for days and is digging his own grave. "What I'm doing now is digging the grave, the grave I consider is for myself, because every day that goes by, every day that goes by my body is weakening, getting skinnier and weaker. To me it seems that I'm heading towards my own death." The video of Rom Braslavski was released by Hamas on Thursday, showing the 22-year-old pleading for food, water, and rescue. Both men were abducted from a music festival by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attacks. In response to the hostage video, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to destroy Hamas, adding that Israel is determined to free the hostages. " I am filled with even stronger determination to free our kidnapped sons, to eliminate Hamas, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to the State of Israel." Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met with families of hostages held by Hamas on Saturday. There, he told the families that Washington is working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza. The envoy also said that the militant group was prepared to disarm in a move to end the war, however, the group has repeatedly said it will not lay down its weapons. Witkoff is currently visiting Israel as the U.S. is facing mounting pressure over the worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

S. Korea-U.S. summit will be held within August: FM Cho Hyun

2025/08/04 12:34

The first summit between presidents Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump will take place within this month according to Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Sunday. Speaking upon his return from Washington, D.C., Cho said that the final coordination is being made to arrange a summit within August but did not disclose the date. In talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the two sides began preparing for a leaders' meeting in D.C., after Trump declared a meeting within two weeks. Cho added he and Rubio had reaffirmed the combined defense posture of South Korean and U.S. forces, and commitment to extended deterrence. On the matter of "alliance modernization", Cho emphasized Seoul's efforts to strengthen defense amid global uncertainty, while addressing concerns over ties with China.

Fire at Sochi oil depot after reported Ukrainian drone strikes

2025/08/04 11:35

Good morning, I'm Choi Chi-hee, and this is the World Now. Ukraine launched a drone strike on Sunday targeting an oil depot near the Russian city of Sochi. The first significant attack on the Black Sea resort city in years resulted in two oil tanks catching fire. Local authorities in the Kras-no-dar region confirmed that debris from a downed Ukrainian drone struck two fuel tanks, starting a fire. Over 120 firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze, and no casualties were reported. An airport in Sochi, the city that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics, also briefly suspended operations. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, 93 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over the Kras-no-dar region and the Black Sea over the weekend.

President Lee begins five-day summer vacation

2025/08/04 11:33

President Lee Jae Myung officially begins his five-day summer vacation today. According to the Presidential Office, he is staying on Jeodo Island in Geoje City, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, and plans to reflect on national affairs and recharge by reading and watching films. The top office says it has activated an "emergency reporting system," as the President intends to continue monitoring key issues, including those related to people's livelihoods.

[Weekly Focus] Kim Yo-jong releases back-to-back statements toward Seoul, Washington; what does this suggest?

2025/08/02 00:35

North Korea broke its silence and issued back-to-back statements aimed at both South Korea and the U.S. this week. Seoul has been pondering whether to downsize joint military drills, while Washington maintained its stance that it is open to dialogue with Pyongyang. For more on this, we invite our defense correspondent, Kim Bo-kyoung. Bo-kyoung, welcome. Thank you for having me. Let's delve a little bit deeper into what Kim Yo-jong said earlier this week. It marked the North's first official statement on the Lee administration. Right, as Seoul tries to ease tensions and resume dialogue with Pyongyang, Kim Yo-jong released a statement on Monday and said President Lee is no different from his predecessor in blindly adhering to the ROK-U.S. alliance. While saying that Seoul's recent suspension of anti-Pyongyang broadcasts is not something that deserves any appreciation, she also said that Pyongyang is not interested in any proposal put forward by Seoul. The Unification Ministry said this shows the high walls of distrust between the two Koreas, emphasizing that it will continue to pursue reconciliation with the North. July 28th, 2025 "The government will stay steady and consistent in pursuing reconciliation, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, without overreacting to the North's responses." The Presidential Office also issued a similar message, saying it will consistently take the necessary actions to make a peninsula without hostility and conflict. Regarding Kim Yo-jong's remarks, one expert said the regime is asking more from Seoul, especially regarding its alliance with the U.S. "The message points to a more fundamental issue—the nature of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. It suggests that the future of inter-Korean dialogue and the restoration of relations will depend on how much autonomy South Korea can exercise from the U.S. in managing its relationship with the North." And after Kim's remarks, the unification minister talked about downsizing ROK-U.S. drills, right? Right, Minister Chung Dong-young said he will propose adjusting the scale of Seoul-Washington joint military drills to the President. South Korea and the U.S. conduct two major joint drills every year the Freedom Shield in March, and the Ulchi Freedom Shield in August. Both are Command Post Exercises, war games in which military leadership executes wartime scenarios. They are accompanied by various field training exercises, with U.S. strategic assets, also, at times, deployed to the Peninsula. Reporters have been asking the Defense Ministry whether there might be any changes regarding the joint drill. Its response as of Thursday is that there have been no changes made yet to planned joint drills. But one expert says points to a case where a drill was suspended in 2018, and there could be changes made even at the last minute if the Korean and the U.S. leaders agree to do so. "Back in 2018, South Korea and the U.S. suspended joint military drills amid improving inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea relations. While changing the current exercise schedule may be difficult, if both leaders agree, a decision to adjust or pause the drills could still be made to support broader peace efforts." As far as I remember, Kim Yo-jong issued a message to Washington the next day which was Tuesday. What was at the core of her message? She urged the U.S. to approach North Korea based on new thinking, and asked that Pyongyang be recognized as a nuclear-weapon state. She did admit that personal ties between the leaders Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are "not bad, " but ruled out talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization. Still, the White House reaffirmed its readiness for dialogue with the regime's leader on that subject. The expert said Pyongyang is asking Washington to make a decisive shift for talks to resume, tossing the ball in Trump's court. "It is calling for new thinking and the search for an exit strategy: to recognize North Korea as a nuclear-armed state and begin a new round of nuclear arms reduction talks based on that premise." Until now, we've focused on Pyongyang's messages toward Seoul and Washington. How is the regime's relationship with Moscow going? Their ties continue to strengthen, with Russia having launched direct passenger flights between Moscow and Pyongyang for the first time in about three decades, and Pyongyang keeps providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. In fact, according to a report by South Korea's National Intelligence Service on Wednesday, support from Moscow and Pyongyang's troop dispatches, have been cited as reasons behind Pyongyang's boosted confidence. The regime is considering itself to have a significantly more advantageous strategic position than before, which apparently led to Kim Yo-jong's back-to-back statements. Meanwhile, the relationship between Pyongyang and Beijing seems to have weakened a bit. North Korea's Central News Agency did show Kim Jong-un paying tribute at the Friendship Tower recently symbolizing the ties between them, on the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of the 1953 Armistice Agreement. The report on it was shorter than before, though, hinting at somewhat strained relations between the two. Alright, this is all the questions I have for you, Bo-kyoung. Thank you for the wrap-up. Thank you.

Trump deeply interested in Korean Peninsula: U.S. ambassador

2025/08/01 22:36

Acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun said President Trump remains deeply interested in the Korean Peninsula during talks in Seoul today with Unification Minister Chung Dong‑young. "When President Trump first came in, I worked under him for about two years. So I know for sure he has a lot of interest in the Korean Peninsula." Yun added that the project Trump began with North Korea is still unfinished. Minister Chung, for his part, said he was counting on Trump's leadership to turn an uneasy peace on the peninsula into lasting stability.

Top Korean, U.S. diplomats hold first meeting, begin preparing Lee-Trump summit

2025/08/01 22:36

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Thursday local time. This was the first foreign ministerial meeting since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration, setting the tone and direction of the bilateral alliance. Our correspondent Oh Soo-young has the details. Seoul and Washington's top diplomats reaffirmed their cooperation on handling a nuclear North Korea, and began planning a top-level summit expected within two weeks. On Thursday local time, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Washington, D.C, marking their first official talks since the Lee Jae Myung administration took office in early June. According to their respective offices, the two officials discussed the South Korea-U.S. alliance and broader security issues in the region. Seoul's Foreign Ministry says they exchanged views on North Korea, agreed on its complete denuclearization, with the two officials deeming it "necessary to strengthen cooperation" on Pyongyang. They also agreed to enhance trilateral relations with Japan, based on the Seoul-Washington alliance. The U.S. State Department's readout further expressed "serious concern" over North Korea's growing military ties with Russia, and said Cho and Rubio both committed to the full implementation of international sanctions against Pyongyang. The statement also positioned trilateral cooperation with Tokyo as deterrence against "regional threats," as well as noting the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Cho and Rubio welcomed the sudden conclusion of trade negotiations by finance and trade officials the day before, and pledged to cooperate on supply chains and emerging technologies. In particular, Seoul emphasized a third pillar of the partnership in advanced technologies alongside security and trade cooperation. Given that security issues were not substantively addressed in the trade negotiations, as a so-called "package deal," continued discussions are expected on "alliance modernization." The term refers to adjusting the role and scope of the Korea-U.S. alliance in line with changing strategic conditions and as Washington presses allies to contribute more towards their own security. The summit between Presidents Lee and Trump could serve as a starting point, with a potential 2+2 ministerial meeting to follow. Speaking with reporters after their meeting, the Korean foreign minister said he and Rubio held constructive talks, and have started coordinating for the leaders' summit. Trump declared the previous day that a meeting would be held within two weeks. Separately, Cho requested Washington's support and cooperation for South Korea's hosting of this year's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in October, having sent an invitation to President Trump to attend the Leaders' Meeting. Rubio responded that he was well aware of this and would actively consider the request. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

Gov't launches online platform to gather public input on APEC 2025 Korea

2025/08/01 19:38

The government is welcoming public opinion on APEC-related promotion strategies as well as infrastructure and service proposals. Those interested can share their thoughts online starting today until August 31st by clicking on the banner titled "K-APEC" on the websites of the Office for Government Policy Coordination the Foreign Ministry or APEC 2025 Korea. This campaign follows Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's call for public communication in preparation for the annual economic meeting of 21 states that will take place in Gyeongju on October 31st to November 1st.

Public access to Cheong Wa Dae to be suspended starting Friday

2025/08/01 19:37

The former presidential office Cheong Wa Dae has closed its gates to the public. The closure follows the Lee Jae Myung administration's plan to move the top office back to Cheong Wa Dae from Yongsan. The former Yoon Suk Yeol administration had opened "Cheong Wa Dae" up to the public back in May 2022. Since then some seven million people have made their way to the grounds of the Blue House. Also foot traffic surged after the new administration shared intentions to return to Cheong Wa Dae after the June third election.

President Lee calls balanced regional growth S. Korea's "survival strategy"

2025/08/01 19:37

President Lee Jae Myung believes South Korea's survival depends on balanced regional growth. Remarks to this end were shared during a meeting with the heads of 17 cities and provinces at the Yongsan Presidential Office earlier on Friday. Do take a listen. "More support should go to regions outside the capital, to even begin to maintain balance. We plan to apply this principle more strongly in policy decisions and budget allocations." The president also urged local governments to strengthen public safety measures calling these efforts the state's "top responsibility." Likewise today's talks touched upon disaster response strategies and ways to boost domestic consumption.

Top Korean, U.S. diplomats hold first meeting, begin preparing Lee-Trump summit

2025/08/01 19:37

In Washington D.C. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his American counterpart Marco Rubio have reaffirmed their commitment.. to North Korea's denuclearization. Our foreign affairs correspondent Oh Soo-young reports. Seoul and Washington's top diplomats reaffirmed their cooperation on handling a nuclear North Korea, and began planning a top-level summit expected within two weeks. On Thursday local time, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Washington, D.C, marking their first official talks since the Lee Jae Myung administration took office in early June. According to their respective offices, the two officials discussed the South Korea-U.S. alliance and broader security issues in the region. Seoul's Foreign Ministry says they exchanged views on North Korea, agreed on its complete denuclearization, with the two officials deeming it "necessary to strengthen cooperation" on Pyongyang. They also agreed to enhance trilateral relations with Japan, based on the Seoul-Washington alliance. The U.S. State Department's readout further expressed "serious concern" over North Korea's growing military ties with Russia, and said Cho and Rubio both committed to the full implementation of international sanctions against Pyongyang. The statement also positioned trilateral cooperation with Tokyo as deterrence against "regional threats," as well as noting the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Cho and Rubio welcomed the sudden conclusion of trade negotiations by finance and trade officials the day before, and pledged to cooperate on supply chains and emerging technologies. In particular, Seoul emphasized a third pillar of the partnership in advanced technologies alongside security and trade cooperation. Given that security issues were not substantively addressed in the trade negotiations, as a so-called "package deal," continued discussions are expected on "alliance modernization." The term refers to adjusting the role and scope of the Korea-U.S. alliance in line with changing strategic conditions and as Washington presses allies to contribute more towards their own security. The summit between Presidents Lee and Trump could serve as a starting point, with a potential 2+2 ministerial meeting to follow. Speaking with reporters after their meeting, the Korean foreign minister said he and Rubio held constructive talks, and have started coordinating for the leaders' summit. Trump declared the previous day that a meeting would be held within two weeks. Separately, Cho requested Washington's support and cooperation for South Korea's hosting of this year's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in October, having sent an invitation to President Trump to attend the Leaders' Meeting. Rubio responded that he was well aware of this and would actively consider the request. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

White House confirms reciprocal tariffs will be effective of Aug. 1

2025/08/01 13:34

U.S. President Donald Trump has now signed an executive order, setting tariffs for trading partners, including South Korea. The White House also officially confirmed that South Korea will face a 15% tariff rate, with the deal providing market access to American goods, including autos and rice. Park Jun-han has more. U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday local time signed an executive order for the new reciprocal tariffs that take effect on August 1st. "But I do know that the trade team has been working around the clock to try to be in correspondence with as many countries as possible. But if they haven't heard from us yet, they will in the form of a letter or an executive order by midnight tonight." South Korea on Wednesday secured a last-minute deal to lower the reciprocal tariff from 25 percent to 15 percent. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the agreement allows significant investment for the U.S. and historic market access to American goods. "And South Korea will pay a 15% tariff rate, including 15% on autos, while providing historic market access to American goods like autos and rice. Korea will purchase $100 billion in American energy by 2028, and the centerpiece of this deal is that South Korea has agreed to invest $350 billion at the president's direction to revitalize American industry." U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking on CNBC, described the agreement between South Korea and the U.S. as a "very good" one. Bessent said, "South Korea was a special case because they had an election, a new government. So they were not in the position to fully negotiate." "They presented a very good offer. President Trump moved the offer up a bit, and we reached a very good agreement." On the same day, the White House posted a photo of President Trump with the South Korean–U.S. trade delegation to social media, where it called the deal "historic." Trump also took to social media to say details on South Korea's investments will be formalized during a visit to the White House by President Lee Jae Myung, set to take place in the next two weeks. Park Jun-han, Arirang News.

White House unveils plans for new US$ 200 mil. ballroom

2025/08/01 11:39

In the U.S., the White House unveiled on Thursday plans to construct a 200-million-U.S.-dollar State Ballroom, marking the first structural addition to the main building since the Truman Balcony was added in 1948. The proposed ballroom, also known as "The People's House," will be approximately 8,360 square meters in size and accommodate up to 650 seated guests, far exceeding the current 200-person capacity of the East Room. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said construction is scheduled to begin this September and is expected to be completed before the end of President Trump's term in early 2029. Funding will come from Trump and other donors.

Ukraine parliament votes to restore anticorruption agencies after protests

2025/08/01 11:38

Over in Ukraine, the parliament voted unanimously to restore the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies, following mass protests. The bill was passed on Thursday, during a livestream broadcast of a parliamentary session, with a vote of 331 to 0, reinstating full independence for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. The decision nullified amendments passed on July 22 that had placed both agencies under the authority of the prosecutor-general. The decision led to some of the most significant protests since Russia's 2022 invasion, with thousands of young Ukrainians taking to the streets of Kyiv and other cities demanding retention of democratic norms. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the bill into law just hours after the vote, calling the new legislation a guarantee of "normal, independent work for anti-corruption bodies and all law enforcement agencies in our state."

U.S. to deny visas to Palestinian officials

2025/08/01 11:38

Good morning, I'm Choi Chi-hee, and this is The World Now. The United States says it will deny visas for officials of the Palestinian Authority and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization. The U.S. State Department announced the sanctions on Thursday, under the Middle East Peace Commitments Act and the PLO Commitments Compliance Act. The measures formally deny visas to unspecified members of both the PA and PLO for their alleged efforts to "internationalize" the conflict with Israel, such as bringing cases to the International Criminal Court. They also coincide with moves by European and North American allies, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and France, to recognize Palestinian statehood at the September U.N. General Assembly. The White House, on the same day, made clear that President Trump "expressed his dissatisfaction and disagreement" with the three allied leaders, and views any recognition of Palestinian statehood as "rewarding Hamas."

Top Korean, U.S. diplomats reaffirm "resolute" commitment to N. Korea denuclearization, trilateral cooperation with Japan

2025/08/01 11:37

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Thursday local time. This was the first foreign ministerial meeting since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung Administration. For more on what was talked about and what comes next, we have our correspondent Oh Soo-young on the line. Q1. Sooyoung. The top diplomats of Seoul and Washington held their first-ever discussion at their meeting in D.C.. Tell us more. Good morning. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his counterpart Marco Rubio met Thursday afternoon, very early in the morning here in Seoul. The two officials appear to have discussed the South Korea-U.S. alliance and broader security issues in the region. Seoul's Foreign Ministry says they exchanged views on North Korea, deeming it "necessary to strengthen cooperation" on Pyongyang, and agreed to an enhanced whole-of-government approach. They also agreed to strengthen trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, based on the Seoul-Washington alliance. Washington's readout focused more on deterrence against North Korea, saying the two officials reaffirmed "resolute" commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea. The statement also expressed serious concern over North Korea’s growing military cooperation with Russia, and said Cho and Rubio both committed to the full implementation of international sanctions against Pyongyang. It also positioned Seoul and Washington's three-way cooperation with Tokyo as an effort to strengthen deterrence against "regional threats" while emphasizing the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Their talks followed the sudden conclusion of trade negotiations by finance and trade officials the day before, Cho and Rubio welcomed the bilateral trade agreement and pledged cooperation on supply chains and critical and emerging technologies. Seoul further emphasised a third pillar of partnership in advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, and quantum technology, alongside security and trade cooperation. Q2. There's also talk of "alliance modernization" following the tariff agreement. What’s the latest on that? Right. Security issues were not substantively addressed in the recent trade negotiations. Initially, a so-called "package deal" covering both tariffs and security matters was touted. However, discussions on "alliance modernization" are now expected. The term refers to adjusting the role and scope of the Korea-U.S. alliance in line with changing strategic conditions and as Washington presses allies to contribute more towards their own security. Both the Foreign Minister and Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back, who held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, have reportedly discussed alliance modernization. No specific outcomes have been announced yet. However, it is expected that the summit between Presidents Lee and Trump could serve as a starting point, with a potential 2+2 ministerial meeting to follow for detailed discussions. Trump has stated his meeting with Lee will take place within the next two weeks, and reportedly instructed Secretary Rubio to make arrangements without delay. So we can expect him to coordinate with Seoul, including with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Speaking with reporters after their meeting, the Korean foreign minister said the talks with Rubio were good and constructive, and that talks to prepare for the leaders' summit have now begun. Back to you Eunji. Thanks for that Sooyoung.

Public access to Cheong Wa Dae to be suspended starting Friday

2025/08/01 11:35

In line with President Lee Jae-myung's decision to move the presidential office back to the Cheong Wa Dae from Yongsan, public access to the compound will be completely suspended starting Friday. This marks the end of a 1-thousand-179-day period,.. during which the Cheong Wa Dae was open to the public, after former President Yoon Suk Yeol opened its gates to the public on May 10, 2022. During that time, nearly seven million people have visited the historic site. Interest surged in recent months after President Lee won the snap election in June, with the number of visitors in June more than tripling compared to the same period last year. Also, in the 40 days since the election,.. foot traffic to the Cheong Wa Dae jumped over 240 percent compared to a year ago.

As humanitarian crisis intensifies in Gaza, more countries state the need to recognize State of Palestine as a country

2025/07/31 22:41

Another shooting took place in Gaza as people queued up for food, leaving at least 48 dead. This comes as Canada has outspokenly stated its intentions to formally recognize the State of Palestine. Ahn Sung-jin has the details. Canada says it plans to join several countries in formally recognizing Palestine as a state. According to Prime Minister Mark Carney, during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Canada intends to do so at a meeting of the UN General Assembly in September this year, as long as preconditions are met. "This intention is predicated on the Palestinian Authority's commitment to much-needed reforms, including commitments by the Palestinian Authority's President Abbas, to fundamentally reform its governance, to hold general elections in 2026, in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state." Canada also signed the New York Call, a joint statement of the ministers of foreign affairs from 15 countries, including Australia, France, and Spain, that calls for an immediate ceasefire, release of hostages, and a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine live within secure and recognized borders. Conditions in Gaza remain dire. Israeli soldiers reportedly killed at least 48 Palestinians. According to Associated Press on Wednesday, IDF soldiers opened fire on a crowd at a key gateway for aid trucks at a checkpoint in the north of the Strip. This incident comes as Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is headed to Israel for talks on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. UN agencies have repeatedly stated that the population has already exceeded the threshold for famine in the Gaza Strip. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.