How Trump's immigration policies and LA protests are affecting Korean Americans
2025/06/12 10:00
Protests in Los Angeles continue, as the city faces the sixth day of clashes between demonstrators and Trump's immigration agents. For the latest updates on what's happening there and how the situation has impacted the Korean American community, we connect live with Lee Sung-woo, an attorney at law in Los Angeles. Thank you so much for joining us. 1. How serious is the situation in Los Angeles? What have you been seeing over the past few days? (Is it safe to move around the city? How has it affected people's daily lives?) 2. As an immigration lawyer, how is the Trump administration's immigration policy affecting your clients? How do you assess the overall situation regarding immigration raids in LA? 3. Korean Americans in Los Angeles recently criticized Donald Trump Jr. after he posted a controversial meme mocking the unrest by referring to 'Rooftop Korean' from the 1992 riots. Tell us about how the Korean American community has been responding to the latest protests. 4. What are some of the biggest concerns for Korean Americans in Los Angeles and across the U.S.? How has the Korean community been affected in terms of doing business? Are people worried that they might have to leave the city they live in? 5. We're seeing the federal government and state officials clash over the deployment of troops to the LA protests with the California governor now asking the court to block Trump's decision. How do you think that will play out? As the protests spread to other cities, could this become an issue in other states as well? Alright. I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. I hope you stay safe there and thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it.
U.S. Treasury Secretary signals that U.S. may extend tariff pause for certain nations
2025/06/12 10:00
The Trump administration signaled its willingness extend the pause on reciprocal tariffs for key trading partners that's set to expire on July 9th, but made it clear that it is not a necessity. Our Lee Soo-jin reports. The U.S. may extend tariff breaks for countries pursuing trade negotiations in "good faith." Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is leading U.S. trade talks, said in a congressional hearing on Wednesday that the U.S. might extend the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for certain countries. He mentioned that there were 18 important trading partners that the Trump administration is working towards reaching an agreement with. But President Donald Trump also told reporters on Wednesday that while he was willing to extend the 90-day pause, he did not believe that it would be necessary. He also revealed that the U.S. will send trade offer letters to dozens of countries within two weeks that they could either accept or decline. The 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs that were announced on April 9th is set to expire on July 9th. This has led South Korea's newly elected administration to prioritize reaching a trade agreement with the U.S., with President Lee Jae-myung expressing a shared commitment to a deal during his first call with President Trump. There are also expectations that the two leaders will continue discussions at next week's G7 summit in Canada. Bessent's remarks come after the U.S. announced that it had reached a framework agreement with China during its second high-level trade talks held in London, though specific details have yet to be disclosed. "Dozens of countries have engaged the administration thus far with offers to improve their trade relations with the United States. This includes China. I have just returned in the middle of last night from successful negotiations in London with a Chinese delegation, " The Trump administration has so far announced a comprehensive agreement with the UK and a framework deal with China that serves as a stepping stone to eventually negotiate a full-fledged trade agreement. And as it remains a framework deal, Bessent acknowledged that negotiations with China are likely to be a lengthy process, signaling that while key issues like Beijing's export controls on rare earths critical to advanced tech and defense were addressed, broader trade disputes remain. But active negotiations, not just with China but other countries as well, are expected to continue, especially with the U.S. federal appeals court ruling on Tuesday that the tariffs can remain in effect until the court completes its full legal review. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.
S. Korean military halts loudspeaker broadcasts against the North
2025/06/12 10:00
The South Korean military has, starting Wednesday, halted loudspeaker broadcasts against the North in border areas, just one week after President Lee took office. This, following orders from the president, is aimed at easing military tensions between the two Koreas, and to pave the way for restored mutual trust. President Lee is said to have made the decision in light of the recent absence of any major provocations from North Korea, but clarified that there was no prior consultation with Pyongyang regarding this measure. In response, the North appears to have also turned off its own speakers last night. For the past five months, the regime has been blaring loud, eerie noises, including howling wolves --seemingly meant to harass those living in communities on the southern side of the border.
North Korea's Kim Jong-un sends letter to Putin to mark Russia Day
2025/06/12 10:00
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a congratulatory letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin in honor of Russia Day. According to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, in the letter, Kim called Russia a "brotherly" nation and said Pyongyang and Moscow share an "unbreakable comrade-in-arms" relationship. The letter was delivered by North Korean Ambassador to Russia, Shin Hong-chol , to Russia's Foreign Ministry to mark Russia Day on June 12th, a national holiday marking the formation of the Russian Federation. While North Korea's state media had traditionally released Kim's Russia Day letter without context, since last year, the KCNA has also reported on the delivery process before publishing the full text.
Trump "receptive" to correspondence with N. Korean leader: White House
2025/06/12 10:00
The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump is "receptive" to correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and wants to see the same kind of progress made during the leaders' first summit in 2018. However, according to reports, North Korean diplomats in New York have refused to accept a letter from the U.S. leader. Lee Seung-jae starts us off. U.S. President Donald Trump may be seeking to resume talks with North Korea. According to the White House press secretary, Trump is "receptive" to correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in a push to revive U.S.-North Korea talks. "The president remains receptive to correspondence with Kim Jong un, and he'd like to see the progress that was made at that summit in Singapore, which I know you covered in 2018 during his first term. As for specific correspondence, I'll leave that to the president to answer." The comments come as NK News reported that North Korean diplomats in New York have refused to accept a letter from Trump, in a bid to restart communication channels between Washington and Pyongyang. Citing an informed high-level source, the report said that the U.S. leader had drafted the letter to North Korean leader Kim, with a goal of restarting dialogue. However, the source said that despite multiple attempts to deliver the letter in person, the diplomats at the UN headquarters refused to accept it. Still, the reports indicate that Washington is looking to resume top-down diplomacy with the regime's leader. The two had three in-person meetings during Trump's first term in office, the first being in Singapore in 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019, and the third taking place at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in June of the same year. While the first summit in Singapore resulted in the two leaders agreeing on joint efforts to pursue the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the second meeting in Vietnam failed to produce a deal. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
UK agrees post-Brexit deal over Gibraltar
2025/06/12 10:00
The United Kingdom and European Union, in collaboration with Spain, reached a political agreement on Wednesday, resolving Gibraltar's post-Brexit status. Under the deal, approximately 15,000 daily cross-border commuters will be able to enter Gibraltar using residence permits or national identity cards, eliminating routine passport stamp checks. At Gibraltar's airport and seaport, passengers' passports will be jointly checked by Gibraltar and Spanish authorities. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated the agreement "protects British sovereignty" while boosting Gibraltar's economic stability. Spain and EU leaders welcomed the accord, calling it the removal of Europe's "last wall."
Curfew imposed in LA amid protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown
2025/06/11 20:00
Starting Tuesday, parts of downtown LA have been under an 8 PM to 6 AM curfew, as protests against Trump's immigration crackdown continue. LA police reportedly began mass arrests on the first night of the curfew. Shin Ha-young reports. Protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown have continued for several days in Los Angeles. In response, the city imposed a nighttime curfew on Tuesday in parts of downtown. Mayor Karen Bass said the curfew covers a one-square-mile area in downtown LA, where most of the protests are taking place. It runs from 8 PM on Tuesday to 6 AM the next morning. She explained that 23 businesses were looted and there was widespread vandalism that occurred the night before, saying the city had reached a "tipping point." Bass said it could be in effect for a few days, but the city will decide later whether to extend it. According to CNN, the Los Angeles Police Department said that several groups were still gathering in areas under curfew and noted that it had begun making mass arrests. The demonstrations against the crackdown and deportation of illegal immigrants are spreading to other major cities, including San Francisco, San Francisco, New York and Chicago. Amid the further outbreaks, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas National Guard will be deployed across the state to maintain "peace and order." Abbott said peaceful protests would be allowed, but anyone harming people or property would be arrested, adding that the National Guard will do everything it can to help the police maintain order. The decision came after President Donald Trump sent the National Guard to the protests in Los Angeles. With concerns lingering over the current state of the Los Angeles area, hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived, also on Tuesday, under orders from President Trump. Along with the recent deployment of Marines, some 4-thousand National Guard members have been sent to LA to control the protests. Meanwhile, progressive groups say that they'll be holding more than 15-hundred "No Kings" protests across the country on Saturday, which is the same day a military parade is set to take place in the U.S. capital, marking the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. The organizers believe that Trump is using the anniversary to celebrate his birthday, which is also on June 14th. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.
Speaker Woo urges careful timing on constitutional reform, calls for swift supplementary budget
2025/06/11 20:00
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik has said that while President Lee remains committed to constitutional reform, changes could take time. Marking his first year in office on Wednesday, Woo stressed that reform must be carefully timed as the new government is starting without a transition team, and talks will need to be held. He floated the idea of a constitutional referendum alongside the presidential election back in April in order to address calls for decentralization of power following the martial law declaration, but withdrew the idea after a backlash. Woo also called for the swift passage of a supplementary budget to address urgent economic and diplomatic challenges.
S. Korean military halts loudspeaker broadcasts against the North
2025/06/11 20:00
The South Korean military has, from today, halted loudspeaker broadcasts against the North in border areas, just one week after President Lee's inauguration. This, following the President's orders made earlier this afternoon aiming to ease military tensions between the two Koreas, paving the way for restored mutual trust. President Lee is said to have made the decision in light of the recent absence of any major provocations from North Korea, but clarified that there was no prior consultation with Pyongyang regarding this measure. The halt comes for the first time in a year, since the President Yoon administration resumed the broadcasts last June for the first time in six years, in response to North Korea's trash balloon campaigns.
U.S. finally confirms Lee-Trump phone call took place last Friday; first meeting at G7 this month?
2025/06/11 20:00
The U.S. has finally confirmed a top-level call took place last week between new President Lee Jae-myung and President Donald Trump. This comes amid growing anticipation that the two leaders will engage in a face-to-face meeting, at the G7 Summit which will kick off in a matter days. Oh Soo-young has more. Washington says it's "confident" that the South Korea-U.S. will continue to "thrive" under new President Lee Jae-myung, confirming that the new leader held a phone call with President Donald Trump last week. On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said at a press briefing that the U.S. congratulates Lee on his election win, expressing optimism, in response to a question about Lee's, quote, "pragmatic" approach to bilateral ties. She acknowledged that Lee had spoken with Trump last Friday in a 20-minute phone call, marking the first time a U.S. official confirmed the call had taken place. The conversation itself happened later than expected, on the third day of the Lee administration, bearing contrast with former Presidents Moon Jae-in and Yoon Suk Yeol, who spoke on the phone with their American counterparts within hours of taking office. Following the belated call, President Lee's office immediately almost announced it had taken place, elaborating how the two leaders exchanged pleasantries, and agreed on making efforts to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement on tariffs, before the Trump administration begins imposing its delayed reciprocal duties on imports. The Lee administration is reportedly aiming to postpone the July 8th deadline. However, no readouts or messages emerged from Washington regarding the top-level conversation. Experts have speculated the delay may have been intentional on Washington's side, as a means of passively pressuring Seoul amid negotiations. "We need to understand Trump's world view different from predecessors. He considers the weakening of America. It is not because mainly because of like enemy country hostile country like a Soviet Union Russia, China and things like that, rather than this enemy country but because the weakness comes from airlines and partners who exploited U.S. market unfairly and free riding on security." The two leaders also reportedly agreed to hold a face-to-face meeting soon, with the U.S. President extending an invitation to visit America. But first, Lee and Trump are likely to hold a brief summit on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Canada starting June 15th. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.
Pres. Lee, Czech PM Fiala call Dukovany nuclear plant deal a "milestone"
2025/06/11 20:00
President Lee Jae-myung held a 20-minute phone call with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Wednesday afternoon. According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, the two leaders described the recent 18 billion dollar contract for South Korea to build two nuclear reactors at the Dukovany power plant as a "milestone" for expanding economic cooperation, and agreed to broaden cooperation beyond nuclear energy to include advanced industries, infrastructure, and energy. The leaders also noted that this year marks the 35th anniversary of diplomatic ties between South Korea and the Czech Republic. President Lee invited Prime Minister Fiala to South Korea at a convenient time, to which Fiala responded with his appreciation.
World News: Austria school shooting death toll rises to 11
2025/06/11 17:00
This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe. In Austria, at least 11 people, including the suspect, have been killed in a high school shooting and many others were injured. The mass shooting happened shortly after 10 AM local time on Tuesday at a secondary school in the southern Austrian city of Graz. Police confirmed the suspect, a 21-year-old former student of the school, brought both a legally owned pistol and a shotgun into the school building. While no definitive motive has been confirmed, officials are looking into reports that he may have experienced bullying while attending the school. Austria has declared a three-day mourning period, and schools across Graz have been temporarily closed. Chancellor Christian Stocker condemned the violence, calling it a "black day for Austria." The United Kingdom and four other countries announced sanctions against two Israeli cabinet ministers, for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The sanctions, announced on Tuesday by the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway, include asset freezes and travel bans. They target Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom are both prominent West Bank settlers. A joint statement by the five nations stated that the targeted ministers "have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights," emphasizing that the measures are personal, and don't affect official ministry functions. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the sanctions as "outrageous." And the United States warned the sanctions could hinder efforts toward a Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiations. In Colombia, a coordinated series of bombings and shootings targeting police stations and roads in the southwest of the country left at least seven people dead and dozens injured on Tuesday morning. More than 20 "terrorist attacks" were reported throughout the day, with assailants detonating bombs using cars and motorcycles, while opening fire on police stations in the city of Cali and nearby towns. Police and military officials have blamed a guerrilla faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday's attacks will be investigated for potential connections with a recent attack on a presidential candidate, who remains in intensive care after being shot in the head. Finally, in Northern India, which is experiencing a heatwave with temperatures reaching as high as 45 degrees Celsius, the capital's New Delhi Zoo launched a special summer action plan for its animals on Tuesday to cope with the scorching heat. As the heatwave has been harsh on not just humans but also animals, the zoo has provided the animals with water sprinklers, a special diet, and ponds to help them combat the heat and stay cool. India's weather office warned of a heatwave for several northern states in the coming days, with light showers expected in some areas starting Thursday. with light showers expected in some areas starting Thursday. Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.
Protest against Trump's immigration policy spreads to other cities
2025/06/11 17:00
A curfew is in place in some parts of Los Angeles as of eight in the evening on Tuesday until six in the morning on Wednesday local time. It was announced by the city's mayor following days of anti-ICE protests that our Lee Seung-jae says have spread to other cities in the U.S. Do take a listen. The LA protests against U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration policies continued for the fifth day on Tuesday. According to the police, rioting, arson, and violence have somewhat subsided. However, the demonstrations against the crackdown and deportation of illegal immigrants are spreading to other major cities, including San Francisco, San Francisco, New York and Chicago. With concerns lingering over the current state of the Los Angeles area, hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived on Tuesday, under orders from President Trump. Around 700 Marines were seen awaiting deployment to specific locations, however, they do not have the authority to arrest anyone. Instead,.. the troops are said to be deployed to protect federal property and personnel. California Governor Gavin Newsom filed an emergency request at a federal court on Tuesday, to stop the Trump administration from using both the National Guard and the Marines. Along with the recent deployment of Marines, some 4-thousand National Guard members have been sent to LA to control the protests. Trump has also threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to deploy the military and to federalize the National Guard units of the individual states if he determines the LA street protests to be an insurrection. "If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. Well, see, but I can tell you last night was terrible. The night before that was terrible. We have, as you've seen, it was on most of your networks, people with big, heavy hammers pounding the concrete and pounding curbs, pounding and breaking up and handing these big chunks of concrete to people." Trump added that the National Guard will leave, once it's deemed that the Los Angeles area is no longer considered dangerous. Meanwhile, progressive groups say that they'll be holding more than 15-hundred "No Kings" protests across the country on Saturday, which is the same day a military parade is set to take place in the U.S. capital, marking the U.S. Army's 250th birthday. The organizers believe that Trump is using the military's birthday to celebrate his own birthday, which is also on June 14th. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
U.S.-China agree on trade framework to implement Geneva Consensus
2025/06/11 17:00
In London. Senior trade officials from the U.S. and China have hammered out a framework to put into practice the trade deal sealed in Geneva. Our Lee Soo-jin has details. The United States and China have agreed on a trade framework that would allow them to implement an agreement reached at the trade talks held in Geneva last month. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday that the U.S. and China have reached a framework to implement the Geneva Consensus, which each negotiating team will present for approval by the leaders of both countries before it is put into effect. This comes after two full days of talks that began on Monday in London. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Lutnick had already expressed optimism about the negotiations. "I have to go back to Washington to testify before Congress tomorrow. We have had two days of productive talks." "I think we're working on all sorts of change, and I think the talks are going really, really well. The high-level talks between the world's largest economies follow discussions held in Geneva on May 10th and 11th, where the U.S. and China agreed to temporarily slash tariffs. But since those talks, sentiment has soured with both sides accusing the other of breaching the agreement. As tensions escalated, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a 90-minute phone call last week, during which they agreed to move forward with a new round of trade talks. The U.S. announced strict export controls on advanced semiconductor chip technology and visa cancellations for Chinese students, while China has been slow to lift blocks on shipments of rare earth minerals, a key focus of this second round of talks. Lutnick expressed hope that the framework will help resolve China's rare earth export restrictions. Wall Street's three major indices closed higher on Tuesday, buoyed by optimism from senior U.S. administration officials. The blue-chip focused Dow ended up zero-point-two-five percent, the S&P 500 rose zero-point-five-five percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained zero-point-six-three percent. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.
U.S. State Department "confident" S. Korea-U.S. ties will "thrive" under Lee Jae-myung administration
2025/06/11 17:00
The U.S. is "confident" that ties between Seoul and Washington will continue to "thrive" under the Lee Jae-myung administration. Remarks to this end were made by U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a press briefing on Tuesday in response to a question about President Lee's approach to the alliance between the two countries. The new South Korean president for his part has pledged "pragmatic" diplomacy while highlighting the importance of bilateral relations. Following talks on the phone last week President Lee and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump are expected to meet on the margins of the G7 meeting in Canada starting June 15th.
New deputy ministers for foreign affairs take office
2025/06/11 17:00
Newly appointed deputy foreign ministers began their duty on this Wednesday one day after being tapped by President Lee Jae-myung . The appointments of First Deputy Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo and Second Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jina come just a few days ahead of the president's attendance at the Group of Seven summit in Canada scheduled to start on Sunday local time. Park previously served as the minister of South Korea's mission to the ASEAN while Kim was a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. The Lee administration has yet to name a foreign minister a post which UNLIKE the deputy positions REQUIRES parliamentary approval.
U.S. State Department "confident" S. Korea-U.S. ties will "thrive" under Lee Jae-myung administration
2025/06/11 10:00
The United States says it's "confident" that relations between Seoul and Washington will continue to "thrive" under the new South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who took office last week. That's according to Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the State Department, during a press briefing on Tuesday local time. She said the U.S. congratulates Lee on his election, expressing optimism, in response to a question about the new leader's approach to bilateral ties. Lee has said he will initiate "pragmatic" diplomacy and regards the Seoul-Washington alliance as the foundation of Korea's foreign policy. Following his first phone call with President Donald Trump last week, the two leaders are likely to hold a brief summit on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Canada starting on June 15.
Series of attacks leave at least seven dead in Colombia
2025/06/11 10:00
In Colombia, a coordinated series of bombings and shootings targeting police stations and roads in the southwest of the country left at least seven people dead and dozens injured on Tuesday morning. More than 20 "terrorist attacks" were reported throughout the day, with assailants detonating bombs using cars and motorcycles, while opening fire on police stations in the city of Cali and Cali and nearby towns. Police and military officials have blamed a guerrilla faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. President Gustavo Petro said Tuesday's attacks will be investigated for potential connections with a recent attack on a presidential candidate, who remains in intensive care after being shot in the head.
UK, others sanction Israeli ministers for 'inciting violence' against Palestinians
2025/06/11 10:00
The United Kingdom and four other countries announced sanctions against two Israeli cabinet ministers, for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The sanctions, announced on Tuesday by the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway, include asset freezes and travel bans. They target Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom are both prominent West Bank settlers. A joint statement by the five nations stated that the targeted ministers "have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights," emphasizing that the measures are personal, and don't affect official ministry functions. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the sanctions as "outrageous." And the United States warned the sanctions could hinder efforts toward a Gaza ceasefire and hostage negotiations.
Austria school shooting death toll rises to 11
2025/06/11 10:00
Now, let's take a look at some stories from around the world with our Choi Chi Hee . Good morning, Chi Hee. Good morning, Eunji. In Europe, a mass shooting at a high school in Austria has left eleven dead. Fill us in on this. At least 11 people, including the suspect, have been killed in the shooting and many others were injured. The mass shooting happened shortly after 10 AM local time on Tuesday at a secondary school in the southern Austrian city of Graz. Police confirmed the suspect, a 21-year-old former student of the school, brought both a legally owned pistol and a shotgun into the school building. While no definitive motive has been confirmed, officials are looking into reports that he may have experienced bullying while attending the school. Austria has declared a three-day mourning period, and schools across Graz have been temporarily closed. Chancellor Christian Stocker condemned the violence, calling it a "black day for Austria."