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Senior presidential secretaries pledge to back gov't efforts to 'stably manage' diplomacy, economy

2025/01/20 10:00

Following his detention, President Yoon's senior secretaries held a meeting on Sunday to discuss how to move forward as an administration. In a press statement, the top office pledged support for the government's efforts to effectively manage diplomatic and security affairs, given the evolving international landscape, such as leadership changes in allied nations. It will also work with the Cabinet to address high exchange and interest rates, and oil prices which affect people's livelihoods. Chief-of-Staff Chung Jin-suk called on all secretaries to "fulfill their respective roles as public officials to ensure stable governance."

Preparations in full swing with one day to go until Trump's inauguration

2025/01/20 10:00

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump officially moves back into the White House on Monday. And inauguration-related events are in full swing, with the inauguration itself set to take place indoors due to extreme winter conditions. Lee Seung-jae reports. In less than a day, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office, and return to the White House, four years after his election defeat to Joe Biden. Four days of inauguration-related events kicked off on Saturday with a reception and fireworks at his golf club in Virginia, with around 500 people in attendance. On Sunday, he visited Arlington National Cemetery, and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. And due to the extreme winter conditions in the U.S. capital, the inauguration day ceremony will take place indoors at the U.S. Capitol rotunda. Monday is expected to be the coldest inauguration day in 40 years, with temperatures forecast to dip to minus 5 degrees Celsius, with winds blowing up to 48 kilometers per hour due to an arctic vortex in the region. After Trump is sworn into office, he will make his inauguration speech before events close on Tuesday with a prayer service at Washington National Cathedral. Despite the extreme winter conditions, supporters of Trump came to celebrate his return, with the "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" taking place on Sunday. "I got here at 5 in the morning. And tomorrow the same. I was going to go out there now because of the freezing cold. I don't do it. I've got to do it. I've got to, I can't wait to dance that YMCA dance. I'm practicing. I'm hoping Trump will wave back." The rally took place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, where Trump held his pre-inauguration address. There, Trump promised to usher in a new era of American prosperity, adding that on Monday, the country will "begin a brand new day of American strength, prosperity, dignity and pride." Meanwhile, video sharing platform TikTok said Sunday it was restoring its service. The move comes after Trump said he would reverse a ban on the app when he returns to the Oval Office. TikTok said in a message to users that the service would be restored "as a result of President Trump's effort." In an interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Saturday, Trump said he would "most likely" give the platform a 90-day reprieve from a potential ban in the U.S. once he takes office. While a final decision hasn't been made, the soon-to-be U.S. leader is considering the extension for the China-based parent company to sell to a non-Chinese-buyer, or face a U.S. ban. TikTok stopped working in the U.S. on Saturday, before a law shutting it down on the grounds of national security took effect on Sunday. Washington had warned of Americans' data being misused by Chinese parent company ByteDance. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Yoon refuses to be questioned again while CIO bans personal visits for Yoon

2025/01/20 10:00

President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally arrested on Sunday, which means he stays put in the Seoul Detention Center but now with a prisoner number. We go straight to the site where he's being detained. Do-yeon, how are things looking there this morning, and what might we see today? Good morning Dami, as you said I'm standing in front of Seoul Detention Center where President Yoon has been detained since last week. At the moment there are only a handful of people here in support of President Yoon that I can see with barricades and officers at the scene to maintain order. Members of the media have been arriving here since early morning to see whether President Yoon will be leaving here for questioning by the CIO. However, according to his legal team, he has once again refused to make himself available for the questioning session. They have been saying that Yoon has already shared everything with the CIO so there is no need for additional questioning. They did this on Friday and yesterday as well after the new warrant was issued. Now as President Yoon is in custody the CIO could be looking at being more forceful with President Yoon, something the investigators will certainly have to be careful with. All in all President Yoon has only appeared at the CIO once. 2. Now, President Yoon is under a new and different kind of arrest warrant than what was issued last week. Some say he's "officially" arrested what does this mean? Dami, that's right over the weekend, the CIO was able to get a warrant to keep Yoon in custody until early February. And that means the CIO and the prosecutors will have him here at the Seoul Detention Center while they question him to investigate the case further. There are two types of arrest one that preliminarily allows investigators to detain suspects for 48 hours and within that 48 hours after questioning they can request another arrest warrant to extend the period of detention. Yoon is now being held under that second warrant as a local court early on Sunday morning granted the CIO's request despite efforts from Yoon's legal team to fight back. This means he is now dressed in a detention center-issued uniform with an inmate number assigned to him. Considering his status he will have a separate cell and guards will try to isolate him from other inmates. According to the Justice Ministry he's had a mug shot taken and a body search the same procedure as anyone else who has been arrested. It's because of all these details that some are calling Yoon's current situation an "official arrest." 3. Do-yeon, the CIO also has banned Yoon from personal visits citing possible obstruction of evidence. What does this mean? Right Dami, as Yoon uses his legal rights to refuse questioning sessions the CIO is also using its legal options to pressure President Yoon. As you said, except for Yoon's attorneys he's not going to be able to see anyone until formal prosecution begins for this case. The CIO cited obstruction of evidence as the reason and remember that is the exact reason why the court issued the second "official" arrest warrant. Now, Yoon's legal team could also be filing for a review of the legality of this current arrest as well and we'll have to see how that legal battle unfolds. That's all for now, back to you Dami.

ASEAN foreign ministers meeting begins in Malaysia

2025/01/20 10:00

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, convened its Foreign Ministers' Retreat on Sunday in Langkawi, Malaysia. The Retreat was the first major meeting under Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship for 2025, and opened under the theme, "Inclusivity and Sustainability." Foreign ministers from the 10 ASEAN member states attended, with East Timor's foreign minister also participating as an observer. East Timor will soon become the association's 11th member. Key discussions focused on the ongoing crisis in Myanmar and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Concerns about the impact of U.S.-China rivalry on ASEAN unity were also raised.

First three hostages released by Hamas as part of ceasefire deal

2025/01/20 10:00

Starting with the Israel-Hamas conflict, on January 19, local time, the first three Israeli hostages, of 33 to be released according to the recent ceasefire agreement, were freed by Hamas. The International Committee of the Red Cross facilitated the transfer, escorting the three women to an Israeli military checkpoint. Upon arrival, they were reunited with their families and transported to a medical center for examination, where the director said all three were in stable condition. Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, and Emily Damari had been abducted on Oct. 7 near a kibbutz and music festival during the Hamas attack. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office released a video showing him receiving news about the return of three hostages. Global leaders, including Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, expressed relief at the hostages' release and emphasized ongoing efforts to secure freedom for those still in captivity.

Davos Forum to begin amid Trump inauguration events

2025/01/20 10:00

The World Economic Forum, where world leaders gather to discuss issues facing the world, will kick off on Monday, at the Swiss resort of Davos. The theme of the 55th Davos Forum is 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,' with the aim of creatively solving problems for humanity by utilizing technological advancements, while preventing the negative impacts caused by the widespread use of artificial intelligence. Around 25 hundred people, including 350 high-ranking government officials from around the world will attend. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will give a speech virtually on Thursday, just three days after his inauguration.

[Weekly Focus] Trump 2.0: Here's what to expect on North Korea policy

2025/01/18 12:00

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House is expected to greatly influence world affairs.. including relations with Seoul and Pyongyang. For this week's Weekly Focus, we take a closer look at the incoming Trump administration's approach toward North Korea, with our foreign affairs correspondent Bae Eun-ji. Welcome. Thanks for having me. 1. Before we go into details, let's go over comments made by Trump's picks to lead foreign policy and national security issues on North Korea this week. The Trump administration's defense chief nominee, Pete Hegseth recently called the North a "nuclear power." Right.. his remarks sparked quite a lot of concerns here in South Korea. In a written response to advanced policy questions submitted to a Senate panel ahead of his confirmation hearing, Hegseth said North Korea's status as a "nuclear power" poses threats to the Korean Peninsula and other parts of the world. This has led to some watchers expressing concern that Hegseth's comments hint that the United States could recognize North Korea as a "nuclear weapon state." His use of "nuclear power" differs from the term "nuclear weapon state" under international law, as it includes countries with nuclear weapons, that are not officially recognized as such. "Nuclear weapon state" is a status that's officially granted to only five countries in the world, under an international treaty barring nuclear weapons development: that includes the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. South Korea and other countries that comply with the deal, known as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty --receive international support to pursue peaceful uses of nuclear technology. But North Korea pulled out of the pact in 2003, to continue to advance nuclear weapons. Seoul's foreign ministry immediately responded to Hegseth's comments saying that North Korea can "never be recognized as a nuclear weapon state," under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. 2. We also heard Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio say that the United States needs to take a broader approach to North Korean issues. That's right. Let's take a listen to what Rubio had to say during his Senate confirmation hearing this week,.. where he called the North Korean leader a "dictator." "In Moscow and Tehran and Pyongyang, dictators, rogue states now sow chaos and instability and aligned with and they fund radical terror groups and then they hide behind their veto power at the United Nations Security Council or the threats of nuclear war." When asked about how he will re-shape America's 'broken' North Korea policy, which has only led to Pyongyang doubling down on its nuclear and missile programs rather than slowing them down, he said there has to be an appetite for a serious look at broader North Korean policies. He called for efforts to prevent a war between North Korea and allies such as South Korea and Japan, and said they're seeking ways to prevent a crisis without encouraging other nation-states to pursue their own nuclear weapons programs leading to speculation that this could mean Washington is now shifting away from its focus on "denuclearizing" North Korea and rather, focus on more realistic options to manage risks. At the hearing, Rubio also backed Trump's efforts to actively engage with the regime. He admitted he was initially skeptical about engagement with the North and acknowledged that Trump's meeting with Kim did not produce any lasting agreement, but said it calmed the situation "quite a bit." 3. South Korea's intelligence agency suggested earlier this week.. that Trump might pursue dialogue with Kim Jong-un. Will we be able to see Trump and Kim meet again? Well, we can't be too sure about that for now but it does seem likely. Trump named a close aide, Richard Grenell, as his presidential envoy for special missions and Alex Wong, who handled negotiations with North Korea during Trump's first term in office, as deputy national security adviser. As you just mentioned, the NIS said Trump's recent appointments of top aides on North Korea issues further indicate a willingness to explore diplomatic talks, possibly "smaller-scale agreements" such as a nuclear freeze or an arms reduction. This assessment was shared during the agency's briefing to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on Monday. Take a listen. "If the Trump administration comes to a conclusion that complete denuclearization of North Korea is impossible in the near future, it could seek to take actions in the form of a 'small deal' such as nuclear disarmament or arms reduction." During Trump's first term, he held three summits with Kim Jong-un, but failed to persuade Kim to give up his nuclear weapons. They first met in Singapore, then in Hanoi and finally in the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas but the talks ended without any breakthroughs. 4. But there are concerns that the United States might bypass South Korea when trying to engage in dialogue with the North. How should the South Korean government work to prevent that from happening? South Korea's foreign ministry says it is closely cooperating with the United States and plans to communicate with the incoming U.S. administration to work on denuclearizing North Korea. An expert that I've spoken to said that it's important for the South Korean government to focus on having some kind of network with key officials in the new administration that will be responsible for North Korea relations --such as Alex Wong and Richard Grenell. "The most serious thing from the South Korean perspective is North Korea's nuclear threats. And Trump had mentioned several times he will you know possibly resume some kind of a summit that we have experienced back in 2018 and 19 so in those processes, South Korea should get into it and then deliver our own message and our opinion and our own policy." Alright Eun-ji. We'll have to keep a close eye on how Trump's team decides to handle issues on the Korean Peninsula. Thank you for the wrap-up. We appreciate it. Thank you.

CIO sends detention warrant application for President Yoon to Seoul Western District Court

2025/01/17 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. We start with the latest on the investigation by the anti-corruption officials, who have applied for an official detention warrant against President Yoon Suk Yeol. For more, Arirang's Kim Bo-kyoung joins us live from the Gwacheon Government Complex where the anti-graft agency is located. Bo-kyoung , so the CIO has now applied for that detention warrant. It's another unprecedented event for a sitting president. Hello, Jung-min. Yes, the CIO requested the detention warrant against President Yoon just before 6 PM, around three hours before the deadline. filing the request with the Seoul Western District Court. This marks the first instance in South Korea's history where a sitting president faces formal arrest. If the detention warrant is issued, Yoon can be held for a total of 20 days, including the initial 48-hour detention period. The CIO will likely hold and question Yoon for eight more days, before transferring the case to the prosecution, which has the authority to indict a suspect. Both parties have already agreed to spend ten days each questioning Yoon. With the detention warrant requested, the court is going to conduct a review tomorrow at 2 PM. Eyes are now on whether President Yoon will attend the review. and if he does so, it will be his first appearance outside after being detained. Meanwhile, Yoon shared a message from the detention center via his lawyer around half an hour after the CIO requested the warrant, saying he is doing well although it's quite uncomfortable, and that he has been looking back on state affairs through speeches he made. He expressed gratitude for those who have been out on the streets supporting him. And this filing for a detention warrant comes after President Yoon again refused to appear for questioning today. That's right, Jung-min. He was supposed to be here at 10 AM for questioning, but again refused to appear. His refusal comes after failing to appear the previous day, too citing health issues. One CIO official said that there has been no notification from Yoon's side over his non-attendance this time around. The CIO did not re-summon Yoon as the 48-hour deadline to detain him was approaching, which is at around 9 PM Friday. Yoon not appearing is not a surprise as his legal team had already expressed regret over the Seoul Central District Court's decision on Thursday to dismiss the request to challenge his detention. Yoon had filed a petition to the Seoul Central District Court seeking a review of the legality of his detention arguing the detention warrant against him issued by the Seoul Western District Court was invalid, and that the CIO lacked jurisdiction over insurrection. This, however, was only to be rejected and Yoon's lawyers have said it is unfortunate how illegal and unlawful actions are tolerated, and that they will not comply with the CIO's investigations. Meanwhile Bo-kyoung I hear public rallies remain intense at a number of different locations. That's right. Behind me were around three hundred Yoon supporters protesting against the CIO. Around a thousand supporters have also been rallying in front of Seoul Detention Center where Yoon is currently, chanting things like "Release the President." Just 10 meters away from the pro-Yoon protests were also those in favor of Yoon's impeachment, having a banner criticizing the declaration of martial law. Pro-Yoon protests are taking place in front of the Seoul Western District Court as well, where the detention warrant was requested. That is all I have for now. Back to you, Jung-min. That was our Kim Bo-kyoung reporting live from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill more than 80 despite announcement of ceasefire

2025/01/17 20:00

In the Middle East. Despite the sealing of a ceasefire deal, that was supposed to start on Sunday local time, Israeli assaults against Hamas in Gaza continue to raise the Palestinian death toll. Ahn Sung-jin has more. Many rejoiced at the news of a six-week ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. But just days before the deal is implemented on Sunday, Israel conducted more airstrikes in Gaza, killing at least three more Gazans, and raising the death toll to 86 since the news of the ceasefire agreement. According to Gaza's Civil Defense Service, the death toll includes 23 children and 27 women. During the same period, more than 250 Palestinians have been injured in the airstrikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a Security Cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss and ratify the ceasefire, which was successfully agreed on. According to local media, in a statement from Netanyahu's office, the prime minister has been informed of the release of hostages and has signed the deal. This comes after the vote was initially postponed with Netanyahu blaming a last-minute disagreement with Hamas for the delay. A full Cabinet meeting to give final approval to the ceasefire deal is expected to take place on Saturday, and considering the legal procedures, the first hostages could be released as early as the 20th. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the deal will start on time despite what he called a last-minute "loose end." "On the ceasefire, yes, I am confident, and I fully expect that implementation would begin, as we said, on Sunday. Look, it's not exactly surprising that in a process, in a negotiation, that has been this challenging and this fraught, you may get a loose end. We are tying up that loose end as we speak." Following the ceasefire agreement, the European Union on Thursday pledged 120 million euros, or over 123 million U.S. dollars in aid for Palestine. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a post on X, the "ceasefire and hostage release agreement offers hope the region desperately needed," but added that Gaza's "humanitarian situation remains grim." The aid will provide assistance to address acute food insecurity and malnutrition, healthcare assistance, water, sanitation, and hygiene support, shelter and protection assistance. The latest humanitarian assistance to Gaza from the bloc brings the total value to over 460 million US dollars since 2023. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

S. Korea's Jan. green book points to "greater downside risks" to economy

2025/01/17 20:00

Korea's political instability appears to be casting a darker cloud of uncertainty over its economy. Lee Soo-jin explains. South Korea is seeing greater downside risks to its economy, as uncertainties grow both at home and abroad. The somber assessment is from the latest economic green book,. a monthly economic assessment report, released by the Finance Ministry on Friday. "The term "concerns about increased downside risks" was previously used, but has now been replaced with "greater downside pressure." This change reflects the negative trends observed across industries during both October and November." It presents a bleaker outlook compared to last month's report when the government omitted the phrase "economic recovery" for the first time in over a year, as January's report also includes concerns about employment, an area where the government had previously been largely optimistic. In December, South Korea saw its first year-on-year decrease in employment figures in more than three years, as a downturn in industrial activity has begun to spill over into the labor market. This was mainly attributed to a larger drop in employment in the manufacturing sector last month, which continued to see a decline for the sixth straight month, and the construction sector for eight consecutive months. This comes as industrial output in November dropped point-four percent compared to the previous month, as the services and construction sectors remained weak, marking a fall for the third straight month. Services output declined by point-2 percent, driven by decreases in the finance and insurance sectors. The construction sector also experienced a drop in production for the seventh consecutive month as building activity slowed, setting a new record for the longest continuous downturn since 1997. But retail sales, an indicator of consumer spending, rebounded by point-four percent compared to the previous month after seeing declines in both September and October. The finance ministry official said the month's report also placed less emphasis on concerns about inflation, as figures for December showed that consumer prices rose 1-point-9 percent year-on-year, marking the fourth consecutive month of inflation under the two percent mark. But with continued political unrest in the country as well as mounting concerns about potential changes in the trade environment during President-elect Donald Trump's second term, the government pledged to collaborate with relevant agencies and swiftly implement economic policy plans for 2025 to ensure economic stability. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.

Rival parties in talks on special counsel bill to probe Yoon's insurrection charges

2025/01/17 20:00

The ruling and opposition parties are locking horns over the disputed bill to appoint a special counsel to investigate President Yoon's martial law declaration. This is raising questions about whether a last-minute agreement can be reached before midnight, the deadline set by the opposition. Our political correspondent Shin Ha-young is on the line with the latest. Ha-young, how are the talks unfolding? Jung-min, the rival political parties have yet to reach a final agreement. An official from the National Assembly speaker's office told reporters that agreements had been reached on some issues, but the talks are still ongoing due to major differences. The official declined to elaborate on these. Floor leaders of the two parties sat down at the negotiating table Friday afternoon, with the National Assembly speaker presiding, to discuss a bill to launch a special counsel investigation into President Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law. This comes after the ruling People Power Party proposed its own version of the bill, while the opposition pushed its already-prepared bill. On Friday morning, PPP Floor Leader Kweon Seong-dong said there was no need for the bill since most key figures, including President Yoon, have already been arrested or indicted. He explained that the party proposed its own version of the special counsel bill as it was compelled to choose the worse option over the worst one. Take a listen. "This special counsel is pointless and serves no purpose. I urge the DP to withdraw the special counsel bill." Democratic Party Floor Leader Park Chan-dae said the bill was needed to hold people accountable for a serious crime against democracy and the constitutional order. The DP has set the deadline for negotiations of midnight, Friday. If no agreement is reached, it plans to hold a vote on its prepared special prosecutor bill. Take a listen "I urge the PPP not to betray the people and to engage in negotiations sincerely." Then Ha-young, how are the bills from each side different? The primary focus of the opposition's bill, proposed earlier this month, is to uncover whether President Yoon unlawfully instigated an insurrection, and violated the Constitution in the process. The PPP's version, however, removes the allegations of "insurrection" and also that of "the inducement of foreign aggression." It aims to look into five specific allegations overall, in comparison to the 11 presented by the opposition. The PPP's bill also shortens the investigation period to a maximum of 110 days, compared to the DP's 150. As for the size of the investigation team, the PPP is pushing for a team of 58, while the DP is aiming for 155. Meanwhile, ahead of the talks, Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urged both parties to complete the negotiations by Friday and do their best to pass the agreed bill. "If we can't reach an agreement easily, we'll do our best, even if it takes working until midnight." While all eyes are on whether they can reach an agreement by the deadline, the DP is expected to pass its own bill if the talks fail. That's all I have for now, Jung-min. All right Ha-young thank you for the latest.

CIO files for Pres.Yoon's arrest Friday, as temporary detention deadline looms

2025/01/17 20:00

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring you today's most pressing issues from across the globe, I'm Kim Mok-yeon. President Yoon Suk-yeol became the first sitting South Korean President to ever be served with an arrest warrant. Just hours before, the CIO sought a warrant to formally arrest Yoon hours before its initial 48-hour detainment deadline expires tonight. After being temporarily detained Tuesday, Yoon faced an intense grilling at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, but for the next two days, he refused to take part in any questioning over insurrection charges. The president's legal team filed a petition to the Seoul Central District Court to review the legality of his detention, but the court dismissed the challenge Thursday night, keeping him in custody. For what's next for President Yoon? will the court give the greenlight for Yoon to be arrested? for more on this, we invite Cho Hee-kyung, professor of law at Hongik University. Welcome Also joining us is Joung W. Hwang, chief executive officer at LawQuant LLC. Great to have you. 1. (HWANG) So for the sake of our viewers who may not be following the situation, let's circle back to Tuesday's temporary detention. So Yoon's arrest early Tuesday was broadcast live through major media outlets across the globe. Professor Hwang, how did you see this? And could you remind us of the requirements for a temporary detention arrest? 2. (HWANG) On his first day, President Yoon exercised his right to remain silent, providing no answers, and reportedly declined to participate in questioning on Wednesday and Thursday. How should this situation be interpreted? 3. (CHO) Yoon's lawyers filed for a review of the legality of the warrant on Wednesday which the court turned down. For starters what is this review? I hear it's not a common request 4. (HWANG) The court decided to dismiss the challenge. What was the reason behind the decision? What could this mean? Do you think Yoon's side would have expected such a result? 5. (HWANG) And just today, the CIO has sought an arrest warrant for Yoon. What are the legal requirements for filing an arrest warrant in Korea? How is it different from the current temporary warrant imposed on Yoon? 6. (CHO) So the ball is now handed over to the Seoul Western District Court. How do you forecast the arrest plans to proceed? we hear if the court gives the greenlight, he will be detained for questioning for 20 days 7. (CHO) What are the key issues in the court's review of the arrest warrant? 8. (CHO) The CIO is known to have filed for a warrant to formally arrest Yoon with the Seoul Western District Court, the same court that it filed for a temporary warrant. Meanwhile, President Yoon's legal team has maintained that such a process should be conducted through the Seoul Central District Court. Could you clarify the reasons behind the two parties' preference for different courts? Is there any specific legal framework or rule that governs the choice of court in such matters? 9. (HWANG) Meanwhile onto his impeachment trial, Thursday was the second formal hearing of the trial, and the Constitutional Court rejected Yoon's request for a postponement. The trial proceeded without Yoon's presence. The court further designated the dates for future hearings too. Could you walk us through the developments at the trial? 10. (CHO) So as it designated the upcoming hearing dates already, it seems like the court is eager to proceed with the hearings. How long do you think it will take to come up with a conclusion?

Rival parties continue negotiations on special counsel bill to investigate Yoon

2025/01/17 17:00

Moving on to the National Assembly now. Ruling and opposition lawmakers have yet to find common ground on drafting a bill that paves the path to a special probe into the president's short-lived martial law. Our correspondent Lee Shi-hoo is on the line with the latest. Shi-hoo, let's begin with today's bipartisan meeting for the probe bill. Yes Sunny, the floor leaders of the rival parties, the PPP's Kweon Seong-dong and the DP's Park Chan-dae met for closed-door talks beginning at 1:30 this afternoon. The presider over the meeting, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik has urged both to "make concessions" so that an agreement can be reached today. He's gone so far as to even suspend this afternoon's plenary session to wait for a potential consensus, but it's unclear whether the parties will be able to reach an agreement today. The talks were originally scheduled to start at 11 this morning, but were delayed by over two hours as the PPP took longer than expected to fine-tune the details of its proposal. Prior to the meeting, just this morning, PPP Floor Leader Kweon urged the DP to abandon their bill that he said was "unconstitutional." Listen in. "There is no need for a special counsel. But the DP is using the power of a major party to pass an "unconstitutional, illegal" bill full of "toxic clauses," so we are compelled to choose a worse option over the worst one. This is why we are developing our version of the special counsel bill." Kweon added additional investigations were unnecessary, as ongoing probes by several authorities are already taking place. He said the DP is using the bill for political gain. This came while DP Floor Leader Park urged the ruling party to cooperate with the DP's efforts and to come to the negotiating table. "If we don't remove the deep-seated fine roots of the insurrection, they will sprout again. To prevent the recurrence of unfortunate incidents, a special prosecution should be conducted to find out the truth in a transparent manner and to strictly punish those who were involved." DP spokesperson Park Sung-joon also told reporters that if the PPP comes up with an "insincere" bill today to defend Yoon, the DP will proceed with its version, without further negotiations. The deadline for talks presented by the DP is midnight tonight. If an agreement isn't reached by then, they will put up their bill for an Assembly-wide vote. Meanwhile, Acting President Choi Sang-mok previously urged the rival parties to reach an agreement, and has hinted that if a compromise isn't reached, it's likely he may veto a unilateral bill from the opposition. Park called out this remark by Choi, urging that he should "respect any decision by the National Assembly and accept the special counsel bill." So what exactly are the sticking points between the rival parties? Yes, the biggest differences are in the scope, depth and period of investigation. The primary focus of the opposition's bill, proposed earlier this month, is to uncover whether President Yoon unlawfully instigated an insurrection, and violated the Constitution in the process. The PPP's version, however, removes these allegations of "insurrection" and also that of "the inducement of foreign aggression." It aims to look into five specific allegations overall, in comparison to the 11 presented by the opposition. The PPP's bill also shortens the investigation period to a maximum of 110 days, compared to the DP's 150. As for the size of the investigation team, the PPP is pushing for a team of 58, while the DP is aiming for 155. Now, overall this is the second attempt by the opposition to push a bill of this kind. The initial version of the bill was vetoed by Acting President Choi two weeks ago. The opposition's goal, this time, is to have the special counsel officially go into effect before the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. Sunny. All right Shi-hoo, thank you for that report from the parliament.

CIO investigators seek detention warrant for Yoon before Friday night deadline

2025/01/17 17:00

We start with the latest on the investigation by the anti-corruption officials as the president refuses to attend today's questioning session as well. For more Arirang's Kim Bo-kyoung joins me live from the Gwacheon Government Complex where the anti-graft agency is located. Bo-kyoung it's good to have you on. So how are investigators responding to the president's refusal to answer questions? Hello, Sunny. As you have already said, impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol again refused to appear for questioning over his December 3rd martial law declaration. He was supposed to be here at 10 AM. His refusal comes after failing to appear the previous day, too citing health issues. One CIO official said that there has been no notification from Yoon's side over his non-attendance this time around. Given that the 48-hour deadline to detain Yoon will end at around 9 PM Friday, the CIO says re-summoning Yoon would be realistically unlikely. Yoon's not appearing is not a surprise. One of his lawyers, Seok Dong-hyeon , has already said that Yoon had thoroughly stated his basic position during questioning on the first day, and does not see any reason or need to respond to a question-and-answer type of interrogation. Now the CIO is widely expected to request a detention warrant sometime before Friday's deadline of 9 PM which would allow them to detain him for up to 20 days. The CIO announced that it is highly likely that they will request the detention warrant from the Seoul Western District Court. as it is typical to ask it from the court that issued the arrest warrant. Though the exact time of the request has not yet been decided, the CIO official said it is almost finalized. Regarding whether Yoon will be present at the warrant review himself, his lawyer said it is difficult to make a prediction as the warrant has not been filed yet, but his legal team will strongly argue the necessity of it. Meanwhile, police executed an arrest warrant for Kim Seong-hoon, the deputy chief of the Presidential Security Service for allegedly leading efforts to prevent Yoon's arrest from happening. I see. Meanwhile Bo-kyoung I hear public rallies in support of the president remain intense at a number of different locations? That's right. Behind me are some of Yoon's supporters, protesting against the CIO. His supporters have also been rallying in front of Seoul Detention Center --where Yoon is currently, chanting things like "Release the President." Pro-Yoon protests are taking place in front of the Seoul Western District Court as well, where the detention warrant is expected to be requested. Protests were held last night as well, with people forming a human chain, to block officials from the CIO in case they come to deliver the detention warrant documents. This even led to clashes with police, with one man taken into custody at around 10:50 PM on Thursday for the obstruction of the performance of official duties after he attempted to close the gate. That is all I have for now, but I will bring you more updates in a later newscast. Back to you, Sunny. All right Bo-kyoung thank you for that coverage. That was our Kim Bo-kyoung reporting live from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

World News: UK pledges for 100-year partnership with Ukraine

2025/01/17 17:00

This is the World Now, bringing you the latest stories from around the globe. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Kyiv on January 16th to sign a 100-year partnership agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The agreement aims to strengthen security ties, defense cooperation and economic collaboration, including supporting Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. During the visit, Starmer said the UK's "commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and security is steadfast and enduring." This visit is part of a broader initiative by European leaders, to reaffirm their support for Ukraine ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. Leaders from Germany and France have also recently visited Kyiv to show their solidarity with Ukraine. Iraq is finalizing a deal with U.S. oil firm Halliburton to develop the Nahr Bin O mar oilfield. It aims to boost the oilfield's production from approximately 50-thousand barrels per day to 300-thousand barrels per day. The deal also includes plans to produce gas from the same field. It's part of Iraq's broader strategy to increase its oil and gas production. Iraq also plans to increase its output from the West Qurna 1 field, operated by PetroChina, to 750,000 barrels per day by the end of the year. It is also working with the China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation, on a 1.7 billion U.S. dollar gas project. In Slovakia, an 18-year-old high school student has been detained after allegedly stabbed two people to death. The stabbings happened on Thursday, local time in the small town of Spisska Stara Ves in the north of the country near the Polish border. A deputy principal and a student were killed. The suspect fled the scene but was immediately detained by the police. While stabbings are rare in Slovakia, similar incidents occurred in 2020 and 2022, where the suspects were also young students. The Slovakian ministers of interior and education visited the town and committed to implementing measures to prevent future attacks and improve safety for students and teachers. American filmmaker David Lynch has died at the age of 78. The director died due to complications from emphysema, a chronic lung condition, according to his family. His celebrated creations include Blue Velvet, The Elephant Man, and Mulholland Drive, all of which received best director Oscar nominations, and the TV series Twin Peaks. Lynch's career began with the 1977 classic Eraserhead, and he received an Honorary Academy Award in 2019 for his contributions to cinema. While Lynch fought health challenges in recent years, he kept working on creative endeavors until his passing. Choi Chi-hee, Arirang News.

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill more than 80 despite announcement of ceasefire

2025/01/17 17:00

In the Middle East. Despite the sealing of a ceasefire deal that is slated to start on Sunday local time Israeli assaults against Hamas in Gaza continue to raise the Palestinian death toll. Ahn Sung-jin has more. Many rejoiced at the news of a six-week ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. But just days before the deal is implemented on Sunday, Israel conducted more airstrikes in Gaza, killing at least three more Gazans, and raising the death toll to 86 since the news of the ceasefire agreement. According to Gaza's Civil Defense Service, the death toll includes 23 children and 27 women. During the same period, more than 250 Palestinians have been injured in the airstrikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a Security Cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss and ratify the ceasefire, which was successfully agreed on. According to local media, in a statement from Netanyahu's office, the prime minister has been informed of the release of hostages and has signed the deal. This comes after the vote was initially postponed with Netanyahu blaming a last-minute disagreement with Hamas for the delay. A full Cabinet meeting to give final approval to the ceasefire deal is expected to take place on Saturday, and considering the legal procedures, the first hostages could be released as early as the 20th. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the deal will start on time despite what he called a last-minute "loose end." "On the ceasefire, yes, I am confident, and I fully expect that implementation would begin, as we said, on Sunday. Look, it's not exactly surprising that in a process, in a negotiation, that has been this challenging and this fraught, you may get a loose end. We are tying up that loose end as we speak." Following the ceasefire agreement, the European Union on Thursday pledged 120 million euros,.. or over 123 million U.S. dollars in aid for Palestine. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a post on X, the "ceasefire and hostage release agreement offers hope the region desperately needed," but added that Gaza's "humanitarian situation remains grim." The aid will provide assistance to address acute food insecurity and malnutrition, healthcare assistance, water, sanitation, and hygiene support,. shelter and protection assistance. The latest humanitarian assistance to Gaza from the bloc brings the total value to over 460 million US dollars since 2023. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok pledges to closely monitor financial market amid uncertainties

2025/01/17 17:00

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to stabilizing the financial and foreign exchange markets amid much uncertainty at home and abroad. During a macroeconomic meeting with top related officials on this Friday acting President Choi Sang-mok pledged to closely monitor domestic as well as international financial markets as the U.S. ushers in a second Trump administration next Monday one that has vowed tougher tariffs. He also emphasized the importance of informing the international community about the "strong fundamentals" of the local economy to maintain overall confidence.

S. Korea's Jan. green book points to "greater downside risks" to economy

2025/01/17 17:00

Korea's political instability appears to be casting a darker cloud of uncertainty over its economy amid the presence of quote "greater downside pressure". Our correspondent Lee Soo-jin explains. South Korea is seeing greater downside risks to its economy, as uncertainties grow both at home and abroad. The somber assessment is from the latest economic green book,. a monthly economic assessment report, released by the Finance Ministry on Friday. "The term "concerns about increased downside risks" was previously used, but has now been replaced with "greater downside pressure." This change reflects the negative trends observed across industries during both October and November." It presents a bleaker outlook compared to last month's report when the government omitted the phrase "economic recovery" for the first time in over a year, as January's report also includes concerns about employment, an area where the government had previously been largely optimistic. In December, South Korea saw its first year-on-year decrease in employment figures in more than three years, as a downturn in industrial activity has begun to spill over into the labor market. This was mainly attributed to a larger drop in employment in the manufacturing sector last month, which continued to see a decline for the sixth straight month, and the construction sector for eight consecutive months. This comes as industrial output in November dropped point-four percent compared to the previous month, as the services and construction sectors remained weak, marking a fall for the third straight month. Services output declined by point-two percent, driven by decreases in the finance and insurance sectors. The construction sector also experienced a drop in production for the seventh consecutive month as building activity slowed, setting a new record for the longest continuous downturn since 1997. But retail sales, an indicator of consumer spending, rebounded by point-four percent compared to the previous month after seeing declines in both September and October. The finance ministry official said the month's report also placed less emphasis on concerns about inflation, as figures for December showed that consumer prices rose 1-point-9 percent year-on-year, marking the fourth consecutive month of inflation under the two percent mark. But with continued political unrest in the country as well as mounting concerns about potential changes in the trade environment during President-elect Donald Trump's second term, the government pledged to collaborate with relevant agencies and swiftly implement economic policy plans for 2025 to ensure economic stability. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.

Constitutional Court agrees to speed up impeachment trial testimony from fmr. Defence Minister

2025/01/17 17:00

The Constitutional Court has agreed to expedite the testimony of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun as earlier requested by President Yoon Suk Yeol's defense team. Earlier on this Friday the Court's press officer Cheon Jaehyun announced that Kim would testify first on January 23rd that is next Thursday two weeks earlier than initially scheduled. The Court has also approved requests by the presidential legal team for documents related to the National Election Commission amid their allegations of election fraud which they add was the basis for the president's brief imposition of martial law on December 3rd.

President Yoon continues to refuse to testify, claims investigation is illegal

2025/01/17 17:00

Now as mentioned the president has refused to re-visit the anti-graft headquarters for questioning choosing instead to remain at the Seoul Detention Center. Our Kim Jung-sil reports. President Yoon Suk Yeol continues to refuse investigative procedures. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) had asked Yoon to show up for questioning on Friday morning, but he didn't turn up. Since his arrest on Wednesday, Yoon has remained silent. During his initial 10-hour interrogation, he declined to answer questions, verify his testimony, or sign documents. On Thursday, President Yoon postponed the morning questioning due to health concerns and skipped the rescheduled afternoon session. The President has consistently argued that the investigation by the CIO is illegal, but legal experts disagree. "It's true that CIO does not have specific jurisdiction over insurrection. But what they do have is the jurisdiction to look at any related crime and here they are investigating Yoon's abuse of office. So, it's entirely within their jurisdiction and there's absolutely no problem." Professor Cho added that despite Yoon's silence, the CIO would still be able to indict him. Yoon is currently being held in a pretrial detention cell, separate from other detainees. The facility provides basic amenities such as a bed, table, and toilet. He is being given the same food as provided to other detainees, costing around 1,700 KRW or about U.S. $1.20 per serving to make. The Justice Ministry has assigned a special team to monitor Yoon's safety around the clock. Meanwhile, Yoon's legal team has filed complaints against the investigation, challenging his arrest. Due to his continued silence and refusal to cooperate, authorities are considering alternatives, such as on-site questioning or possibly forcibly escorting him for questioning, though this remains unlikely. Pundits suggest a detention warrant could be requested based on existing evidence and testimonies. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.