News
UN Security Council to discuss North Korea issues on Wednesday
2025/05/07 10:00
The United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on Wednesday, local time, to discuss North Korea's non-proliferation issues. The UN headquarters announced that the meeting will be held at the request of seven member states, including South Korea, the United States and five other countries. It is expected to review North Korea's violation of UNSC resolutions, and sanctions placed on the regime. The gathering also comes after the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea ended its term last year, with Russia, a permanent member of the UNSC, vetoing the extension of its term.
N. Korean leader will not attend Russia's Victory Day celebrations
2025/05/07 10:00
With the 80th anniversary of Russia's Victory Day coming up later this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will not make it to the celebrations, Russia has confirmed. Instead, leaders from 29 countries including China will travel to Russia for the celebrations. Lee Seung-jae reports. The Kremlin says North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will not be attending Russia's celebration of Victory Day this week. According to reports from Moscow,.. Yuri Ushakov, the foreign policy adviser to President Putin, said that Pyongyang will instead, be represented by its ambassador during the four-day celebrations. Ushakov also said that North Korean troops will also not take part in the annual military parade scheduled for Friday in Moscow's Red Square. Last week, Seoul's spy agency speculated that Kim would not travel to Russia for the Victory Day ceremonies, saying that there were no signs of security measures in preparation for a possible visit by the North's leader. Instead, the National Intelligence Service said other high-level officials could visit Moscow for the event. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping will be visiting Moscow for the 80th anniversary celebrations. According to the Kremlin on Sunday, Xi will be in Russia from Wednesday to Saturday to join the Russian president during the ceremonies. Russia's presidential office said the two leaders will sit down for talks during Xi's visit, to discuss "developing partnerships and strategic ties" on "issues on international and regional agendas." It added that government officials and ministers of both countries were expected to sign several bilateral agreements. Victory Day is a major holiday in Russia, commemorating the "victory" of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in 1945. There had been speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would attend the celebrations this year, amid growing military ties between the two countries. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
Foreign Minister Cho and U.S. Secretary Rubio discuss trade and security ahead of presidential election
2025/05/07 10:00
In a key phone call on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening trade relations amid South Korea's uncertain political landscape. Minister Cho stressed the importance of allowing ample time for trade negotiations considering South Korea's upcoming presidential election, urging continued cooperation for mutually beneficial outcomes. Secretary Rubio reaffirmed America's unwavering commitment to extended deterrence and the strengthening of defense and economic ties under the Mutual Defense Treaty.
S. Korean KHNP's Czech nuclear plan deal halted at final stage
2025/05/07 10:00
The final contract signing for the nuclear power plant deal between South Korea and the Czech Republic has been put on hold for now after a Czech court accepted an injunction request filed by a French energy company. Our Choi Soo-hyung has the details. Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power's plan to build two new nuclear reactors in Dukovany, Czech Republic, has been halted at the final stage. On Tuesday local time, a Czech court issued an injunction preventing KHNP and a Czech power company from signing the final contract. The court's decision came after French energy company EDF, which had lost the bid, filed a lawsuit. South Korean delegation led by the Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun,.. heard the news mid-flight to the Czech Republic for the planned contract signing on Wednesday. The delegation is now expected to return home without signing the deal. The court said that if the contract goes ahead now, EDF would lose the chance to win the deal later, even if it wins its lawsuit. EDF has claimed that the bidding process was unfair, KHNP's price was unrealistic, and that government subsidies gave Korea an unfair advantage. In April, the Czech Republic's Office for the Protection of Competition rejected EDF's complaint. On Wednesday, KHNP said in a statement that it respects the court's decision, while saying the entire bidding process was legal, fair, and transparent under the supervision of the Czech authorities. It also expressed deep regret over EDF's continued efforts to disrupt the results and said it would keep working with the Czech side to sign the final contract. Czech authorities said the bidding was fair and that they still see no problem with the final deal with KHNP. Czech energy firm CEZ Group is also considering an appeal against the court's latest decision. Last July, KHNP was selected as the preferred bidder, beating U.S.-based Westinghouse and France's EDF, based on its competitive price and ability to meet construction deadlines. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.
PPP Kim and ex-PM Han to meet on merger while DP pressures courts to postpone Lee's trials
2025/05/07 10:00
Tensions are brewing within the conservative bloc over unifying the candidacy between the People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and former prime minister Han Duck-soo. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is battling on legal and campaign fronts. Our Kim Do-yeon reports. The People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and independent candidate Han Duck-soo will meet one-on-one at 6 PM on Wednesday to discuss a possible merger. This comes as Kim abruptly halted his campaign after tensions escalated between him and the PPP leadership as Kim wants to take time and lead the merger process while the PPP leadership says there's no time with the official candidate registration coming up. Kim has also accused the party leaders of trying to oust him as their presidential nominee. "If this was the plan all along, I don't understand why we held three rounds of primaries. So as of now, I'm suspending all my activities as the party's candidate. I'll be heading back to Seoul to seriously address the pressing issues that remain." This comes as the PPP is set to hold its third floor-wide meeting on Wednesday a 3rd straight day. In Tuesday's meeting the party's interim leader Kwon Young-se called for a survey of the PPP's registered supporters on whether they support a merger. All this without notifying Kim one of the reasons why Kim had halted his campaign. As for ex-PM Han he said he's not once thought about the merger falling through. He said that would be a betrayal of the citizens as he faced the media earlier on Tuesday. In the afternoon he met with another former prime minister and presidential candidate Lee Nak-yon. Lee despite being from DP is in the anti-Lee Jae-myung camp and could lock arms with Han in this election on the premise of amending the constitution. Meanwhile the Democratic Party of Korea appears to be fighting on two fronts in the presidential election as Lee meets voters and the Party works to pressure the Supreme Court to delay all trials involving presidential candidates until after the June 3rd election. Following the Court's decision to overturn an appeals ruling in Lee's election law case, he's now set to appear for a retrial hearing on May 15. The DP accuses Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae of political bias, speeding up the process and effectively convicting Lee despite the earlier acquittal. "He was effectively the planner and executor of political interference, election meddling, and a targeted trial. This amounts to grounds for impeachment." As for the campaigning for Lee himself is set to visit Jeollabuk-do Province and Chungcheongnam-do Province on Wednesday. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
US Supreme Court lets Trump's transgender military ban take effect
2025/05/07 10:00
In the United States, the Supreme Court, on Tuesday, permitted the Trump administration to enforce its ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. The six-to-three decision, issued without a detailed explanation, lifted a lower court injunction that had blocked the policy that allowed the Department of Defense to discharge current transgender service members and deny enlistment to new applicants. This stems from President Donald Trump's executive order issued in January, asserting that gender identity differing from biological sex undermined military "cohesion."
Merz elected German chancellor after initial shock defeat
2025/05/07 10:00
In Germany, Friedrich Merz officially became the country's chancellor on May 6 after securing a majority in a second parliamentary vote, following an unprecedented defeat in the first one. In the initial round, Merz fell short by six votes, marking the first such occurrence in postwar German history. In the second round of votes, Merz secured 325 out of 630 ballots, enabling him to lead a coalition government of his center-right Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union alliance, and the center-left Social Democratic Party. Merz, who won an election in February, was then finally approved as chancellor by the Bundestag president.
Planes in flames after Israeli strike on Yemen's main airport
2025/05/07 10:00
Moving to the Middle East, Israel has launched airstrikes on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, targeting multiple sites, including the main airport, in retaliation for a recent missile attack by Houthi rebels near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday. On Tuesday, local time, Israeli warplanes conducted a series of airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Israel Defense Forces reported that the operation "fully disabled" Sanaa International Airport. The strike also targeted power stations and a concrete factory believed to be used for military purposes. The airstrikes were a direct response to a ballistic missile launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi group, which landed near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on May 4 --the first time a Houthi missile had reached the vicinity of Israel's main international airport. The Israeli strikes resulted in at least three deaths and 35 others wounded. This marks the second straight day of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen, following previous attacks on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Monday.
India says it attacked nine sites in Pakistan, Pakistani Kashmir
2025/05/07 10:00
Let's begin with the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, since the recent attack in Kashmir. India has conducted missile strikes against Pakistan. Could you give us the details? Sure. In retaliation for the recent attack by militants in Kashmir, India has conducted missile strikes on nine sites within Pakistan. On Tuesday, local time, the Indian Armed Forces initiated Operation Sindoor, targeting nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes were aimed at terrorist infrastructure linked to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which India attributes to Pakistan-based militants. The Indian government described the operation as "focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature," with no Pakistani military facilities targeted. Pakistan reported that the missile strikes resulted in the deaths of at least eight civilians and injured dozens of others. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks as a "shameful and cowardly attack" and promised to respond with force. Pakistani security and government sources have also claimed that at least five Indian Air Force aircraft have been shot down. The region remains on high alert, with both nations' militaries mobilized and diplomatic ties further strained.
DP pressures courts to postpone Lee's trials while PPP Kim halts campaign amid merger disagreements
2025/05/06 18:00
With less than a month to go until the presidential election, the Democratic Party is battling on legal and campaign fronts, while the conservative bloc faces growing tensions over its potential merger with a former prime minister. Our Kim Do-yeon reports. The Democratic Party of Korea appears to be fighting on two fronts in the presidential election. First, its candidate Lee Jae-myung continued his campaign in the Chungcheong-do region on Tuesday. He also rolled out pledges targeting young voters—vowing to require all public institutions to require military service toward salary grades, and to introduce spot ETFs for cryptocurrencies. But perhaps more headlines came from the second front, as party leaders kept up pressure on the Supreme Court to delay all trials involving presidential candidates until after the June 3rd election. Following the Court's decision to overturn an appeals ruling in Lee's election law case, he's now set to appear for a retrial hearing on May 15. The DP accuses Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae of political bias—speeding up the process and effectively convicting Lee despite the earlier acquittal. "He was effectively the planner and executor of political interference, election meddling, and a targeted trial. This amounts to grounds for impeachment." Meanwhile, the People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo halted all campaign activities and wrapped up his visit to Gyeongsangbuk-do Province early to go back to Seoul. This as he remains at odds with party leadership over a potential merger with independent candidate and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. While he was vocal about the merger during the primary he now says he wants to take time, but the Party says with the official candidate registration coming up there is no time to waste. Kim claimed that the Party is trying to remove him as the Party's presidential candidate. "If this was the plan all along, I don't understand why we held three rounds of primaries. So as of now, I'm suspending all my activities as the party's candidate. I'll be heading back to Seoul to seriously address the pressing issues that remain." This comes as the PPP held its second all-floor meeting in as many days, where the party's interim leader Kwon Young-se called for a survey among PPP registered supporters on whether they support a merger. All this without notifying Kim. As for ex-PM Han he said he's not once thought about the merger falling through. He said that would be a betrayal of the citizens as he faced the media earlier on Tuesday. In the afternoon he met with another former prime minister and presidential candidate Lee Nak-yon. Lee despite being from DP is in the anti-Lee Jae-myung camp and could lock arms with Han in this election on the premise of amending the constitution. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
South Korean officials to attend official contract signing of Dukovany power plant deal
2025/05/06 18:00
A joint representative team of the South Korean government, including the trade and transport ministers, and members of the National Assembly are headed to the Czech Republic. South Korea's Trade Ministry announced on Tuesday that these officials will be attending the contract signing ceremony on May 7th, which will make official that a consortium led by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power is the contractor for construction of the Czech Republic's new nuclear power units. The ceremony will have representatives from KHNP as well as others related to the nuclear power industry. The two governments will also discuss economic cooperation in other areas including energy, infrastructure and science technology.
S. Korean gov't sends official opinion paper to U.S. over pharma tariff measures
2025/05/06 18:00
And amid Trump's tariff threats on the pharmaceutical industry, the South Korean government is attempting to boost its cooperation with the U.S. The Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that it had sent an official opinion paper to the U.S. on Sunday which stated that the import of Korean pharmaceuticals contributes to the stability of U.S. supply chains and improved patient accessibility to drugs. It especially sought to highlight that the tariff measures are unnecessary as Korean pharmaceuticals do not pose a threat to U.S. national security.
Trump to announce pharmaceutical tariffs within the next two weeks
2025/05/06 18:00
In the U.S., President Trump has said he will soon announce tariffs on pharmaceutical imports. This follows his recent announcement of tariffs on overseas movies as the U.S. leader expands the scope of his tariffs push. Ahn Sung-jin has more. U.S. President Donald Trump is to announce pharmaceutical-specific tariffs within the next two weeks. While speaking with reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said that his country is being "unfairly ripped off" compared to other nations around the world. Speculation on pharmaceutical tariffs had been raised before when the Trump administration directed the Commerce Department to investigate the effect of drug imports on national security. On the same day, Trump signed an executive order to incentivize drug manufacturing in the U.S. so pharmaceutical companies could build new production sites. This order pushes the Food and Drug Administration to reduce the approval time for manufacturing plants by eliminating unnecessary requirements, and directs the Environmental Protection Agency to assist the process of accelerating the construction of facilities. Other federal agencies issuing permits should also designate a single point-of-contact to coordinate applications. The announcement of potential levies has brought a stream of investment from drug makers, but some pharmaceutical companies have pushed back. Pfizer's CEO had said that the tariff threat will inherently deter the company from making further U.S. investments. U.S. manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry has shrunk significantly in recent decades with most of the production of ingredients being outsourced to other countries like China for lower labor costs. Earlier this week, Trump had made a social post saying that he will levy a 100 percent tariff on all movies coming into the U.S. that are produced from outside. "Our film industry has been decimated by other countries taking them out. And I'm not looking to hurt the industry, I want to help the industry, but they're given financing by other countries." The White House said on Monday that it was figuring out how to comply with the president's wishes as its Deputy Press Secretary said that though no final decision on foreign film tariffs had been made, "the Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump's directive." Implementation of these latest tariffs is unclear, but Trump's expansion of his tariff threats to the cultural sector is getting attention from stakeholders in and outside of the country. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.
Trump to announce pharmaceutical tariffs within the next two weeks
2025/05/06 12:00
In the U.S., President Trump has said he will soon announce tariffs on pharmaceutical imports. This follows his recent announcement of tariffs on overseas movies as the U.S. leader expands the scope of his tariffs push. Ahn Sung-jin has more. U.S. President Donald Trump is to announce pharmaceutical-specific tariffs within the next two weeks. While speaking with reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said that his country is being "unfairly ripped off" compared to other nations around the world. Speculation on pharmaceutical tariffs had been raised before when the Trump administration directed the Commerce Department to investigate the effect of drug imports on national security. On the same day, Trump signed an executive order to incentivize drug manufacturing in the U.S. so pharmaceutical companies could build new production sites. This order pushes the Food and Drug Administration to reduce the approval time for manufacturing plants by eliminating unnecessary requirements, and directs the Environmental Protection Agency to assist the process of accelerating the construction of facilities. Other federal agencies issuing permits should also designate a single point-of-contact to coordinate applications. The announcement of potential levies has brought a stream of investment from drug makers, but some pharmaceutical companies have pushed back. Pfizer's CEO had said that the tariff threat will inherently deter the company from making further U.S. investments. U.S. manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry has shrunk significantly in recent decades with most of the production of ingredients being outsourced to other countries like China for lower labor costs. Earlier this week, Trump had made a social post saying that he will levy a 100 percent tariff on all movies coming into the U.S. that are produced from outside. "Our film industry has been decimated by other countries taking them out. And I'm not looking to hurt the industry, I want to help the industry, but they're given financing by other countries." The White House said on Monday that it was figuring out how to comply with the president's wishes as its Deputy Press Secretary said that though no final decision on foreign film tariffs had been made, "the Administration is exploring all options to deliver on President Trump's directive." Implementation of these latest tariffs is unclear, but Trump's expansion of his tariff threats to the cultural sector is getting attention from stakeholders in and outside of the country. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.
Conclave to elect new pope readied in Sistine Chapel, Rome
2025/05/06 12:00
The conclave to choose the next pope begins over in Rome on Tuesday local time. The coming conclave is expected to be the largest in the history of the Catholic Church, with 133 cardinals from 70 countries set to gather in the Sistine Chapel. Smoke from the chimney at the end of the day shows whether there has been a decision, with black smoke if no candidate has secured a two-thirds majority or white smoke if a new pope is selected. If a pope is not chosen after three days of voting, cardinals take a break from voting for up to one day for prayer. It took two days to elect Pope Francis back in 2013.
Israel security cabinet approves plan to 'capture' Gaza
2025/05/06 12:00
The Gaza war could be about to see even more intense fighting as Israel's security cabinet on Monday approved a plan to expand its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Under the new Gaza war plan unanimously approved by the cabinet on Sunday, there will be stronger strikes against Hamas to rescue the remaining hostages. To do that, Gaza's 2.1 million population will reportedly be relocated to Gaza's south. According to an Israeli official, the new plan won't begin until after U.S. President Donald Trump concludes his visit to the Middle East this month, which leaves a possibility that Israel might agree to a ceasefire in the meantime.
Presidential election update: DP's Lee in Chungcheong-do, PPP's Kim in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Han meets former PM
2025/05/06 12:00
The presidential race continues to heat up as the nation enjoys the last day of the long weekend. The Democratic Party's presidential front-runner Lee Jae-myung is in the Chungcheong-do region, continuing his "listening tour." He's also set to roll out pledges aimed at the younger generation later today. People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo is visiting Gyeongju this afternoon to tour the upcoming APEC summit site, with a stop in Daegu as well. Independent candidate and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held a media roundtable this morning to lay out his campaign vision, and will meet fellow independent Lee Nak-yeon another former prime minister now in the race. Meanwhile, talks of a conservative merger are heating up. Kim met with PPP leadership late last night, but the two sides have yet to agree on how and when to move forward.
U.S. President Trump says he'll hit foreign-made films with 100% tariff
2025/05/05 18:00
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a 100-percent tariff on all foreign-made films, claiming America's movie industry is "dying a very fast death." In a social media post on Sunday, Trump accused other countries of luring filmmakers away with incentives in what he called a "concerted effort" to undermine the movie industry, labeling it a "national security threat." Speaking to reporters the same day, Trump said the U.S. is in trade talks with many countries, including China. While discussions with Chinese officials on a range of issues continue, he noted he has no plans to speak directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Trump said that China was eager to make a deal, but stressed that it must be fair and that the outcome remains uncertain.
DP candidate Lee vows to increase age bracket for childcare subsidies; Fmr. PM Han suggests meeting with PPP candidate Kim
2025/05/05 18:00
With less than a month to go until the presidential election, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung is spending the long weekend meeting voters across the country. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo proposed a meeting with the People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo amid expectations of unifying their candidacies. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. The presidential race between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party is starting to take shape. Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung began his Monday schedule by attending the Buddha's Birthday ceremony. Lee wrote on social media that Buddhist culture is a key part of Korean tradition and pledged to reduce the financial burden of restoring traditional temples. For Children's Day, Lee promised to gradually expand the age limit for childcare subsidies from the current cap of under eight to under 18. Lee continued his tour across the country to hear from voters, visiting parts of Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheongbuk-do provinces on Monday. Following the Supreme Court's decision on Lee's election law violation case, the DP urged Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae to postpone all court hearings involving presidential candidates until after the June 3 presidential election. The party, which decided on Sunday to delay a decision on whether to try to impeach Cho, warned it may take strong action if the request is ignored. The DP also called on the high court to cancel or postpone the first hearing of Lee's retrial, scheduled for May 15. Meanwhile, talks are gearing up between the People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo about a possible coalition in the presidential race. Kim and Han met for the first time on Monday, since Kim was nominated as the PPP's presidential candidate, during a visit to Jogyesa temple to mark Buddha's Birthday. Han suggested they meet later in the day. Kim's side confirmed their encounter but said they only discussed meeting "soon" without going into any details. On Sunday, the PPP decided to establish a body under its election committee to explore merging its campaign with Han's. An official from Han's camp confirmed that Han, who announced his candidacy last Friday, is willing to leave all coalition logistics --including rules and procedures --to the PPP. All eyes are on whether the two will merge their campaigns before the candidate registration deadline this Sunday. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.
Trump says China wants a deal, but it must be fair
2025/05/05 12:00
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he was talking with many countries on trade deals, including China. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump noted that while U.S. officials were in discussions with their Chinese counterparts on a range of issues, he has no plans to speak directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week. Trump said that China was eager to make a deal, but stressed that it must be fair and noted that the outcome remains uncertain. Also on Sunday, Trump posted on social media that he would impose a 100-percent tariff on all foreign-made films. Citing concerns that America's movie industry was "dying," he claimed there was a "concerted effort" by other countries to undermine it, calling the situation a "national security threat."