News
Ukraine minerals deal imminent: Trump
2025/03/21 17:00
U.S. President Donald Trump claims Washington and Kyiv are close to concluding a critical minerals deal. Lee Seung-jae has more. U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday, that a minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine is getting closer. Trump made the announcement at the White House,.. after signing an order to increase U.S. production of critical minerals. "We're doing very well with regard to Ukraine and Russia. And one of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine, which they have tremendous value in rare earth. And we appreciate that." Washington and Kyiv said earlier this month that they had agreed to conclude the minerals deal as soon as possible. The comments by Trump also come as he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, in what the White House said was a "fantastic" one-hour phone call. President Trump also said Thursday that progress towards a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine is progressing well. "And we spoke yesterday with, as you know, President Putin and President Zelenskyy. And we would love to see that come to an end. And I think we're doing pretty well in that regard. So hopefully we would save thousands of people a week from dying. That's what it's all about. They're dying." Meanwhile, officials from the U.S., Russia and Ukraine will head to Saudi Arabia next week to hold talks on a potential ceasefire deal. Talks on a U.S.-led proposal for a partial ceasefire will resume next Monday with Russian and Ukrainian officials holding talks separately with U.S. officials. According to President Zelenskyy speaking at a news conference in Oslo on Thursday, U.S. officials would meet with Ukrainian experts, and then hold separate talks with Russian representatives. The White House issued a statement saying that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to technical negotiations on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, and a potential full ceasefire and permanent peace during their talks on Tuesday. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
At least 592 dead in Gaza after Israel resumes airstrikes
2025/03/21 17:00
In international news. Civilians in Gaza including children are bearing the brutal brunt of Israel's latest ground offensive following conflict with Hamas over details of their earlier fragile ceasefire. Park Hyo-been has the latest. After Israel resumed airstrikes on Gaza from early Tuesday, the attacks have led to over 1-thousand-4-hundred casualties as of Thursday. Gaza's Ministry of Health reported that approximately 6-hundred people were killed in the first three days of the resumed airstrikes. Of the 4-hundred deaths on the first day of strikes, nearly 3-hundred were women and children. "We weren't living in a truce. We expected the war to return at any moment. We never felt stability at all. We would go to sleep without expecting to make it to the next morning." Israel has now deployed ground forces in Rafah, southern Gaza, to dismantle terrorist facilities. In northern Gaza, airstrikes targeted hospitals used by Hamas as command centers. Israel also launched attacks across the city, and the Israeli military confirmed the killing of two Hamas security commanders. In response, Hamas issued a statement accusing Israel of committing massacres, claiming that 6-hundred Palestinians were killed. It also launched three M90 rockets at Tel Aviv on Thursday, marking its first response to the latest Israeli airstrikes. Israel's defense ministry reported that one rocket was intercepted, and the other two landed in open areas with no casualties reported. On the same day, Iran-backed Houthi rebels joined the attack despite U.S. President Donald Trump's warning. "The Yemeni Armed Forces Missile Force carried out a qualitative operation targeting a military target of the Israeli enemy, south of the occupied Jaffa region, with 2 hypersonic ballistic missiles." As the clashes between Israel and Hamas intensify, peace in Gaza seems increasingly distant. Park Hyo-been, Arirang News.
Two N. Korean nationals found adrift in West Sea on March 7 aboard small wooden boat
2025/03/21 17:00
Two North Korean nationals are facing questioning here in South Korea after being found adrift in the West Sea earlier this month. The South Korean Navy's maritime patrol aircraft detected the boat some one-hundred-70 kilometers west of Eocheongdo a little after 11 in the morning on March 7th. They reportedly unintentionally crossed the Northern Limit Line owing to a malfunction in their small wooden boat. And as they have not expressed any intention to defect South Korea is reviewing its options of sending them home as all cross-border communication has been severed.
N. Korea tests new surface-to-air missile as Kim Jong-un watches
2025/03/21 17:00
North Korea says it has successfully tested a newly 개발된 지대공 미사일 시스템을 성공적으로 시험 발사했다고 북한이 밝혔다.
Top diplomats of S. Korea, China holds talks in Tokyo
2025/03/21 17:00
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul is in Tokyo for trilateral talks with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts. Now ahead of the trilateral gathering with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya scheduled for Saturday Cho sat down separately with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to address bilateral issues of interest on this Friday. Among the matters addressed was the possibility of a visit to South Korea by Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the APEC summit this autumn.
S. Korea, U.S. officials agree to cooperate on 'Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List' issue
2025/03/21 17:00
Relevant authorities from Seoul and Washington will work together to address South Korea's inclusion in the U.S. Energy Department's list of sensitive countries. According to the Trade Ministry here on this Friday intentions to this end were agreed upon during talks between Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright over in Washington on Thursday local time. Their talks also reportedly included future energy partnership including joint projects as well as investments.
Opposition to impeach acting president with prime minister's impeachment ruling just days away
2025/03/21 17:00
Meanwhile in the latest confrontation between rival political parties opposition lawmakers at the parliament are preparing an impeachment motion against acting President Choi Sang-mok . Our correspondent Kim Do-yeon reports. After months of warnings and build-up the five opposition parties proposed an impeachment motion for Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister for Finance Choi Sang-mok. This came on Friday with the proposal accusing the Acting President of four different unconstitutional acts. First was an accusation that he was an accomplice to the alleged insurrection led by President Yoon Suk Yeol through martial law. Second, and what seemed to be the main reason, was Choi's decision to hold off on appointing the ninth Constitutional Court justice Ma Eun-hyeok despite the Constitutional Court's ruling last month that this is an infringement of the parliament's authorities. "To defy the ruling of the Constitutional Court is to defy the constitutional order itself — and beyond that, it is a denial and contempt of the Republic of Korea's very existence. That is how we see it." The other two were his decision to hold off on appointing a supreme court justice and a permanent special prosecutor. With the opposition parties having the majority, the motion can be passed unilaterally by the opposition lawmakers. Meanwhile, the ruling People Power Party has fired back saying this is, quote, "terrorism" against the government and the DP's emotional revenge by stopping government functions. PPP floor leader also added the DP is not confident about the upcoming ruling on President Yoon's impeachment at the Constitutional Court and needs add a liberal judge. "The reason Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party faction is taking such extreme measures is clear: as procedural flaws in the impeachment trial become exposed, they're trying to overturn the case by pushing Ma Eun-hyuk into the Constitutional Court." "This is the 30th impeachment effort by the DP. 13 of them were passed by the National Assembly with 8 eventually making it to the Constitutional Court. None of the impeachments were upheld." In the meantime, the voting time for Choi's impeachment motion is yet to be decided. One variable is that the Constitutional Court will give its verdict on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment on Monday morning. Han was impeached for similar reasons—refusing to appoint Constitutional Court justices. If the Court rejects his impeachment, Choi's motion could lose momentum even before the vote. In terms of succession, Han would return as acting president, and even if Choi is suspended, Han would still lead the government. But if Han's impeachment is upheld and Choi is suspended, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Lee Joo-ho, fourth in line, would take over as caretaker. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
EU leaders vow to continue backing Ukraine, but make no concrete pledges
2025/03/21 10:00
European Union leaders convened in Brussels for a two-day summit to deliberate on strengthening defense support for Ukraine. However, the summit concluded without a concrete financial commitment. During the summit held on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the EU leaders via video, urging them to maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions and to provide additional military aid. However, the EU leaders kept a cautious approach and didn't give a solid answer regarding Zelenskyy's appeal for approximately 5.4 billion U.S. dollars for artillery shells. EU foreign policy chief and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas had previously proposed a 43.4 billion-dollar military aid package for Ukraine, but the plan has faced opposition from several member states. Reaching consensus was further complicated by Hungary's refusal to endorse the summit's joint statement supporting Ukraine.
Hamas says it fired rockets toward Tel Aviv as Israel renews attacks on Gaza
2025/03/21 10:00
Hostilities in the Middle East are escalating, with Hamas launching rockets in response to Israel's renewed military operations. Hamas claimed to have fired three rockets toward Tel Aviv on Thursday, following resumed military operations by Israel in Gaza. This marks Hamas' first offensive since a ceasefire collapsed earlier this week following Israel's resumption of air and ground operations in Gaza. The Israeli military reported that one of the three rockets was intercepted by air defenses, while the others landed in open areas, causing no casualties. Yemen's Houthi rebel group also fired two ballistic missiles at Israel on Thursday but these were intercepted. Israeli airstrikes have resulted in over 500 Palestinian deaths and hundreds of injuries since Tuesday, with at least 85 fatalities reported on Thursday alone. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened "total devastation" of Gaza unless Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
S. Korea's FM heads to Tokyo for trilateral meeting with Japanese, Chinese counterparts
2025/03/21 10:00
South Korea's foreign minister Cho Tae-yul left for Tokyo this morning to take part in a trilateral meeting with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts. Throughout his two-day visit, Cho is also scheduled to hold separate bilateral meetings with Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The three officials are expected to hold discussions on a wide range of regional and global issues. This marks their first meeting since South Korea's brief imposition of martial law in December, with their last meeting held in November, 2023 in Busan.
S. Korea's minister of trade to hold high-level talks with Washington about its "Sensitive Countries List" and tariffs
2025/03/21 10:00
South Korea is pushing for negotiations amid potential new U.S. tariffs and restrictions on scientific collaboration. Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun is back in Washington for crucial talks. Our Moon Hye-ryeon reports. As the United States prepares to announce reciprocal tariffs next month, South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy has returned to Washington in an effort to secure Seoul's removal from its recent designation into the U.S. Energy Department's "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List". On Thursday, local time, Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun spoke to reporters about the government's stance prior to beginning a series of high-level discussions. His first meeting is scheduled with the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright. "Our priority is to seek South Korea's removal from the "Sensitive and Other Designated Countries List". If immediate removal is not possible, we will work on alternative solutions to ensure that this designation does not hinder scientific and industrial collaboration between our nations." If South Korea remains on the list, new restrictions on research collaborations and visits to institutions affiliated with the U.S. Energy Department will take effect starting April 15. However, Ahn gave reassurance that Washington has indicated that the designation is not expected to have a significant impact on bilateral scientific cooperation. His visit comes at a crucial time, ahead of the new Trump administration's anticipated tariff announcement on April 2nd, and securing a favorable position is another key objective for talks. This marks Ahn's second trip to Washington in just three weeks, following discussions with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick last month, and they are due to meet again. "The Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has effectively eliminated tariffs between our two countries. However, non-tariff barriers have emerged as a concern. We are actively addressing these issues domestically and will communicate our progress to our U.S. counterparts." U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently identified the so-called "Dirty 15" – a group of countries with significant tariffs on U.S. goods – as targets for the upcoming tariff measures. When asked whether South Korea could be included, Ahn stated it was too early to tell, and emphasized that South Korea already imports most U.S. goods without tariffs under the Free Trade Agreement between Seoul and Washington. Regarding a potential exemption from the new tariffs, the Trade Minister explained that there haven't been many cases where specific countries were granted exemptions – and it appears that the measures will be implemented first before adjustments can be made. He added that ongoing communication and negotiations will be needed to shape the trade framework between the two allies. Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.
EU postpones retaliatory tariffs to mid-April for further negotiations with Washington
2025/03/21 10:00
The European Union has pushed back its first phase of retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., originally set to take effect on April 1st. The European Commission announced on Thursday that the countermeasures will now take effect on April 13th, and all at once instead of across two stages. The first phase originally was set to levy tariffs on U.S. exports of whiskey, motorboats and motorcycles to the EU, and the second phase on beer, poultry, beef and other produce. The announcement also stated the postponement would allow time for negotiations with Washington, and that tariffs would be imposed without further delay should they fail to find a resolution.
Ukraine minerals deal imminent: Trump
2025/03/21 10:00
U.S. President Donald Trump says a minerals deal with Ukraine is getting close, while officials from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia will be in Saudi Arabia next week in the hope of finding a breakthrough in peace talks. Lee Seung-jae reports. U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday, that a minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine is getting closer. Trump made the announcement at the White House,.. after signing an order to increase U.S. production of critical minerals. "We're doing very well with regard to Ukraine and Russia. And one of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine, which they have tremendous value in rare earth. And we appreciate that." Washington and Kyiv said earlier this month that they had agreed to conclude the minerals deal as soon as possible. The comments by Trump also come as he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, in what the White House said was a "fantastic" one-hour phone call. President Trump also said Thursday that progress towards a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine is progressing well. "And we spoke yesterday with, as you know, President Putin and President Zelenskyy. And we would love to see that come to an end. And I think we're doing pretty well in that regard. So hopefully we would save thousands of people a week from dying. That's what it's all about. They're dying." Meanwhile, officials from the U.S., Russia and Ukraine will head to Saudi Arabia next week to hold talks on a potential ceasefire deal. Talks on a U.S.-led proposal for a partial ceasefire will resume next Monday with Russian and Ukrainian officials holding talks separately with U.S. officials. According to President Zelenskyy speaking at a news conference in Oslo on Thursday, U.S. officials would meet with Ukrainian experts, and then hold separate talks with Russian representatives. The White House issued a statement saying that President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to technical negotiations on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, and a potential full ceasefire and permanent peace during their talks on Tuesday. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
Constitutional Court to rule on PM's impeachment on Monday before announcing Pres. Yoon's verdict date
2025/03/21 10:00
While the country anxiously waits for the Constitutional Court to announce a ruling date for President Yoon's impeachment verdict, the court says it will deliver its verdict on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment in the coming week. Our Oh Soo-young reports. The Constitutional Court will rule on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment on Monday, likely before revealing the date for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment verdict. On Thursday, the Court notified the media that the eight-member bench will deliver its decision, on whether or not to uphold the National Assembly's motion to remove the PM from office. In late December, the National Assembly with an opposition party majority pushed through an impeachment motion against Han. It accused him of abetting President Yoon’s December 3rd martial law and refusing to approve the appointments of three Constitutional Court justices. If the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment, Han Duck-soo will immediately resume his duties as prime minister and acting president. As Han's case is largely relevant to the President's impeachment, it seems the Court has deliberated on it first. Yoon's ruling date, however, is unlikely to be announced this week, according to one official. As the Court usually gives at least two days of notice in advance, and tends not to schedule ruling dates consecutively, this means the President's impeachment verdict could be delivered on Wednesday at the earliest. For over three weeks, the justices have been convening every day to deliberate on the top-level case -a record period of time compared to past presidential impeachment cases. Park Geun-hye's ruling was out 14 days after her final trial hearing, and Roh Moo-hyun's 11 days. It seems the justices are highly conscious that their constitutional decision could have explosive political and social ramifications, as protests for and against impeachment grow more ferocious by the day. A poll released on Thursday shows 60 percent of some 1-thousand people surveyed believe the Court should uphold Yoon's impeachment, while 35 percent believe the President should return to office. 57 percent believe the Court will choose to impeach Yoon,.. while 34 percent believe his case will be dismissed. Those supporting Yoon's impeachment wish to quickly trigger a snap presidential election, which polls show would largely favor opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. Meanwhile, conservatives including Yoon's supporters are calling for the case to be dismissed, or for the Court to deliver a ruling after Lee Jae-myung's own verdict, on one of his five criminal cases next Tuesday. Experts say the judicial bench is likely fine-tuning the judgment on Yoon's case to ensure it can be broadly accepted by a highly polarised public. With various overlaps in the grounds for impeachment between Yoon and Han's respective cases, the Court's ruling on the PM's trial may provide insights into how the justices are deliberating on the President's impeachment. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.
Constitutional Court to rule on PM's impeachment on Monday before announcing Pres. Yoon's verdict date
2025/03/20 20:00
Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. The Constitutional Court will not be ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment this week. But the judicial bench says it will deliver its verdict on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment first. Our Correspondent Oh Soo-young explains how this affects the schedule of the Court's top-level case. The Constitutional Court will rule on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment on Monday, likely before revealing the date for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment verdict. On Thursday, the Court notified the media that the eight-member bench will deliver its decision, on whether or not to uphold the National Assembly's motion to remove the PM from office. In late December, the National Assembly with an opposition party majority pushed through an impeachment motion against Han. It accused him of abetting President Yoon's December 3rd martial law and refusing to approve the appointments of three Constitutional Court justices. If the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment, Han Duck-soo will immediately resume his duties as prime minister and acting president. As Han's case is largely relevant to the President's impeachment, it seems the Court has deliberated on it first. Yoon's ruling date, however, is unlikely to be announced this week, according to one official. As the Court usually gives at least two days of notice in advance, and tends not to schedule ruling dates consecutively, this means the President's impeachment verdict could be delivered on Wednesday at the earliest. For over three weeks, the justices have been convening every day to deliberate on the top-level case -a record period of time compared to past presidential impeachment cases. Park Geun-hye's ruling was out 14 days after her final trial hearing, and Roh Moo-hyun's 11 days. It seems the justices are highly conscious that their constitutional decision could have explosive political and social ramifications, as protests for and against impeachment grow more ferocious by the day. A poll released on Thursday shows 60 percent of some 1-thousand people surveyed believe the Court should uphold Yoon's impeachment, while 35 percent believe the President should return to office. 57 percent believe the Court will choose to impeach Yoon,.. while 34 percent believe his case will be dismissed. Those supporting Yoon's impeachment wish to quickly trigger a snap presidential election, which polls show would largely favor opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. Meanwhile, conservatives including Yoon's supporters are calling for the case to be dismissed, or for the Court to deliver a ruling after Lee Jae-myung's own verdict, on one of his five criminal cases next Tuesday. Experts say the judicial bench is likely fine-tuning the judgment on Yoon's case to ensure it can be broadly accepted by a highly polarised public. With various overlaps in the grounds for impeachment between Yoon and Han's respective cases, the Court's ruling on the PM's trial may provide insights into how the justices are deliberating on the President's impeachment. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.
Trump-Zelenskyy call: Trump proposes running Ukrainian nuclear power plants
2025/03/20 20:00
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agrees to a partial ceasefire with the Kremlin on energy and infrastructure during talks on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump. Choi Soo-hyung has the latest. U.S. President Trump and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy have had a direct phone call to talk about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. On Wednesday local time, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the call "to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs" lasted about an hour and went smoothly. Trump said Zelenskyy also agreed on a partial ceasefire for energy and infrastructure facilities. During the call, Trump suggested that the U.S. could help with nuclear power plant operations using its expertise in the energy sector. "He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise. American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure." The White House added that the U.S. will continue to provide intelligence resources to Ukraine to end the war. This means that Trump rejected Putin's demand to stop military support and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. "They reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely between their defense staffs as the battlefield situation evolved." President Zelenskyy also reportedly requested additional air defense systems, including the Patriot missile system and Trump said he would work to find available systems in Europe to support Ukraine. Trump also promised to help ensure that children who were kidnapped or went missing during the war could return to Ukraine. Regarding the partial deal on Tuesday, after the call with Putin, the White House stated that the U.S. position supports a ceasefire for "energy and infrastructure," not just energy infrastructure, as Russia claims. The U.S. will continue negotiations with Russia for a wider ceasefire deal in meetings in Saudi Arabia in the end of this week. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.
Defense ministry calls in Russia's defense attaché to protest KADIZ intrusions by Russian warplanes
2025/03/20 20:00
The defense ministry called in Russian Defense Attaché to South Korea, Colonel Nikolai Marchenko on Thursday to protest Russian military warplanes intruding into South Korea's air defense identification zone, or KADIZ. According to the ministry, the Russian warplanes reportedly entered the KADIZ eight times from March the 11th to the 20th. Earlier, warplanes even flew as close as 20 kilometers to the outer edge of South Korean airspace without responding to the military's attempts at communication. In response, the Air Force scrambled fighter jets in accordance with international law. The defense ministry strongly protested the incidents, and urged measures to prevent any recurrence.
S. Korea-U.S. Freedom Shield joint military exercise wraps up on Thurs. after 11-day run
2025/03/20 20:00
A major military exercise between South Korea and the U.S. came to an end on Thursday after 11 days of comprehensive drills. This year's Freedom Shield was the first under the second Trump administration and featured expanded on-field drills. It also took into account realistic threats such as potential changes in North Korea's military strategy in light of its defense deal with Russia. Meanwhile, North Korea, for its part, condemned the annual training between South Korea and U.S. and test-launched a series of close-range ballistic missiles into the West Sea on the first day of the training but stayed silent in the following days.
S. Korea's National Pension System reformed so that workers will pay more to get more
2025/03/20 20:00
A reform bill that would affect the lives of pension payers in the country. was approved today upon bipartisan agreement. In what will be the first pension reform in almost two decades, workers will pay more and ultimately get more after they retire. Our political correspondent Kim Do-yeon explains. Pay more and get more. On Thursday the National Assembly passed a bill changing the National Pension System that will raise the insurance premium to an eventual 13 percent over the next eight years while the nominal income replacement rate will be raised to 43 percent from the current 41.5 starting next year. This is the first reform in 18 years. "At a time of heightened tension and deep conflict, it was truly a valuable process for both the ruling and opposition parties to come together with a focus on the lives of the people. I believe this is a significant matter that will be greatly recorded in our political and social history." In addition to this the two parties agreed to give more credit months. Those who served mandatory military service will now receive 12 additional months in their pension credit instead of six. Women who give birth will also receive credits. For the first two children, it will be 12 months each while starting from the third child it'll be 18 months. "It took 18 years for these new changes to the pension system because it's a sensitive issue that requires agreements across the aisle, generations, and working classes. But, it's something that needs to be done as the fund will be depleted in a few decades due to aging population and the low birth rate." The new changes, however, only pushed back the depletion time by 10 years to 2055. Because of this more changes will be made and a special committee will be formed. The committee chaired by the ruling People Power Party will be made of 13 members six from the PPP, six from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and one from a minor party. The members will discuss structural reform issues, including the revision of the multi-layered income security system linked to pensions, such as basic, retirement, and private pensions, as well as financial stability concerns. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.
Israel resumes ground operations in Gaza
2025/03/20 17:00
In the Middle East. Israel has re-deployed its boots on the ground in Gaza further fueling fears about the fate of civilians in the region. Lee Seung-jae has more. Airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday killed at least 400 Palestinians, ending the two months of relative calm in the enclave. On Wednesday, Israel resumed ground offensives following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement earlier this month, and killed dozens more. Israeli forces say it regained control of the Netzarim Corridor,.. in order to expand a "security zone and create a partial buffer" between the northern and southern regions of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military had withdrawn from the corridor last month, allowing civilians in central and southern Gaza to return to what little remained of their homes in the north. The resumption of Israeli attacks comes as the two sides have failed to come to an agreement on the second phase of the ceasefire deal, that would have released more Israeli hostages. Meanwhile,.. with the resumption of Israeli strikes, the United Nations says one of its workers was killed, and others injured after a compound in Gaza was damaged on Wednesday. The Palestinian health ministry blamed an Israeli strike, while Israel's military denied striking the UN compound in Deir al-Balah. The UN Office for Project Services said that an "explosive ordinance was dropped or fired" at the compound. However, it added that there was no confirmation on the nature of the incident or the type of artillery used. The UNOPS stressed that the incident was "not an accident," while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and called for a full investigation. More than 300 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, with most being staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.