News

Sono International intensifies management push at T’way Air

2025/01/22 17:00

Daemyung Sono Group's Sono International will bolster its participation in the management of T'way Air. Following a request from the group earlier this week demanding an overhaul of management and a capital increase for stable operations of the airline Sono International also requested access to the shareholder registry. The request included concerns over insufficient maintenance costs and personnel as well as the lack of reliability in terms of aviation safety.

S. Korea posts highest growth in childbirths in November in 14 years

2025/01/22 17:00

Findings for the month of November show a substantial surge in the number of newborns. posting the highest growth in 14 years. Choi Min-jung covers the latest data. Last November saw the country's biggest rise in births in 14 years. According to Statistics Korea, the number of births in November last year was at just over 20-thousand, up 2-thousand 5-hundred births, or 14-point-6 percent from a year earlier. This is the highest growth rate since November 2010, when it reached over 17 percent growth. The number of births has exceeded 20-thousand for five consecutive months after surpassing that mark in July. And increases were witnessed for November in every province and administrative division of the country. If the current trend continues until December, the annual number of births is expected to see a positive rebound for the first time in nine years. "The increase in the number of births seems to be influenced by a prior increase in marriages. The rise in marriages between August 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 might have contributed to the subsequent rise in births." In November, there were over 18-thousand 5-hundred marriages, marking the highest number in nine years and an increase of 11 percent. During the same month, there were more than 29-thousand deaths, resulting in a decline in the natural population of 9-thousand. Choi Min-jung, Arirang News.

S. Korea raises concerns over N. Korea's nuclear weapons at UN disarmament conference

2025/01/22 17:00

Over in Geneva. A fresh war of words between the two Koreas took place at the latest UN forum on arms control with South Korea underscoring North Korea's blatant defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and the regime finding fault with joint military drills between Seoul and Washington. Lee Seung-jae has more. The UN Conference on Disarmament was held on Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland, with much of the attention on North Korea. At the meeting North Korean ambassador to the U.N. office in Geneva Jo Chol-su slammed the U.S. for conducting aerial intelligence activities against the regime since the beginning of the year. He further criticized the simulated nuclear war exercises being conducted on the Korean Peninsula, and U.S.' strategic bombers being deployed to the region. Jo said that U.S. political and military provocations are what's causing armed conflicts and undermining regional stability. He further stressed that a strong national defense force is the only way to protect peace, and vowed to deter all military provocations by "hostile forces." The envoy concluded his remarks by saying, that as a "responsible nuclear state", the North will continue its efforts to prevent all forms of war and protect peace and stability. In response, Kim Il-hoon, counselor at South Korea's Permanent Mission to Geneva pointed out that North Korea not only provide Russia with a large quantity of lethal weapons and ballistic missiles, a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, but also dispatched more than 11 thousand troops. Kim pointed out the recent capture of two North Korean soldiers, as evidence of North Korea's participation in the Ukraine War. He also stressed that North Korea lowering its threshold for a nuclear attack is a "present-day threat," adding that it goes against peace and stability in the region. However, Kim still emphasized the importance of holding talks, saying that the only way North Korea can benefit is through dialogue and diplomacy. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Trump, Kim Jong-un could reach 'Small Deal': Fmr. U.S. intelligence official

2025/01/22 17:00

Meanwhile speculation is mounting about prospects of fresh engagement between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un . And for more on such prospects our Oh Soo-young sat down with a former U.S. envoy to the six-party nuclear talks. Do take a listen. Seoul and Washington could aim for small but meaningful steps towards denuclearizing North Korea, in a possible small deal under the new Trump Administration. Former U.S. intelligence official Joseph Detrani told Arirang News he sees potential for a revival of top-level talks between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, after their Hanoi Summit in 2019 broke down, which showed that Kim was not ready for a "big deal" to close down all his nuclear facilities. Ambassador Detrani was Washington's special envoy to the Six Party Talks that aimed to negotiate with North Korea two decades ago. "In regards to what sort of a process could be used to better engage with North Korea? I think we learned from Hanoi that the Libya Model where we expect North Korea to put everything on the table is unrealistic. It's not going to happen. I think we knew this from the 6 Party Talks with North Korea going back to 2005 with the joint statement -it's actions for actions. As North Korea gets certain benefits, they will start to dismantle their nuclear weapons programs." Despite Kim Jong-un's reported disappointment and anger over the failed talks, Detrani said the potential lifting of economic sanctions for smaller concessions could draw him back to negotiations. "This hasn't been put on the table before but ideally stop the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons. These are all these are all moves in the right direction. Now, is North Korea going to give up their arsenal of nuclear weapons? No, and Kim Jung-un has made that very clear, but our goal should be and, I think, will be the complete verifiable dismantlement of all nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons facilities and that should continue to be our goal." Detrani stressed the importance of reaching even small deals to freeze North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile development, especially as the regime last year forged a comprehensive partnership with Russia, which includes mutual defence in times of war, and experts fear a potential transfer of key missile and nuclear technologies. "The assessment at least in the United States is reportedly that they can miniaturise their nuclear warheads and they can make them to these short range, intermediate range long range ballistic missiles what they could be getting from Russia. There's more work on their hypersonics because the hypersonic they're working on is capable of defeating, in theory, missile defense systems which is very important but also merging them where they have multiple re-entry of vehicles where there are multiple re-entry, if you will, of nuclear warheads where you can have one missile, an ICBM like the Hwasong carrying five to 6 nuclear warheads that could be independently maneuvered to strike different targets." While the South Korean president's suspension from office has hindered top-level diplomacy with Washington, Detrani says the bilateral alliance will likely remain "robust" due to such challenges, among other security issues in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly as Washington continues to counter China's growing influence. The Ambassador added it is highly unlikely the U.S. would formally recognize North Korea as a nuclear state, as that could potentially trigger distrust among U.S. allies, and an arms race in the region. Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.

Trump 2.0: Opportunity or challenge for S. Korean students in the U.S.?

2025/01/22 17:00

Quite a number of young Korean scholars have chosen to further broaden their academic horizons by seeking studies in the U.S. So how does Mr. Trump's return to the White House look to affect their plans? Our Lee Eun-hee takes a look. Now that Donald Trump is back in office, what does his second term mean for South Korean students in the U.S.? Is it an emerging challenge or possibly a new opportunity? The latest data shows that there are over 45-thousand Korean students in the U.S., ranking third in terms of the largest international student populations, following China and India. Given Trump's first-term "America First" immigration policies, which focused on stricter visa rules and limiting post-graduation work opportunities, there are concerns about the impact on Korean students. However, there may also be areas of focus that could open new pathways for international students in fields like technology, engineering, and research. A "STEM visa" is commonly used to refer to visa options available for those pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields, including the F-1 student visa with additional work opportunities. A recent graduate from grad school in data science in 2024 and currently working in the United States, Kim Kyu-hyun gives us more details. "It's a policy that benefits the United States mostly. Of course, individuals working in the United States can also benefit but it's a policy to retain talent in the country. So I don't think it'll be in the best interests of anyone to cancel or revoke the STEM, OPT or H-1B policy but I do think that it might be less friendlier than before in that it'll be more selective of who gets the stem visa." In June 2024, while running for president, Donald Trump proposed to offer green cards to international students who graduate from American schools. This could be a potential game-changer for those looking to build their futures in the United States, but with over a million international students in the U.S., questions remain. "He claimed it would be implemented right after taking office, but many experts are skeptical about its feasibility due to the scale of the proposal. There are doubts about whether Trump and his current team can actually make it happen." The professor also added that, although Korean students in the United States may not be directly affected for now, under the Trump administration, it's likely that the overall environment in American society could become more unwelcoming for international students. "Visa policies and restrictions could add an extra layer of complexity for international students like me. But I see these challenges as an opportunity to refine my strategies and explore alternative pathways." While the direct impact on international students may not be immediate, the shifting atmosphere in American society could present new challenges, making it important to stay adaptable and prepared for any changes ahead. Lee Eun-hee, Arirang News.

U.S. announces massive AI infrastructure project worth US$ 500 bil.

2025/01/22 17:00

The U.S. continues to aim for AI dominance under its new administration. In fact President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a partnership among three private firms that will see the investment of billions of U.S. dollars into the AI arena within national boundaries. Park Kun-woo reports. Efforts to "Save America" are being put into action. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the largest AI infrastructure project in history with investment of up to 5-hundred billion U.S. dollars. The massive project includes three companies -OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle -that have decided to partner on a new AI infrastructure company "Stargate." "Beginning immediately, Stargate will be building the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of advancements in AI and this will include the construction of colossal data centers, very, very massive structures." The first data center project is already under construction in Texas. Also on Tuesday, a mass deportation operation began in the U.S. according to border czar Tom Homan. He said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency will primarily crack down on illegal immigrants with criminal records, but added those without such records will also be arrested if found. Homan said "sanctuary cities" and protected areas, including schools and places of worship, will not be exempt from arrests. Trump also hinted at a "tax war" with a memorandum after taking office, which threaten to double tax rates for foreign nationals and companies in the U.S. in response to discriminatory taxation on U.S. multinationals by other countries. He also mentioned potentially withdrawing from the OECD global tax pact that allows other countries to levy top-up taxes on U.S. companies. Trump also spoke about imposing tariffs. "We're thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada I think we'll do it February 1st." Canada's Prime Minister said it will "respond robustly" if "unfair tariffs" are imposed to protect the country's interests. Trump also spoke about possible tariffs on China early next month. However, investment banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs echoed opinion in Wall Street that Trump's recent comments on tariffs were quite moderate, but also noted related uncertainties remain in the coming days. With easing concerns, the New York stock market, including the Dow Jones 30, closed strongly on Tuesday, up by more than 1-point-2 percent from the previous session. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

K-wave AI News

2025/01/22 14:00

Welcome to The Kulture Wave AI News. Here's our first story of the day. The Seoul branch of the 'Medical Korea Support Center,' dedicated to supporting foreign patients seeking medical services in Korea, has relocated to Seoul Station. Previously situated in Jongno District, the move aims to enhance accessibility for international patients. Established in 2016, the Medical Korea Support Center operates in Seoul and Incheon, offering comprehensive services including consultations, interpretation, and legal assistance. The Seoul Museum of Art will open two new galleries this year: the 'Photography Seoul Museum of Art' and the 'Seo-Seoul Museum of Art.' The photography museum, set to open in May in Dobong District, will be Korea's first public photography museum, featuring exhibitions that explore the breadth of photographic culture. The Seo-Seoul Museum of Art, a western branch of the Seoul Museum of Art, is slated to open in the second half of the year in Geumcheon District. Designed to reflect the unique characteristics of Seoul's southwestern region, the museum will specialize in programs focused on new media, multidisciplinary art, and art education for youth and underserved communities. The Korean Film Council will invest ten billion won, or roughly seven million U.S. dollars, in mid-budget Korean films as part of efforts to revive the slumping "K-movie" industry. Amid growing calls for measures to boost investment and improve the production environment, the council plans to roll out a range of support initiatives. A press briefing detailing the council's support programs is scheduled for Thursday. That's all for now. Stay tuned for more cultural updates and insightful discussions ahead!

[K-Correspondent] Korean tastes that are captivating Australia

2025/01/22 14:00

Once a week we connect live to a correspondent overseas who fills us in on K-culture news in their country. Today, we will find out about the latest in the K-food craze in Australia. While Korean-style fried chicken and barbecue landed in Australia a while back, K-food meal kits are getting plenty of love these days. To talk more about this, we are now connected to our K-Correspondent in Australia, content creator Jiny Maeng! Q1. Hello Jiny, we’ve met before through Arirang TV, but it's your first time on 'The Kulture Wave'. Could you introduce yourself to our viewers please? Q1-1. (I’m also a content creator from Australia. I’m very interested in YouTube contents ) Which of your videos have been going viral the most and received the best responses? Q2. How popular is the Korean wave in Australia right now? I heard K-contents including Squid Game season 2 have been a big hit recently? Q3. Let’s now talk about K-food, our main topic today. Korean stir-fried glass noodles japchae are among the favorite K-food dishes in Australia right now? Q3-2. When you compare japchae to other Asian noodles such as in countries like Japan and China, what are the appealing factors of Korean noodles to foreigners? Q4. As an Aussie myself, I noticed Korean food items in Australia years ago, but it seems like nowadays there are so many different types of K-meal kits available at local grocery stores. Which ones are particularly popular these days? Q5. Could you recommend any Australian foods that go well with Korean dishes? Q6. What dishes would you like to see become meal kits in the future? Thank you very much Jiny for connecting with us today. Also, good luck with the 2025 AACTA ("Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award") as you've been nominated for the Digital Creator category, as far as I know. Thank you Walter as always. I'll see you most likely after the Lunar New Year holidays!

[K-Enter] Hong Sang-Soo's new film enters the Berlin Film Festival

2025/01/22 14:00

Time for our daily dose of K-entertainment with Walter Lee. Today we have a segment full of K-contents. Let's start with movie news. Yes, plenty of news from film festivals and press conferences today. Let's start with Hong Sang-soo. Director Hong Sang-soo's film "What does that nature say to you?" has been invited to the 75th Berlin Film Festival, which will take place in Germany's capital next month. The Berlin Film Festival's executive committee announced 19 films invited to the competition section at a press conference on Tuesday (local time). The film tells the story of Dong-hwa, a poet in his 30s, who unexpectedly visits the home of his lover, Jun-hee. In previous years, Hong has received five awards at the Berlin Film Festival, beginning with "On the Beach at Night Alone" in 2017, when actress and his partner Kim Min-hee won the "Silver Bear for Best Actress", and most recently "The Novelist's Film" in 2022 won the "Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize". Meanwhile, Kim and Hong are reportedly expecting a child this spring. That's why there are speculations on whether Hong's partner Kim Min-hee will join Hong at the Berlin International Film Festival or not. Let's move on to another movie, one that you introduced us to before? The crime thriller "Nocturnal" or "Broken" in Korean, starring Ha Jung-woo and Kim Nam-gil, has been sold to 158 countries for screening. "Nocturnal" has been pre-sold to countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, and Spain, signalling it's popularity with audiences worldwide. It has also been invited to the non-competitive official section of the Glasgow Film Festival, one of the UK's leading film festivals. The Glasgow Film Festival, which will run from February 26 to March 9, has previously invited Korean films such as "Sleep", "The Man Standing Next", and "Voice of Silence". This year, "Nocturnal" is the only Korean film selected. "Nocturnal" is scheduled for release on February 5. Great to see Korean movies gain more and more popularity around the world. And from the big screens to the smaller screen, what's our final story Walter? The production press conference for the Netflix drama "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" was held on Tuesday, and was attended by director Lee Do-yoon and cast members Ju Ji-hoon, Choo Young-woo, and Ha Young. Ju, who plays the protagonist Baek Kang-hyuk, an expert trauma doctor who takes on the challenge of reviving a dysfunctional trauma team. When talking about working on the drama, Ju said, "I worked hard to ensure the fantasy-like story didn't feel overly unrealistic." Adding "During the preparation process, I spent hours in intense discussions with the director and production team, sometimes up to seven hours per session." "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call" will be released worldwide on Netflix on January 24. Thanks for that entertainment news Walter. Now we move onto our AI anchor Ari for more culture news.

[Features reporter] How is S. Korea's webtoon industry fostering new talents?

2025/01/22 14:00

Sung-jin, we're going to look at a sector today that's maybe not as popular as K-pop and K-dramas abroad but one that is growing continuously. On my way to work I saw lots of people in the subway scrolling through these Have you guys heard of Kang Full and "The Light Shop" or Kim poong and "The History of Fools"? These are some notable webtoon artists and their works. Today I want to talk about the webtoon industry and how it's looking to foster talents. 25-year-old Jeon Sung-hyun aspires to be a famous webtoon artist, not just in Korea, but around the world. "Not only did I start drawing webtoons because I like them, but, and this may be deep, I like how I can express philosophical or deep story lines. It's not just fun comics like the old days, but it can be something more meaningful than that." He's taking a leave of absence from his other studies to devote himself to webtoons and he's not the only one. "In 2024, compared to the year before, registered students increased by 25 percent. One thing we emphasize is real experience. We have signed MOUs with various webtoon studios so students could immediately gain hands on experience as well." The hardest step for emerging artists is probably making their debut on a major webtoon platform. But luckily, there are talentspotters like Flory who search out stories that connect with readers. "My job entails everything related to these webtoon creators from finding and contacting them to producing and marketing their content, and it is important that we continue to work on discovering and showcasing new artists." According to the Culture Ministry and Korea Creative Content Agency, South Korea’s webtoon industry saw an operating profit of more than 2 trillion Korean won or 1-point-4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 up by nearly 20 percent from the year before. South Korea's webtoon industry continues to see a steady influx of learners. Who knows, maybe this time next year, students like Jeon Sung-hyun will be making his debut on a webtoon platform. Sung-jin, I was very interested in your coverage today, because I happen to have covered webtoons exactly 10 years ago. And seeing the industry having grown this much is very fulfilling to see. Walter do you like to read webtoons? Then Sung-jin, since you’ve visited all these places related to the webtoon industry, any pieces you can recommend and why exactly are these webtoons so popular? To be honest, I don’t read webtoons too often so I had to do some research and get recommendations from my friends! I want to share a bit more about Kang Full's pieces So other than "The Light Shop", another well-known webtoon is "Moving" as well as "Pure Love Comics" or "Apartment." I did watch the recent drama adaptation of "The Light Shop" though, which is about a shop for those who are in between life and the afterlife. For a lot of those in their 30s and 40s, he seems really popular. When I talked to industry experts, it seems like some of the major features that guided the success of webtoons are vertical scrolling and background music as well as 3D backgrounds. And Sung-jin, you've mentioned it's a growing industry. Surely the government must be providing some support to further develop the industry? Right, so the government invests in the content industry every year. That includes games, animation, webtoons and others. This year it will invest three percent more than last year in the sector. Looking just at the webtoon sector, the government will be investing an additional 8-point-4 billion won or 5-point-85 million U.S. dollars this year. But despite these efforts we do see a recurring problem in this industry ? Exactly, as I mentioned during my report, webtoons are part of the intellectual property realm, which is why a very inherent problem comes to surface -the fact that they can easily be stolen. What I mean by this is regardless of the copyright that each of these webtoons holds, they have been distributed illegally to different countries, which obviously harms the original creator. Another issue similar to this is that despite the growing industry itself, individual creators still have their difficulties. "Because most webtoons are released once a week, there is so much to work on. Though finding ways to improve pay would be best, with a limited amount of time, these webtoon artists have been seeking other ways to make their working environment sustainable like simplifying background details." Ultimately, to make the webtoon sector more sustainable, there needs to be policies to help individual artists. Great to know all aspects of the webtoon industry, Even it's hidden ones. Thank you Sung-jin for today's report. My pleasure as always.

[Weather] Korea engulfed by nasty air, warmer than usual

2025/01/22 10:00

Korea is engulfed by dusty air with an ultra fine dust advisory issued in many regions. The concentration of fine dust is 3 to 4 times higher than normal levels. Other than in the east of Gangwon-do Province and on Jeju, we need to keep dust filtered mask on all day. Making matters worse, more dust will blow in this morning. AND The capital and west coast had a rough commute with thick morning fog. The east coast remains quite dry with a dry weather advisory being in place for more than a month. Strong wind will be no help. Be careful with anything that could start a fire. Afternoon highs will be 4 to 5 degrees higher than norms, topping out at 7 degrees in the capital, Daegu and Busan at 12 degrees under partly sunny skies. Unusual warmth will keep dust in the air through the end of the week, then the Seollal holiday next week will be a freezing one with much improved air. That's Korea for you, here's a look at the international weather conditions.

Annual U.K. toy fair

2025/01/22 10:00

In London, the 71st annual Toy Fair is underway at the Olympia exhibition hall. The fair runs until January 23 and showcases toys from over 250 exhibitors including Spin Master, The LEGO Group, and Gibsons. This year's exhibition includes themes such as the booming kidult category catering to adults who collect or play with toys. The kidult market accounted for 25% of U.K. toy sales in 2024. The fair also highlighted an increase in affordable "pocket money" toys, which accounted for nearly 30% of U.K. toy sales last year.

Rare snowstorm hits U.S. south

2025/01/22 10:00

Now to the U.S., where the southern region was hit by a rare snowstorm on Tuesday. Heavy snowfall and icy conditions were seen in cities including Houston, and New Orleans, with New Orleans expecting snowfall potentially matching a record set back in 1895. The rare weather conditions led to disruptions in air travel as well, with over 2,000 flight cancellations and 10,000 delays. Operations were also suspended at Houston's major airports. In response to the storm, several Gulf Coast states declared states of emergency, recommending residents to stay indoors and avoid travel.

Rare snowstorm hits U.S. south

2025/01/22 10:00

Now to the U.S., where the southern region was hit by a rare snowstorm on Tuesday. Heavy snowfall and icy conditions were seen in cities including Houston, and New Orleans, with New Orleans expecting snowfall potentially matching a record set back in 1895. The rare weather conditions led to disruptions in air travel as well, with over 2,000 flight cancellations and 10,000 delays. Operations were also suspended at Houston's major airports. In response to the storm, several Gulf Coast states declared states of emergency, recommending residents to stay indoors and avoid travel.

Israel's military chief resigns

2025/01/22 10:00

Over in Israel, the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, General Herzi Halevi, submitted a letter of resignation on Tuesday, acknowledging his responsibility for the shortcomings during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks. In his resignation letter, the military chief said the IDF had "failed in its mission to protect the citizens of Israel." The October 7 attacks resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and the abduction of some 250 individuals. It has been described as one of the most significant security failures in Israel's history. Halevi's resignation is set to take effect on March 6. General Yaron Finkelman, head of the IDF's Southern Command, also stepped down, citing similar reasons.

Turkiye ski hotel fire kills 76

2025/01/22 10:00

Starting in Turkiye, a fire at a ski resort hotel in the northwestern province of Bolu has killed at least 76 people and injured 51 others. The fire at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort reportedly started early on Tuesday, local time on the restaurant floor of the 12-story hotel, which had 238 guests at the time. Emergency response teams were delayed due to the hotel's remote location and adverse weather conditions. The fire was eventually put out after approximately 10 hours. An investigation is underway to figure out the exact cause of the fire and police have detained nine people, including the hotel's owner. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared Wednesday a day of mourning and vowed that those responsible will be held accountable for the tragedy.

1.34 million people expected to travel overseas during this year's Lunar New Year holiday

2025/01/22 10:00

More than 1-point-3 million people are expected to travel overseas from the domestic airports during this year's Lunar New Year holiday period. According to data submitted on Wednesday by Democratic Party lawmaker Yeom Tae-young, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, around 1-point-three-four million people will travel overseas from six international airports in South Korea over a period of 10 days from Friday to February 2nd. During this period, more than a million are expected to travel from the Incheon International Airport. The second day of the Lunar New Year holiday, January 25th, is expected to see the largest number of passengers leave the country. In response to the increased demand, the transport ministry has increased the total number of flights by 7 percent.

On-point: North Korea reports on Trump's election win and inauguration

2025/01/22 10:00

North Korea reported on U.S. President Donald Trump's election win and inauguration for the first time on Wednesday morning, just a day after Trump officially made it back to the White House. Let us discuss more with Professor Robert Kelly this morning. Thanks for joining us. 1. North Korea report on Trump's election win what should we read into that? 2. Can we say the regime is welcoming back Trump? 3. Then Trump calling North Korea a nuclear power where is this recognition coming from? 4. Then what kind of small deals do you think Trump will propose to Kim? 5. How likely is it do you think that Trump will invite and get Seoul involved in possible future Trump-Kim dialogue? Thanks so much for sharing your insight with us.

S. Korea raises concerns over N. Korea's nuclear weapons at UN disarmament conference

2025/01/22 10:00

South Korea has brought up the issue of North Korea's illegal nuclear and missile provocations, as well as its troop deployment to Russia's Kursk region during a UN Conference on Disarmament, where the North vowed to never give up its nuclear development. Lee Seung-jae reports. The UN Conference on Disarmament was held on Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland, with much of the attention on North Korea. At the meeting North Korean ambassador to the U.N. office in Geneva Jo Chol-su slammed the U.S. for conducting aerial intelligence activities against the regime since the beginning of the year. He further criticized the simulated nuclear war exercises being conducted on the Korean Peninsula, and U.S.' strategic bombers being deployed to the region. Jo said that U.S. political and military provocations are what's causing armed conflicts and undermining regional stability. He further stressed that a strong national defense force is the only way to protect peace, and vowed to deter all military provocations by "hostile forces." The envoy concluded his remarks by saying, that as a "responsible nuclear state", the North will continue its efforts to prevent all forms of war and protect peace and stability. In response, Kim Il-hoon, counselor at South Korea's Permanent Mission to Geneva pointed out that North Korea not only provide Russia with a large quantity of lethal weapons and ballistic missiles, a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, but also dispatched more than 11 thousand troops. Kim pointed out the recent capture of two North Korean soldiers, as evidence of North Korea's participation in the Ukraine War. He also stressed that North Korea lowering its threshold for a nuclear attack is a "present-day threat," adding that it goes against peace and stability in the region. However, Kim still emphasized the importance of holding talks, saying that the only way North Korea can benefit is through dialogue and diplomacy. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

U.S. announces massive AI infrastructure project worth US$ 500 bil.

2025/01/22 10:00

In the U.S. President Donald Trump announced a historic AI investment project worth 5-hundred billion dollars in collaboration with tech giants. Our Park Kun-woo has the details. Efforts to "Save America" are being put into action. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the largest AI infrastructure project in history with investment of up to 5-hundred billion U.S. dollars. The massive project includes three companies -OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle -that have decided to partner on a new AI infrastructure company "Stargate." "Beginning immediately, Stargate will be building the physical and virtual infrastructure to power the next generation of advancements in AI and this will include the construction of colossal data centers, very, very massive structures." The first data center project is already under construction in Texas. Also on Tuesday, a mass deportation operation began in the U.S. according to border czar Tom Homan. He said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency will primarily crack down on illegal immigrants with criminal records, but added those without such records will also be arrested if found. Homan said "sanctuary cities" and protected areas, including schools and places of worship, will not be exempt from arrests. Trump also hinted at a "tax war" with a memorandum after taking office, which threaten to double tax rates for foreign nationals and companies in the U.S. in response to discriminatory taxation on U.S. multinationals by other countries. He also mentioned potentially withdrawing from the OECD global tax pact that allows other countries to levy top-up taxes on U.S. companies. Trump also spoke about imposing tariffs. "We're thinking in terms of 25% on Mexico and Canada I think we'll do it February 1st." Canada's Prime Minister said it will "respond robustly" if "unfair tariffs" are imposed to protect the country's interests. Trump also spoke about possible tariffs on China early next month. However, investment banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs echoed opinion in Wall Street that Trump's recent comments on tariffs were quite moderate, but also noted related uncertainties remain in the coming days. With easing concerns, the New York stock market, including the Dow Jones 30, closed strongly on Tuesday, up by more than 1-point-2 percent from the previous session. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.