News

U.S signs major security and economic deals with Qatar

2025/05/15 17:00

U.S. President Donald Trump has sealed a defense and economic deal with Qatar worth some one-point-two TRILLION U.S. dollars. Our Shin Se-byuck has details. U.S. President Donald Trump, currently on a four-day Gulf tour, signed a series of major security and economic agreements worth at least 1-point-2 trillion U.S. dollars with Qatar on Wednesday. This came after Trump signed a similar multi-billion-dollar deal with Saudi Arabia the day before. According to the White House, the package aims to boost U.S. exports and attract foreign investment in exchange for enhanced security cooperation. The package includes a record-breaking deal for American aircraft maker Boeing to supply Qatar Airways. "From Boeing, it's the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing, that's pretty good. It's over $200 billion, but 160 in terms of the jets, that's fantastic. So that's a record." The White House said the plane contract between the two countries is expected to support some 154-thousand American jobs annually. Additionally, U.S. energy engineering firm McDermott has entered into a partnership with Qatar Energy, to develop critical energy infrastructure through seven projects worth 8-point-5 billion dollars. Defense deals were also part of the package. Raytheon secured a contract worth 1 billion dollars to bolster Qatar's drone defense capabilities. And, General Atomics signed an agreement worth 2 billion dollars to supply the Gulf state with unmanned military aircraft. The White House added that both sides signed a letter of intent to strengthen security cooperation, including support for Qatar's air and maritime defense systems and burden-sharing at the Al Udeid Air Base, which is the largest U.S. military base in the region. Trump is set to conclude his trip on Thursday with a final stop in the United Arab Emirates. Shin Se-byuck, Arirang News.

U.S. Department of State bans travel to North Korea for 9th straight year

2025/05/15 17:00

In other news. The U.S. State Department has extended its travel ban on North Korea for the ninth straight year. Now this latest extension is set to take effect on September first. It will reportedly remain in place until the end of August next year unless it is further extended or lifted amid threats to the safety of Americans.

N. Korean-background students mark Teachers’ Day at unique school in South

2025/05/15 17:00

Today that is May 15th is Teachers' Day here in South Korea and at one special school students whose guardians went to great lengths to offer them a new lease on life are sharing their own gratitude to their teachers. Our correspondent Kim Jung-sil files this report. At first glance, it looks like any other Teachers' Day celebration in South Korea— students handing over carnations, writing thank-you notes, and singing songs for their teachers. But at this school, those small gestures carry a different weight. Hangyeore Middle & High in Gyeonggi-do Province is the only school in South Korea dedicated to students from North Korean backgrounds, whether they arrived themselves, or were born to defectors, sometimes even in third countries along the way. "Here at Hangyeore School, where all the students come from North Korean backgrounds, Teachers' Day may seem like any other, but it also reflects how they are adjusting to life here in the South." "It wouldn't be fun if they knew, so we planned it all in secret. That made it way better." "These teachers honestly feel like lifesavers to me. I don't usually get to thank them, so this was my chance." It's more than a surprise event, it's a milestone in their journey of adapting to a new culture and life. "I hope this stays with them as a good memory—and maybe one day, they'll pass it on to their own students." With 115 students enrolled, 31 in the middle school, Hangyeore offers more than academics. Teachers here often step in as mentors and guardians, helping students bridge two very different worlds. "We follow the national curriculum, but also help students adjust: socially, emotionally, and for the future. Some still speak with a North Korean accent, but they're finding their place here with confidence." Named after the word for "one people," Hangyeore is more than just a school. It's a place where students with North Korean backgrounds begin to shape new lives. For them, this is one of many moments helping to build that life in the South. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

APEC trade ministers' meeting kicks off in S. Korea amid economic uncertainty from Trump's tariffs

2025/05/15 17:00

Trade officials of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation have kicked off their two-day meeting in the southern island of Jeju today against the backdrop of tougher trade conditions in light of U.S. tariffs. Our foreign affairs correspondent Bae Eun-ji is there. Top trade officials from 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation member states, including the U.S. and China, have gathered here on Jeju Island ahead of the APEC leaders' summit later this year. Led by South Korea's Minister for Trade Cheong In-kyo, this is the first time in 20 years that the country is hosting the APEC trade ministers' meeting. "I hope today's meeting will lay a solid foundation for dialogue and collaboration to overcome the political and economic challenges as well as uncertainties that we encounter." Speaking at a separate press briefing ahead of the meeting on Thursday, the Director of the APEC Policy Support Unit said it's important to continue to hold talks on de-escalating trade tensions to reduce policy uncertainty and improve responsiveness to new challenges. "There are a lot of things that governments can do. But here in APEC, I think the priority now is to promote dialogue and cooperation to tackle challenges." "This year's event especially drew a lot of attention as major APEC member countries are seeking trade deals with the United States, after President Trump announced a sweeping set of tariffs in April." Eyes are on South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun's meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Friday, which will take place on the sidelines of the APEC meeting. This comes three weeks after they last met in Washington, where South Korea requested exemptions from reciprocal tariffs, while offering cooperation on shipbuilding and energy. Both sides are currently working to produce a package of deals to remove new U.S. tariffs before the July 8th deadline, when the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs is lifted. With trade officials from the U.S. and China both here in Jeju, a meeting between them on Thursday afternoon is also being closely watched, especially after the two countries last weekend in Geneva agreed to temporarily lower most tariffs in a bid to defuse the trade war. Eyes are now on whether they will be able to come up with further deals on tariff cuts or export controls. Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News, Jeju.

SAMSUNG, GOOGLE AND MORE IN HEADLINES

2025/05/15 17:30

Welcome to yet another edition of Press Perspective. It's Thursday May 15th here in Seoul. I'm Min Sun-hee. It's that time of the week during which we discuss a DIVERSE COLLECTION of news stories related to South Korea. For more I have Fabian Kretschmer with German news agency dpa. Fabian it's good to have you here. I also have Kelly Kasulis Cho with American daily The Washington Post. Kelly as always thank you for being here. 1) Fabian, let's begin with the response to Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge that company officials hope will help them maintain their dominant presence in global smartphone market. 2) Kelly, staying with news related to technology. 3) Fabian, in related news. 4) Kelly, in other news. 5) Fabian, this competition has gained the attention of neighboring countries with Japan and Australia hosting their own space-out contests. 6) Kelly, today is Teachers's Day here in Korea. 7) Fabian, in recent times, Teachers' Day here in Korea has been linked to talk about the need to better protect the rights of teachers within the learning environment. 8) Kelly, the campaign for teachers' rights goes beyond borders. All right.

[Hallyu People] Meet "Goong-ee Doong-ee" who guide you through K-Royal Culture Festival

2025/05/15 14:00

The K-Royal Culture Festival, the largest cultural heritage festival in Korea is held twice a year in spring and autumn at cultural heritage sites in the heart of Seoul, including the city’s five major royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine. We recently had our News Features reporter cover the event at the site and today we have invited two people who were part of the whole event, as each of them played the role of a “Goong-ee Doong-ee”, who interact with visitors and guide them through the festival. They are Jesse Lee and Kylie Mavelle. Welcome! 1-1) Please introduce yourself to our viewers and tell us what a “Goong-ee Doong-ee” is. Jesse, let's start with you. And next, Kylie please! 1-2) So, what is a "Goong-ee Doong-ee" precisely? 2) What you are wearing right now is the costume you wore during the festival. You look like you just popped out of a historical K-drama scene. Kylie, could you tell us about this attire? 3) Kylie, how was the experience as a Goong-ee Doong-ee and what made you apply for this role? 4) And Jesse, it’s already the second time that you've participated as a Goong-ee Doong-ee. How come? 5) Gyeongbokgung , Changdeokgung , Deoksugung , Changgyeonggung , and Gyeonghuigung are the five major palaces in Seoul, which are some of the venues for the K-Royal Culture Festival. Jesse, what do you think is the charm of these Joseon dynasty palaces? 6) Any fun episodes you want to share about your experience as a Goong-ee Doong-ee? 7) Jesse, by now you probably know the venues inside-out. What are some attractions you’d like to share with visitors to the palaces? 8) Any tips or etiquette you’d like to share with our viewers who might have gotten interested in the festival and may make a visit to the next ‘K-Royal Culture Festival’? 9) Kylie, what does a typical day of a Goong-ee Doong-ee look like? 10) Last but not least, what are the requirements to become a Goong-ee Doong-ee? Thank you very much Kylie and Jesse for joining us today and for having contributed to making the K-Royal Culture Festival an unforgettable experience for the visitors.

[Features-reporter] Prominence of Korean content on Neflix hampers domestic production platforms

2025/05/15 14:00

Streaming juggernaut Netflix is enjoying a growing population of Korean viewers. and content from Korea is becoming more prominent on the OTT service. With growing numbers of Korean original series released on the global platform, there is the positive effect of consistently spreading Hallyu content, but what does this mean for local production and distribution platforms? Lee Eun-jin tells us more. From the Emmy-winning series "Squid Game" and 2022's "The Glory," to the most recent popular series "When Life Gives You Tangerines" When Netflix first launched in Korea back in 2016, it was unimaginable that in just 10 years, Hallyu would be actively promoted globally through so many Korean original series and films on the platform. According to a report released by London-based analytics firm Ampere Analysis, their analysis of Netflix viewing data showed South Korean content to be consistently among the most widely consumed content globally, and since 2023, it has been the second-most watched, behind US content. The report also said that of the 500 most popular non-English titles on Netflix, 85, or 17 percent, were Korean. And more than half of the top 100 Korean titles were Netflix originals. The report projects that Netflix's 2-point-5 billion U.S. dollars commitment to South Korean content from 2024 to 2028 will help maintain this content boom. However, this isn't all good news, particularly for the domestic production ecosystem, including local OTT platforms. For example, "Weak Hero Class 1" was produced as a Wavve original, on a domestic online streaming platform. But for its second season, Netflix stepped in for the production of "Weak Hero Class 2", which premiered on April 25th. "I'm very happy to be able to show the second season of 'Weak Hero' to a global audience." Concern is rising in the industry that Netflix is sucking in the market like a black hole. There is growing active support for production from major domestic public broadcasters, but this may not be enough to prevent diminishing competitiveness in the industry. As Netflix becomes a more prominent platform for the spread of Hallyu, worries are growing as to whether existing domestic production platforms can co-exist. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.

[K-enter] ILLIT performs at "ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2025," first for K-pop girl group

2025/05/15 14:00

Bella, we will kick off with K-pop news, happening at a festival in Japan? Girl group ILLIT will appear at Japan's largest music festival "ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2025" a first for a K-pop girl group. According to ILLIT's agency, BELIFT LAB, the group has been listed in the first line-up of the "ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2025" that will be held at Soga Sports Park in Chiba City in September. ILLIT will appear on the second day of the festival, September 14th. The "ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL" is one of Japan's four major rock festivals and attracted a total of 275-thousand people last year. Previously, CNBLUE and ENHYPEN have appeared as Korean artists at the festival. Meanwhile, ILLIT will meet domestic fans at their fan concert in Seoul on June 7th and 8th. Then, they will continue with their fan concert for the first time in Japan on August 10th and 11th in Yokohama and September 3rd and 4th in Osaka. Exciting news for ILLIT fans in Japan. Now, let's move on from K-pop to K-drama. We talked about the upcoming Disney+ series "Nine Puzzles" a few weeks ago on our show. I heard they held a press conference. Were some more pieces of the puzzle put together there? On Wednesday, a press conference for "Nine Puzzles" was held in Dongdaemun, Seoul, where director Yoon Jong-bin and main actors Son Suk-ku, Kim Da-mi, Kim Sung-kyun, and Hyeon Bong-sik attended. The new series is a mystery thriller that delves into the secrets of a serial murder case that restarted with mysterious puzzle pieces. Ina is a profiler and the sole witness of an unsolved case from 10 years ago, and Han-sam is a detective who suspects Ina is behind the murder. Director Yoon introduced the series as a mystery drama at its core, and said that he tried to aim its visual works on the boundary of reality and unreality. The two main actors Son Suk-ku and Kim Da-mi also described the series as unique and odd. The 11-part series is set to premiere exclusively on Disney+ next Wednesday with the release of its first six episodes. Speaking of Korean OTT series, we have another one coming up, but this one on Netflix? Yes, another Korean original Netflix series is coming! This time it's a noir action series, "Mercy for None." The new series is already receiving great attention as it is actor So Ji-sub's first action project in 13 years. "Mercy for None" is based on the popular webtoon series of the same title and portrays the story of Gijun, a former underworld figure who left the scene after cutting off his Achilles tendon, but returning after 11 years to find out the truth behind the death of his younger brother Giseok. Along with So ji-sub, Heo Jun-ho, Gong Myoung, and Choo Young-Woo will also star in the series. "Mercy for None" will be released on Netflix in a total of 8 episodes on June 6th. Thank you Bella for today's stories. There's definitely lots to watch in the next few weeks. Now, if you don't want to be stuck in front of the monitor too much and are looking for maybe more active culture activities, you might find some ideas from Ari, who has the latest culture related issues at hand. Ari, take it away!

K-Wave AI News

2025/05/15 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. The first official ceremony marking King Sejong's Birth Anniversary will be held in Seoul today. May 15th was newly designated as a national commemorative day last year to honor the birth and legacy of King Sejong, the creator of the Korean alphabet and one of Korea's most respected leaders of all time. The culture ministry will host the event at 6 PM tonight in front of the Heungnyemun Gate at Gyeongbokgung Palace. The ceremony will feature a range of programs, including royal court dances and award presentations related to Hangeul, celebrating the monarch's compassion for common people and pursuit of practical governance. Seoul has been named the "Best Leisure Destination in Asia." That's according to the 'Leisure Lifestyle Awards,' an annual ranking by prominent U.S. travel magazine Global Traveler. Taipei ranked second, followed by Tokyo, Phuket, and Singapore. Seoul regained the top position this year, after previously clinching the title in 2023. The Seoul Tourism Organization said the award reflects the city's growing appeal in areas such as K-culture, K-cuisine, shopping, and a wide range of festivals. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is hosting a permanent exhibition at its Seoul and Gwacheon branches, showcasing highlights from its collection of over 11,800 works. Among the featured art works are some 50 pieces from the collection of the late Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee, donated in 2021. At the Gwacheon branch, the exhibition traces 100 years of Korea's modern art history. The Seoul branch presents works by 83 artists from the 1960s through the 2010s, organized into thematic categories such as abstraction, experimentation, and conceptual art. That's all from me. Stay tuned to the Kulture Wave.

Panmunjom tours resume after 18 months

2025/05/15 10:00

The Panmunjom tour program, which was suspended due to heightened tensions between the two Koreas, will resume this week after 18 months. According to the Ministry of Unification on Thursday, the Panmunjom tour, which was suspended over safety considerations, will resume on Friday as a special tour program. The special tour is only available to a select group. Friday's tour will involve 17 students from the National Unification Education Institute's Unification Policy Leadership Course. The tour was completely suspended in July 2023 after a U.S. soldier crossed over to North Korea from the site.

U.S. Hits Iran's Ballistic Missile Program With New Sanctions

2025/05/15 10:00

Following U.S. President Donald Trump's reinstatement of a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran and a series of recent nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, the United States has issued new sanctions targeting Iran's ballistic missile program. On Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury Department unveiled fresh sanctions aimed at curbing Iran's efforts to domestically manufacture components for ballistic missiles. The announcement came during President Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, where he emphasized the need for Iran to cease its nuclear ambitions and activities aimed at destabilizing the region. He stated that Iran must "stop sponsoring terror" and end its support for regional proxy groups. He also made an appeal to Iran to reach a nuclear deal amid ongoing indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, mediated by Oman. He expressed his hope to see Iran thrive and mentioned that he is counting on Qatar to help facilitate the process.

U.S signs major security and economic deals with Qatar

2025/05/15 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump is in Doha as the second stop of his Middle East trip, where he signed a 1-point-2 trillion dollar security and economic deal with Qatar, including record-breaking jet orders, energy projects, and defense contracts. Shin Se-byuck has the details. U.S. President Donald Trump, currently on a four-day Gulf tour, signed a series of major security and economic agreements worth at least 1-point-2 trillion U.S. dollars with Qatar on Wednesday. This came after Trump signed a similar multi-billion-dollar deal with Saudi Arabia the day before. According to the White House, the package aims to boost U.S. exports and attract foreign investment in exchange for enhanced security cooperation. The package includes a record-breaking deal for American aircraft maker Boeing to supply Qatar Airways. "From Boeing, it's the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing, that's pretty good. It's over $200 billion, but 160 in terms of the jets, that's fantastic. So that's a record." The White House said the plane contract between the two countries is expected to support some 154-thousand American jobs annually. Additionally, U.S. energy engineering firm McDermott has entered into a partnership with Qatar Energy, to develop critical energy infrastructure through seven projects worth 8-point-5 billion dollars. Defense deals were also part of the package. Raytheon secured a contract worth 1 billion dollars to bolster Qatar's drone defense capabilities. And, General Atomics signed an agreement worth 2 billion dollars to supply the Gulf state with unmanned military aircraft. The White House added that both sides signed a letter of intent to strengthen security cooperation, including support for Qatar's air and maritime defense systems and burden-sharing at the Al Udeid Air Base, which is the largest U.S. military base in the region. Trump is set to conclude his trip on Thursday with a final stop in the United Arab Emirates. Shin Se-byuck, Arirang News.

Kremlin names delegation heading to Istanbul for peace talks

2025/05/15 10:00

The Kremlin has announced the list of officials heading to Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine. However, the list does not include Russian President Vladimir Putin, shooting down prospects of direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Lee Seung-jae reports. After remaining silent on who's headed to Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine,.. the Kremlin has finally announced the list of officials taking part. The delegation will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who was present at the first attempt at peace talks in Istanbul back in March 2022. Along with Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin and the chief of Russia's military intelligence agency, Igor Kostyukov, will also be at the talks. Not on the list, though, is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who many speculated could be involved in direct talks. Despite a much-anticipated sit-down between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, no such talks appear to be on the horizon. With Putin seemingly out of the picture, U.S. President Donald Trump has also decided not to go to Istanbul. According to Reuters on Wednesday, citing a Trump administration official, Trump has decided to skip the peace talks. The U.S. leader has said over the past week that he was considering coming to mediate talks, raising hopes for a trilateral summit between the leaders of the U.S., 러시아 and Ukraine. Zelenskyy had called on both leaders to come to Istanbul, and also said the presence of Trump could have a major impact on the negotiations. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

[Weather] Rain brings a pause to the summer warmth, but will clear up by the afternoon

2025/05/15 10:00

It's been raining across much of the country on this Teachers' Day. Right now, rain is falling mainly over the central and Jeolla-do regions, but will gradually spread to the rest of the country. This round of rain won't be a long-lasting event, though. Most areas will see it clear up by the afternoon, with 5 to 20 millimeters in the forecast across the region. Today's rain will bring a pause to the early summer warmth we've had. July-like temperatures in Daegu will cool down this afternoon. Daytime highs will be 1 to 8 degrees lower today. Seoul will get up to 20 degrees, which isn't a much jump from this morning, and Gwangju gets up to 22 degrees. We do have more rain in the forecast for tomorrow, mainly affecting the southern regions and Jeju. That rain could be quite significant. Meanwhile, there's also a chance of passing showers in the central regions tomorrow.

Vienna Zoo welcomes two new pandas

2025/05/15 10:00

In Austria, two new giant pandas from China, female Lan Yuan and male He Feng, found new homes in Vienna's Schonbrunn Zoo on Wednesday. The five-year-old pandas' arrival follows the return of the zoo's previous panda pair to China in late 2024 and is part of a new round of a 10-year conservation cooperation between Austria and China, which began in 2003. The China Wildlife Conservation Association and Schonbrunn Zoo have prepared and made every effort to ensure the safe and smooth arrival of the young pandas to the zoo, after they underwent a quarantine period since their initial arrival in Vienna in April. The pandas can now be seen by the public in their newly renovated enclosure at the zoo.

Pope Leo XIV to wear symbol of papal authority during coronation mass on 18th

2025/05/15 10:00

Pope Leo XIV will officially inaugurate his papacy with a Mass in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on Sunday, May 18. During the mass, he will receive the pallium, a white woolen stole worn over the shoulders, and the Fisherman's Ring, traditional symbols of papal authority. While addressing members of the Eastern Catholic Churches on Wednesday, he vowed "every effort" to work for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine. The pontiff also made his first social media post on his official Instagram and X accounts on Tuesday, reiterating peace. The new pope shared several photos of his first few days after being elected on May 8, along with the message "Peace be with you all!" in English and several other languages.

China's Xi courts Central and Latin American leaders

2025/05/15 10:00

To strengthen relations with Latin America and increase China's influence in the region, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a summit with leaders from Latin America, following a previous summit with his Brazilian counterpart. On Tuesday, President Xi convened the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing and welcomed Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, and Gabriel Boric of Chile. There, China pledged an approximately 10 billion U.S. dollar credit line to support projects in Latin America, and offered visa-free travel to citizens of some countries in the region. Colombia has also joined China's Belt and Road Initiative, and agreements have been made for more cooperation in clean energy, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure development.

APEC members agree to establish fund for young people, at senior officials' meeting on Jeju Island

2025/05/15 10:00

A trade ministers' meeting of APEC members is taking place on South Korea's Jeju Island for two days starting Thursday. Ahead of of the event, APEC members on Wednesday agreed to establish a fund for young people. Our Bae Eun-ji tell us more. Member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation have unanimously approved to establish a fund aimed at supporting and empowering young people. This was agreed upon during a two-week-long senior officials meeting in South Korea --which will be held up until this Friday. "More than 3,000 officials from APEC member states have gathered here, at the southern resort island of Jeju for the second Senior Officials' Meeting and other related meetings.. as South Korea gears up to successfully host the APEC summit later this year." This idea of a 'Future Youth Fund' was earlier proposed by South Korea last November, at the APEC summit in Peru. The Korean government announced Wednesday that it plans to provide an initial contribution of one million dollars. "As this year's host,.. we played an active role in the second Senior Officials' Meeting and other various ministerial meetings, to overcome mutual challenges and come up with meaningful outcomes." This comes after South Korea earlier revealed that it hopes to focus on two key agenda items at this year's APEC summit: artificial intelligence and demographic changes led by aging populations. And from Thursday to Friday, the APEC trade ministers' meeting is set to take place in Jeju. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who plays a key role in shaping the Trump administration's tariff policy, is expected to be there. The executive director of APEC said the officials will discuss ways to keep trade open and integrate digital tools such as AI into trade facilitation. "This is why tomorrow's meeting of the ministers responsible for trade is so important. As executive director of the APEC Secretariat, I've seen firsthand how challenging these times are, but I've also seen how APEC continue to serve as a space for economies to work together even when views differ." Bae Eun-ji, Arirang News, Jeju.

Reform Party candidate back in Seoul for campaign, meets teachers

2025/05/15 10:00

Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok is also back here in Seoul to garner support in the capital area. Marking Teachers' Day today here in the country, he's sitting down with teachers to listen to their voices. Yesterday, on Wednesday, he spent the day in Busan targeting younger voters at universities. There, he carried out his campus cafeteria outreach by having lunch with younger voters, which he'll continue to do so at a university in Seoul on Thursday. Also while in Busan, Lee pledged to push ahead with the construction of the new international airport on Gadeok-do Island and a new baseball stadium.

PPP's Kim pledges support in R&D as he tours Gyeongsang-do region for 3rd straight day

2025/05/15 10:00

The conservative camp's Kim Moon-soo has begun Day 4 of campaigning back here in Seoul, reaching out to commuters this morning. On Wednesday, he wrapped up campaigning in the southeast with emphasis on nurturing science and tech sectors. Our Kim Do-yeon reports. For the third straight day on Wednesday, People Power Party's presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo campaigned in the Gyeongsang-do region hitting cities in Gyeongsangnam-do Province to be exact. As the cities in the province are specialized in their own industries with a focus on science and tech, as he visited Korea AeroSpace Administration in Sacheon, he pledged better investment in the science sector with more administrative power by creating Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Tech. "Why do we need a deputy prime minister for science? It's because it shows the nation's will, which means budget and power, and this is the only way to yield results. Anything said other than this doesn't matter." Kim Moon-soo says without science and technology, there is no future—adding that while it may not bring in votes, any leader who cares about Korea's long-term growth must invest heavily in the field. He also revealed his pledge on science and research which included measures to support research and development in general, but one aspect that stood out was his pledge to send a man to the moon in 2032 and have a Mars rover project by 2045. Also during his visit to Doosan Enerbility in Changwon, Kim praised the company's resilience through Korea's nuclear phase-out and pledged full support if elected president—especially in advancing SMR technology and leaving politics out of industries. Doosan is the company for the Czech Republic's Dukovany power plant project. Kim is now expected to wrap up his first extended visit to a region and return to the capital region. To wrap up, Kim started off in Seoul then went southward, stopping by Daejeon and ending up in Daegu on the first day. For day two, he started in Daegu, then went to Ulsan, and ended in Busan all major metropolitan cities and did his tours around Gyeongsangnam-do Province. This region is typically known as a conservative stronghold. For reference, throughout the Gyeongsang-do region, there are 65 congressional districts and during last year's general election, only six parliamentary seats were won by the liberal party. That said, a lot has happened since the general election, and Kim could be trying to solidify his supporter base first, then head to other regions. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.