News

N. Korea's Mount Kumgang listed as UNESCO World Heritage site

2025/07/14 11:37

North Korea's Mount Kumgang has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site, while a set of prehistoric rock carvings in South Korean has also been added. Lee Seung-jae takes a look at the latest UNESCO World Heritage inscriptions for the two Koreas. During the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris on Sunday, a new addition for both South and North Korea was added to the list. First,.. North Korea's Mount Kumgang, a scenic mountain known for its beauty, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Listed officially as "Mount Kumgang-Diamond Mountain from the Sea," the inclusion comes as the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which serve as advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee, recommended the inclusion in May. According to UNESCO's website, Mountain Kumgang is "a strikingly beautiful mountain with numerous peaks and curious rocks amounting to some 1,200, waterfalls and pools formed by crystal-like clear waters flowing from hundreds of gorges, as well as with the seascape stretched along the coastline." The mountain is North Korea's third World Cultural Heritage site, after the Complex of Koguryo Tombs in 2004 and the Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong in 2013. Meanwhile, a set of prehistoric rock carvings located in South Korea's Ulsan has also been added to UNESCO's World Heritage list. "Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream" were officially recognized for their significant cultural value in Paris. Located along the Bangucheon Stream, a tributary of the Taehwa River in Ulsan, some 360 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the petroglyphs are carved into vertical cliffs, depicting prehistoric hunting scenes and animals. According to the committee, the carvings are "masterpieces created through the creativity of prehistoric people." And for South Korea, the inclusion of the prehistoric art spanning some 6-thousand years,.. was a long time coming. "The Korea Heritage Service will do its best to protect the value of the Bangucheon petroglyphs as a common heritage of mankind and to preserve and utilize them well." With the latest addition, the country now has 17 entries on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Kim Jong-un reaffirms full alignment with Russia on "all strategic matters"

2025/07/14 11:36

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed Pyongyang's full alignment with Moscow on all strategic matters, following his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over the weekend. According to state media, the two leaders met in Wonsan, North Korea's newly opened coastal resort area. Kim emphasized their complete agreement on key international and regional issues, underscoring North Korea's "unconditional" support for Russia's military objectives in Ukraine. Lavrov, in turn, reaffirmed Russia's commitment to deepening strategic cooperation and strengthening bilateral ties with Pyongyang.

Lee calls K-democracy "beacon" for democratic citizens worldwide

2025/07/14 11:36

An international political science congress kicked off in Seoul over the weekend. Celebrating the event, President Lee Jae Myung called South Korea's democracy a "beacon" for people around the world, noting what the country went through since the short-lived martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol seven months ago. Presidential Office Correspondent Yoon Jung-min reports. Standing before a global audience, South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung's message of the resilience of democracy was loud and clear. "The remarkable resilience and the power of democracy that our people have shown belong to the Republic of Korea and to people all over the world. I am confident that the colorful K-democracy that our people themselves have shown will be a beacon and a new milestone for democratic citizens around the world. As he made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the International Political Science Association's 2025 World Congress in Seoul on Sunday, President Lee was highly critical of the martial law incident by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, calling it a "coup d'état" aimed at permanent rule. His message was also directed at what lies ahead: reconciliation. "Conversation over conflict, healing over wounds, reconciliation over confrontation. The core spirit of 'K-democracy' that will save our future lies in thoroughly restoring the values of democracy: freedom, equality and solidarity." He went on to extend the value of democracy to the lives of the people, calling democracy and freedom "inextricable." "In an era of crisis where the wave of inequality, polarization, and poverty hinders growth, freedom means the economy. Freedom means a warm meal that will fill hunger, a decent job to make a living." The liberal leader wrapped up his speech by describing what the future holds for democracy in a digital era, as he noted the use of smartphones to monitor abuse of power. "The AI revolution will further develop digital democracy, help facilitate rational debate and democratic decision-making and strengthen direct democracy." This year's congress runs from July 12 to 16 in the South Korean capital under the theme of "Resisting Autocratization in Polarized Societies," bringing together some 35-hundred political scientists from around the world. It's the second time that Seoul hosted the event. It last hosted the congress in 1997. Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.

[On-point] What lies ahead for S. Korea, U.S. relations

2025/07/14 11:35

South Korea is now tasked with navigating challenges regarding the alliance with the United States, on issues such as tariffs and sharing the burden of costs needed for U.S. troops. For more on what lies ahead for relations between Seoul and Washington, we're joined by Dr. Bruce Bennett, Adjunct Defense Researcher at RAND Corporation. Thanks for joining us this morning. So as we just heard, White House official now warns Trump's tariff threat "will be real" on August 1st. How do you think the tariff negotiations between Seoul and Washington will unfold? Seoul has been pushing for a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Donald Trump. When can we expect the meeting to take place? Trump has been pushing for South Korea to pay more for the presence of American troops. How should the Korean government handle this issue? A U.S. think tank reportedly recommended a reduction of U.S. forces in Korea. How do you think South Korea should handle this issue? As yet, neither South Korea or the U.S. have appointed ambassadors to each other's countries. What does this mean for bilateral relations? Alright Dr. Bennett thank you so much for your insight today. We appreciate it.

President Lee appoints vice ministers of education, science, veterans affairs

2025/07/14 11:34

President Lee Jae Myung appointed five vice ministers on Sunday. According to the Presidential Spokesperson, Choi Eun-ok has been named vice education minister. The top office described her as a veteran official who has led efforts to develop national universities outside Seoul and reform primary and secondary education. At the Ministry of Science and ICT, Koo Hyuk-chae, the current head of its planning and coordination office, was promoted to first vice minister. For the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Kang Yun-jin, the ministry's first female director general, has been appointed. Also announced were new vice ministers of land and SMEs, along with seven other vice-ministerial-level appointments, including Hong So-young, the first woman to lead the Military Manpower Administration.

Confirmation hearings begin for Pres. Lee’s first Cabinet picks

2025/07/14 11:34

A series of confirmation hearings for President Lee Jae Myung's first Cabinet kicks off today. National Assembly standing committees are holding four hearings on Monday, including those for the nominees for unification minister, science minister, oceans minister, and gender equality minister. While the main opposition People Power Party has vowed to examine the nominees' qualifications and moral integrity, claiming many are unfit and should step down, the ruling Democratic Party is backing the nominees, saying there are no critical flaws. Over the course of the week, eighteen nominees, including sixteen ministerial candidates, are scheduled to appear before the National Assembly. In South Korea, Cabinet appointments are subject to parliamentary hearings, but do not require legislative approval to take effect.

President Lee dispatches special envoys to EU, France, UK, India

2025/07/14 11:33

President Lee Jae Myung is dispatching special envoys overseas to signal what he calls the "return of democratic Korea" and share his administration's policy agenda. The Presidential Office said Sunday that four delegations will visit the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, as well as France, the United Kingdom, and India to strengthen South Korea's global ties. The EU team, led by former environment minister Yoon Yeo-joon, is scheduled to depart later on Monday, with the other three teams will leave by Wednesday. Each delegation is made up of three members, mostly sitting lawmakers, headed by a chief envoy. They plan to meet with key officials and deliver personal letters from President Lee underscoring South Korea's commitment to stronger ties. Additional envoys will be announced once schedules are finalized.

[Weekly Focus] U.S. tariffs impact on Korean cars, K-beauty products, and Buldak noodles

2025/07/12 12:35

U.S. President Donald Trump has been announcing tariff rates on a daily basis now, whether it's reciprocal tariffs by country or by product, such as autos and steel. Now, South Korean officials say there is room for negotiation, but where do we go from here? We have our Kim Do-yeon in the studio with us for more. Welcome, Do-yeon. Thanks for having me. First, Do-yeon, walk us through the South Korea and U.S. trading relationship at this moment in time. Eun-ji it hasn't been looking good for South Korea. From January to April, the United States' imports hit an all-time high, but imports from South Korea actually declined, causing Korea's ranking among U.S. import partners to fall by three places from 7th last year to 10th, according to the Korea International Trade Association. Take a listen to an expert explaining the situation. "Even among the top 10 import partners, only China and Korea saw a decline. In Korea's case, it's notable that key Korean export items are increasingly being replaced by those from countries like Vietnam, Mexico, and Taiwan." We also have to keep in mind that many of the items that South Korea sells to the U.S. are subject to separate tariff rates. For example, we know autos will have 25-percent tariffs imposed under Section 232. Autos are more than 30-percent of South Korea's exports to the U.S. Chips and pharmaceuticals will also have their own tariff rates, and of course they are also some of South Korea's strengths in the export market. And, the White House has made it clear that these tariffs on specific items are not up for negotiation, saying South Korea is not likely to get its own lower tariff rates for these. 2. Let's focus on autos because we have the number now. 25-percent could be big, and we saw Hyundai Motor Group expanding production in the U.S. to avoid this. How is South Korea faring? Now, in terms of competition. A 25-percent tariff is applied to all items, so the playing field is still level against major competitors like Japan. Autos and auto parts are the number one export items to the U.S. for Korea and Japan. But, Mexico is a competitor that has an advantage over South Korea. Take a listen. "We should pay particular attention to Mexico. In the case of automobiles and auto parts, Mexico benefits from lower tariff rates under the USMCA, which puts Korea at a relative disadvantage in terms of price competitiveness. Moreover, Mexico's share of the U.S. import market for automobiles and parts has been expanding rapidly in recent years." And in terms of pricing competition, currency is also something to look into. And that is why the U.S. has been monitoring the dollar exchange rate closely as it comes up with the tariff rates. First, take a listen to how this works. "Let's say a 10% tariff is imposed, but at the same time, the exchange rate rises by 10%. In that case, the price doesn't become 10% higher — even with the tariff, thanks to the weaker currency, it effectively stays at one dollar. That's why a weaker currency neutralizes the impact of tariffs. So we end up comparing how much the yen has weakened versus how much the won has weakened." Now, that is why South Korea and Japan are likely to enjoy better tariff rates than China. While the won and yen are decided according to market trends, the Chinese yuan is not really decided in that way. 3. Right now let's go back to the 25 percent of course it's open to negotiation, but if autos, chips, and pharmaceuticals are getting their own tariff rates, what should South Korea be concerned about? Eunji, there are two items that come to mind for this. K-beauty products and ramyeon. These two items have been on the rise when it comes to exports to the U.S. In fact, South Korea ranks first in cosmetics exports to the U.S., and as we all know Buldak noodles has been some sort of a phenomenon in the U.S. Now, let's focus on the beauty products first. Many of the items popular in the U.S. are indie brands that are sold on Amazon. Of course, these are subject to the reciprocal tariffs. There are some that produce locally in the U.S., such as the biggest Korean OEM and ODM cosmetic companies, but that's a small portion. Also, big cosmetic brands are looking for ways to start local production. "In particular, major Korean cosmetics companies like AmorePacific and LG don't have local manufacturing facilities in the U.S. right now, so they're considering options like acquiring existing plants through M&A, since building new factories on-site isn't feasible in the immediate term." On top of this, consumers are smart. There have been trends of people hoarding Korean sunblock before the tariff hit to survive the summer in the U.S. Now, as for the ramyeon industry the two biggest players are facing different fates. Nongshim, the maker of Shin Ramyeon, localized production in the U.S. for all its supplies. Samyang the maker of Buldak exports all from South Korea so the company is closely monitoring the negotiation process. Do-yeon, thanks for coming in tonight.

Stock

2025/07/11 23:45

2025. 7. 11. KOREAN STOCK MARKET KOSPI : 3,175.77 ▼7.46 -0.23% KOSDAQ : 800.47 ▲2.77 +0.35% KOSPI200 : 428.07 ▼0.35 -0.08% ASIAN STOCK MARKET NIKKEI225 : 39,569.68 ▼76.68 -0.19% HANG SENG : 24,139.57 ▲111.20 +0.46% SHANGHAI : 3,510.18 ▲0.49 +0.01% WALL STREET (July 10) DOW JONES : 44,650.64 ▲192.34 +0.43% NASDAQ : 20,630.67 ▲19.32 +0.09% S&P500 : 6,280.46 ▲17.20 +0.27% EXCHANGE RATE USD : 1,375.40 (+5.40) JPY : 936.51 (-0.15) CNY : 191.82 (+0.98) EUR : 1,606.67 (-1.64)

Lee administration marks 1st high-level regional diplomacy, holding trilateral with U.S., Japan

2025/07/11 23:44

South Korea, the U.S., and Japan have held their first high-level trilateral meeting as ministers gathered at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Malaysia. The meeting comes amid both trade and security tensions in the region, and marks the Lee Jae Myung administration's first steps into regional diplomacy. For more, we have our correspondent Oh Soo-young on the line. Good evening, Soo-young. Sooyoung, the trilateral meeting came quite unexpectedly. Fill us in on what happened. Sure, South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo held trilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings on Friday. This marks the first trilateral senior-level meeting of diplomats under the Lee Jae Myung administration, and as you said, the trilateral was unexpected, as Vice Minister Park is attending in place of South Korea's yet-to-be-confirmed foreign minister nominee Cho Hyun. So the fact that this meeting was held despite Park's deputy status signifies Washington and Tokyo's strong commitment to trilateral cooperation and diplomacy with Seoul. What did they discuss? Seoul's foreign ministry says the three sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea and pledged to maintain strong deterrence and expand security cooperation based on close trilateral coordination. This comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due to visit Pyongyang, after the ASEAN sessions on Friday, for, quote, "strategic discussions." At the same time, Vice Minister Park explained Seoul's efforts to ease tensions with Pyongyang and resume inter-Korean dialogue, and called for continued support from Washington and Tokyo. The ministers also exchanged views on regional dynamics and committed to strengthening cooperation in areas like energy, shipbuilding, and supply chain resilience of critical minerals and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence. Right, the Vice Minister also participated in regional talks. Yes. Park on Friday voiced the new South Korean administration's support for ASEAN-led initiatives for regional peace and propserity. Co-chairing a meeting of ministers from South Korea and five Mekong countries, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, Park highlighted past cooperation on climate change, environment, water resources, forestry, and rural development all directly linked to the livelihoods of the people of the Mekong region. Adopting a joint statement based on their principles for cooperation, he proposed expanding collaboration to digital transformation and human resources development to help turn challenges into opportunities. At the East Asia Summit, he reiterated Seoul's commitment to resolving the North Korea nuclear issue. He stressed the need for support from EAS member states and called for a united message to Pyongyang. Many participants reportedly expressed concern over North Korea's continued nuclear and missile development. They urged North Korea to denuclearize, comply with all UN Security Council resolutions, and return to dialogue. ASEAN's annual meeting of foreign ministers is the only multilateral forum North Korea has attended since 2000. However, Pyongyang appears to have skipped this year's meeting for the first time, given its severed diplomatic ties with the host country, Malaysia. Alright, thank you for keeping us updated, Soo-young.

[Weather] Seoul takes a break from the tropical nights, heat wave continues during the day

2025/07/11 23:42

Seoul broke out of the tropical nights for the first time in 12 days this morning, falling to 24.6 degrees Celsius. However, there are still many places in the west of the country where tropical nights appeared. For the time being, tropical nights will continue around the country. The western parts of the country have been experiencing a severe heat wave throughout the week. With heat wave warnings in place, the daytime temperature soared to 36 degrees in Seoul today. The east coast areas took a break from the heat today. Tomorrow, this heat wave will appear mainly in the western areas. Morning will start warm tomorrow at 20 to 25 degrees all over the country. Highs will move up to 36 degrees in Seoul, 30 degrees in Gyeongju, Busan and Jeju. Rain is expected only on Jeju Island during this weekend. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

[Arts & Culture] 2025 Korea Season part 3: A cultural taste of Korea in Spain

2025/07/11 23:41

It's Friday, which means it's time for Arts and Culture. We have our culture correspondent Choi Soo-hyung in the studio. Welcome back, Soo-hyung! Happy to be back here! Soo-hyung, I know you have some exciting stories from abroad. You went to Spain, right? That's right, Dami. I went to Spain where this year's "Korea Season" has been taking place. In 2022, the South Korean Culture Ministry launched the Korea Season project, aiming to promote a vivid richness of Korean culture to the world. One country is selected each year that has strong potential to spread Korean culture, offering a year-long series of cultural programs. This year, Spain was chosen following the United Kingdom in 2023 and France in 2024 in hopes of making this year a more meaningful one for cultural exchanges, especially as South Korea and Spain mark the seventy fifth anniversary of diplomatic relations. Indeed, and Soo-hyung, I've seen the dance performance in your previous articles that you covered earlier this week. How was the main performance? Yes, Dami. I covered a performance that represents this season. In the capital, Madrid, there is a cultural landmark named Matadero Art Theater. It was once used as a slaughterhouse and market, but now it has changed into a cultural site. You know, Spain is a country renowned for its dance and passion and Korean also loves dance and music as well sharing many similarities. There was a special dance performance, blending traditional and modern Korean dance. Three Korean teams recognized both at home and internationally in festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe, took part. The theme was "Two Cultures, One Heart," showcasing Korean traditional and contemporary dance with Spanish artistry, marking a powerful highlight of this year's Korea Season. And for the encore, the highlight of the performance, the entire audience danced together to the Korean folk song, "Ganggangsullae," a circle dance, as one a true moment of cultural harmony. Away from the stage, displays introducing Korean musicals and traditional desserts representing the taste and styles of Korea a treat for the eyes and taste buds. Local media outlets responded very positively, and visitors also really enjoyed it. ( 8 !!! !} "The performance was amazing. It was a mix between what you can know about contemporary dance and things you didn't know about Korea, but you can interpret or think about. I want to see more. I want to go to home and searching to YouTube and see more performances." "It's very funny, we are so far but we have the same system to protect our identity through the culture, through the tradition, through the idea to move the tradition to another way to be, to express. So the past and the future always together, always dancing together." The reactions were exactly what the Artistic Director of the 2025 Korea Season, Kim Shin-ah, had hoped for. She wanted to create a show people would want to see again, even years later, with an open and positive mindset, and she clearly succeeded. Wow, what a magical performance. Then, Soo-hyung, you said the Korea Season will offer a year-long series of cultural programs. What else can Spain enjoy? Through the end of this year, a dynamic cultural journey will unfold across Spain not just in Madrid. In particular, the Korean Cultural Center in Spain is set to host around 60 events throughout the year. The center is carrying out efforts to expand Korean culture, from fine arts, literature, webtoon, fashion beyond just K-pop. These are the key events remaining in the 2025 Korea Season. In September, K-Webtoon Festival, K-Content Expo, and K-Beauty Festival are awaiting visitors to showcase the country's cultural range. Also, the Center has designated October as Literature Month, promoting Korean literature as a focus country at Madrid's Liber International Book Fair and the guest country at Barcelona's Kosmopolis International Festival of Literature. All right, Soo-hyung. Let's hope this year's Korea Season ends on a high note. Thank you for sharing your reports. My pleasure.

When Hangeul becomes art: the legacy of Pyeongbo Seo Hee-hwan

2025/07/11 23:39

For those of you in Seoul looking for things to do indoors away from the heat wave this weekend, there's a new exhibition that portrays Hangeul as more than just a language but as a powerful form of visual art. Byeon Ye-young tells us more. Geometric beauty and fluid structure, materialized in black ink. Korean Calligraphy, or Hangeul Seoye, is an art form rooted in rhythm, balance, and the expressive power of the written line. Hangeul offers a unique aesthetic language of its own, one that is now being rediscovered as a distinct art form. A new retrospective at the Seoul Arts Center shines a spotlight on this very tradition through the work of a master who dedicated his entire career to breaking away from the better-known Chinese characters and elevating Hangul calligraphy into high art: 'Pyeongbo' Seo Hee-hwan. "Master Seo Hee-hwan's artist pseudonym, Pyeongbo, meaning 'to walk steadily without rest,' was given by his teacher, Son Jae-hyeong. It reflects the idea that even slow progress leads to mastery, as long as you don't stop." Although he was the first artist to receive the Presidential Prize for a work of Hangul calligraphy, his work also drew criticism for resembling his teacher's style. Seo accepted the critique and embarked on a journey to find his own voice. That journey began with a return to the roots of Hangeul. In a section titled "Deep-Rooted Tree," we see how Seo turned to early printed texts from the time of King Sejong. "This is Seo Hee-hwan's interpretation of , or Songs of the Moon's Reflection on a Thousand Rivers. Originally compiled by King Sejong, the creator of Hangul, it's a Buddhist hymn book dedicated to his late wife, Queen Soheon. The interpretation by Seo Hee-hwan shows around 10,000 Hangeul characters on a single folding screen." By studying the typeface-like panbonche styles from early Joseon, Seo grounded himself in the fundamentals of Hangeul and gradually shaped a calligraphic language that was uniquely his own. He explored more artistic styles as well, like this piece where the brush naturally flows into the next character. Commemorating 30 years since Seo's passing, the exhibition runs until mid-October at the Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum Gallery, and there are also programs where visitors can try their hand at Hangeul Calligraphy. This retrospective gives visitors the chance to see upfront that Hangeul seoye is more than just writing. It's visual art where each stroke carries emotion and history. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News

KOSPI soars above 3,200 in intraday trading, KOSDAQ reclaims 800

2025/07/11 23:38

South Korea's main stock index is on a tear — hitting levels not seen in nearly four years — as policy hopes and chips drive investor optimism. In addition, the market already seems to be immune to U.S. tariff threats. Our Kim Do-yeon reports. The benchmark KOSPI once again hit a new yearly high during intra-day trading on Friday surpassing the 32-hundred mark briefly for the first time in 3 years and 10 months at one point, reaching 3,216. But it was a mixed trend as it fell later to close at 3,175.77, following a strong sell-off by foreign and institutional investors that caused it to briefly turn negative during the session. Boosted by overnight gains in shares of U.S. tech, major Korean semiconductor stocks saw simultaneous strength. SK hynix rose more than 3 percent during the session, briefly surpassing the 300,000 Korean won mark for the first time. The KOSDAQ also opened slightly higher and reclaimed the 800 level during intraday trading for the first time in 12 sessions. The total market capitalization also surpassed 3,000 trillion won for the first time. While there are some concerns about a breather after the rapid short-term rally, the overall view is that upward momentum remains intact. "It seems that continued expectations for the new administration's policies are still prompting some market funds to flow into the stock market. In addition, hopes for further discussions — such as on dividend taxes following the recent amendments to the Commercial Act — also appear to be having a positive impact on the domestic stock market." This comes after Thursday, when the KOSPI closed at 3,183.23, its highest finish in 3 years and 10 months. Comparing Friday's close to the lowest of the year on April 9, the KOSPI is up around 38.5 percent in a matter of 3 months. With "reciprocal" tariffs from the U.S. scheduled to take effect next month, the market largely believes these concerns have already been priced in. Expectations for interest rate cuts and an additional stock market stimulus are also seen as supporting investor sentiment. The previous all-time high for the KOSPI was 3,316.08 points, recorded on June 25, 2021, and hopes are growing in the securities industry that this level could be surpassed soon. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

Minimum Wage Commission reaches agreement on next year's minimum wage at KRW 10,320 per hour

2025/07/11 23:36

The minimum wage for next year has been set at 10-thousand 320 Korean won. That's about 7 U.S. dollars and 50 cents. The settlement was produced through the very first agreement between all the negotiating parties in 17 years. Our Kim Bo-kyoung has more. Starting next year, the hourly minimum wage would be 10-thousand-3-hundred-20 Korean won, around seven dollars and 50 cents. This, as the Minimum Wage Commission reached an agreement on Thursday, to raise the minimum wage by 2-hundred-90 Korean won, that is two-point-nine percent, from this year's minimum wage of 10-thousand-30 Korean won per hour. If one works a standard monthly workload of two-hundred-nine hours, the new minimum wage translates to a monthly income of two million one hundred fifty-six thousand eight hundred eighty won. The commission is made up of nine representatives each from labor, management and the general public, obliged to review the new minimum wage by mid-July for the labor minister to make a formal announcement by early August every year. This year's decision marks the first agreement reached among the three sides in 17 years. If an agreement can't be made, the increase is decided by majority vote. The 2-point-9-percent increase is the lowest first-year hike under any administration since 2000, though minimum wage increases tend to be higher than average in the first year of a new administration. During first year of the Moon Jae-in administration, the minimum wage was raised by more than 16-percent, while for the first year of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, it went up by five percent. The management side said they agreed to the decision after much deliberation "It was a very difficult decision, made based on the thought that it would be better to support harmony and unity as the new government begins, rather than create more conflict." while, the labor side said the government should come up with measures to help low-paid workers. "It would be the Lee Jae Myung administration's task to deal with any areas that are insufficient. It must come up with strong measures to help low-wage workers cover their living costs." After the Commission submits an agreed minimum wage for next year to the labor ministry, the ministry will finalize and announce it by August 5th, after the review process. The new rate will take effect starting the very first day of January next year. The presidential office called the commission's decision significant and added that the government will actively ensure the minimum wage is followed through promotion, guidance, and supervision. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.

S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold air drills, discuss security cooperation

2025/07/11 23:35

Also on Friday, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan conducted joint air drills, and held high-level talks in Seoul to strengthen deterrence against North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities. Park Jun-han has the details. South Korea's Ministry of National Defense announced on Friday that it had held a combined air exercise with aircraft from the U.S. and Japan in a joint response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Joint drills were held over international waters south of Jeju Island, and marked the first deployment of a B-52H strategic bomber to the Korean Peninsula this year, and the second trilateral air exercise under the Lee Jae Myung administration. The exercise coincided with the 2025 Trilateral Chiefs of Defense Meeting, held at the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul. Notably, it marked the first visit to South Korea in 15 years by Japan's chief of staff. In the meeting, the three countries discussed strengthening their trilateral, multi-domain Freedom Edge exercise, and condemned North Korea's continued involvement in nuclear and missile development, as well as its growing military cooperation with Russia. Top military leaders — South Korea's JCS Chairman Admiral Kim Myung-soo , U.S. JCS Chairman General Dan Caine , and Japan's Joint Chief, Chief of Staff General Yoshihide Yoshida mentioned cooperation, deterrence, and regional security as their key agenda items. "In the face of North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile threats, it is critical to sustain and sustain and build on the momentum of trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan." "The DPRK and China are undergoing an unprecedented military build-up with a clear and unambiguous intent to move forward with their own agendas." "As the situation in the Indo-Pacific region is becoming increasingly complex, uncertain and ambiguous, we will use this meeting as a starting point to further develop our cooperation so that trilateral cooperation can become a key pillar for peace and stability in the region." Following their remarks, the three leaders held a closed-door meeting before issuing a joint statement. They also visited the Republic of Korea Navy's 2nd Fleet in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do Province, to pay tribute to the 46 sailors lost in the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan in 2010. Park Jun-han, Arirang News.

Pres. Lee names culture, land minister nominees; nomination of Cabinet completed

2025/07/11 23:34

Good evening. President Lee Jae Myung has now completed nominations for all 19 members of his first Cabinet, by filling the two remaining ministerial seats: culture and land. Presidential Office Correspondent Yoon Jung-min starts us off. President Lee Jae Myung has tapped Chae Hwi-young, current CEO of travel platform Nol Universe, to lead the nation's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The journalist-turned-CEO has broad enough experience to materialize President Lee's vision of a K-culture market worth 300-trillion won, which is worth some 218-billion U.S. dollars that's according to Lee's Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik on Friday. The same day, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's lawmaker Kim Yun Duk, was named to lead the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The three-term lawmaker has served on the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, in which Kang says he has proven competency in legislation and policy. "When it comes to real estate, he is expected to approach the issues from ordinary people's perspectives, not as a scholar or bureaucrat." President Lee Jae Myung has warned of zero-tolerance on speculation in real estate, often leading to housing market instability. The new land minister's focus will also be on balanced regional growth, while putting forth new visions for transportation and mobility, among others. With Friday's announcement, the appointment of the nominees for the Lee administration's first Cabinet has been completed. "President Lee said he expects all government ministries to yield results in a speedy manner with competence and loyalty. He asked them to break away from customs in a bold manner, and lead changes with fresh and flexible ideas for innovation in the society." Kang went on to say the new administration will proactively take on pending issues, such as the U.S. pressure on tariffs, extreme heat at home, and the economy in the doldrums. The nominees will undergo confirmation hearings at the National Assembly, but they are not required to be approved for appointment. Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.

S. Korea's birth rate rebounds, but can new government policies sustain it?

2025/07/11 21:35

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus. I'm Kim Mok-yeon. As today marks World Population Day today, all eyes are on South Korea's surprising uptick in birth rates — a nation long synonymous with demographic decline. According to new government data, April births surged past the 20,000 mark — the highest in 34 years — signaling what some are calling a long-overdue rebound. For ten consecutive months now, Korea has recorded year-over-year growth in newborn numbers, prompting cautious optimism in a country where the fertility rate has hovered near rock bottom. For answers to this, we connect to Hwang Myung-jin, Professor of Public Administration at Korea University. Welcome. Also joining us is Hyeyoung Woo, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Asian Studies at Portland State University. 1. (Hwang) First off — according to data by Statistics Korea on June 25th, the number of newborns in April exceeded 20,000 for the first time in 34 years, marking the sharpest year-on-year increase in decades. What do you see as the main drivers behind this rebound in birth numbers? 2. (Woo) Building on that — we've now seen ten straight months of year-over-year birth increases since July of last year. Prof. Woo, in your view, does this signal a structural shift rather than a temporary uptick? 3. (Hwang) On that note — the Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society recently forecast that Korea's total fertility rate could surpass 0.80 this year, a slight but symbolic rebound from last year's record low of 0.72. Prof. Hwang, do you think that's a realistic scenario? 4. (Woo) Looking ahead — Korea has set a national goal of reaching a fertility rate above 1.0 by 2030. One key window of opportunity is the marriage timing of the so-called "echo boomers" — those born between 1991 and 1996. Prof.Woo, what do you think are the most critical actions needed to encourage more marriages? 5. (Woo) Zooming out for a global comparison — the OECD has cited Korea's high private education costs and soaring housing prices as major factors behind the country's particularly low fertility rate among advanced economies. Would you agree with this assessment? 6. (Hwang) Now shifting to the policy structure — some experts point out that Korea lacks a true population policy control tower. The existing Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society has been criticized for having no budgetary or executive authority. Why is establishing a strong government-led control body so critical at this stage? 7. (Hwang) In that regard — the government plans to launch a Presidential Task Force on Population Planning and is considering a dedicated population agency under the leadership of President Lee. What kind of structure and composition should this new body have to be effective? 8. (Woo) Let's take a global view — among countries seen as leaders in tackling low fertility, are there specific policy tools or approaches that you believe would work well if adapted to Korea's social environment? 9. (Hwang) To wrap up — many argue that consistency in policy is key when addressing demographic challenges. As a population expert, what would be your top priorities or key recommendations for the current administration?

S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold trilateral foreign ministers' meeting in Malaysia

2025/07/11 19:45

We start with news out of Malaysia where the first high-level diplomatic talks among Seoul Washington and Tokyo since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung administration took place. I have our foreign affairs correspondent Oh Soo-young standing by live with the latest. Soo-young, welcome. So I hear this trilateral diplomatic interaction was not arranged in advance and came about rather unexpectedly. Do tell us more. Sure, South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo held trilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Their talks lasted for about 40 minutes. The three sides reaffirmed the importance of trilateral cooperation and agreed to jointly counter North Korea's illicit cyber activities and deepening military cooperation with Russia. They also reaffirmed their shared commitment to North Korea's complete denuclearization. Now, this comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due to visit Pyongyang, after the ASEAN sessions on Friday, for, quote, "strategic discussions." According to Rubio's office, they also discussed their "indispensable trilateral partnership" in the resilience of critical technologies and supply chains, energy, trusted digital infrastructure, and shipbuilding. Vice Minister Park is also believed to have conveyed South Korea's position on ongoing tariff negotiations with the U.S. Both Seoul and Tokyo recently received letters from President Trump notifying them that Washington will impose 25 percent reciprocal tariffs on August first. The three sides last met in April at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels. But this is the first trilateral senior-level meeting of diplomats under the Lee Jae Myung administration. As you said, the trilateral was quite unexpected, as Vice Minister Park is attending in place of South Korea's yet-to-be-confirmed foreign minister nominee Cho Hyun. So the fact that this meeting was held -despite Park's relatively lower-level rank arguably signifies Washington and Tokyo's strong commitment to trilateral cooperation and diplomacy with Seoul. Now those talks among diplomats from three countries took place on the margins of multiple meetings this week led by the ASEAN Soo-young. Do walk us through some of them. Yes. South Korea's vice minister is attending key discussions on Friday the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum itself, and Seoul's dialogue with ministers from Mekong countries. On Thursday, Park took part in the meeting of ASEAN and its three Northeast Asian partners South Korea, Japan, and China. He emphasized Seoul's commitment to strengthening trilateral cooperation with Tokyo and Beijing,.. in a way that complements ASEAN's goals, especially amid rising uncertainty and challenges in the region. Earlier in the day, Park took part in the Korea-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, to adopt an updated five-year plan to fulfil the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership reached last year. The new action plan includes peace, not only security, cooperation on the Korean Peninsula, along with cybersecurity, maritime issues, and digital transition. All right Soo-young, thank you for that coverage of the trilateral ministerial gathering among diplomats from Seoul Washington and Tokyo in Malaysia.

[Weather] Seoul escapes from tropical nights, heat waves continue

2025/07/11 19:43

Today, Seoul's morning temperature dropped to 24-point-6 degrees Celsius, which is the first time in 12 days that we have escaped from the tropical nights. However, there are still many places in the west of the country which saw tropical nights. For the time being, tropical nights will continue. There is extremely hot weather during the day. As heat wave warnings continue in the west of the country, daytime temperatures soared to 36 degrees in Seoul today. The east coast took a break from the heat. This heat wave will continue mainly in the western areas tomorrow. Morning will start warm tomorrow at 20 to 25 degrees all over the country. Highs will move up to 36 degrees in Seoul, 34 degrees in Daejeon and Gwangju. There is rain forecast only on Jeju Island during this weekend. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.