News

Swedish police arrest teenager after fatal triple shooting

2025/05/01 10:00

In Sweden, police have arrested a teenager following a shooting that killed three people in the city of Uppsala on Tuesday. The incident has raised concerns about escalating gang-related crimes in the nation. On Wednesday morning, local time, authorities apprehended a 16-year-old suspect, with the Swedish Prosecution Authority confirming that the teen is being held on suspicion for murder. On Tuesday, around 5 p.m., a shooting at a hair salon in Uppsala killed three men aged between 15 and 20. While the motive remains unclear, authorities are exploring potential gang-related connections, as one victim reportedly had ties to organized crime. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the shooting as "a terrible act," and lamented that "brutal and ruthless violence" is shaking the country. The nation has been seeing a rise in violent crime in recent years, with its worst mass shooting leading to 10 deaths occurring in February.

Wildfires rage near Jerusalem, roads and communities evacuated

2025/05/01 10:00

Starting in the Middle East, Israel is fighting one of the most severe wildfires in its recent history. Tell us more. Sure. Massive wildfires broke out near Jerusalem on Wednesday morning, leading to widespread evacuations and prompting the declaration of a national emergency. On April 30, wildfires erupted in the forest area between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, rapidly spreading due to high temperatures and strong winds. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the blazes could reach Jerusalem itself. This has forced the evacuation of several communities and the closure of major roads. Memorial day ceremonies and Independence Day celebrations planned for Thursday have also been canceled. The Israel Fire and Rescue Services declared their highest alert level, mobilizing over 120 firefighting teams, including assistance from the Israel Defense Forces. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has also sought additional firefighting aid from over a dozen countries. At least 16 people have reportedly been hospitalized for smoke inhalation, and no fatalities have been reported.

How 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' captures the beauty of Jeju

2025/05/01 10:00

South Korean Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines", known as "Pokssak Sogatsuda" in Korean has become a hit both at home and abroad. What's so special about it? Ahn Sung-jin tells us. This line from the last episode of the Korean drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" captures one of the underlying meanings of the series, 'living life.' The story of a young couple on Jeju island and how their life progresses through many ups and downs caught many sniffling throughout the episodes of this heartwarming story. "Across generations, these stories and the lines from the characters were very relatable in talking about life and values because it revolves around family." Such storylines have resonated with viewers from around the world as the show topped Netflix's global non-English show chart. "The theme is so universal. In fact that there are Korean themes involved is part of the fascination and interest for me as a Westerner. That show makes me feel like I'm there. I feel like a part of their life, and I feel like I'm experiencing what it's like to be in Korea during the stretch of time. I think it's absolutely universal." The series' Korean title uses a phrase from Jeju dialect, "Pokssak Sogatsuda" which translates to "you've worked hard." The drama portrays glimpses of the beautiful scenery of Jeju island as a background to key events in their life. The characters grow up on Je주's rocky shores in the 1950s, and these scenes were filmed around Gimnyeong beach where haenyeo or female divers can often be seen, a symbol of Jeju Island. They fall in love in the warm bright canola fields in the 1960s, another endearing sight on the island during April and May. The characters take part in a writing contest at the Jeju-mok Government Office, capturing the history of Jeju. And other scenes show off the island's natural beauty. "This site right here was one of the places where scenes from the drama were filmed. You can also get a glimpse of the traditional houses that represent Jeju Island." The local government is developing programs so that tourists can visit these locations easily. "Through hosting drama filming locations and investing more in these programs, we hope to further invigorate Jeju's content and tourism business." So for those who haven't had a chance yet to catch up with the series, why not give it a look to enjoy the beauty of Jeju. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

Top court to rule on Thursday on DP presidential candidate's election law violation case

2025/05/01 10:00

The Supreme Court will rule this afternoon on the election law violation case of the Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. Lee will not appear in court, as defendants are not required to be present. The ruling follows an appeal by prosecutors against a high court ruling last month that had overturned an initial guilty verdict. The top court decided last week to have the full bench oversee the case and reviewed it at an unusually fast pace. Lee was convicted of making false statements during the previous presidential campaign, including denying ties to a key figure involved in a land development scandal in Seongnam during a media interview in 2021. He is also accused of having made false claims that there was pressure from South Korea's land ministry to rezone a research institute site in the Baekhyeon-dong area of Seongnam. The ruling will be broadcast live on TV and the court's YouTube channel.

U.S. Navy secretary visits S. Korea's leading shipbuilders to bolster cooperation

2025/05/01 10:00

With the U.S. looking to reconstruct its own shipbuilding industry, it's turning to South Korea for that grand project. And the U.S. navy chief came to Korea for visits to major shipyards here for cooperation between Seoul and Washington. Moon Ji-young reports. U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan is on a visit to South Korea in a move to enhance bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding sector under U.S. President Donald Trump’s leadership. According to industry sources, Phelan is visiting HD Hyundai Heavy's headquarters in Ulsan, and Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje on Wednesday, both located in the southern region of the country. He is expected to meet with the companies' top executives, including HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, to discuss potential collaboration in areas of naval shipbuilding, maintenance, repairs, and overhauls. The navy chief’s visit comes as Trump has highlighted the need to revitalize America's shipbuilding industry and the importance of partnering with allies, including South Korea, a global powerhouse in naval vessel construction. Before arriving in South Korea, Phelan visited Japan, where he toured local shipyards and met with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani to seek bilateral cooperation in naval ship maintenance. "The competition with China, especially regarding the scale of warships, is so fierce that the U.S. shipbuilding industry cannot effectively compete. This is why President Trump plans to revive it." Meanwhile, Acting President Han Duck-soo met with John Phelan on Wednesday morning to discuss cooperation in the shipbuilding sector, including strategies to integrate this collaboration into broader trade negotiations. Moon Ji-young, Arirang News.

U.S. economy shrank 0.3% in Q1 amid Trump tariff impact

2025/05/01 10:00

The start of Donald Trump's second term in office has produced a shrinking U.S. GDP. But Trump has labelled this as an "overhang" from the previous Joe Biden administration, and that with patience, the U.S. will "boom" after the tariffs soon start kicking in. Lee Eun-jin reports. According to a Commerce Department report released on Wednesday, U.S. GDP in the first quarter of this year contracted 0-point-3 percent, marking the lowest GDP since the first quarter of 2022. The latest GDP reading is also lower than what was forecast by economists, which, according to FactSet, was 0-point-8 percent growth, still down from the 2-point-4 percent growth recorded in the fourth quarter of last year. The greatest cause for this sharp slowdown seems to have been President Trump's trade tariffs. Imports soared 41-point-3 percent in the first quarter, which threw the balance of trade off largely by the rush to bring in imports before the tariffs went up. But President Trump, during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, blamed former President Biden for the contraction, and even suggested that some responsibility for the next quarter would be Biden's as well, saying that such changes in the economy don't "just happen on a daily or an hourly basis." Trump also said in a Truth Social post, "quote," "This is Biden's Stock Market, not Trump's. I didn't take over until January 20th." Stock market volatility ensued following the release of the GDP report. But both the S&P and Dow marked their seventh straight day of gains, the S&P closing up 0-point-1-5 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0-point-3-5 percent. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0-point-0-9 percent. The personal consumption expenditures price index, the indicator for measuring inflation, stayed unchanged in March after advancing 0-point-4 percent in February. In the 12 months through March, the PCE increased 2-point-3 percent, after rising 2-point-7 percent in February last year. Based on Wednesday's Commerce Department data, the economy is holding up for now, but uncertainty is rising as Trump's tariffs could upend the global order as well as the U.S. economy. The latest figures don't actually reflect President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, as those were announced on April 2nd, just after the end of the first quarter. As some of those tariffs have already been paused or modified, analysts are expecting a more pronounced slowdown in growth later this year as consumers and businesses adjust. Meanwhile, President Trump wrote for everybody to be patient, saying the U.S. will soon "boom" after the tariffs start kicking in, and after the Biden "overhang" is gone. Economists say the tariffs could weaken economic growth and stoke inflation, but analysts still say one quarter of negative GDP growth is not itself a sign that a recession is underway. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.

U.S. and Ukraine sign agreement creating investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction

2025/05/01 10:00

The U.S. and Ukraine have signed an economic partnership deal whereby the two countries will cooperate to establish an investment fund to help rebuild Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday the deal would see the U.S. develop and profit from Ukraine's vast natural resources, including critical elements and minerals vital to modern manufacturing, as the U.S. contributes to a reconstruction fund for Ukraine. The long-awaited signing came just days after the leaders of the two countries met on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral in Vatican City last weekend.

DP camp rallies unity with COVID hero Jung Eun-kyeong; PPP’s final showdown before voting

2025/04/30 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Yoon Jung-min. The Democratic Party of Korea is in full campaign mode with its committee now launched. The People Power Party still has one run-off debate before the final candidate is finalized. Our political correspondent Kim Do-yeon begins our coverage. The Democratic Party on Wednesday launched its presidential campaign for its candidate Lee Jae-myung. Leading the polls and facing a rival party that's lost its former president through impeachment, Lee is focusing his message on social unity to secure victory. "South Korea now stands at a historic crossroads — will it rise as a hopeful leader on the global stage, or fall into decline through destructive backpedaling? The only force that can stop regression and lead us toward hope and the future is national unity." The Lee Jae-myung campaign's message of unity is reflected in its leadership lineup — 22 key figures, including 15 co-chairs, with some coming from conservative political backgrounds. One notable addition is former KDCA chief Jung Eun-kyeong, making her political debut. She gained national and international recognition in 2020 for leading South Korea's rapid and effective COVID-19 response. The campaign will operate 15 subcommittees directly under Lee's oversight, and 35 more covering a wide range of national policy areas — signaling a broad, inclusive push to win over both sides of the political spectrum. Meanwhile, on Wednesday evening, the People Power Party's Kim Moon-soo and Han Dong-hoon face off in their final run-off debate — the last and decisive battle to determine the party's presidential nominee. In the previous round, neither secured over 50 percent, with votes split evenly between PPP electors and an open public survey — leaving no clear front-runner. Kim is backed by party loyalists, especially those who still support impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. Han, who supported Yoon's impeachment, may have an edge with swing voters in the open survey. You used to be really close to President Yoon. What happened? Dear citizens, I believe in democracy and the republic. I would've stopped my own father if he declared martial law. Voting opens Thursday and closes Friday, with the winner to be announced at Saturday's convention. Meanwhile, Acting President Han Duck-soo is expected to resign as early as Thursday to run for president as an independent — a major shake-up. Kim backs a potential merger with Han, while Han Dong-hoon is more cautious about the Acting President's run but hasn't ruled a merger out. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

[Weather] Early summer like heat appeared, rain nationwide tomorrow

2025/04/30 20:00

Early summer-like heat appeared nationwide today. The daytime temperature in Seoul rose up to 26 degrees Celsius today, about 5 degrees higher than yesterday. There were areas where the daytime temperatures moved up to nearly 30 degrees in the southern parts of the country. However, as there are temperature swings, please dress in layers when you go outside. Rain is forecast across the country tomorrow and the dryness of the atmosphere will gradually be relieved. Looking at the amount of rainfall, as little as 5 millimeters to as much as 50 millimeters of rain is expected throughout the country. Tomorrow morning, most areas will start off in the double digits with rain falling. Highs will move up to 18 degrees in Seoul, 23 degrees in Gwangju, Daegu, Gyeongju, and Jeju. On Saturday, more rain is expected all over the country. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

How 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' captures the beauty of Jeju

2025/04/30 20:00

Couple of weeks ago, we covered how the Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines" has been gaining popularity in and outside of the country. Ahn Sung-jin was in Jeju herself to see the scenes from the drama and to talk about what makes the drama the latest buzz. This line from the last episode of the Korean drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" captures one of the underlying meanings of the series, 'living life.' The story of a young couple on Jeju island and how their life progresses through many ups and downs caught many sniffling throughout the episodes of this heartwarming story. "Across generations, these stories and the lines from the characters were very relatable in talking about life and values because it revolves around family." Such storylines have resonated with viewers from around the world as the show topped Netflix's global non-English show chart. "The theme is so universal. In fact that there are Korean themes involved is part of the fascination and interest for me as a Westerner. That show makes me feel like I'm there. I feel like a part of their life, and I feel like I'm experiencing what it's like to be in Korea during the stretch of time. I think it's absolutely universal." The series' Korean title uses a phrase from Jeju dialect, "Pokssak Sogatsuda" which translates to "you've worked hard." The drama portrays glimpses of the beautiful scenery of Jeju island as a background to key events in their life. The characters grow up on Jeju's rocky shores in the 1950s, and these scenes were filmed around Gimnyeong beach where haenyeo or female divers can often be seen, a symbol of Jeju Island. They fall in love in the warm bright canola fields in the 1960s, another endearing sight on the island during April and May. The characters take part in a writing contest at the Jeju-mok Government Office, capturing the history of Jeju. And other scenes show off the island's natural beauty. "This site right here was one of the places where scenes from the drama were filmed. You can also get a glimpse of the traditional houses that represent Jeju Island." The local government is developing programs so that tourists can visit these locations easily. "Through hosting drama filming locations and investing more in these programs, we hope to further invigorate Jeju's content and tourism business." So for those who haven't had a chance yet to catch up with the series, why not give it a look to enjoy the beauty of Jeju. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

Seoul bus drivers end one-day protest for normal operation but seek further negotiations

2025/04/30 20:00

The Seoul Bus Labor Union says buses will operate as normal starting tomorrow, following Wednesday's one-day "work-to-rule" slowdown protest. The union limited the protest to one day to minimize public inconvenience, but is urging management to take part in further negotiations. If talks continue to stall, the union may decide on further action, possibly a full-scale strike, at next week's meeting. Last-minute talks broke down in the early hours of Wednesday, after nine hours of negotiations. The union is demanding an 8-point-2 percent increase in base pay and an extension of the retirement age from 63 to 65. Management is pushing to lower the standard wage through wage system reform.

S. Korea welcomes 1.6 mil. foreign tourists in March, surpassing pre-pandemic level

2025/04/30 20:00

South Korea's inbound tourism for March fully rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, surpassing the number recorded during the same month in 2019. According to the Korea Tourism Organization on Wednesday, around 1-point-6 million foreign tourists visited the country last month, marking an 8 percent increase year-on-year. The largest number of visitors came from China, followed by Japan, Taiwan and the United States. From January to March this year, Korea has welcomed around 3-point-8 million tourists, up nearly 14-percent compared to the same period last year.

S. Korea's March industrial output rises while consumption and investment fall

2025/04/30 20:00

Industrial output maintained its growth momentum in March on the back of strong chip production but retail sales and facility investment lost ground. Shin Se-byuck covers the latest findings. South Korea's overall industrial output rose for a second straight month in March, led by a surge in semiconductor production,.. posting the biggest rise in 19 months. According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the country's industrial production index climbed point-9 percent on-month to 114-point-7. That follows a 1.0 percent gain in February, marking a continued rebound after a 1-point-6 percent drop in January. Manufacturing output jumped 2-point-9 percent from the month before. In particular, chip production spiked 13-point-3 percent, the largest increase since August 2023. Statistics Korea attributes this to sustained demand for advanced memory chips. "Semiconductor output has been climbing steadily since last year. In particular, demand for high-performance chips like HBM and DDR5 has reached record highs." Despite gains in production, the domestic economy remains sluggish. Construction output dropped 2-point-7 percent, while service-sector production, a key indicator of consumer activity, dipped 0-point-3 percent. Both consumption and investment declined, falling by point-3 percent and point-9 percent respectively from the previous month. Regarding consumption,.. by category,.. sales of nondurable and semi-durable goods rose, but durable goods like mobile phones and computers saw a sharp 8-point-6 percent drop. Statistics Korea attributed the sharp decrease in durable goods to a base effect from last month's surge in smartphone sales and early EV subsidies. For investment, facility investment fell point-9 percent as machinery investment declined, despite gains in transport equipment such as passenger cars. Pointing to weakening domestic demand as the main reason behind the divergence between industrial output and consumption, an expert said both short and long-term government efforts are needed to tackle the slowdown amid internal and external uncertainties. "The government is using a supplementary budget and potential rate cuts to support demand, but in the long run, we need new growth engines, as most industries, aside from semiconductors, are losing ground to China, hurting both exports and domestic demand." Shin Se-byuck, Arirang News.

Forest fire in Daegu reignites after a day; evacuation alerts issued

2025/04/30 20:00

A wildfire in Daegu that was contained yesterday flared up again this afternoon, with people advised to evacuate. We have our Lee Eun-hee on the line. Eun-hee, fill us in. Yes, Jung-min, the massive forest fire on Hamjisan Mountain in Daegu has reignited just a day after being brought under control. Around 5 PM today, local officials sent emergency alerts, ordering nearby residents to evacuate. In response, the Korea Forest Service deployed over 300 personnel and over 40 firefighting helicopters to the scene. The latest updates report that a fire line has formed along a 2.1-kilometer stretch around the mountain. The first fire was initially extinguished by Tuesday noon after nearly 24 hours, but strong winds reignited residual embers, causing the fire to flare up again. To prepare for the wildfire's continued spread, a nationwide emergency mobilization order has also been reissued, which calls for additional firefighting support from other regions. That's all I have, Jung-min. Thank you for the update, Eun-hee.

Spain, Portugal restore power, still no explanation on what caused blackout

2025/04/30 20:00

The lights are back on in Spain and Portugal following the recent massive blackout, but what caused the incident remains unclear. Lee Eun-jin has more. Power was restored to normal in Spain and Portugal by 11am on Tuesday, local time, after they experienced one of Europe's most severe blackouts. Despite the recovery, both Spain and Portugal remained in a state of emergency on Tuesday. A sudden loss of 15 gigawatts of power in a matter of five seconds around noon on Monday, local time triggered the blackout, but authorities are yet to give an explanation into what caused this sudden loss of power. When the power failure struck around noon on Monday, airports, railways, traffic and hospitals were paralyzed and phone services and ATMs were shut down. Emergency workers in Spain said they had rescued around 35-thousand passengers on Monday stranded along railways and the underground rail system. The Spanish national electricity system operator had detected two incidents of power generation loss that could have caused the energy instability. And while the agency ruled out cyber-attack as the cause, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez said the government would not rush to conclusions in finding out what happened in those five seconds. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.

U.S. Navy secretary visits S. Korea's leading shipbuilders to bolster cooperation

2025/04/30 20:00

Against this backdrop, U.S.' Secretary of the Navy is here in Korea, visiting major shipyards in the country for related cooperation between Seoul and Washington. Moon Ji-young reports. U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan is on a visit to South Korea in a move to enhance bilateral cooperation in the shipbuilding sector under U.S. President Donald Trump's leadership. According to industry sources, Phelan is visiting HD Hyundai Heavy's headquarters in Ulsan , and Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje on Wednesday, both located in the southern region of the country. He is expected to meet with the companies' top executives, including HD Hyundai Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan , to discuss potential collaboration in areas of naval shipbuilding, maintenance, repairs, and overhauls. The navy chief's visit comes as Trump has highlighted the need to revitalize America's shipbuilding industry and the importance of partnering with allies, including South Korea, a global powerhouse in naval vessel construction. Before arriving in South Korea, Phelan visited Japan, where he toured local shipyards and met with Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani to seek bilateral cooperation in naval ship maintenance. "The competition with China, especially regarding the scale of warships, is so fierce that the U.S. shipbuilding industry cannot effectively compete. This is why President Trump plans to revive it." Meanwhile, Acting President Han Duck-soo met with John Phelan on Wednesday morning to discuss cooperation in the shipbuilding sector, including strategies to integrate this collaboration into broader trade negotiations. Moon Ji-young, Arirang News.

Trump temporarily eases tariffs for automakers for two years

2025/04/30 20:00

U.S. President Trump has taken a step back to ease some of his tariffs on the auto industry. Marking his first 100 days in office, his administration seems to be sending a message to America when it comes to trade negotiations with other countries. Moon Hye-ryeon reports. U.S. President Trump signed two executive orders on Tuesday, rolling back portions of the auto tariffs announced earlier this month. The changes modify the 25-percent tariff on fully assembled vehicles, as well as additional levies on auto parts that are set to take effect in stages starting May 3rd. The first executive order introduces a tariff offset for parts used in vehicles assembled in the U.S. — equaling 3-point-7-5 percent of the retail price in the first year and 2-point-5 percent in the second year. These percentages correspond to a 25-percent tariff applied to 15 percent of the vehicle's value in the first year and 10 percent in the second year. Trump said the measure is intended to give automakers more time to produce cars in the U.S. "We just wanted to help them during this little transition, short term, and during this little, if they can't get parts, you know, it has to do with a very small percentage, if they can't get parts, we didn't want to penalize them." Under the second executive order, automakers will be shielded from so-called "stacked tariffs." That means companies already paying the levy on imported vehicles and parts will not have to face additional steel and aluminum tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. The administration says the goal is to avoid compounding unnecessary costs. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that tariff talks with South Korea are beginning to take shape, although he did not provide further details. "I could see the contours of a deal with the Republic of Korea coming together. And then we've had substantial talks with the Japanese." When asked how domestic issues in South Korea and other trade partners are affecting trade talks, Bessent stated that these countries want to have a "framework of a deal" in place before their elections. However, South Korea's Finance Ministry rejected the remarks and reaffirmed that the country is committed to following the proper procedures and not rushing the negotiations. Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.

NIS Reports 4,700 N. Korean casualties in Russia's war; UNSC holds key debate

2025/04/30 20:00

Intelligence officials estimate thousands of North Korean casualties on the battlefield amid Russia's war against Ukraine. The voice is growing louder within the international community to condemn growing military ties between the two following North Korea's recent confirmation of troop deployment. Our correspondent Kim Jung-sil has more. South Korea's National Intelligence Service reported nearly 4,700 North Korean casualties in Russia's war in Ukraine, including at least 600 fatalities. The information was revealed during a closed-door briefing of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. Intelligence reports also show a significant boost in North Korea's combat effectiveness, especially with the use of new technology like drones. This comes amid growing global tensions over North Korea's escalating military role in supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, the UN Security Council held its first meeting addressing the situation in Ukraine, following North Korea's admission of sending troops to Russia and Russia's confirmation. Hwang Joon-kook, South Korean Ambassador to the UN, voiced grave concern over the military support. "Staggering reports indicate that North Korea now supplies nearly half of Russia's front-line munitions. Without this illegal military assistance, peace in Ukraine might already have been within reach." The meeting saw widespread condemnation from several countries, including South Korea, the U.S., and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia's Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, defended the collaboration, framing it as part of their strategic partnership. "We are deeply grateful to our Korean brothers, whose fortitude and bravery will forever remain in the memory of our people." While North Korea's absence from the UN meeting raises questions about its diplomatic engagement, its ongoing military support for Russia continues to influence the course of the conflict in Ukraine. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

Trump temporarily eases tariffs for automakers for two years

2025/04/30 17:00

U.S. President Donald Trump has penned an executive order that allows for a slower implementation of tariffs on autos and their parts to offer carmakers more time to boost manufacturing in the U.S. Shin Ha-young has details. The U.S. government has decided to ease the tariff burden on the auto industry for two years. President Donald Trump signed an order Tuesday to temporarily ease tariffs on auto parts for companies that manufacture cars in the U.S. The move came after the Trump administration began imposing 25 percent tariffs on fully built vehicles, which took effect on April 3rd. Tariffs on auto parts are set to be implemented in stages on May 3rd. The new measure provides a tariff offset for parts in U.S.-assembled vehicles, equaling 3-point-7-5 percent of the retail price in the first year and 2-point-5 percent in the second year. These percentages correspond to a 25 percent tariff applied to 15 percent of the vehicle's value in the first year and 10 percent in the second year. Trump said the measure is meant to give automakers time to produce cars in the U.S. "We just wanted to help them during this little transition, short term, and during this little, if they can't get parts, you know, it has to do with a very small percentage, if they can't get parts, we didn't want to penalize them." Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that tariff talks with South Korea are beginning to take shape, although he did not provide further details. "I could see the contours of a deal with the Republic of Korea coming together. And then we've had substantial talks with the Japanese." When asked how domestic issues in South Korea and other trade partners are affecting trade talks, Bessent stated that these countries want to have a "framework of a deal" in place before their elections. However, Seoul's finance ministry rejected the remarks and reaffirmed that the country is committed to following the proper procedures and not rushing the negotiations. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC on Tuesday that he had reached a deal with one country that should permanently ease the reciprocal tariffs Trump plans to impose. Lutnick declined to name the country, saying the deal was awaiting local approval. Based on remarks from U.S. officials, India is seen as the country closest to reaching a deal on tariffs. Bessent said in a briefing that two countries are "very close" to a breakthrough. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

[Weather] Rain across the country on Thursday

2025/04/30 17:00

It feels like summer is here already. The daytime temperature in Seoul was as high as 26 degrees Celsius today, about 5 degrees higher than yesterday. There were areas where the daytime temperatures rose to nearly 30 degrees in the southern parts of the country. However, as it gets chilly after sunset, please dress in layers when you go outside. Rain is forecast across the country tomorrow and the dryness of the atmosphere will gradually be relieved. Rain will begin tomorrow morning in the western parts of the country, including Seoul, and will spread nationwide in the afternoon. Tomorrow morning, most areas will start off in the double digits with rain falling. Highs will move up to 18 degrees in Seoul, 21 degrees in Chuncheon and Busan. Another round of rain is expected on Saturday all over the country. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.