News

Ukraine-U.S. minerals deal could be signed by next week: Trump

2025/04/18 10:00

Onto the latest on the Ukraine war. Trump said Thursday that Washington and Kyiv could sign a minerals and economic cooperation deal as soon as next Thursday. Speaking to reporters at the White House, the U.S. president added that he "assumes" Kyiv will "live up to the deal." Trump also said that while he doesn't hold Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "responsible" for Russia's invasion, he is "not a big fan" of the Ukrainian leader. Also on Thursday, U.S. and Ukrainian officials held talks with their British, French, and German counterparts. Ukraine and the three European countries expressed their shared support for Trump's efforts to bring an end to the war. More meetings in the same format will take place next week in London.

Powell's termination cannot come fast enough: Trump

2025/04/18 10:00

U.S. President Donald Trump snapped back at the Fed Chair Jerome Powell, a day after Powell warned of potential economic consequences from tariffs. However, central banks around the world appear to be on the same page as Powell. Lee Seung-jae reports. U.S. President Donald Trump continued to increase the pressure on U.S. Fed chairman Jerome Powell on Thursday, stressing that he should lower interest rates. He also said Powell's "termination cannot come fast enough." Trump's comments on Powell came a day after the U.S. Fed chair warned of potential economic consequences from U.S. tariff policies, saying they would likely generate "higher inflation and slower growth." Trump also responded to a reporter's comment at the Oval Office on the same day, that Powell said he wouldn't leave his post even if told to by the U.S. leader. "Oh, he'll leave, if I ask him to he'll be out of there. I don't think he's doing the job. He's too late. Always too late. A little slow, and I'm not happy with him. I let him know it. And if I want him out, he'll be out of there real fast, believe me." However,.. Powell's concerns appear to have been echoed by other central banks around the world. This includes the European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, who said the sharp increase in tensions in international trade and the resulting uncertainty are likely to reduce exports in the euro zone and lower growth. World Bank President Ajay Banga also expressed his concerns over Trump's tariff policies earlier this week, stressing that tariff hikes create conflicts that result in lower transparency and growth. International organization are also warning of an economic slowdown. The World Trade Organization said international trade volumes will decrease this year, while the International Monetary Fund said that there will be a notable downward revision in the new economic outlook report to be released next week. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

S. Korea sees leverage in shipbuilding and LNG with U.S. trade talks

2025/04/18 10:00

And ahead of South Korea-U.S. tariff talks, Seoul's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said South Korea is trying to reach good outcomes through talks on industries like shipbuilding and LNG. During his visit to Vietnam, Cho said that President Trump specifically mentioned those sectors. He said these are areas where only countries like South Korea or Japan can really compete, giving the country strong "leverage." Minister Cho also said the Trump administration seems to want to prioritize talks with certain countries for better results, and that South Korea plans to stay in close contact with Vietnam in responding to U.S. tariffs.

Trump says U.S. will make deal with China over the next 3-4 weeks

2025/04/18 10:00

The Trump administration has buckled down to holding tariff talks with the top 15 economies. Now, that could include China with Trump now hinting a deal with Beijing could be sealed within a month. Our Choi Soo-hyung starts us off. U.S. President Donald Trump says he believes trade negotiations with China will be done over the next 3 to 4 weeks. "We'll have a deal. I think we're going to make a very good deal with China. I think that you will see we'll make a good deal with China." He said the U.S. is in talks with China, adding that Beijing had reached out several times. On Thursday local time, during a meeting in White House with Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, President Trump also said that he's not concerned about Chinese President Xi Jinping, building alliances during his Southeast Asia tour in response to U.S. tariffs. Meanwhile, as the U.S. begins tariff negotiations with other countries during a 90-day pause, President Trump said on Wednesday local time that he had very productive talks with Japan and Mexico. He posted on his social media that he made great progress in talks with the Japanese trade delegation led by Minister for Economic Revitalization, Ryosei Akazawa. However, on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said there are still differences between the two countries and announced plans to meet directly with President Trump. President Trump emphasized that while other countries want to negotiate more than the U.S., it's the U.S. that decides the deals. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said they are prioritizing negotiations with the world's major economies. "We're working on the big 15 economies first. We had a fantastic meeting with Japan yesterday. I believe there's been calls with the EU already. And then we have South Korea coming in next week." South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Choi Sang-mok, and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun are expected to visit Washington soon. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.

[Weather] Dusty for west of central regions, warming trend continues

2025/04/18 10:00

Spring has sprung, and that warmer breeze will also be carrying some dust our way. We are expecting ultrafine dust levels to rise to 'unhealthy' levels in the capital area from the afternoon. Meanwhile, some of the east coast regions might see the effects of yellow dust during the day. We'll be under mostly sunny skies this afternoon with Seoul reaching 22 degrees Celsius, Daegu and Gyeongju will have a summer heat, both topping out at 29 degrees this afternoon. Then we have rain in store for the entire country tomorrow. It will start in the northern parts of Gyeonggi-do Province in the morning, spreading to the entire country. West of central regions could see up to 20 millimeters of rain with a chance of gusty winds and thunder. 5 to 10 millimeters are in store for the rest of the country. Central regions will see rain mostly on Saturday but southern provinces will see showers on Sunday, plan accordingly for your weekend.

'The Great Gatsby' musical debuts in London

2025/04/18 10:00

Finally, in the UK, author F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic 1925 novel The Great Gatsby has been brought to life on the musical stage in London's West End. While an official opening is scheduled for April 24 and previews began on April 11, the show's launch event was held on Wednesday. The production features Jamie Muscato as Gatsby, Frances Mayli McCann as Daisy Buchanan, and Corbin Bleu as Nick Carraway, the narrator. After its Broadway run, the adaptation received praise for its vibrant energy and lavish production, allowing audiences to immerse themselves in Jay Gatsby's dazzling world through a theatrical experience. The musical will run at The London Coliseum until September 7.

Four dead in Italian cable car accident near Naples

2025/04/18 10:00

In Italy, near Naples, four people died and one person was critically injured when a cable car crashed on Thursday. The victims included two British tourists, an Israeli woman, and the cable car operator. According to reports, the cable car crashed to the ground after a traction cable snapped during its ascent. The incident occurred on Monte Faito, a popular tourist destination known for its panoramic views of the Bay of Naples. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is visiting the U.S., extended her condolences to the victims' families from Washington, D.C., and emphasized the government's commitment to uncovering the cause of the tragedy.

Russia’s top court lifts terror group designation on Afghanistan’s Taliban

2025/04/18 10:00

Over in Russia, the Supreme Court has officially removed Afghanistan's ruling Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organizations, a designation that had been in place since 2003. While the Taliban remains unrecognized as Afghanistan's official government, the ruling on Thursday, local time, reflects Moscow's intent to normalize ties. It also reflects efforts to collaborate with the Taliban to counter threats posed by Islamic State Khorasan, which has been responsible for deadly attacks in both Russia and Afghanistan. Russia's attitude toward the Taliban has changed over the past two decades. It was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban's takeover, seeing the group as a strategic partner to advance its political and economic interests.

Government returns medical student quota to pre-increase level of 3,058

2025/04/17 20:00

In other news. The government is reversing its earlier expansion of medical school seats in a bid to resolve its protracted standoff with current students and junior doctors. Byeon Ye-young explains. The government announced on Thursday that the 2026 medical school enrollment quota will be returned to the 2024 level of 3,058 students. "We will push for a legal amendment to allow universities to adjust their 2026 medical school enrollment quotas to 2024 levels." Last year, the government raised the quota by 2,000 to 5,058, but doctors and medical students strongly opposed the move, alleging it would hurt training conditions. This led to a wave of leaves of absence among medical students, resulting in a significant gap in their medical education. Presidents of 40 medical schools proposed that the government restore the original quota for 2026 admissions if all first-year students returned to class. The government accepted the proposal on March 7th but only if a sufficient number of students to ensure classes could proceed without disruption returned by the end of March. A surge in last-minute enrollments at the so-called "Big 5" medical schools led to that number being achieved. While many former students returned, a number opted to "register but not attend." So even after reversing the quota increase, the government still has more to do to get these students back to classes and resolve the healthcare workforce shortage. This raises questions about the future of medical education. "We need to predict how the healthcare landscape will change 10 to 20 years from now, and based on that vision, we should determine how many medical professionals we need and what kind of education they should receive." Universities are now required to submit revised admissions plans that reflect the updated quota to the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE) by the end of this month. The proposed changes will then be reviewed and finalized following KCUE approval, expected around May. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang news.

Bills aimed at special probes into fmr. Pres. Yoon fail to pass parliamentary revote

2025/04/17 20:00

The National Assembly today voted down contentious bills that had been vetoed by the acting president. These include a special investigation bill related to former president Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. Our correspondent Shin Ha-young reports. The political standoff between rival parties over contentious bills continues in the National Assembly ahead of the early presidential election. The National Assembly on Thursday voted down a Democratic Party-led bill calling for a special investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law last December and the related insurrection charges. In an anonymous vote, of the total 299 votes cast, 197 voted for the bill and 102 voted against. The bill was vetoed in January by then-Acting President Choi Sang-mok and sent back to the parliament for a revote. For a bill already vetoed to pass, it requires approval from two-thirds or more of the lawmakers present in addition to a majority attendance. During Thursday's plenary session, the Assembly also voted down a bill that had been sent back for a revote, which called for a special probe into a political broker called Myung Tae-kyun. The DP in February unilaterally passed the bill seeking to investigate allegations of election fraud involving former President Yoon, former First Lady Kim Keon Hee , and Myung. Ahead of the session, the rival parties issued sharp messages over the bills up for a revote. "It's time for the PPP to break ties with Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office. If they oppose the special investigation again, it will clearly show they're siding with insurrection and acting against the Constitution." "These are populist and unjust bills that the DP pushed through without sufficient public consensus or regard for national interests and people's livelihoods, just to strengthen its political position." The parliament also rejected a Commercial Act amendment, which was vetoed by Acting President Han Duck-soo earlier this month. The bill sought to revise the Commercial Act to add the word "shareholders" to the director's duties from just "company," in efforts to tackle the so-called "Korea Discount." Meanwhile, driven by the DP, the Assembly passed a motion to fast-track a bill introducing a special act aimed at boosting the domestic semiconductor industry. The People Power Party wants to introduce a special act that would provide chip companies an exemption from the current labor law so that employees in the sector can work for more than the current limit of 52 hours per week. On the other hand, the DP wants to exclude this special exemption and instead lay out other means to support the industry. At maximum, fast-tracked bills can take up to 330 days to pass, including going through reviews by the standing and judiciary committees, followed by a final vote at a plenary session. Shin Ha-young, Arirang News.

DP to move top office from Seoul to Sejong; PPP kicks off primaries with media day

2025/04/17 20:00

Thank you for joining us. I'm Bae Eun-ji, filling in for Yoon Jung-min. The Democratic Party of Korea's primaries are being held by region and their first stop is Chungcheong-do, a place considered a key battleground in presidential elections. Meanwhile, eight contestants of the People Power Party are now getting ready for debates set for this weekend. Our National Assembly correspondent Kim Do-yeon starts us off. Preliminary presidential candidates from the Democratic Party of Korea unveiled their strategies to boost growth in the Chungcheong-do provinces on Thursday, coinciding with the start of online voting by DP electors the day before. All three candidates shared a common pledge to fully establish Sejong City, located within Chungcheong-do, as South Korea's administrative capital, proposing to relocate the presidential office there. This pledge also follows a move by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who previously relocated the presidential office from the Blue House to Yongsan—a decision heavily criticized by the DP as an unnecessary budget expenditure, and notably, the site of his martial law declaration. Chungcheong-do remains a crucial battleground for presidential candidates; notably, the winner of this region has also secured victory in the last seven presidential elections. Meanwhile, the People Power Party held a media day for its primary contestants on Thursday. With eight contestants, they broke the first round debates into two groups by topic. Future for the young generations and social unity. The future for the young generations debate will be held by Yoo Jeong-bok, Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Moon-soo, and Yang Hyang-ja on Saturday. Social unity by Lee Cheol-woo, Na Kyung-won, Han Dong-hoon, and Hong Joon-pyo on Sunday. The People Power Party also launched its preparatory committee for the presidential election. Chaired by lawmaker Yun Jae-ok, the committee is set to prepare for the PPP presidential election campaign once the party's candidate is chosen. Yun said it's long overdue as the prep should've started before but said, "the tortoise beat the hare." Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

[Weather] Early summer-like weather already, strong winds blowing nationwide

2025/04/17 20:00

It felt like summer is here already. Looking at the map, inland areas, red on the map, exceeded 25 degrees Celsius, with the temperature in Seoul reaching 24 degrees, 27 degrees in Gimcheon. We've seen early summer-like conditions nationwide already. As the daytime temperatures rise significantly, temperature swings come around as well. Please take care of your health. In addition to warm conditions, strong winds are blowing every day with strong winds of around 15 meters per second across the country today, and gusty winds of around 20 meters per second blowing in the mountainous areas of Jeju Island until dawn tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, Seoul and Chuncheon will start off at 13 degrees, Gyeongju at 14 degrees. Daily highs will move up to 21 degrees in Seoul, 29 degrees in Daegu and Gyeongju. More rain is forecast across the country this weekend. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

Seoul Auction to feature works of independence activists

2025/04/17 20:00

An intriguing collection of relics belonging to Korea's independence activists will go on auction this spring at an auction house here in Seoul. There's greater meaning.. as this year marks the 80th anniversary of Korea's independence. Our Lee Eun-jin has a glimpse. Revered Korean independence activist of the Japanese colonial era Ahn Jung-geun. As a part of his previously unreleased collection of calligraphic work, left behind in the final days leading up to his execution, this piece titled "Nokjuk", or "Green Bamboo", is presumed to have been created in February of 1910. This piece is different from his usual vertical writing, while his signature handprint is also imprinted horizontally. Han Yong-woon was a Buddhist reformer, poet and independence activist, also known by his penname Manhae. This folding screen contains poetry of his that compares the path of Buddhist practice to the journey of a young monk to find his lost cow. It is a rare 10-panel masterpiece, showcasing Manhae's unique round handwriting. "Manhae believed in the people continuing towards the independence of our country during the Japanese occupation. And through this poem, he wanted to remind us that it is a destination that should not be forgotten." Seoul Auction's spring session will have a large number of such relics containing traces from the independence movement. In addition to the works of Ahn Jung-geun and Han Yong-woon, there will be the first edition of Yun Dong-ju's book of poems titled "Sky, Wind, Star and Poem", showing the passage of time in its worn out cover page, as well as documents like records of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. These items can range in value from tens to hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars. Garnering greater interest due to this year marking the 80th anniversary of Korean independence, the relics will be shown in a free exhibition until April 21st, a day before the auction, on the 22nd. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.

S. Korea, U.S. kick off joint two-week Freedom Flag air drills

2025/04/17 20:00

In other news. South Korea and the U.S. on Thursday kicked off their two-week combined air drill. Some 1-thousand-100 personnel and 90 aircraft from both countries have been mobilized for the semi-annual Freedom Flag. Their missions include air interdiction counter-air operations and wartime defense rehearsal. Freedom Flag combines two existing exercises: the annual Combined Air Force Composite Training and Vigilant Defense.

S. Korean gov't holds preparatory meeting for APEC 2025

2025/04/17 20:00

Organizers of the 2025 APEC Summit, which will be held in South Korea's ancient southern city of Gyeongju this coming November, are now looking to move from the planning phase to the execution stage. Speaking at a related meeting this Thursday, acting President Han Duck-soo highlighted the significance of this latest annual summit as it comes amid much uncertainty over global trade given the changes it currently faces. He further pointed to prospects of new investment in South Korea, as corporate leaders look to attend the gathering as well.

Fed chair warns of economic risks from Trump's tariffs

2025/04/17 20:00

In related news. The U.S. Federal Reserve has acknowledged the likelihood of higher consumer prices and lower growth prospects in the face of rampant U.S. tariffs on its trade partners. Park Kun-woo has this report. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has warned that the Trump administration's recent tariff policies could pose risks to the U.S. economy. "The level of tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated, and the same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth." Speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago on Wednesday, Powell said the tariffs are highly likely to cause "at least a temporary rise" in inflation, adding the impact could be more persistent. While the Fed aims to find a balance between keeping inflation at around 2 percent and maximizing employment, Powell said tariffs are leading the Fed to move away from those goals. "We will balance our maximum employment and price stability mandates, keeping in mind that without price stability, we cannot achieve the long periods of strong labor market conditions that benefit all Americans." However, Powell also said the central bank will remain patient, holding off on any policy changes until it has a better understanding of how the current trade policies play out. Following Powell's remarks, U.S. stocks tumbled on Wednesday. The tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped more than three percent, while the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average also fell. Also on Wednesday, gold prices soared, once even hitting an all-time-high of just over 3-thousand-3-hundred-57 dollars per ounce. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

U.S., Japan begin first official trade talks in test case for Trump's tariff negotiations

2025/04/17 20:00

Over in the U.S. Japanese trade officials and their American counterparts met for talks on tariffs as Tokyo seeks exemptions from the levies slapped by Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the meeting, saying "big progress" was made. Park Jun-han has the details. The United States and Japan agreed to finalize a trade agreement as soon as possible during their Wednesday meeting in Washington. Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa said that while the U.S. was seeking to conclude the agreement within the 90-day suspension period for "reciprocal tariffs," Tokyo was approaching the talks with caution, and the future course of the negotiations remained uncertain. During the talks, Akazawa expressed deep regret over President Donald Trump's tariff measures, noting that Washington had already imposed 25% tariffs on steel and automobiles and is set to apply a 24% reciprocal tariff on Japanese goods. "For my part, I said that the United States' tariff measures are deeply regrettable, I explained Japan's position regarding the impact on Japanese investment and hiring, both in Japan and in the United States, and strongly requested that the U.S. review its series of tariff measures." After meeting the Japanese trade delegation, President Trump noted on his social media that it was a "great honor" and added "big progress." According to Kyodo News, Washington is believed to have demanded higher defense spending by Tokyo, or a larger share of the costs associated with maintaining U.S. military forces in Japan, as part of any tariff reduction agreement, even though the two parties did not reveal the specifics of their conversation. Akazawa explained that the two countries had agreed to reschedule the next round of talks to be held within April and to continue discussions at both the working and ministerial levels. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Japan talks were viewed as a reference point for South Korea ahead of Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok's visit to Washington next week. Park Jun-han, Arirang News

S. Korea launches large, more efficient tariff response system

2025/04/17 20:00

The government launched a larger, more efficient new tariff response system on Thursday. The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced in a meeting headed by First Vice Minister Kim Beom-seok that its original task force supporting orders and exports has been rededicated as the "One-Stop Tariff Response Support Headquarters" to deal with trade uncertainty. Earlier in the day, Trade Minister Jeong In-kyo pledged swift and coordinated action with relevant agencies as he forecast that U.S. tariffs would begin impacting exports in the second quarter. The meeting comes ahead of next week's visit to the U.S. by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, who are both set to carry out trade negotiations in Washington.

U.S.-CHINA CHICKEN GAME HAS REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS

2025/04/17 17:00

Hello. You're watching Thursday's edition of Press Perspective for April 17th here in Seoul. I'm Min Sun-hee. The Trump administration's tariff policy is looking to bleed beyond trade and into diplomacy and security especially for its allies including South Korea. For more on this reality I have Thomas Maresca with American news agency UPI. Thomas welcome. I also have Yang Chien-Hao a freelance journalist from Taiwan based here in Seoul. Chien-Hao it's good to have you back. 1) Thomas, quite a number of media outlets are calling the tariff war between the U.S. and China a dangerous game of chicken. 2) Chien-Hao, there has also been quite a bit of coverage about who will blink first in this latest game of chicken. 3) Thomas, let's now touch upon the broader implications of this trade war between the U.S. and China on its partners including South Korea. 4) And Chien-Hao, what does South Korea look to gain and lose should it shift its foreign policy to expand its embrace of China? 5) Thomas, how does the U.S.'s confrontational approach towards China look to affect efforts to denuclearize North Korea? 6) Chien-Hao, do you fear that the trade war between the U.S. and China may play out in the form of an actual war in Taiwan? 7) Thomas, Mr. Trump's "America First" policy appears to leave the U.S. less willing to compromise in global security matters. 8) Chien-Hao, what proactive steps should the incoming South Korean administration take to ensure its security and stability going forward? 9) Thomas, the U.S. Energy Department's designation of South Korea as a "sensitive" nation went into effect this past Tuesday. All right.

BOK holds interest rate steady at 2.75% in April amid "high uncertainty"

2025/04/17 17:00

The Bank of Korea is holding its interest rate steady opting for a wait and see approach amid trade policy uncertainty. Our correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon covers the central bank's latest decision. South Korea's central bank has held its benchmark interest rate steady at 2-point-7-5 percent as widely expected. It announced the decision on Thursday following the third Monetary Policy Committee meeting of the year, taking a break after a quarter-point cut in February. "Considering the overall uncertain conditions, we decided to maintain our policy stance toward rate cuts, but judged that it would be appropriate to keep the base rate at its current level this time and observe further how domestic and external policy conditions evolve. Unstable exchange rates for the Korean won against the greenback amid trade and political uncertainties had fueled expectations of a rate freeze. Earlier this month, the exchange rate between the won and the U.S. dollar peaked at its highest in 16 years, before plummeting to its lowest for the year. Currently, the interest rate gap between the U.S. and South Korea stands at 1-point-7-5 percentage points. A further widening of the gap could drive more capital outflows, placing additional downward pressure on the won. In its policy statement, the Bank of Korea highlighted increasing downside risks to growth, citing weak first-quarter economic performance and worsening global trade. While domestic inflation remained stable at 2-point-1 percent year-on-year in March, the BOK noted that weak internal demand and persistent export market uncertainty significantly pressure the outlook. It projected this year's economic growth rate to fall below its previous forecast of 1-point-5 percent, emphasizing the "highly uncertain" trajectory contingent on global trade negotiation outcomes. Going forward, experts say that while concerns over the Korean won remain, the central bank is likely to look at other factors for future monetary policy decisions. "Korea's exchange rate against the dollar is also affected by the dollar index, the Japanese yen, and the Chinese yuan. So, rather than making decisions based solely on the exchange rate, the outlook is that the Bank of Korea will start focusing more on the domestic economy." "Looking ahead, the Bank of Korea said it would continue to monitor changes in both domestic and global conditions, signaling that further rate cuts remain on the table — but with a cautious approach. Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News."