1. North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles or SRBMs toward the East Sea from the Sunan area on Wednesday. The launch comes after South Korea and the U.S. held their first Nuclear Consultative Group meeting, and after the USS Kentucky, a U.S. nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine, arrived in South Korea, on Tuesday.

2. South Korea has decided to raise next year's minimum wage by 2.5% to 9 thousand 860 won or roughly 7 dollars and 80 cents. The decision was made early Wednesday morning by the Minimum Wage Commission after a record 110 days of negotiations.

3. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday has first-handedly declared special disaster zones for 13 areas that have been seriously damaged by the torrential rain, including Yecheon-gun County in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and Cheongju City in Chungcheongbuk-do Province.