Focus on Headline

1.South Korea suspended part of a 2018 inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement Wednesday in response to North Korea's latest launch of a military spy satellite on Tuesday night.

2.President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a speech before the British parliament on Tuesday, that South Korea and Britain will deepen and broaden their partnership to tackle various security and digital challenges together.

3.Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to a four-day pause in fighting to allow the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for 150 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, and the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

1. According to the presidential office on Monday, South Korea and Britain will adopt the "Downing Street Accord" on the occasion of President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to London to upgrade the two countries' relations to a "global strategic partnership.”

2. Reuters reported Monday that North Korea notified Japan of plans to launch a space rocket between November 22nd and December 1st. North Korea is preparing for its third attempt to put a military spy satellite into orbit.

3. Labor and management of Seoul Metro held last-minute negotiations over manpower reduction on Tuesday. Unionized Seoul subway workers said last week they will go on a general strike starting Wednesday in protest against their company's downsizing plans.

1. The South Korean government's administrative network was restored on Sunday and operating normally Monday… after the {새올}Saeol administrative network, a system used by public workers, and the online Government 24 portal experienced a system failure last Friday.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol embarked on a weeklong trip to Britain and France on Monday. President Yoon will first visit the U.K. for a state visit at the invitation of King Charles III, then go to France for a final diplomatic campaign to bring the 2030 World Expo to Busan.

3. South Korea's T1 won the 2023 League of Legends World Championship on Sunday. T1 defeated China's Weibo Gaming, earning a record fourth title in the e-sport tournament.

1. South Korea’s presidential office said Thursday that leaders of the 14 member states of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework agreed to launch a dialogue channel tasked with building stable supply chains in critical minerals.

2. South Korea’s Finance Ministry said Friday the country’s economy has shown signs of gradual recovery, led by improvement in exports, production and employment. This is the first time the government has mentioned economic recovery since June last year.

3. Seoul City’s “Climate Card” initiative will see the participation of Incheon city, according to the mayors of both cities on Friday. Seoul City had announced plans in September to introduce an unlimited public transportation pass next year to promote eco-friendly traveling.

1. About half a million students in South Korea took the College Scholastic Ability Test on Thursday. The head of the exam board previously said the 2024 CSAT was designed to ensure fairness without extremely difficult questions, or the so-called “killer questions.”

2. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday called for enhancing the connectivity of the world economy in areas that include trade and supply chains, during a keynote speech delivered at the APEC CEOs Summit in San Francisco.

3. A United Nations General Assembly committee on Wednesday passed a resolution on North Korean human rights for the 19th consecutive year. The passage comes amid growing concern for the safety of North Korean defectors who are reportedly forcibly repatriated from China.

1. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol departed for San Francisco on Wednesday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. This is President Yoon’s first attendance at an APEC summit.

2. South Korea's Finance Ministry on Wednesday announced plans to implement 1 trillion won, or roughly 766.52 million U.S. dollars, in extensive tailored programs to encourage more young people to join and stay in the labor market.

3. Nearly half a million students are expected to take the annual College Scholastic Ability Test on Thursday. The South Korean government said Tuesday that aircraft takeoffs and landings across the nation will be temporarily prohibited to regulate noise, among other measures.

1. South Korea and the United Nations Command member states held their first meeting of defense chiefs and representatives Tuesday. In a message delivered by the Deputy Minister for Defense Policy, President Yoon Suk Yeol praised the UNC's contribution to overseeing the armistice and promoting peace on the Korean peninsula.

2. The South Korean government announced Monday that they will relax the maximum 52-hour weekly work hours for certain business sectors with heavy workloads.

3. The 2023 KBO League season ended Monday night with the LG Twins claiming their first championship in 29 years. The Twins defeated the KT Wiz 6-2 in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.

1. South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin, on Monday signed the revised document of the "tailored deterrence strategy," during the 55th Security Consultative Meeting,... as part of efforts to better counter North Korea's growing missile and nuclear threats.

2. South Korea's National Assembly began deliberations on Monday of the government’s 656-point-nine-trillion won budget for next year. The parliament’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts will operate subcommittee sessions starting Tuesday.

3. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization has designated the Jeju {해녀}Haenyeo Fisheries System on the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, according to Jeju City last Friday. The Haenyeo Fisheries System is a unique fishing style of female divers on Jeju Island who dive without oxygen masks.

1. South Korea’s Constitutional Court President Yoo Nam-seok retired on Friday, leaving a leadership vacuum at the country’s two top courts. The Supreme Court has been without a head since September after former Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su retired.

2. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting will be held in San Francisco, California starting from the 11th to the 17th. U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese Leader Xi Jinping are expected to hold their first talks in a year on the sidelines of the event.

3. South Korean author Han Kang won the prestigious Prix Medicis award Thursday with her novel “I Do Not Bid Farewell” (작별하지 않는다). The 2021 book was named the winner of the French literary award for foreign literature. Her win marks the first time that a Korean author has won the award.

1. The main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday passed a pro labor bill, better known as the "yellow envelope bill," and three other bills on broadcasting laws through the National Assembly.

2. The state-run electricity supplier Korea Electric Power Corporation, or KEPCO, increased power prices for "large-capacity" industrial uses by 10.6 won per kilowatt-hour starting Thursday. Electricity prices for households and small and medium-sized firms were maintained.

3. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks Thursday in Seoul. The two discussed further actions to pressure Russia not to transfer military technology to North Korea.