1. President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for the first time at his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, speaking of his long-held belief in "liberal democracy" and asking the bench to consider him favorably.

2. Donald Trump took office as the United States' 47th president on Monday, renewing his vow to "put America first" and tariff foreign countries to enrich Americans, while signaling an intent to refrain from military involvement in conflicts overseas.

3. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Tuesday, the concentration of fine dust across the country, excluding Jeju Island, reached "bad" levels.

1. Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally arrested early Sunday for his failed martial law bid, marking the first such detention of a sitting South Korean president. The Seoul Western District Court issued the arrest warrant citing concerns over destroying evidence.

2. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Monday that 90 people have been detained in connection with the violent disorder that occurred at the Seoul Western District Court and the Constitutional Court over the weekend. The police will first seek an arrest warrant for 66 of the detained individuals.

3. A six week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Sunday at 11:15 AM, local time, after a three hour delay. Hamas released three Israeli hostages and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners as part of the exchange under the ceasefire deal.

1.The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday rejected a petition challenging impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention in the ongoing investigation into his botched martial law bid. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials said Friday it is "highly likely" to file for a warrant to formally detain Yoon.

2.In its monthly economic report, the Green Book, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said the South Korean economy faces "increasing downward pressure" due to heightened uncertainties both at home and abroad, leading to weakened economic sentiment and a slowdown in employment.

3.The Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed Friday that a deal has been agreed upon with Hamas to release the hostages held in Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he expects the ceasefire to start on Sunday.

1.The Seoul Central District Court announced Thursday that a hearing to review the legality of the warrant used to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled for 5 p.m.

2.Despite weak growth momentum, the monetary policy committee of the Bank of Korea on Thursday kept its benchmark interest rate frozen at three percent. The decision comes in the wake of the weak local currency amid political chaos and uncertainties stemming from the new Trump administration.

3.President Biden and other leaders announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 42-day cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza. Qatari Prime Minister told reporters the cease-fire is set to take effect on Sunday, a day before Donald Trump returns to office as U.S. president.

1.Investigators arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence on Wednesday at 10:33 a.m. during their second attempt to detain him for questioning over his brief declaration of martial law. The arrest occurred 43 days after Yoon’s attempt, and marks the first time a sitting South Korean president has been taken into custody.

2.The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials said Wednesday that impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol underwent questioning for 2 1/2 hours at CIO headquarters during the morning session of the investigation. Yoon is reportedly refusing to testify.

3.According to data compiled by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, South Korea's on-year employment growth slowed significantly in 2024 as the number of new hires fell in the manufacturing and retail sectors, and among young people.

1.The first hearing of Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on Tuesday ended after four minutes in his absence. The Constitutional Court dismissed Yoon's request to exclude Justice Chung Kye-sun from the impeachment trial.

2.The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea at 9:30 a.m. in a provocation staged just days before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

3.The United States' Biden administration on Monday announced new restrictions on artificial intelligence chip exports, just a week before its term ends, to block the flow of advanced technologies into China, Russia and other "countries of concern" on national security grounds.

1. The first preparatory hearing of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment trial was held on Monday. The hearing discussed witness and evidence selection, among other procedures.

2. The South Korean government announced plans to release a record number of agricultural products into the market to stabilize prices and ease the financial burden on people ahead of the Lunar New Year.3.

According to the Foreign Ministry, South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Tae-yul and his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya met on Monday in Seoul to discuss ways to advance bilateral ties, as well as trilateral cooperation with the U.S., ahead of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

1.The chief of the Presidential Security Service (박종준)Park Chong-jun on Friday appeared for police questioning over the security team’s actions to prevent the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol last week. Addressing reporters, Park called for investigation procedures appropriate for a sitting president.

2.Acting President Choi Sang-mok held a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday and expressed his intent to manage state affairs and foreign relations in a stable manner. The UN Chief reportedly expressed confidence in South Korea’s robust democratic system and resilience.

3.According to AFP on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that North Korean forces fighting alongside Russian troops against the Ukrainian military have suffered four-thousand casualties.

1.Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Thursday pledged to focus efforts on normalizing state affairs amid lingering domestic political turmoil. Choi also said the government will execute 358 trillion won, or roughly 245-point-7 billion U.S. dollars, worth of the budget in the first half of the year to bolster domestic consumption.

2.Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo on Thursday expressed hope for engaging in talks with the new head of the Korean Medical Association amid a prolonged deadlock over medical reform.

3.According to Bloomberg on Thursday, President Joe Biden’s administration plans to introduce new export restrictions on artificial intelligence chips just days before leaving office. If implemented, only U.S. allies will face no import restrictions, while purchases by other countries will likely be restricted.

1.The National Assembly on Wednesday rejected two special counsel bills targeting impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid and allegations surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee, after putting them to a revote.

2.The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Wednesday to designate January 27 as a temporary holiday this year to boost private consumption and domestic tourism, extending the Lunar New Years holiday to six days.

3.The Korea Meteorological Administration said Wednesday a cold wave advisory will take effect across Seoul at 9 p.m. before the temperature falls to a morning low of minus 12 degrees Celsius on Thursday.