Focus on Headline

1. The U.S. Federal Reserve has announced a seventh consecutive rate hike on Wednesday. The Fed slowed the pace to 50 basis points from the 75 basis point hikes in each of the previous four meetings.

2. President Yoon Suk-yeol on Thursday presided over a 100-minute-long meeting which was held to assess the key policy tasks of his administration. The meeting was broadcasted live on national television, and 100 members of the public took part in it.

3. Bereaved families of the 76 victims of the deadly Itaewon tragedy opened a mourning altar near the site of the tragedy in Itaewon on Thursday.

1. The U.S. consumer price index rose 7.1% from a year ago, less than what was expected in November. This is the most recent sign that inflation is starting to loosen up.

2. South Korea reported 84,571 new COVID-19 infections. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said it will give a briefing on its indoor mask mandate readjustment plan on December 23rd.

3. The allies of Ukraine pledged LED bulbs and more than 1 billion U.S. dollars in aid on Tuesday as the country’s infrastructure has been damaged by the prolonged war to help Kyiv go through the winter season.

1. South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, Kim Gunn is holding a trilateral meeting on North Korea’s nuclear issues in Indonesia with his American and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi.

2. Starting in January, parents with children less than one year old will receive up to 700-thousand won a month from the South Korean government.

3. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office investigating the 'West Sea Civil Servant Shooting Case’ summoned Noh Young-min, a former presidential chief of staff, on Tuesday. Noh was responsible for reporting the result of the investigation to then President Moon Jae-in.

1. The opposition-majority National Assembly passed a motion calling for the dismissal of Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min over the Itaewon tragedy on Sunday. The motion was backed by the Democratic Party which controls the parliament whereas the members of the ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote.

2. South Korea started administering bivalent vaccines designed for Omicron subvariants to teenagers aged 12 to 17 on Monday.

3. Special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, Kim Gunn, embarked on a trip to Indonesia on Sunday to discuss North Korean nuclear issues with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts. He will meet with U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim today.

1. Striking truckers voted Friday to put their 16-day long strike to an end after 62% voted in favor of ending the strike. This comes after their walkouts caused major supply disruptions across industries and the South Korean government invoked return-to-work orders.

2. The UN General Assembly adopted several resolutions urging North Korea to refrain from additional nuclear tests on Wednesday. China and Russia also voted in favor of resolution 52 which stipulates condemning the six previous nuclear tests by North Korea.

3. China's President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia for a summit with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman. On Thursday, the leaders of the two countries signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership agreement”.

1. The South Korean government has invoked return-to-work orders for striking truckers in the steel and petrochemicals sectors on Thursday. The strikes have already cost some 2.6 billion U.S dollars of losses to related industries.

2. During a plenary session of the National Assembly today, the parliament passed a bill that requires the use of the international age counting system, rather than the"Korean age" counting system.

3. The United States' Senate and the House of Representatives have reached an agreement on the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2023 fiscal year released Tuesday, as the US Congress reaffirms its commitment to security on the Korean Peninsula.

1. According to Interior Minister Lee Sang-min on Wednesday, the South Korean government will decide whether to lift the indoor mask mandate, which is the last remaining COVID-19 restriction, by the end of this month. Meanwhile, South Korea reported 74,714 new Covid-19 infections on Wednesday.

2. Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the first shipment of weapons including K-2 tanks and K-9 howitzers, purchased from South Korea arrived in the country on Tuesday.

3. The UN Security Council will discuss the human rights situation in North Korea behind closed doors on December 9th for the third consecutive year.

1. South Korea's miracle run at the 2022 Qatar World Cup came to a halt after a 4-1 loss to Brazil during their round of 16 game. South Korean team’s head coach Paulo Bento said that he will not be renewing his contract.

2. South Korea plans to revive the ‘enemy’ expression for the North Korean regime and its military in its defense white paper which will be published next month under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. It’s been 6 years since North Korea has been referred to as an ‘enemy’.

3. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Tuesday that the government will firmly deal with an ongoing strike by unionized truckers without compromising with illegality, as the nationwide strike has entered its 13th day, disrupting the national economy.

1. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has told his Cabinet on Sunday to prepare to issue an imminent back-to-work order on striking truck drivers in the oil and steel industries. The Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union's strike has entered its 12th day Monday.

2. According to the presidential office, President Yoon Suk Yeol met with his Vietnamese counterpart on Monday for a summit to discuss measures to further develop the relations between South Korea-Vietnam.

3. The South Korean men’s national football team reached the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup for the third time in history, after beating Portugal 2-1 on Friday with a dramatic last-grip goal. They will play Brazil in its first match of the knockout round at 4am on Tuesday Korea time.

1. According to the Foreign Ministry on Friday, the South Korean government decided to impose additional sanctions on 8 individuals and 7 institutions linked with North Korea’s weapons programs.

2. South Korea’s rival political parties, the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party, continue their negotiations to approve next year’s budget plan on Friday which is the legal deadline for the National Assembly to pass next year’s budget bill.

3. U.S. President Joe Biden hinted at a possible adjustment to the Inflation Reduction Act. Signed into law, the act has triggered apprehension that South Korean electrical vehicles might lose their competitiveness in the U.S. market.