Focus on Headline

1. The U.S Federal Reserve on Wednesday took a giant step lifting the benchmark rate by 0.75% percentage points at the FOMC meeting. The latest rate hike is the biggest in 28 years.

2. Foreign Minister Park Jin held an introductory meeting with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on Wednesday. Park suggested holding a 2+2 diplomatic and economic meeting with the U.S, and Raimondo reportedly agreed on the matter.

3. The Biden administration announced an additional $1 billion in additional military assistance for Ukraine on Wednesday. Defense minister Lloyd Austin also said that he will discuss the additional military aid with his counterparts of NATO membership countries.

1. The launch of South Korea's Nuri space rocket has been delayed to an unspecified date. The latest delay is unrelated to the weather conditions, as the rocket will be moved to the assembling pad again.

2. Foreign Minister Park Jin said Tuesday that South Korea and the U.S will push for new UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea should Pyeongyang go ahead with its feared nuclear test.

3. South Korean world boy band, BTS made an announcement on Tuesday during a televised annual dinner celebrating the anniversary, that they will take a break as a group to pursue solo projects.

1. The Presidential office is set to decide the new name for the Yongsan presidential office this afternoon.

2. South Korea’s benchmark Kospi closed at the 2,500 points range on Monday, the lowest level in one year and 7 months. At the same time, the Korean Won value also weakened to 1,286.4 per Dollar today.

3. Foreign ministers of South Korea and the U.S said Monday, after holding a meeting in Washington D.C, that they assessed North Korea’s readiness for a nuclear test. The two ministers warned of stern response for any provocations, while calling for the North to return to dialogue.

1. The Joint Chief of Staff said Sunday that North Korea fired multiple artillery shots off the West Sea.  The move came right after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for enforcing the internal disciplines during the three-day key Workers’ Party meetings. 

2. South Korea saw another price hike in both gasoline and diesel prices, both up over 2,070 Korean Won per liter. Meanwhile, the average retail prices of diesel slightly overtook the price of gasoline again, as of Monday afternoon. 

3. South Korea’s action movie “The Roundup” hit the box office with over 10 million accumulated admissions in local theaters on Saturday, keeping its top place for four consecutive weeks. 

1. The Shangri-La dialogue took place in Singapore today marking a three-day schedule. The U.S and China are expected to confront on the Indo-Pacific strategy.

2. The presidential office picked up 10 changes in a month since the Yoon administration took office. The main changes include the Yongsan-era, and enhanced communication.

3. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said Friday that the authorities will conduct large-scale research about the cause and symptoms of  “Long COVID”, to make a guideline for proper treatment. Meanwhile, South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases on Friday stood at 9-thousand 3-hundred-15.

1. The North’s Korean Central News Agency said Thursday that the regime kicked off a key Workers’ Party meeting on Wednesday with leader Kim Jong-un presiding over the session.

2. President Yoon appears to have broken away from his predecessors in terms of communication style... and has put much efforts for a stronger Seoul-Washington alliance, economy and social integration.

3. The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea tallied 12-thousand 1-hundred-61 on Thursday. Meanwhile, the number of critically ill patients and the deaths stood at 1-hundred-6, and 18 respectively.

1. Top senior diplomats from South Korea, the U.S., and Japan held a trilateral meeting in Seoul on Wednesday, and reaffirmed their strong security ties regarding North Korea’s continuing provocations.

2. The World Bank on Tuesday lowered the global growth forecast to 2.9% this year, a drop by 1.2 percentage point from its January forecast. It also warned of stagflation risk worldwide.

3. The KDCA on Wednesday placed Monkeypox virus in the second level of contagious disease, out of a four-tier scheme. Meanwhile,13-thousand 3-hundred-58 new COVID-19 infections were reported in South Korea on the same day.

4. South Korea's beloved television presenter Song Hae has died aged 95. Police and medical staff said Song passed away at his home on Wednesday.

1. Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Tuesday, after having a meeting with her South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun-dong in Seoul, that North Korea would face a “swift and forceful” response for its nuclear test.

2. President Yoon Suk Yeol completed appointing four major ambassadors to the U.S, China, Russia, and Japan as of Tuesday. All four candidate ambassadors are known as career diplomats, who passed the state foreign service examination.

3. South Korea’s new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday stood at 6-thousand 1-hundred-72. Unvaccinated entrants to South Korea will be exempt from the mandated quarantine measures starting from tomorrow.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol said, during a Memorial day ceremony, that his administration will firmly and sternly respond to any North Korean provocations, adding it will build practical security capability.

2. Inflation rate of processed food in South Korea reached 7.9%, the highest in a decade.. Out of 73 items, the price of the 69 items, including noodles, wheat flour, and salt increased by 33.2%, 26%, and 30% respectively.

3. The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea stood at 5-thousand 22 on Monday.

1. President Yoon Suk Yeol said, during a Memorial day ceremony, that his administration will firmly and sternly respond to any North Korean provocations, adding it will build practical security capability.

2. Inflation rate of processed food in South Korea reached 7.9%, the highest in a decade.. Out of 73 items, the price of the 69 items, including noodles, wheat flour, and salt increased by 33.2%, 26%, and 30% respectively.

3. The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Korea stood at 5-thousand 22 on Monday.