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(3rd LD) N. Korea says it will launch 1st military spy satellite in June

(ATTN: UPDATES with response from Seoul's foreign ministry in paras 12-13)By Kim Soo-yeonSEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Tuesday it will launch its first military spy satellite in June in a bid to monitor "dangerous" milita
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Gov't to extend period of stay for seasonal migrant workers to 8 months

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will extend the maximum period of stay for seasonal migrant workers from the current five months to eight months to tackle chronic labor shortages in its agricultural and fisheries sectors, the justice and agricu
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Banks' bad loans up in Q1 on rise in household loans

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean banks' nonperforming loans expanded in the first quarter from three months earlier on a rise in household loans, data showed Tuesday.Loans classified as substandard or below (SBLs) held by local banks reache
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(LEAD) Arrest motion for 2 lawmakers over 'cash envelope' scandal to be reported to National Assembly

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; ADDS additional info in last 3 paras)SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- A motion requesting parliamentary consent to potential arrests of two lawmakers over an election bribery scandal was reported to a plenary session of the National Ass
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Yoon meets with religious leaders, seeks advice on state affairs

By Lee Haye-ahSEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a group of religious leaders Tuesday to thank them for their efforts to promote social unity and seek advice on state affairs, his office said.The meeting was held over lunch at
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S. Korean inspection team to announce results of Fukushima inspection Wednesday

By Kim Han-jooSEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- A team of South Korean experts will hold a press conference Wednesday to announce the results of their inspection of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, officials said.The 21-member team, headed
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Multinational anti-proliferation naval drills to be scaled back due to poor weather

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- Multinational maritime drills aimed at preventing the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) will be scaled back due to poor weather conditions, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday.The Eastern Endeavor 23 dri
(LEAD) Election watchdog apologizes for nepotism suspicions

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(ATTN: ADDS NEC chairperson's quotes in para 7; CORRECTS info in para 8)SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The head of the election watchdog apologized Tuesday over suspicions that children of some agency officials were unfairly hired, and promised to inv
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S. Korean, New Zealand FMs discuss bilateral ties, cooperation on global issues

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The top diplomats of South Korea and New Zealand held consultations Tuesday to explore ways to enhance bilateral ties and cooperation on global issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said.The meeting between Foreign Minister P
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(LEAD) PM asks Fukushima inspection team to brief public on results in transparent manner

(ATTN: UPDATES with inspection team's press conference in last para)By Kim Han-jooSEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday requested a team of experts to transparently and comprehensively present the outcome of their inspe
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S. Korea, U.S. closely monitoring N. Korea's movements for spy satellite launch: Seoul official

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities were closely monitoring North Korea for activities related to its planned launch of a military spy satellite, a South Korean military official said Tuesday.Han Sung-keun, a spok
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Ruling party files constitutional suits to block 'yellow envelope bill' presented to plenary session

By Kim Han-jooSEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday filed constitutional suits seeking to block a pro-labor bill that was sent directly to a plenary National Assembly session last week without the completion of deli
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Yoon, Australian deputy PM discuss cooperation in defense, Indo-Pacific

By Lee Haye-ahSEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Australia's deputy prime minister Tuesday and discussed bilateral cooperation in defense and the Indo-Pacific region, his spokesperson said.Deputy Prime Minister Richard Mar
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MBC reporter's home searched over alleged leak of justice minister's personal info

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- Police raided the home of a reporter with MBC TV and the National Assembly Secretariat Tuesday as part of a probe into the alleged leak of personal information of Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon.The Seoul Metropolitan Police
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S. Korea stages defense drills for western border islands

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military began three-day joint defense drills for western border islands Tuesday, officials said, as tensions linger over North Korean military threats.The exercise got under way on the border islands in th
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Pacific island leaders visit Busan to seek closer cooperation

BUSAN, May 30 (Yonhap) -- Leaders and senior officials of 14 Pacific island nations are set to visit Busan on Tuesday, as South Korea seeks to gain their support for the southern port city's bid for the 2030 World Expo.The Pacific island leaders
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USFK commander dismisses concerns over U.S. commitment to defend S. Korea

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. military commander in South Korea on Tuesday reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend its ally, dismissing concerns that the U.S. could trade its security commitment for the defense of its own cities as "n
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Election watchdog apologizes for nepotism suspicions

SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The head of the election watchdog apologized Tuesday over suspicions that children of some agency officials were unfairly hired, and promised to investigate all hirings to uncover any irregularities.The National Election Com
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(2nd LD) N. Korea says it will launch 1st military spy satellite in June

(ATTN: REWRITES lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)By Kim Soo-yeonSEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Tuesday it will launch its first military spy satellite in June in a bid to monitor "dangerous" military activity by the
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(LEAD) Yoon calls for more efforts to crack down on N. Korea financing nuclear, missile programs

(ATTN: ADDS photos, more info in 8th para)By Yi Wonju SEOGWIPO, South Korea, May 30 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday urged strengthened cooperation to crack down on illegal financing by North Korea to advance its nuclear and missile pro