Yonhap News Summary
Yonhap News Summary
The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.
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(LEAD) Russian FM arrives in N. Korea: KCNA
SEOUL -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his visit to Pyongyang will mark an opportunity for "substantial results" for implementing agreements reached between their leaders, North Korea's state media said Thursday.
Lavrov arrived at Pyongyang International Airport on Wednesday at the invitation of North Korea's foreign ministry "amid the enthusiasm of friendship growing higher than ever," the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English-language dispatch.
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(LEAD) BOK freezes key rate for 6th time amid heightened uncertainties
SEOUL -- South Korea's central bank held its key interest rate steady for the sixth straight time Thursday amid a slowdown in growth and heightened uncertainties, such as the prolonged Ukraine-Russia war and rising household debts.
In a widely expected decision, the monetary policy board of the Bank of Korea (BOK) kept the benchmark seven-day repo rate unchanged at 3.5 percent.
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(LEAD) Israel-Hamas war feared to push up inflation, affect broader economy: finance minister
SEOUL -- Geopolitical risks stemming from the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are feared to cause a flare-up in inflation and ripple effects for the South Korean financial market and the real economy, the finance minister said Thursday.
Choo Kyung-ho made the assessment during a parliamentary audit of his ministry, vowing preemptive measures to manage prices and stabilize the people's livelihoods as the economy has shown signs of a turnaround recently.
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Japan preparing to bring back some 20 S. Koreans from Israel, along with its own nationals: reports
SEOUL -- Japan is preparing to take home about 20 South Koreans, along with its own nationals, on a special flight from Israel, local media have reported, apparently returning the favor after Seoul brought back dozens of Japanese people from the war-torn region last week.
Japan has offered to provide South Korea with a limited number of available seats for South Koreans as it is working to determine the demand for the emergency transport among its own people, Kyodo News has reported, citing government officials.
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Hanwha Aerospace wins 236 bln-won parts supply deal from British firm
SEOUL -- Hanwha Aerospace Co. said Thursday it won a 235.6 billion-won (US$174 million) component supply deal from British aircraft manufacturer Vertical Aerospace Ltd.
Under the deal, the South Korean aerospace company will provide tilting and blade system components to be used in the VX4, Vertical Aerospace's unmanned electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft model, until 2036.
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(LEAD) Yoon picks former Capital Defense commander as vice defense minister
SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday named a former chief of the Capital Defense Command as the new vice defense minister, his office said.
Kim Seon-ho, a retired Army lieutenant general and graduate of the Korea Military Academy, will serve in the new role starting Friday, the presidential office said.
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2022 Cliburn Piano Competition winner Lim Yunchan signs with Decca Classics
SEOUL -- Pianist Lim Yunchan, the youngest winner of the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, has signed a contract with the Decca Classics record label, Universal Music Group said Thursday.
At 18, Lim won the prestigious award last June, with his stellar performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3, which received a huge standing ovation at the Cliburn. The video clip of the performance has garnered more than 12 million hits on YouTube.
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