Yonhap News Summary

▲ U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as he meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya at the State Department in Washington on Jan. 21, 2025, in this file photo released by Reuters. (Yonhap)

▲ Ma Eun-hyuk, a candidate for new Constitutional Court justice, answers lawmakers' questions at his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, in this Dec. 23, 2024, file photo. (Yonhap)

Yonhap News Summary

Yonhap News Summary

The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Monday.

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■ (2nd LD) N. Korea condemns Rubio's 'rogue state' remarks in its 1st criticism against Trump gov't

SEOUL -- North Korea on Monday condemned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for calling Pyongyang a "rogue state" and vowed powerful counteraction in its first official criticism against the Trump administration.

A spokesperson at North Korea's foreign ministry issued the statement after Rubio said the United States has rogue states to deal with, such as Iran and North Korea, during his recent interview with U.S. journalist Megyn Kelly.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250203000752315?section=nk/nk

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■ Court to rule on constitutionality of non-appointment of 9th justice

SEOUL -- The Constitutional Court is set to rule Monday on the constitutionality of acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of a ninth justice to its bench.

Choi appointed two justices to the court in December but held off on the appointment of opposition-recommended Justice Ma Eun-hyuk, citing the need for a bipartisan consensus.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250203003200315?section=national/national

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■ Police attempt to raid Presidential Security Service in martial law probe

SEOUL -- Police said Monday they were trying to raid the Presidential Security Service (PSS) in connection with its alleged attempt to block investigators from executing a warrant to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol last month.

The raid targets acting PSS chief Kim Seong-hoon and Lee Kwang-woo, head of the PSS bodyguard division, who are suspected of obstructing official duties and abusing their power to stop investigators during their first attempt to detain Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250203004400315?section=national/national

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■ Authorities launch joint probe into fire-destroyed Air Busan plane

BUSAN -- Authorities launched a joint investigation into a fire-destroyed Air Busan plane on Monday, a week after the plane caught fire at a South Korean airport shortly before takeoff, prompting passengers to make an emergency exit.

The transportation ministry, together with the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, a French agency responsible for technical investigations of civil aviation accidents, and other agencies were conducting the joint probe at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, 323 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250203004800315?section=national/national

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■ (Yonhap Interview) SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man pushes beyond K-pop

SEOUL -- Lee Soo-man, the legendary figure behind the global rise of K-pop, is setting his sights beyond the phenomenon known as "hallyu."

The founder and former executive producer of K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment envisions a future where Korean entertainment transcends national labels.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250203003300315?section=culture/k-pop

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