Yonhap News Summary

Yonhap News Summary

Yonhap News Summary

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

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(2nd LD) Yoon visits S. Korean-built nuclear power plant in UAE

ABU DHABI -- President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi on Monday, South Korea's first overseas nuclear power plant project and a symbol of the two countries' cooperation.

Yoon traveled to the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi to visit the power plant together with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the third day of his four-day state visit to the country.

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Joint summit statement expresses UAE commitment to investing $30 bln in S. Korea

ABU DHABI -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan adopted a joint summit statement that included an expression of the UAE's commitment to investing US$30 billion in South Korea, the document showed Monday.

The statement, adopted after the two leaders' summit in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, covered 14 points under three headers -- strengthening cooperation in key areas, enhancing future-oriented cooperation, and peace and stability.

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N. Korea to hold key parliamentary meeting this week

SEOUL -- North Korea is scheduled to convene a key parliamentary meeting this week amid keen attention over whether its leader Kim Jong-un will attend it to issue another message of the country's development of nuclear and other major weapons.

The secretive North earlier announced its plan to hold the eighth session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on Tuesday to discuss policy tasks, state budgets and organizational matters for 2023.

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Pentagon chief likely to visit S. Korea soon; related consultations under way

SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States are in consultations to arrange a visit to Seoul by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday, as the allies seek to bolster deterrence against growing North Korean military threats.

Austin's visit, if realized, is expected to focus on strengthening America's trilateral security cooperation with its Asian allies, the South and Japan, amid questions here over Tokyo's drive for stronger armament backed by Washington, observers said.

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S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases fall to 13-week low; gov't to discuss lifting indoor mask mandate

SEOUL -- South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell to the lowest Tuesday tally in 13 weeks in a sign of a downward trend in new infections, as the country prepares to lift the indoor mask mandate.

The country reported 40,199 new COVID-19 infections, including 95 from overseas, bringing the total to 29,861,234, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

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(LEAD) S. Korean, UAE companies seek to enhance energy, defense, new industry ties

SEOUL -- Companies from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have signed 23 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and a contract, worth US$6.1 billion combined, enhancing bilateral cooperation on energy, defense and new industry sectors such as hydrogen and bio, Seoul's industry ministry said Tuesday.

The signing ceremony was held Monday during a business forum in Abu Dhabi, which brought together some 320 government and corporate officials from the two nations, including Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

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Seoul shares down in late Tues. morning trade

SEOUL -- South Korean stocks traded 0.36 percent lower late Tuesday morning, led by falls in bio and internet service companies.

After opening marginally higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slid 8.67 points to 2,391.19 as of 11:20 a.m.

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