Yonhap News Summary

▲ National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announces his decision not put a constitutional amendment bill to a vote during a plenary session in Seoul on May 8, 2026. (Yonhap)

Yonhap News Summary

Yonhap News Summary

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.

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■ (LEAD) Ruling party fails to push through constitutional amendment bill amid opposition boycott

SEOUL -- The ruling Democratic Party's (DP) push to put a constitutional change to a national vote in the upcoming local elections fell through Friday as the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) continued to boycott a parliamentary vote on the proposal.

Shortly after Friday's plenary session opened, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announced that he will not put the amendment bill to a vote as the PPP warned it would launch a filibuster to block the proposal.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260508007451315?section=national/politics

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■ (LEAD) Ex-commander sentenced to 3 yrs in prison over 2023 death of young Marine

SEOUL -- A Seoul court on Friday sentenced a former Marine commander to three years in prison in connection with the death of a young Marine during a search mission for victims of heavy rains in 2023.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence for Lim Seong-geun, a retired two-star general and former commander of the 1st Marine Division, finding him guilty of failing to uphold safety obligations during the operation.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260508005751315?section=national/national

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■ Police to strengthen patrols as deadly random attack fuels public fear

SEOUL -- Police said Friday they will step up patrols and inspections after the recent random killing of a female high school student in the southwestern city of Gwangju sparked public anxiety.

The 17-year-old student was fatally stabbed by a 24-year-old stranger at around 12:11 a.m. Tuesday on a road near a university in the city's Gwangsan district, about 300 kilometers south of Seoul.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260508009700315?section=national/national

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■ (2nd LD) Seoul shares soar to fresh high despite renewed Mideast tensions; won sharply down

SEOUL -- South Korean stocks extended their winning streak to a fourth session Friday, reversing an earlier loss amid renewed Middle East tensions. The local currency dropped sharply against the U.S. dollar.

After opening 1.82 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished at a fresh high of 7,498 points, up 7.95 points, or 0.11 percent.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260508007652320?section=economy-finance/economy

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■ 4th S. Korean oil tanker successfully transits through Red Sea

SEOUL -- A South Korean vessel has successfully passed through the Red Sea and is currently en route home, marking the fourth oil shipment of its kind, the oceans ministry said Friday.

The arrival comes as Seoul has been scrambling to bring in oil through alternative routes amid the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260508007200320?section=economy-finance/economy

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