KOREA PRO
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Daily analysis on South Korea's foreign policy, politics and the economy. Produced by the team behind @nknewsorg. On Mastodon at @[email protected]
Seoul, South Korea
Joined April 2022
🚧 Why is immigration to Korea so hard? 🇰🇷❌. Korea’s population is shrinking, yet immigration remains a huge challenge—even for professionals. What’s stopping reform?. Join us for the next Seoul Circuit to discuss in-depth:
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@News1Kr “They were reporting the risk of the accident due to a large crowd surge. Despite that, I believe the police’s response to the 112 calls and at the scene were insufficient,” he admitted. (2/2).
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Yoon administration and the ROK National Assembly did not send any delegation to welcome Pelosi’s arrival last night. Pelosi was not pleased about the situation, multiple reports said.
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VIDEO: Thousands of South Korean labor union members gathered in Seoul today to commemorate the death of a union member Yang Hee-dong. Yang died after setting himself on fire on May 1, in protest against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s labor crackdown. 🧵 (1/7)
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NEW: ROK presidential office says Yoon Suk-yeol plans to have a phone call with @SpeakerPelosi, who arrived in Seoul last night. Yoon’s office said yesterday that he is on vacation and has no plans to meet her.
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OPINION: South Korea’s hostility to LGBT issues is a failure to uphold basic human rights. "South Korea’s head-in-the-sand approach to LGBT rights is a stark human rights failure," writes @PTurnerNZ.
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🧵Itaewon Crowd Crush Live Updates . [10/31 11:00 am Deaths & Injuries Toll Update]. Deaths: 154 (153/154 identities confirmed) .Critical condition: 33 .Minor injuries: 116 . Source: Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) briefing
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Yoon began his presidency on Tuesday, receiving a midnight briefing from the JCS at an underground bunker in the new presidential office. But though the move from the Blue House appeared to go to plan, Yoon faces three key challenges that could arrive in short-succession.
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HAPPENING NOW: Families of the Nov. 2022 Itaewon crowd crush gathered at the altar in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, next to the City Hall. Seoul had notified families that the altar must be removed by 1pm KST, citing how the altar is against its “principle” on using Gwanghwamun Square.
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NEW ANALYSIS:. “The Itaewon tragedy could impact how South Korean citizens see state governance and society for years ahead, after yet another mass casualty event predominantly among younger generations,” writes @jeongminnkim.
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@News1Kr [11/1 Head of the National Police Agency apologies]. “The police discovered that there were several calls reported to the police signaling the severity of the situation at the scene,” head of KNPA Yoon Hui-geun said. (1/2).
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ANALYSIS: “According to the Korea Women’s Hotline, a woman faces the risk of being killed by her husband or male partner every 19 hours in South Korea,” writes @linaprk.
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ANALYSIS: What we know so far about the Itaewon tragedy, and what could come next. “It’s clear that the tragedy has already shaken a country that lives with the collective trauma of similar disasters in its recent past,” writes @jeongminnkim.
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THREAD: South Korea to join U.S.-led economic initiative, despite Chinese warnings. 1. ROK will join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework as a founding member, a U.S.-led initiative, Seoul confirmed on Wednesday. 2. Will improve digital trade, supply resilience, infrastructure.
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THREAD: President Yoon Suk-yeol may narrowly survive an impeachment vote at the National Assembly on Saturday following his martial law order earlier in the week he said was necessary to root out pro-North Korean forces in the country.
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NEW POLL: KSOI survey from Aug. 5 to 6 shows that 60.3% South Koreans thought President Yoon Suk-yeol not meeting with @SpeakerPelosi during his vacation was "inappropriate & not in accordance with national interest.". 26% stated it was appropriate not to meet.
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Yoon Suk-yeol’s fate uncertain as impeachment vote stretches late into night
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@News1Kr [11/1 Interior ministry statement]. “we express regrets for remarks that might have caused public concerns although investigation of the accident is most important to prevent its recurrence,” regarding the minister’s recent remarks. (1/2).
이태원사고 관련 긴급 브리핑 시 발언에 대한 행안부 장관의 입장을 알려드립니다. 이번 사고로 돌아가신 분들의 명복을 빕니다. 정확한 사고원인을 파악하는 것이 무엇보다 중요합니다만, 국민들께서 염려하실 수도 있는 발언을 해 유감스럽게 생각합니다. 앞으로 더욱 사고수습에 전념하겠습니다.
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Amid severe rain-incurred damages in Seoul, the head of South Korea’s Mapo District is under fire for posting so-called “mukbang” photos with caption:."On a rainy Monday evening. delicious stew and Korean pancakes. It's delicious ^^♡ ".
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[NEW] South Korean government permitted export licenses for Poland to provide Ukraine with its howitzers - built with ROK components, @Reuters reported. This is the first confirmation of South Korea providing weapons to Ukraine, at least indirectly.
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Studies have shown that the Sewol sinking has resulted in collective trauma among S.Koreans. This not only produces solidarity among certain demographics, but sometimes also leads to divisions between those who don’t share similar experiences & worldviews.
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Korea Pro has now launched: Your new source for South Korea analysis, by the producers behind NK Pro/NK News. We're offering 1,000 free usernames while the product is in BETA mode. Signup today and read our first articles:.
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[10/31 11:00 am Foreign Nationals’ Deaths & Injuries Toll Update]. -Deaths: 26 .-Injuries: 15 .-Nationalities: Iran (5), China (4), Russia (4), U.S. (2), Japan (2), France, Australia, Norway, Austria, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka (1).
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Yoon Suk-yeol impeached as South Korea plunges into political uncertainty
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The crush will likely dominate global and domestic news over the coming weeks as police and other investigators reveal further details of the accident. Seoul city safety measures and crowd control policies will also likely be scrutinized. (2/3).
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[10/31 Underage Student Deaths: Ministry of Education] . High school students: 5.Middle school students: 1.Source:
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@News1Kr [11/1, 11:00 am Casualties Toll Update] . -Deaths: 156 (2 more fatalities confirmed since 10/31 11:00 am) .-Critical conditions: 29 .-Minor injuries: 122 . Source: the Ministry of Interior and Safety (MOIS) press release.
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🧵South Korea will freeze public utility fees for the first half of the year. President Yoon Suk-yeol said Wednesday the government plans to freeze utility fees, including railroad and postal fees, in the first half of the year to help ease people's economic burdens.
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📢 1/3: Meet 70-year-old truck driver Lee Jong-yeol evicted from his Seoul home of 70+ years, beaten by thugs, and left homeless as his neighborhood falls victim to ruthless redevelopment. His story highlights 🇰🇷's dark side of forced evictions.
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ANALYSIS: In South Korea, trauma scene cleaners mop up lonely deaths and profits. "Meeting those bereaved families can often be just as traumatic, not because of their sense of loss, but because many do not seem to care," writes Hyojin Kim.
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THREAD: South Korea considering indirect export of weapons to Ukraine, possible Chinese ire . 1. South Korea's defense ministry confirmed Monday that Ottawa asked Seoul to export artillery to Canada due to an ammunition shortage caused by Canada's own military aid to Ukraine.
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@News1Kr [11/1 Interior Minister Lee Sang-min apologies]. “I offer my deepest apologies as a minister responsible for the public safety,” he says, in his first official apologies days after the Itaewon crowd crush.
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[10/31 11:00 pm, per CDSCH] . Update: The death toll rises to 155 as a 24-year-old woman who was in a critical condition passes away. Total number of injuries is now at 152, with the number of seriously injured patients down to 30.
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@News1Kr [11/1 National Police Agency reveals first police report was received at 6:34 pm]. KNPA said there were a total of 11 reports to the police about the risk of a crowd crush at Itaewon last Saturday, almost four hours before the accident occurred. (1/2).
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NEW: South Korea will lift its mask mandate policy for most of the indoor spaces starting January 30, aside from places such as hospitals and public transportation. The level will go down to “recommended” from mandatory, the prime minister says.
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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been impeached by the National Assembly. 204 lawmakers voted for impeachment, crossing the two-thirds requirement threshold.
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[NEW] ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol says that South Korea might provide military aid to Ukraine if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack.
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THREAD: What to make of the U.S. - ROK summit?. 1. Biden wrapped up his three-day visit to South Korea on Sunday, with joint statements issued over the weekend emphasizing the alliance, U.S. extended deterrence and economic cooperation.
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🎉 Introducing the KOREA PRO Podcast, a new weekly dive into the most pressing stories shaping South Korea. Join @jeongminnkim & @koreanforeigner every Friday — to dissect the most complex issues of the week. 🎧Listen on iTunes, Spotify, and more:
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ANALYSIS: Poverty and increased life expectancy mean many senior South Koreans must work. "Employment for elderly Koreans is no longer a choice but a necessity and working past retirement age (60 in South Korea) is a matter of survival," writes @linaprk.
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@News1Kr “I don’t believe an early deployment of police or firefighter forces would have prevented the problem,” Minister of MOIS Lee Sang-min had said. (2/2).
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"President Yoon said that he 'conveys a message of condolences and consolation to the bereaved family and the Japanese people who lost the longest-serving Prime Minister . and a respected politician.'".
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THREAD: Japan proposes four-way summit meeting with South Korea, but risks remain ahead. (1) Japan proposed to hold a quadrilateral summit on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Madrid later this month. It'll be Yoon Seok-yul's first overseas engagement since becoming president.
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NEW: To criticisms that Seoul appears to tiptoe around China, presidential office staff said Yoon not meeting @SpeakerPelosi was decided with "comprehensive consideration of our national interest," & it's up to "interpretation by press" on what it means.
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South Korean military grapples with human rights issues as self-inflicted deaths remain a concern. Efforts to address abuse and improve barracks culture are underway, with calls for transparency and education in the military.
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Employment for married South Korean women hits record but Devil is in details
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🧵ROK Court rules in favor of gay couple seeking spousal health insurance coverage. The Seoul High Court delivered a landmark decision, ruling in favor of a same-sex couple demanding the same spousal coverage from the state health insurance program as heterosexual couples.
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Studies suggest that the effects of the sinking continued in the form of collective trauma for several years after the incident, suggesting the Itaewon crush will reverberate through South Korean society for a long time. (3/3).
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NEW: Yonhap reports that ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol is coordinating schedule to meet @SpeakerPelosi tomorrow. This comes after a presidential office staff initially stating Yoon did not schedule a meeting with Pelosi because the visit "overlapped with [Yoon's] vacation plans.".
[속보] "尹대통령, 내일 펠로시 의장과 만남 조율중"
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ANALYSIS: How K-pop and anime help South Korea and Japan rebuild their relationship. “Korean pop music, or K-pop, is one of the most substantial soft power ties South Korea has with Japan,” writes @OliverJia1014.
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Misinformation in South Korea soars during and after martial law declaration
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South Korea to establish delegation to NATO in Brussels 🧵. (1) South Korea will set up a delegation to NATO in Brussels, the ROK presidential office said on Wednesday. Intentions to bolster a diplomatic presence there date back to the Moon administration.
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[NEW] Yoon makes surprise visit to Ukraine. South Korean President Yoon arrives in Ukraine from Poland, visiting Bucha's mass killing site and missile-affected Irpien. Wreath-laying at war monument and summit with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy planned.
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Analysis by @nytimes After South Korea's Icebreaker, Its President Is Welcomed to Tokyo. "It is a sign that the long-fraught relationship between the two Asian neighbors is thawing.".
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Over 1.26 million young South Koreans are unemployed, with 53.8% holding college degrees, per Statistics Korea's recent survey. The report reveals that 40.9% are preparing for vocational training, while 25.4% are disengaged from job-seeking activities.
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🧵South Korea sides with the US over the takedown of a Chinese balloon. The South Korean government on Monday supported the US government’s decision to shoot down a balloon from China.
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Check out our new Korea Pro video where our editorial director, @jeongminnkim, breaks down everything you need to know about President Yoon Suk-yeol's comment about South Korea's possible nuclear armament.
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[10/31 3:55 pm, per Seoul Police]. Update: The final unidentified 154th victim confirmed: A South Korean woman in her 40s, according to Seoul Police, per Yonhap.
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🧵Itaewon Crowd Crush Live Updates . [10/31 U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup's statement on death of his niece, one of the Itaewon victims]. “Our entire family [is] grieving the loss of our niece Anne Marie Gieske…” (1/2).
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Pelosi’s remark at a joint press conference with Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo:
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ANALYSIS: How improved South Korea-Japan ties will impact the Indo-Pacific region. “A closer analysis of Seoul’s positions shows that it does not fully align yet with Washington on Beijing and remains far more focused on North Korea,” writes @AVIRAL96.
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Join us for an engaging panel on South Korea's underreported issues, featuring insights from freelance journalist @koryodynasty and @jeongminnkim and @IfangBremer of NK News/KOREA PRO. Learn about discrimination, social divides, and more. Sign up today!
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We are grateful to everyone who made our KOREA PRO Briefing an incredible success yesterday. Huge thanks to all the participants who joined us in-person and online, as well as special shout-out to our exceptional speakers @nktpnd & @KarlFriedhoff.
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NEW: Similar to Korea Gallup poll results last week, Realmeter survey (Aug. 1-5) also shows that President Yoon Suk-yeol’s approval rate went further down to 29.3%.
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Samsung Heavy Industries faces possible contract cancellation due to Russian sanctions impacting the icebreaking LNG carrier project. Progress on 10 out of 15 vessels has been frozen amid tensions from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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🧵ROK finance ministry to expand liquidity supply with $34.7 bln following Legoland debt crisis . South Korea will inject liquidity supply programs to calm the market in the wake of a default related to the Legoland theme park in Gangwon province.
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Seoul's Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed transgender rights in South Korea, first legal gender recognition in 11 years. "This decision. opens the door for more recognition of transgender rights," Amnesty International official said.
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The difficulty of reporting in South Korea, where everything is ‘sensitive’ - by @koryodynasty . - Attributing facts to sources is one of the hardest tasks journalists in SKorea face.- A common reason given for anonymity is that the subject is “sensitive”.
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OP-ED: Reframing South Korea’s history: Yoon’s dance with the New Right. “A deeper examination of Yoon’s Liberation Day speech hints at how much the New Right has permeated his administration’s policy preferences,” writes @benjaminaengel.
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"President Yoon added that 'the shooting incident that led Prime Minister Abe to death is an unpardonable act of crime,' expressing deep sorrow and shock.".
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PODCAST: Ruling People Power Party’s landslide defeat and what comes next. "These scandal ridden 'went-to-jail' sort of presidents all came back in the past year. and [are approached] as just normal former presidents," says @jeongminnkim. Watch on YouTube:
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[10/31 11:00 am CDSCH Briefing]. Q: Were most of the police deployed to handle drug and sex-related crimes but not crowd control? . Oh: “The police have deployed forces focusing on crime prevention and crackdowns on illegal activities, rather than crowd control.”.
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South Korean police have launched an inquiry into the handling of late actor Lee Sun-kyun's drug investigation following calls for transparency by filmmakers and actors, including 'Parasite' director Bong Joon-ho.
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🧵South Korea goes mask-free… sort of. South Korea lifted most mandatory indoor mask-wearing rules on Monday, Jan. 30, after over two years of introducing the law to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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ANALYSIS: Netflix and Korea: A complex tale of investment, success and controversy. “Netflix’s success in bringing Korean content to a global audience has been significant, but it is not without controversy within the industry,” writes @Jasebechervaise.
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NEW: According to ROK JCS, 2 Chinese & 6 Russian military aircraft entered and departed ROK air defense identification zone (KADIZ) today, on Wednesday KST.
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@SpeakerPelosi Presidential office also adds:.- Yoon said he would like to at least call @SpeakerPelosi to welcome her, so Pelosi agreed .- The Yoon-Pelosi phone call did not mention China or Taiwan.- Yoon not meeting Pelosi was "not because [ROK] was conscious of China," official argues.
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ANALYSIS: Top diplomats who attended Seoul Pride in the past voiced support for Korea's LGBTQ+ community & Seoul Queer Culture Festival. “Diversity is to be celebrated. Diverse society is a strong society,” EU Amb. to ROK @castiml told @southkoreapro.
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BREAKING: The Russian government has arrested a South Korean national for espionage, marking the first time a ROK citizen has been charged with spying, Yonhap reports.
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Pelosi mentioned the ‘comfort women’ issue, but the two did not take questions from press after the statement.
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🧵Most South Korean SMEs in Manufacturing Sector Rely on Foreign Workers. A survey by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business showed that 90.6% of Korean SMEs in the manufacturing sector employ foreign workers due to the difficulty of finding native Korean workers.
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🧵South Korea strengthens teacher rights amid safety concerns. Effective next fall, new guidelines will allow teachers to confiscate phones, remove disruptive students, decline non-job-related meetings, and halt violent consultations.
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South Korean foreign minister to visit Japan on Monday 🧵. (1) Park Jin will visit Tokyo for three days and meet with his Japanese counterpart and possibly even Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Park is also expected to offer condolences to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
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@News1Kr [11/1 KNPA reveals first police report was received at 6:34 pm]. The police dispatched officers to only four of the calls. For the other 6 calls, the police responded that the officers have been already dispatched to the scene and ended the call, @TheHeraldBiz reported. (2/2).
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[10/31 11:00 am CDSCH Briefing]. Chief of CDSCH Kim Sung-ho . “First, the funeral and transportation expenses of the deceased will be provided, but up to $10.5k (15 mln won).”.
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🧵South Korea’s trade with China goes from record surplus to record deficit. Trade statistics from KITA report South Korea’s trade balance with China recorded a deficit of $3.9 billion in January, marking it the ROK’s largest trade deficit.
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Looking to stay informed during your commute? Dive into Korea's top stories of the week with the new KOREA PRO Podcast. Join @jeongminnkim & @koreanforeigner for a 15-minute discussion on the most impactful stories shaping South Korea. 🎧 Listen here:
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The young ages of many of the victims and those in Itaewon Saturday night means the crowd surge was the second historic disaster of their young lives after the Sewol incident just eight years ago. (3/3).
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🧵President Yoon Suk-yeol's latest televised address appears strategically crafted to serve his legal defense against potential treason charges while mobilizing his conservative base ahead of a second impeachment vote on Saturday. Read more @southkoreapro.
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PODCAST: "Lee [Jae-myung] went on for 15 minutes. mention[ing] how South Korea is moving toward 'autocratization' and Yoon's face - it was like a slap in the face in politic's language," said @jeongminnkim. Full episode here:
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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating fell to 38.9%, a poll showed Monday. In the poll of 2,508 participants conducted by Realmeter last week, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance declined 4% points from the previous week.
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🧵South Korea provides $3 billion in official development assistance to the Philippines. South Korea and the Philippines signed an agreement on Wednesday for Seoul to provide $3 bln in official development assistance to Manila.
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POLITICS. Yoon already faces a challenge relating to approval ratings. Though Moon concluded his presidency on Monday with an average 51.9% approval rating, Yoon enters office with around 42-43% and public controversy surrounding his move of the Blue House.
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THREAD: South Korea to participate in trilateral summit with Japan and US. (1) Yoon Suk-yeol will meet with US and Japanese leaders at the NATO summit in Madrid on Weds, ending weeks of uncertainty about how the ROK president would officially meet with his Japanese counterpart.
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🎉Korea Pro turns 2 today!🎉. Since May 2022, @southkoreapro has produced 1,000+ analyses and executive briefings on Korean affairs that matter, plus numerous podcast episodes and events. Stay updated, save time, and never be sidelined again. Free trial:
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🧵Debate about free subway rides for senior citizens rises amid aging society. President Yoon Suk-yeol’s decision to freeze public utility fees for the first half of the year forced the Seoul city government to delay raising metro fares, stirring debate about the fare hike.
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[10/31 11:00 am CDSCH Briefing]. Chief of CDSCH: “For the injured, we will pay for their treatment with health insurance finances.”.
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Final speeches were from the siblings of the young South Koreans died in the Itaewon crowd crush. They criticized Yoon administration and Seoul for prioritizing law over justice, and for “almost forcefully” setting a national mourning period without photos of victims at altars.
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A lawyer in support of the families from Minbyun, however, states that the families have not received any formal notice on administrative execution to remove the altar from Seoul government. “It’s not something they can merely notify via media articles,” she says.
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PODCAST: South Korea’s arms sale to Saudi Arabia and confusing election systems. "There are three major types of election system . MMP, MMM and semi MMP," said @jeongminnkim. Watch the full podcast here:
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