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  Kim Jong-un visits mausoleum on father's death anniversary SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a mausoleum for his late father to mark the 13th anniversary of his death, according to state media. "A floral basket..... was laid before the statues" of Kim Jong-il and his father and regime founder Kim Il-sung at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, the country's state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday. Kim was accompanied by top party officials including his siste December 18, 2024
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  Business groups urge review of parliamentary testimony law SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Six major South Korean business organizations on Monday urged a review of a new law requiring companies to submit documents and testify before parliament, arguing that it could expose sensitive corporate information and harm the nation's competitiveness. The Parliamentary Testimony Act, passed by the National Assembly last month, mandates that companies comply with such requests, regardless of concerns about trade secrets. It also requires executives December 18, 2024
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  India participates in international startup festival in Seoul SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - A high-level Indian delegation participated in COMEUP 2024, an international startup festival held at COEX in southern Seoul on December 11 and 12. The event, designed to support global startups, offered networking opportunities, business matchmaking, and investment prospects. The Indian delegation, led by Shrimati Aarti Bhatnagar, Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser (AS&FA, Deputy Minister) of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Inte December 18, 2024
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  Netflix's hit dating show to return with fourth season next month SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Netflix's reality show "Single's Inferno" is set to usher in the new year with its fourth season next month, the American streaming giant said on Tuesday. Set for release on Jan. 14, the hit dating show has become the first South Korean Netflix series to be picked up for a fourth season. The dating show features single men and women stranded on a remote island as they navigate relationships. Contestants choose someone they are interest December 18, 2024
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  S. Korea to spend three quarters of 2025 budget before July SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - South Korea plans to frontload 75 percent of its 2025 annual budget in the first half of next year, as the government seeks to counter economic uncertainties stemming from the Dec. 3 martial law declaration and recent presidential impeachment. The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced on Tuesday in a cabinet meeting that 431.1 trillion won (US$299.7 billion) of the total 574.8 trillion won budget would be allocated for the first six months of 2025, wit December 18, 2024
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  Local governments eager to produce salmon in South Korea SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - The salmon industry, often likened to the semiconductor sector for its critical global role, faces escalating challenges. With a global market worth approximately 60 trillion won (about $45 billion), both farmed and wild salmon populations are struggling to adapt to environmental and economic pressures. In Scotland, salmon farms reported record losses in 2023, with over one million farmed salmon perishing during a single farming cycle due to rising sea tem December 18, 2024
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  Data reveals soldiers equipped with thousands of live rounds during martial law raid SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Military soldiers who stormed the National Assembly shortly after President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched declaration of martial law early this month were equipped with thousands of live rounds and 100 Taser cartridges, a lawmaker said on Tuesday. Data submitted to the main opposition Democratic Party (DP)'s four-term lawmaker Seo Young-ko by the Special Warfare Command (SWC) revealed that they took nearly 6,000 rounds including 3,960 live rounds and 1,9 December 18, 2024
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  OPINION: South Korea at crossroads after president is impeached – here's what will happen next SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - South Korea's National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 14. The vote marks the third time a president has been impeached in the country's constitutional history. Out of 300 assembly members, 204 voted in favor of the motion, 85 voted against, three abstained, and eight votes were declared invalid. This outcome indicates that at least 12 votes in favor came from Yoon's conservative ruling People Power December 18, 2024
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  National Assembly impeachment panel to form legal team of up to 20 members SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - The National Assembly impeachment panel, tasked with acting as "prosecutors" in President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial, announced Tuesday it will form a legal team of up to 20 members. On Dec. 3, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Yoon declared emergency martial law, citing the need to eliminate "pro-North Korean forces and anti-government activities" to protect South Korea’s constitutional order. Following the declaration, December 17, 2024
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  Defense ministry provides psychological support for soldiers deployed under martial law SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - The Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday it is offering psychological support programs for soldiers deployed as martial law forces to government facilities, including the National Assembly, on Dec. 3. "We respect the wishes of the soldiers deployed under martial law by providing a support system for psychological assessments and counseling. For those undergoing counseling, we are paying close attention and providing continuous support," the mini December 17, 2024