Yonhap News Summary

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

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ASEAN foreign ministers urge N. Korea to comply with UNSC resolutions

VIENTIANE -- Top diplomats of Asia-Pacific countries on Monday urged North Korea to comply with all United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that call for the regime to give up its nuclear and missile programs.

In a joint communiqué issued after holding talks in the Laotian capital of Vientiane, the foreign ministers of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) also underlined the importance of resuming the long-halted six party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear program.

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Top U.S., Chinese officials reaffirm goal of Korean Peninsula denuclearization: White House

WASHINGTON -- U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi held talks in Beijing and agreed on the "shared goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the White House said Monday.

Rice's visit to China drew attention as it came amid heightened tensions between the two countries after an international tribunal rejected China's territorial claims to most of the South China Sea in a victory for the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations locked in maritime disputes with Beijing.

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Obama says U.S. commitment to S. Korea 'will never waver'

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday the U.S. commitment to South Korea's security will never waver and the country will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Asian ally in defense of peace and prosperity.

Obama made the remark in a message issued in honor of Korean War veterans to mark the upcoming 63rd anniversary of the 1953 armistice that ended three-year fighting in the Korean War. The message came as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump increasingly questions the value of alliances.

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(LEAD) S. Korea's economy grows 0.7 pct in Q2 on improved consumption, exports

SEOUL, July 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's economy posted improved growth in the second quarter on increased exports and consumption, central bank data showed Tuesday.

In the three months that ended June 30, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.7 percent from a quarter earlier, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

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Toyota recalls 6,200 cars for defective airbags

SEOUL -- Toyota is recalling over 6,200 cars sold in South Korea for defective airbags, the transportation ministry said Tuesday.

The recall affects 6,209 units of three vehicle types – the Prius, Prius PHV and Lexus CT200h -- that were produced between Feb. 26, 2009 and April 27, 2012 and sold here by Toyota Korea Co., the local unit of Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp.

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(2nd LD) SK hynix reports lowest earnings in more than 3 years

SEOUL -- South Korean chipmaker SK hynix Inc. on Tuesday reported its lowest quarterly profit in 13 quarters as falling demand for smartphones and computers hit chip prices.

SK hynix posted a net profit of 286.1 billion won (US$250.4 million) in the April-June period, down 74.2 percent from the same period last year.

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Korean chicken soup set to make inroads into China

SEOUL -- South Korean food companies are set to begin official sales of the traditional chicken soup to China as the first shipments to the mainland have recently cleared customs, industry officials said Tuesday.

Samgyetang is a traditional chicken soup made with a whole young chicken stuffed with ginseng, sticky rice and garlic. It is widely recognized in the country as an energy-boosting meal during the summer months.

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