Yonhap News Summary

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

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'Parasite' wins best foreign film at Golden Globes

SEOUL -- Bong Joon-ho's black comedy "Parasite" was named best foreign film at the Golden Globe Awards on Monday (Korean time).

In a ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, "Parasite" won the honor, outclassing "The Farewell" by Lulu Wang, "Pain and Glory" by Pedro Almodovar, "Les Miserables" by Ladj Ly and "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" by Celine Sciamma.

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(LEAD) S. Korea to hold NSC meeting on Iran issue

SEOUL -- South Korea's top security officials will have a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to discuss the current Iran crisis on Monday afternoon, Cheong Wa Dae said.

President Moon Jae-in instructed the members of the NSC standing committee to closely review security conditions, the safety of South Koreans in the region and crude oil supply, in particular, according to Cheong Wa Dae's spokesperson Ko Min-jung.

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S. Korea vows 'swift responses' to Middle East contingencies: defense ministry

SEOUL -- South Korea vowed Monday to work closely with the international community to swiftly respond to any contingencies related to the safety of its people in the Middle East amid simmering tensions between the United States and Iran.

Fears have grown over imminent military conflicts between the U.S. and Iran after top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike last week. Iran has warned of severe revenge for the attack, and even pledged to abandon the 2015 nuclear deal with the U.S. and other world powers.

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(CES 2020) Large number of S. Korean companies to attend CES 2020

SEOUL -- Some 390 South Korean companies, including a record number of startups, are scheduled to participate in the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Seoul's tech agency said Monday.

The Korea Information and Communication Technology Industry Association said six conglomerates, 184 small and medium-sized enterprises and 200 startups are to exhibit at the world's largest technology conference, set to kick off Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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(CES 2020) LG Electronics to unveil new rollable TV, AI-powered solutions at CES

LAS VEGAS -- South Korean home appliance maker LG Electronics Inc. said Sunday it will unveil a new type of its rollable TV highlighting flexible OLED display technologies and upgraded artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions at the upcoming tech expo here.

Under the slogan "Innovation for better life," LG Electronics will introduce an array of tech products at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020, in Las Vegas, that kicks off on Tuesday.

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(CES 2020) Samsung to highlight 'connected living' with AI, 5G-powered products

LAS VEGAS -- South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co., said Sunday it will unveil upgraded 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT)-powered products at the upcoming tech expo here to highlight its vision of an "intelligently connected" world.

The South Korean tech titan boasts the largest booth among exhibitors to showcase its latest technology achievements at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 in Las Vegas, that kicks off on Tuesday.

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Ex-KBO MVP Kim Jae-hwan fails to land MLB deal via posting

SEOUL -- South Korean slugger Kim Jae-hwan failed to sign a major league deal via the posting system by Monday's deadline, not an entirely surprising development given his disappointing 2019 season.

Kim's Seoul-based agency, Sportizen, said Monday that the 2018 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) MVP for the Doosan Bears couldn't come to an agreement after negotiating with four Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs. The MLB-mandated deadline for the posted player was 7 a.m. Monday in South Korea, or 5 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time (ET) on Sunday.

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New satellite images show N. Korea's hidden submarine capable of firing ballistic missiles

SEOUL -- Recent satellite imagery revealed a hidden submarine capable of launching ballistic missiles at North Korea's Sinpo shipyard, a U.S. monitoring website said, amid concerns that Pyongyang could test a submarine-launched ballistic missile as a threatened "new strategic weapon."

Satellite imagery taken Jan. 1 "revealed the presence of the North Korean SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine (SSBA) and its submersible test stand barge positioned beneath a recently constructed, dockside awning designed to conceal and environmentally protect these vessels," the website 38 North said.

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N.K.'s official newspaper calls for 'impregnable' military power against threats

SEOUL -- North Korea's official newspaper called Monday for building up "impregnable" military power, saying the country should expect nothing from the United States and therefore go its own way without hesitation.

North Korea's media outlets have called for "self-reliance" and "self-defense" almost daily since leader Kim Jong-un threatened to showcase a "new strategic weapon" at a recent key ruling party meeting.

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S. Korea's content industry grows 3.1 pct in first half of 2019

SEOUL -- South Korea's content industry expanded 3.1 percent in the first half of 2019 from the same period the previous year, driven by growth in comics, information services and movies, data showed Monday.

Sales of the South Korean content industry reached 58.13 trillion won (US$49.7 billion) in the first six months last year, compared with 56.37 trillion won in the same period in 2018, according to the data by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency.

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