Yonhap News Summary

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

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(LEAD) Yoon discusses cooperation with Vietnam's Communist Party chief

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol held a videoconference with Vietnam's Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong on Wednesday to discuss ways to move relations between the two countries forward, the presidential office said.

During the conference call, Yoon said South Korea will strengthen cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as Vietnam, which serves as the coordinator of the South Korea-ASEAN dialogue, according to the office.

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Cargo truckers' strike continues for 2nd day; strikers decry soaring fuel prices

SEOUL -- Striking cargo truckers decried Wednesday that soaring fuel prices are throwing them to the edge of survival, demanding the extension of a freight rate system guaranteeing their basic wages, as their general walkout entered the second day.

A majority of more than 20,000 members of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity, under the wing of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, allied with many non-unionized truckers, went on a general strike a day earlier, protesting that skyrocketing diesel prices are throttling their right to survival.

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Yoon refutes criticism over prosecutor-concentrated personnel appointments

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday refuted criticism that former prosecutors dominate key government posts, saying those with legal experience are appointed to various government posts in advanced countries like the United States.

Yoon made the remark after his pick for the country's financial watchdog chief further raised criticism that his personnel choices are skewed toward prosecutors.

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(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S., Japan agree to bolster security ties against N. Korea

SEOUL -- South Korea, the United States and Japan agreed Wednesday to bolster their united front against North Korea's threats, as their senior government officials gathered here amid reports that the secretive regime is all set for a nuclear test.

It marked the first trilateral meeting of the regional powers' No. 2 diplomats in half a year, coming on the heels of a string of ballistic missile launches by the North.

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(LEAD) S. Korea to bring in 20,000 doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 drug Evusheld

SEOUL -- South Korea decided to bring in 20,000 doses of AstraZeneca's antibody treatment Evusheld by October to better protect people with weak immune systems, the health authorities said Wednesday.

The government is in talks with the drugmaker for the contract that calls for securing 5,000 doses in July and 15,000 doses in October, and the drug safety ministry is expected to approve it for emergency use this month, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.

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Disgraced singer Seungri to be discharged from military following top court ruling

SEOUL -- Seungri, the disgraced former member of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, will be discharged from the military later this week to serve a prison term in a civilian correctional facility for prostitution mediation and other offenses, military officials said Wednesday.

His release from the Army, set for Thursday, comes after the Supreme Court finalized his 1 1/2-year prison term last month in a burgeoning scandal that roiled the K-pop industry in 2019.

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Kakao keeps external payment link in app against Google's new billing policy

SEOUL -- Kakao Corp., operator of South Korea's top mobile messenger KakaoTalk, has kept in place an external payment link in the Android version of the popular messaging software against Google's new in-app payment policy.

In April, Google required all app developers selling digital goods and services on the company's Play store to use its billing system and to remove external payment links. Non-complying apps were not able to offer updates, and Google has warned it will begin to remove such apps from the Play store starting in June.
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