Yonhap News Summary

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

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(3rd LD) S. Korea's 1st lunar orbiter successfully enters planned trajectory toward moon

CAPE CANAVERAL, United States/SEOUL -- South Korea's first lunar orbiter has entered its planned trajectory toward the moon, the science ministry said Friday, in a historic first step toward space exploration.

The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter -- better known as Danuri in a Korean portmanteau for moon and enjoy -- was traveling on a ballistic lunar transfer trajectory as of 2 p.m. on a trip to the moon that could take 4 1/2 months.

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Yoon hails launch of country's 1st lunar orbiter

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday hailed the launch of South Korea's first lunar orbiter, calling it the country's "advance party" that will help open a new chapter in the space industry.

"Danuri is the Republic of Korea's advance party that will accelerate its push for a resources-strong country and help open an era of space economy," Yoon said in a Facebook post, referring to the lunar orbiter.

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Talking with Lavrov, S. Korean minister raises concern about N. Korea's possible nuclear test

PHNOM PENH -- South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met Friday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and expressed concern about the possibility of North Korea carrying out another nuclear test, a source said.

The ministers were seated next to each other during the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Phnom Penh. They had a conversation just before the session.

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(LEAD) U.S. ambassador calls on N. Korea to respond to dialogue offer

SEOUL -- The new U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg called Friday on Pyongyang to respond to Washington's dialogue offers, as he stressed the firm goal of fully denuclearizing Korea through diplomacy.

The envoy, who served as Washington's coordinator for the implementation of U.N. Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang from 2009-2010, made the remarks during his meeting with South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Young-se at the ministry's headquarters in central Seoul.

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(4th LD) 5 killed, 44 injured in fire at hospital in Icheon

ICHEON -- Five people were killed and 44 others were injured Friday in a fire at a four-story building that contains a hospital in Icheon, some 50 kilometers southeast of Seoul, fire officials said.

The fire broke out at 10:17 a.m. at a closed screen golf facility on the building's third floor where demolition work was under way, according to the officials.

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Girls' Generation is back with studio album marking 15th year

SEOUL -- Girls' Generation, one of the longest-running K-pop girl groups, made a highly anticipated comeback Friday, the anniversary of the day of its debut in 2007, with "Forever 1."

"Forever 1," the group's seventh full-length album, marks its first group project since its previous LP "Holiday Night" five years ago.
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