Yonhap News Summary

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

-----------------
(LEAD) Seoul stocks down for 2nd day on U.S. rate hike woes; Korean won at over 13-year low

SEOUL -- South Korean stocks fell Friday on concerns over the U.S. central bank's aggressive rate hikes and the tumbling Korean won. The Korean won slid further to a 13-year low against the U.S. dollar.

After choppy trading, the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 6.2 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 2,409.41, extending the losing streak to a second session.

-----------------
(2nd LD) Super Typhoon Hinnamnor forecast to make landfall on southern S. Korea next week

SEOUL -- Typhoon Hinnamnor is largely forecast to make landfall on southern South Korea early next week, with the possibility of it becoming the strongest storm ever to hit the country, the state weather agency said Friday.

The super typhoon is forecast to land on the southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province during the morning of next Tuesday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

-----------------
(2nd LD) Main opposition leader Lee calls summons 'inappropriate'

SEOUL -- Main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung on Friday called the prosecution's summons of him an "inappropriate" attempt to find fault with him after his party condemned the investigation as "political revenge."

Lee, who lost to President Yoon Suk-yeol by a razor-thin margin in the March presidential election, was asked to appear for questioning by next Tuesday as part of a probe into allegations he lied during the presidential campaign last year.

-----------------
S. Korea approves basic plan to upgrade AH-64E Apache helicopters

SEOUL -- South Korea approved a 400 billion-won (US$295 million) plan Friday to upgrade the Army's AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters, the state arms procurement agency said, amid Seoul's stepped-up push to counter North Korea's evolving military threats.

The Defense Project Promotion Committee endorsed the basic plan to buy tactical data links and fire control radar systems from the United States from 2023-2027 to enhance the choppers' combat capabilities, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

-----------------
PM hails shipment of 1st homegrown COVID-19 vaccine

SEOUL -- Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Friday hailed the rollout of the nation's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, saying that it could help South Korea ensure fair distribution of vaccines around the world.

Han made the remarks as the country's first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine from SK Bioscience Co. made its way to distribution sites at its plant in Andong, about 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

-----------------
SK Bioscience's SKYCovione proven effective against omicron virus subvariants as booster shot

SEOUL -- SKYCovione, South Korea's first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine developed by SK Bioscience Co., has been proven to be effective against coronavirus omicron subvariants when administered as a booster shot, a state-run research center said Friday.

The Center for Infectious Disease Research (CIDR) said it has confirmed through research SKYCovione's efficacy in neutralizing the BA.1 and BA.5 coronavirus omicron subvariants when used after two previous primary vaccine jabs.

-----------------
Ex-World Cup stars, celebrities named honorary ambassadors for Asian Cup bid

SEOUL -- A pair of former South Korean World Cup heroes were joined by celebrities Friday as honorary ambassadors for the country's bid to host Asia's top football tournament in 2023.

Football legends Hwang Sun-hong and Lee Young-pyo will be asked to promote South Korea's bid for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. Five other honorary ambassadors introduced at Friday's ceremonies were: comedian Lee Soo-geun, sportscaster Bae Sung-jae, football analyst Park Moon-sung, dancer and choreographer Aiki, and Lee Jung-geun, head of the official national team cheering squad, the Red Devils.
(END)