Yonhap News Summary

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

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(2nd LD) S. Korea slaps sanctions on eight individuals, seven agencies involved in N.K. ICBM test

SEOUL -- South Korea announced additional sanctions on North Korea on Friday in response to growing security threats from North Korea, highlighted by its long-range missile launch last month.

Seoul has decided to impose independent sanctions on eight individuals and seven institutions involved in the secretive regime's nuclear and missile development programs, according to the foreign ministry.

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S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases under 60,000 for 2nd straight day

SEOUL -- South Korea's new COVID-19 cases fell below 60,000 for the second straight day Friday, showing signs the virus' spread may have reached a standstill.

The country reported 52,987 new COVID-19 infections, including 55 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 27,208,800, according to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

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S. Korea, EU vow joint responses to U.S. Inflation Reduction Act

SEOUL -- South Korea and the European Union have agreed to work more closely for joint responses to a new U.S. act that excludes electric vehicles assembled outside of North America from tax incentives, the two sides have said.

The consensus was reached during a meeting between South Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU's executive vice-president commissioner, in Brussels on Nov. 30 (local time), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a release issued Thursday.

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(LEAD) U.S., French leaders condemn N. Korea's missile tests: joint statement

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned North Korea's recent ballistic missile tests on Thursday, calling them a threat to regional peace and stability.

The leaders also agreed to continue working together at the U.N. Security council to hold North Korea accountable, according to a joint statement issued following their bilateral summit here in Washington.

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Trade body mulls filing compensation suit against striking truckers

SEOUL -- A major South Korean trade association said Friday it is considering filing a compensation suit against striking truckers over the mounting losses and damage the walkout has caused in the cement and steel industries.

The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said it is "actively looking into" the option, as the strike, now into its ninth day, has incurred more than 1 trillion won (US$768 million) in damage as the unionized truckers continue to refuse to return to work.

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Ex-national security adviser attends court hearing to decide his arrest over slain official

SEOUL -- Former National Security Adviser Suh Hoon attended a court hearing Friday to determine whether he should be arrested for the alleged irregularities surrounding the 2020 death of a South Korean government official at the hands of North Korea.

Suh is accused of allegedly being involved in the previous Moon Jae-in government's conclusion without sufficient evidence that the official was killed while attempting to defect to the North.

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Seoul police chief quizzed over Itaewon crowd crush

SEOUL -- The head of the Seoul police was summoned for questioning Friday as part of an investigation into the bungled response to the deadly crowd crush in Seoul's Itaewon neighborhood.

Kim Kwang-ho, the chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, appeared at a special investigation team's headquarters in western Seoul as a suspect. Kim was booked on charges of professional negligence, resulting in the deaths of 158 people, mostly those in their 20s, on Oct. 29.

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(News Focus) Disney+ makes big bet on K-content for growth in OTT market

SINGAPORE -- As Korean dramas and films enthrall a wider global audience, entertainment giant Disney now looks ready to ride the Korean Wave to expand its presence in the thriving streaming market.

Following streaming leader Netflix's international success of "Squid Game," more viewers from across the globe are watching Korean series in various genres from zombie horror to thrillers and rom-coms streamed on over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
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