Yonhap News Summary

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

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S. Korea's high-speed internet infrastructure promises thriving cloud gaming: Google official

SEOUL -- South Korea has great potential for the booming online gaming industry thanks to its high-speed internet infrastructure like the fifth-generation (5G) network service, a senior Google official said Tuesday.

"In Korea, cloud gaming is poised for success on account of the country's globally renowned internet speeds and 5G infrastructure," Sami Kizilbash, who leads the developers relations program of the U.S. tech giant, said in an online media session for Google Play's Indie Game Accelerator (IGA) 2022 program.

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Disabled advocacy group stages subway protest without disrupting train operations

SEOUL -- A disability advocacy group staged a rush-hour subway protest in Seoul on Tuesday, but there were no major disruptions to subway services as they did not use the tactic of delaying train operations by repeatedly boarding them.

The Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination (SADD) held a news conference at Samgakji Station near the presidential office, calling for an increased government budget to protect the rights of people with disabilities. About 10 members, including leader Park Kyoung-seok, continued their campaign in trains.

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(3rd LD) BTS' Jin enlists in military amid intense media coverage

SEOUL -- K-pop superstar Jin on Tuesday entered a boot camp in a front-line area to begin his mandatory military service, with hundreds of reporters from domestic and foreign news media waiting outside to cover the news.

The 30-year-old became the first member of the boy band BTS to join the military. The group's six other members -- RM, Suga, Jimin, J-hope, V and Jungkook -- will also be enlisting in the military in order, according to the band's agency, Big Hit Music.

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(LEAD) Yoon calls for quick 'normalization' of national health insurance

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol called Tuesday for a quick "normalization" of the national health insurance system, saying the previous government's expanded coverage led to a waste of financial resources.

Yoon issued the call during a Cabinet meeting in what was seen as an indication of his intent to scrap the health insurance policy of the previous Moon Jae-in administration, which centered on expanding coverage and lowering the burden of hospital bills on households.

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(LEAD) Opposition parties urge ruling party to return to parliamentary probe into Itaewon tragedy

SEOUL -- Opposition parties on Tuesday urged lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to return to the special committee in charge of a parliamentary investigation into the Itaewon tragedy after they threatened to quit the committee en masse.

The PPP members of the committee offered to leave the committee in protest Sunday, shortly after the National Assembly, led by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), passed a motion calling for the dismissal of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.

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S. Korea to offer US$3 mln to Ukraine to help overcome severe cold weather

SEOUL -- South Korea plans to contribute US$3 million worth of additional humanitarian aid to Ukraine to assist the people of the war-torn nation in coping with severe cold weather during the winter, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The plan will be officially announced at an international conference on assisting Ukraine's private recovery scheduled to be held Tuesday (local time) in Paris, according to the ministry.

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(LEAD) Seoul-Washington alliance 'truly stronger than ever,' State Department official says

SEOUL -- The U.S. State Department's point man on East Asia stressed Tuesday the Seoul-Washington alliance is stronger than ever, speaking after meetings with South Korean officials in Seoul.

"I just finished a couple of tremendous meetings with my Korean counterparts and we were able to, again, reaffirm the strength of our alliance, which I think is truly stronger than ever," Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told Yonhap News Agency.
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