Yonhap News Summary

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

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(LEAD) Ex-President Lee granted special presidential pardon

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol granted special pardons Tuesday to former President Lee Myung-bak, former South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo and other politicians from the rival parties.

The pardons, effective at the beginning of Wednesday, mark the second time Yoon has exercised his clemency power since taking office in May. Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and other business tycoons benefited from Yoon's first pardons in August.

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Yoon vows to strengthen capabilities against N.K. drones

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Tuesday to strengthen the military's surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities after five North Korean drones infiltrated South Korean airspace the previous day.

Yoon said during a Cabinet meeting that Monday's incident showed clearly that the military's readiness posture and training had been "greatly lacking" and in need of strengthening.

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(LEAD) N. Korea convenes key party meeting with leader Kim in attendance: state media

SEOUL -- A key Workers' Party meeting of North Korea opened earlier this week with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance to discuss next year's policy direction, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday.

The previous day, Kim presided over the sixth enlarged plenary meeting of the party's eighth Central Committee to review last year's policies and discuss tasks for 2023 amid "unpredictable difficulties constantly threatening the existence and development" of the North, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

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Ruling party calls for stronger defense posture against N.K. provocations following drone intrusion

SEOUL-- The ruling People Power Party (PPP) expressed shock Tuesday at North Korean drones' infiltration into South Korean airspace the previous day, calling for measures to ensure military readiness against provocations.

On Monday, South Korea's military detected five unmanned aerial vehicles flying across the Military Demarcation Line separating the two Koreas. The vehicles were spotted flying in border areas of Gyeonggi Province, with one of them flying all the way to the northern part of Seoul. It marked the first such intrusion in five years.

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Ruling party calls for stronger defense posture against N.K. provocations following drone intrusion

SEOUL -- The ruling People Power Party (PPP) expressed shock Tuesday at North Korean drones' infiltration into South Korean airspace the previous day, calling for measures to ensure military readiness against provocations.

On Monday, South Korea's military detected five unmanned aerial vehicles flying across the Military Demarcation Line separating the two Koreas. The vehicles were spotted flying in border areas of Gyeonggi Province, with one of them flying all the way to the northern part of Seoul. It marked the first such intrusion in five years.

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S. Korea's COVID-19 cases over 87,000 amid lingering concerns over winter surge

SEOUL -- South Korea's new COVID-19 cases rose over 87,000 Tuesday, a significant hike from the previous day but a similar level reported last week.

The country confirmed 87,596 new coronavirus infections, including 66 from overseas, bringing the total to 28,772,196, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

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China OKs Korean Air-Asiana combination

SEOUL -- China's antitrust regulator has approved Korean Air Co.'s integration with smaller local rival Asiana Airlines Inc., with approval yet to come from four countries, Korean Air said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) has demanded the merged Korean Air-Asiana entity reduce its market share due to competition concerns, Korean Air said in a statement.
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