Yonhap News Summary

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

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Pentagon requests USFK offer equipment to support Ukraine: official

SEOUL -- The Pentagon has requested the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) offer some of its equipment to support Ukraine, the USFK said Thursday, stressing the move would have "zero impact" on its security operations on the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. Department of Defense has turned to inventories of American artillery shells in South Korea and Israel, as Ukraine is in dire need of ammunition support in the war with Russia, the New York Times reported earlier this week.

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(LEAD) S. Korean ministry calls in Iranian envoy to explain Yoon's controversial remarks during UAE visit

SEOUL -- South Korea's foreign ministry on Thursday called in Iran's ambassador to Seoul to explain President Yoon Suk Yeol's recent public remarks describing Iran as the "enemy" of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Yoon likened UAE-Iran relations to those of South and North Korea during a meeting with South Korean troops stationed in the UAE earlier this week. Seoul's foreign ministry has stressed his comments were "irrelevant" to Seoul's relations with Iran and urged against "unnecessary overinterpretation."

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Yoon sends condolence letter to Nepalese prime minister over jet crash

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol has sent a letter of condolence to Nepal's prime minister over a fatal jet crash that left over 70 passengers dead, including two South Koreans, earlier this week, according to a Seoul foreign ministry official Thursday.

According to the official, the letter was delivered to Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday to offer condolences to the bereaved families on behalf of South Korea's government and its people.

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Fatal industrial accidents increase despite workplace safety law

SEOUL -- Despite the enforcement of a landmark workplace safety law about a year ago, the number of worker deaths caused by serious industrial accidents at workplaces subject to the law increased last year, a government report showed Thursday.

The Serious Accidents Punishment Act took effect on Jan. 27 last year to punish employers and chief executives accused of failing to fulfill their duties to prevent fatal accidents.

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(LEAD) Police raid dozen labor union offices over alleged wrongdoing at construction sites

SEOUL -- Police on Thursday raided a dozen construction union offices, including those affiliated with the country's two biggest umbrella labor organizations, as part of an investigation into alleged wrongdoing at construction sites.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency sent investigators to five offices belonging to the construction union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU) and three construction union offices of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions to seize accounting documents and other evidence, officials said.

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(LEAD) Opposition floor leader calls for unity ahead of leader's questioning

SEOUL -- The floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party on Thursday urged supporters and party members to stand together for party leader Lee Jae-myung as he plans to appear before prosecutors for questioning over development corruption allegations next week.

Lee said Thursday he will appear at the Seoul Central District Office on Jan. 28 for questioning over allegations involving a high-profile property development project in Daejang-dong in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, launched while Lee was serving as mayor of Seongnam.

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