Yonhap News Summary

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

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(LEAD) Group of N. Koreans crossed maritime border earlier this month: officials

SEOUL -- A group of North Koreans, including children, crossed the de facto inter-Korean sea border aboard a fishing boat earlier this month and are currently undergoing questioning by South Korean authorities, sources said Thursday.

The military authorities found the ship approaching the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea at night on May 6 and sent troops to intercept it soon after it sailed across the maritime boundary, according to the sources.

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(LEAD) Biden may hold trilateral summit with S. Korean, Japanese leaders if possible: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden will try to hold a trilateral summit with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday.

Sullivan, however, said that nothing has yet to be arranged due to Biden's "packed schedule."

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S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases over 20,000 for 3rd day amid eased rules

SEOUL -- South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed over 20,000 for the third consecutive day Thursday amid relaxed COVID-19 restrictions as the country has taken steps to resume pre-pandemic normalcy.

The country reported 21,797 cases, including 30 imported cases, bringing the total caseload to 31,486,904, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

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Ethics panel to mull disciplinary action against lawmaker over cryptocurrency scandal, but expulsion unlikely

SEOUL -- A special parliamentary ethics committee is set to review two motions calling for disciplinary action against Rep. Kim Nam-kuk over dubious cryptocurrency transactions, yet it is unlikely the embattled lawmaker will be unseated.

Kim left the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) to become an independent after it was revealed he owns a significant amount of coins, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and the source of the funds.

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ASML opens global EUV training center in S. Korea

SEOUL -- ASML Holding N.V., a Dutch chip equipment maker, has opened a new global training center for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines near Seoul, the company said Thursday.

The 1,445-square-meter center in Yongin, 42 kilometers south of Seoul, is aimed at training technicians on the maintenance and repairs of the highly delicate and complex EUV machines. It also houses clean rooms, lecture rooms and office space, the company said.

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BTS' V and BLACKPINK's Jennie caught up in dating rumors again

SEOUL -- Rumors of a romantic relationship between BTS' V and BLACKPINK's Jennie have resurfaced as a video capturing what appears to be the two K-pop stars dating in Paris is spreading online.

According to the music industry Thursday, a netizen put up a post on social media, including Twitter, the previous day, claiming to have witnessed the two holding hands and walking affectionately together in the European city.

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Customs agency seizes record amount of drugs through April

SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's customs agency said Thursday it has captured a record amount of drugs over the January-April period, with smuggling attempts falling in number while rising in average volume.

The amount of drugs seized at borders reached 213 kilograms over the first four months of 2023, up 32 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Korea Customs Service (KCS).

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Seoul city to turn purple in celebration of BTS' 10th anniv. next month

SEOUL -- Major landmarks in Seoul will be bathed in purple next month in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the globally popular K-pop group BTS since its debut.

According to music industry sources Thursday, Hybe, the K-pop powerhouse behind the group, and the Seoul metropolitan government are discussing jointly holding various events to commemorate the anniversary.

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Seoul shares trim earlier gains late Thu. morning amid eased debt-ceiling worries

SEOUL -- Seoul shares trimmed earlier gains late Thursday morning after Wall Street gains amid hopes for a deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling to avert debt default.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 14.88 points, or 0.60 percent, to 2,509.54 as of 11:20 a.m.

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Presidential office rejects DP's proposal for 'one-point' constitutional amendment

SEOUL -- The presidential office on Thursday rejected opposition leader Lee Jae-myung's proposal for a "one-point" constitutional amendment to include the spirit of the 1980 Gwangju uprising in the preamble of the Constitution.

The leader of the Democratic Party (DP) proposed Wednesday rival parties work together to carry out the revision, which was one of President Yoon Suk Yeol's campaign promises, in time for next year's parliamentary elections.

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