Yonhap News Summary

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

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Actor Kim Seon-ho to debut on big screen in 'The Childe'

SEOUL (Yonhap) -- Actor Kim Seon-ho will play a ruthless villain in the upcoming crime action film "The Childe," directed by Park Hoon-jung, which will mark his big-screen debut.

"The Childe" follows an illegal boxer of mixed Filipino and Korean descent who goes in search of his Korean father and encounters several villains on the way. Kim plays a mysterious man who chases after the boxer, Marco, played by rookie actor Kang Tae-joo.

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UAE organizations reviewing US$2 bln investment in S. Korea

SEOUL -- Business organizations of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are currently reviewing US$2 billion worth of investment projects in South Korea, covering various sectors from energy to culture, Seoul's finance ministry said Monday.

The review came after President Yoon Suk Yeol and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met in January, when the Middle East nation announced its decision to invest US$30 billion in South Korea.

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Yoon urges transparency in handling of Fukushima water in summit with Kishida: FM

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed the need for transparency in Tokyo's plan to discharge contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant in a recent summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Seoul's top diplomat said Monday.

In an interview with Yonhap News TV, Foreign Minister Park Jin said Yoon "clearly expressed his stance on the issue of contaminated water" during the summit with Kishida held on Sunday in Hiroshima.

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Vice defense chief rules out Japan's participation in S. Korea-U.S. nuclear consulting group

SEOUL -- South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul on Monday ruled out the possibility of Japan taking part in a nuclear consultative group between Seoul and Washington for bolstering nuclear deterrence against Pyongyang's military threats.

Shin made the remarks in a media interview earlier in the day amid speculation over Tokyo possibly joining the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) that Seoul and Washington agreed to form during their leaders' summit last month.

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S. Korea leaning on teamwork vs. France in U-20 World Cup opener

SEOUL -- South Korea will bank on their teamwork against the highly skilled French team to kick off the FIFA U-20 World Cup, head coach Kim Eun-jung said on the eve of the match in Argentina.

"France feature players with great individual skills and strong physique," Kim said in an interview clip shared by the Korea Football Association (KFA) on Monday. The opening Group F match between the two sides starts at 3 p.m. Monday in Mendoza, Argentina, or 3 a.m. Tuesday in Seoul.

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Yoon, Biden, Kishida could hold trilateral summit in Washington this summer

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida could hold a trilateral summit in Washington as early as July, a presidential official said Monday.

Biden proposed such a summit when he met with Yoon and Kishida on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday, Reuters quoted a senior U.S. official as saying.

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Signs detected of actor Yoo Ah-in attempting to destroy evidence in drug probe: police

SEOUL -- Police have detected signs that actor Yoo Ah-in had attempted to destroy evidence in connection with the ongoing investigation into his alleged use of five different illegal drugs, an official said Monday.

Last week, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) sough a warrant to arrest the 37-year-old actor, accused of illegally using five different drugs for nonmedical purposes: propofol, marijuana, cocaine, ketamine and zolpidem, an insomnia medication.

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BOK to focus on taming inflation, chief says

SEOUL -- South Korea's central bank will focus on taming inflation going forward as the current level is higher than its target, its chief said Monday.

In a parliamentary session, Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Rhee Chang-yong said the current price levels are higher than the central bank's target, and it will implement its monetary policy with a focus on inflation.
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