Yonhap News Summary

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

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S. Korean, Russian foreign ministers discuss bilateral ties, regional security

SEOUL -- The top diplomats of South Korea and Russia held consultations to discuss regional security on the Korean Peninsula and other pending bilateral issues, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.

Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) meeting in India on Sunday (local time) amid speculation North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could visit Vladivostok to meet President Vladimir Putin this week for a potential arms deal.

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Yoon's approval inches up to 36.7 pct on overseas trip assessment

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating inched up to 36.7 percent, primarily due to positive public assessments of his recent overseas trip to attend summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of 20, according to a poll Monday.

In the survey of 2,515 eligible voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, the positive assessment of Yoon's performance increased by 1.3 percentage points from the previous week, while disapproval of Yoon's performance dropped by 1.2 percentage points to 59.9 percent.

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S. Korea to boost 'gim' exports through quality improvement, new products

SEOUL -- South Korea will develop quality seeds of gim, or dried laver, and extend support for its exports with a goal to achieve its global sales of US$1 billion by 2027, the oceans ministry said Monday.

It is part of the government's comprehensive five-year plan to promote the gim industry, as it is the No. 1 export item among fisheries products for South Korea, though competition from such nations as China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam has been getting fierce.

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N. Korean leader has photo session with paramilitary parade participants

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has had a photo session with participants of a paramilitary parade to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the country's founding, state media said Monday, amid speculation about his possible trip to Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin.

In the photo shoot session held Sunday, Kim called the parade a "powerful demonstration of the invincible spirit of socialist Korea" in a march to "achieve the great cause of building a powerful nation," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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(LEAD) Exports down 7.9 pct during first 10 days of Sept.

SEOUL -- South Korea's exports fell 7.9 percent on-year in the first 10 days of September due to weak shipments of chips and petroleum products, data showed Monday.

The country's outbound shipments reached US$14.9 billion in the Sept. 1-10 period, compared with $16.1 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.

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S. Korea attends new round of IPEF talks in Thailand

SEOUL -- South Korea has taken part in a new round of negotiations on the United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) under way in Thailand, the industry ministry said Monday.

The fifth round of IPEF talks began Sunday in Bangkok for a seven-day run, and South Korea sent a delegation led by Deputy Minister for Trade Negotiations Roh Keon-ki, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

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SKC to buy stake in U.S. chip packaging startup Chipletz

SEOUL -- SKC Co., a South Korean manufacturer of secondary battery parts and advanced materials, said Monday it is acquiring a stake in a U.S. semiconductor packaging startup as it accelerates the drive for chip post-processing.

The investment in Chipletz, an Austin-based fabless company, will give SKC an approximately 12 percent stake in the U.S. firm through a Series B funding, the Seoul-based company said in a release.

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Air Force chief to visit U.S., Canada for talks on military cooperation

SEOUL -- South Korea's Air Force chief will visit the United States and Canada this week to meet senior military officials and hold bilateral talks on security and arms industry cooperation, officials said Monday.

Gen. Jung Sang-hwan, the Air Force's chief of staff, will embark on the weeklong trip later in the day to meet his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Charles Brown Jr., and Canada's Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre, according to South Korea's armed service.

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Padres' Kim Ha-seong sets new career high in hits

SEOUL -- Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres has established a new career high for hits in a season.

Kim went 1-for-4 against the Houston Astros in Minute Maid Park in Houston on Sunday (local time), picking up his 131st hit of the season.
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