Yonhap News Summary

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

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Kim, Putin meet at Vostochny spaceport in Russia ahead of summit: media

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met at Russia's Vostochny spaceport on Wednesday, Russia's TASS news agency said, ahead of their expected summit later in the day.

Analysts have predicted that North Korea may agree to supply Russia with ammunition and weaponry for its war in Ukraine. Moscow, in return, may agree on a weapons-related technology transfer to Pyongyang, such as those involving spy satellites and nuclear-powered submarines.

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(2nd LD) N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles toward East Sea: S. Korean military

SEOUL -- North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, in an apparent show of force as the North's leader Kim Jong-un is set to hold a rare summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launches from an area in or around Sunan between about 11:43 a.m. and 11:53 a.m. It did not elaborate further, pending an analysis.

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(LEAD) Yoon to name new ministers of defense, culture, gender equality

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol will carry out a partial Cabinet reshuffle Wednesday to name the new ministers of defense, culture and gender equality, officials said.

Rep. Shin Won-sik of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) is considered the most likely candidate to replace Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, who reportedly expressed his intention to resign amid the main opposition party's push to impeach him over his handling of a military investigation into a young Marine's death.

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Labor minister asks rail workers to call off general strike plan

SEOUL -- Labor Minister Lee Jeong-sik on Wednesday urged unionized rail workers to cancel their plan to stage a general strike this week, citing its grave impact on the economy and the people's daily lives.

Lee made the remarks as the Korean Railway Workers' Union has threatened to carry out a general strike from Thursday to Monday to demand an expansion of KTX high-speed train services to include a lucrative station in southern Seoul.

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S. Korea to stage large-scale military parade in Seoul for 1st time in decade

SEOUL -- South Korea will stage a large-scale military parade in central Seoul later this month for the first time in a decade, featuring tanks, fighter jets and other advanced assets, to mark the 75th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, defense officials said Wednesday.

Some 4,000 troops and over 170 pieces of military equipment, including K2 battle tanks, the country's new "high-power" missile, and attack drones, will parade from Sungnyemun Gate to Gwanghwamun Square on Sept. 26 to commemorate the landmark anniversary, according to the officials.

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(LEAD) Industry minister nominee vows swift restoration of nuclear energy ecosystem

SEOUL -- South Korean Industry Minister nominee Bang Moon-kyu vowed Wednesday to expedite efforts to restore and further develop the ecosystem of the country's nuclear power generation industry to better achieve net-zero goals and energy security.

During a parliamentary confirmation hearing, Bang also pledged efforts to boost exports amid unfavorable global business circumstances and to strengthen cooperation with the United States, Japan and other partners on stable supply chains in advanced industry sectors.

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(2nd LD) S. Korea's on-year job additions rebound in Aug.

SEOUL -- South Korea's new job additions rebounded in August after slowing for four consecutive months, but the growth was led mostly by seniors, data showed Wednesday.

The number of employed people came to 28.67 million in August, up 268,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

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(LEAD) U.S. will not hesitate to take action if N. Korea provides weapons to Russia: state dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States will not hesitate in taking any necessary action should North Korea agree to provide weapons to Russia, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday.

Matthew Miller also reiterated that any arms transfer from North Korea to Russia would violate multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

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(LEAD) S. Korea, Airbus discuss joint projects for advanced fighters, technologies

SEOUL -- South Korea's industry ministry said Wednesday it discussed ways with Airbus Defense and Space to boost cooperation on the development of next-generation fighter jets and other advanced technologies.

First Vice Industry Minister Jang Young-jin met with Airbus DS CEO Michael Schoellhorn in Seoul, and exchanged opinions on details about the possible establishment of a research and development center by Airbus in South Korea, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
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