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≡ Demolition Of N. Korea Nuclear Site Likely To Take Place Later Thursday: Seoul
Seoul's unification ministry says it is highly likely that a ceremony for the dismantlement of North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site will be held later today.
A ministry official said the foreign journalists invited to witness the demolition have already left for the site and the weather is also forecast to be relatively good in the region this afternoon, with rain showers predicted for tomorrow.
However, any confirmation of the dismantlement will not be possible until the reporters get back to their press center as the nuclear site is located in a remote mountainous area where no Internet access is available.■[2018.05.24]
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≡ Constitutional Revision Bill Nullified Due To Lack Of Quorum
A government-proposed bill on a constitutional revision has been nullified as it failed to meet minimum voting requirements at the National Assembly.
Parliament convened a plenary session earlier today to deal with the bill proposed by President Moon Jae-in in March, which called for changing the current single five-year presidential term to a maximum of two successive four-year terms.
However, it was declared void due to the lack of a quorum.
Only 114 ruling party lawmakers took part in the vote -- well short of 192 out of 288 members needed to be valid.
Lawmakers of the Liberty Korea Party and the Bareunmirae Party did not attend the session to boycott the move.
Today is the legal deadline to vote on the bill.■[2018.05.24]
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≡ Prosecutors Raid Samsung Electronics In Probe Into Anti-Union Scheme
Prosecutors have raided Samsung Electronics headquarters as part of a widening probe into the company's alleged sabotage of a labor union.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said investigators hit the management division in Suwon and confiscated documents and computer files.
The firm is suspected of attempting to block the establishment of a labor union and its activities at Samsung Electronics Service, its after-services unit.
Prosecutors are trying to determine if the company's leadership was involved.■
[2018.05.24]
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≡ S. Korea Has No Plan To Revise 3% Growth Target: Finance Minister
Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon says the government has no plan to revise its 3 percent growth target for this year.
In a radio interview this morning, Kim said the situation is not so bad since the economy returned to growth in the first quarter following a contraction in the fourth quarter of last year.
Kim assessed the country as being on track toward its growth target, but there are mixed signals in recent economic indicators.■
[2018.05.24]
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≡ Chinse Tourists Boost Inbound Tourism In S. Korea
Recent data show the number of foreigners who visited South Korea jumped in April mainly due to an influx of Chinese tourists.
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, around 1.3 million foreigners visited the country last month, up about 24 percent compared to a year earlier.
The number of visitors from China surged around 61 percent on-year.
The dramatic increase comes as China allowed partial resumption of group tours to South Korea amid signs of improving ties between the two countries.
Last year, China banned its travel agencies from selling group tours to South Korea in the wake of Seoul's decision to deploy the U.S. missile defense system.■[2018.05.24]