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≡ Military Under Criticism For Not Detecting N. Korea Boat
[Anchor]
The South Korean military is facing criticism after it failed to detect a North Korean boat that drifted into southern waters last Saturday.
Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo has vowed to punish those responsible and ordered top commanders to tighten discipline and readiness.
Amos Kim reports.
[Reporter]
The defense minister called the case of the boat carrying four North Koreans over the Northern Limit Line a grave situation and demanded the military push for measures to prevent recurrences.
According to witnesses, the boat was found anchored at a dock, and it was civilians who were the first to spot the vessel and reported the case to local police.
When asked by South Korean fishermen where they were from, the North Koreans replied that they were from the North and one asked to borrow a cellphone.
The circumstances have sparked suspicions that they were not stranded but intentionally crossed the border to defect, with two of the crew expressing a desire to remain in the South.
This incident occurred only days after another North Korean fishing boat carrying six crossed the border last Tuesday.
While most defectors choose to cross to China or Russia, there have been previous instances of North Koreans crossing in the southern direction.
One such instance was in 2012 when a North Korean soldier crossed the heavily armed Demilitarized Zone and knocked on the door of a South Korean barracks, where he expressed his desire to defect.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff has said that its overall coastal and maritime defense operations were proceeding normally during the latest incident, but that detecting small wooden boats is often limited depending on weather and other conditions.
Amos Kim, eFM News.■[2019.06.19]
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≡ Xi's Trip To N. Korea Shows Kim's Willingness To Talk: Seoul
The foreign ministry says Chinese President Xi Jinping's planned state visit to North Korea tomorrow indicates leader Kim Jong-un's willingness to stay within the framework of dialogue for denuclearization.
The ministry said the upcoming summit meeting between the two leaders demonstrates that the peace process for the Korean Peninsula is continuing in a negotiation-based structure.
Seoul also expressed hopes that President Xi's visit will lead to the complete denuclearization of the peninsula and permanent peace in the region.■
[2019.06.19]
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≡ Trump Formally Launches 2020 Re-Election Bid
U.S. President Donald Trump has kicked off his re-election campaign with a rally in Florida.
On Tuesday night in Orlando, Trump told thousands of cheering supporters that the U.S. economy was now the envy of the world, saying the American dream is back bigger and better than ever before.
He also complained that he had been "under assault from the very first day" of his presidency by a "fake news media" and "illegal witch hunt" that had tried to keep him and his supporters down.
In addition, Trump painted a disturbing picture of what life would look like if he loses in 2020, telling the crowd that Democrats "want to destroy you and they want to destroy our country as we know it."■
[2019.06.19]
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≡ Govt To Inspect Rainwater Drainage Systems In Preparation For Monsoon Season
The safety ministry says it will start inspecting tomorrow storm water management systems in preparation for the monsoon season this summer.
The ministry will inspect all 115 storm water detention systems nationwide to prevent flooding in lowland areas.
In order to block flooding, the systems temporarily store rainwater and release it when the rain stops.■[2019.06.19]
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≡ Moon To Host Dinner For S. Korea's U-20 Squad
President Moon Jae-in will host South Korea's Under-20 World Cup team at Cheong Wa Dae tonight.
Moon has invited the young football players and staff to the presidential office to celebrate their runner-up finish at the U-20 World Cup in Poland, the country's highest finish at any FIFA men's tournament.
While having dinner with the team, the president is expected to offer words of encouragement and praise their performance, including head coach Chung Jung-yong and midfielder Lee Kang-in, who won the Golden Ball Award at the competition.■[2019.06.19]