logo
South Korea Requests Arrest Warrant for Former President Yoon

South Korea Requests Arrest Warrant for Former President Yoon

Bloomberg5 days ago

A special counsel investigating former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law has requested an arrest warrant, citing his repeated refusal to comply with summonses, the counsel's office said.
Yoon, who was impeached and removed from office earlier this year, has ignored three formal requests for questioning, including two by police and a third last week from Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk. Cho was appointed by Lee Jae Myung to take over the politically sensitive case following Lee's election victory earlier this month.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US strikes on Iran may strengthen North Korea's nuclear resolve, experts warn
US strikes on Iran may strengthen North Korea's nuclear resolve, experts warn

American Military News

time17 hours ago

  • American Military News

US strikes on Iran may strengthen North Korea's nuclear resolve, experts warn

This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. The U.S. air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities will have reinforced North Korea's perception that possessing nuclear weapons is essential for its survival and may even prompt Pyongyang to accelerate the development of its nuclear capabilities, warned South Korean experts. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that the U.S. had conducted 'massive precision strikes' on three Iranian nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan – that has 'completely and totally obliterated' Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities. The attack on Iran's nuclear sites marks the first offensive action in Israel's war with Iran – a major escalation in tensions in the Middle East – which South Korean analysts warn will make North Korea increasingly resistant to any diplomatic efforts or talks aimed at convincing Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program. 'North Korea must have thought it was a good idea to have nuclear weapons after seeing the U.S. airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities,' Jeong Seong-jang, deputy director of the Sejong Institute, told Radio Free Asia on Monday. In a statement Monday, a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry criticized the U.S. airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities, saying it 'violated the U.N. Charter and international law, which have as their basic principles respect for sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs,' North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. Despite calls by the U.S. and its allies for denuclearization, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pushed for his country to bolster its nuclear capabilities to defend itself, warning earlier this year that 'confrontation with the most vicious hostile countries is inevitable.' While the 'hostile countries' were not named, North Korea regards the U.S. and its ally, South Korea, as its main enemies. In 2003, North Korea withdrew after acceding to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), shortly after the U.S. invaded Iraq. It cited concerns, at the time, that the U.S. was planning a preemptive strike against Pyongyang. 'North Korea is (likely to be) concerned that if it gives up its nuclear weapons, it will end up in a situation similar to Iran, and will not accept future proposals for denuclearization discussions.' He warned the strikes may even prompt North Korea – which conducted its first underground nuclear test in 2006 – to accelerate the development of nuclear submarines in an effort to secure so-called 'second-strike' capabilities – or the ability to launch retaliatory nuclear strikes after a preemptive one. Other South Korean experts echoed similar concerns. 'Kim Jong Un will probably order the relocation, hiding, and concealment of nuclear facilities, as well as the expansion of air defense systems,' Professor Nam Seong-wook of Sookmyung Women's University told RFA. In a social media post, Kim Dong-yeop, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, argued that the U.S. strikes would cause North Korea to further solidify its perception that 'only possession of nuclear weapons can lead to survival' and provide much-needed validation for Pyongyang to hold on to its nuclear arsenal. Since 2006, North Korea has tested nuclear devices six times and has developed missiles believed to be capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. During his first term, Trump held historic summits with Kim Jong Un, hoping to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief, but his high-level diplomacy ultimately failed to achieve a breakthrough. The North has continued to build its nuclear and missile programs. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that North Korea has assembled around 50 warheads and possesses enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more warheads and is accelerating the production of further fissile material. Earlier this year, Pyongyang reiterated that it has no intention of giving up its nuclear program. North Korea would now view diplomatic engagement with the United States as 'foolish' and any future negotiations of denuclearization as futile, Kim Dong-yeop wrote in a social media post on Sunday. 'North Korea will use the Iran situation as an excuse to strengthen its criticism of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation,' he added.

North Korea may send more troops to Russia by August, South Korea says
North Korea may send more troops to Russia by August, South Korea says

American Military News

time17 hours ago

  • American Military News

North Korea may send more troops to Russia by August, South Korea says

This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission. North Korea may deploy more troops to Russia as early as July or August to aid in its war against Ukraine, with recruitment efforts already underway for another wave of military support to Moscow, South Korean intelligence told lawmakers Thursday. Last week, Russia's Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has decided to send 5,000 military construction workers and 1,000 sappers, or combat engineers, to support demining and reconstruction efforts in the Kursk border region, according to Russian state media Tass and RIA Novosti. Since last fall, North Korea has already deployed more than 12,000 troops to Russia to fight Ukrainian forces who occupied parts of the Kursk region in August, according to Ukraine, the United States, and South Korea. In April, Russia and North Korea confirmed their soldiers fought the Ukrainian forces together there but did not disclose how many. In a closed-door meeting on Thursday, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told a parliamentary committee that North Korea recently began recruiting additional troops and will likely send them to Russia in July or August. The NIS noted that North Korea's deployment of military troops to Russia last year also came just a month after Shoigu's visit to the country where he signed an agreement with officials in Pyongyang, said South Korean lawmaker Lee Seong Kweun who attended the briefing. The NIS also said North Korea has been continuing to contribute significantly to Russia's war effort, including providing weapons. Moscow, in turn, provided Pyongyang with economic cooperation, air defense missiles, and radio jamming equipment, it said. Russia has also been providing technical advice to North Korea on satellite launches, drones, and missile guidance capabilities, Lee said, citing the NIS. 'The National Intelligence Service reported that it is working to minimize the impact on the security of the Korean Peninsula as the close relationship between North Korea and Russia may expand due to the additional dispatch of North Korean combat troops,' Lee said. Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited North Korea for talks with Kim Jong Un and signed a mutual defense treaty. Since then, the two countries have aligned closely through military cooperation, including the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia. Reports of North Korean troop deployment to Russia first surfaced last October. While evidence of their presence grew – including when North Korean soldiers were taken captive by Ukrainian forces in Kursk and were interviewed – neither North Korea nor Russia acknowledged their presence until this year in April.

South Korea Calls For ‘Mutually Beneficial' Trade Deal With US
South Korea Calls For ‘Mutually Beneficial' Trade Deal With US

Yahoo

time19 hours ago

  • Yahoo

South Korea Calls For ‘Mutually Beneficial' Trade Deal With US

(Bloomberg) -- South Korea called for a 'mutually beneficial' agreement on trade with the US during its new trade minister's first trip to Washington this week. Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares US Renters Face Storm of Rising Costs Squeezed by Crowds, the Roads of Central Park Are Being Reimagined Sprawl Is Still Not the Answer Mapping the Architectural History of New York's Chinatown Yeo Han-koo held talks that concluded Friday with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, as well as several lawmakers in Washington, ahead of the July 9 deadline to reinstate higher tariffs paused in April. Yeo introduced new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's policy and reaffirmed his commitment to reaching a deal for both sides, according to the ministry in a statement released Saturday. 'The ongoing negotiations are not merely for tariffs but also an opportunity to establish a new framework for future cooperation,' Yeo said in the statement. 'We will fiercely engage in the discussions to ensure the two countries' momentum for cooperation won't be undercut by the tariffs, and to turn the current crisis into an opportunity.' South Korea is a key US ally and major manufacturing hub for cars, semiconductors and batteries. If the 25% across-the-board levies are implemented, that would further undermine an economy that is already facing slowing domestic consumption. The central bank last month slashed its 2025 GDP growth forecast to 0.8% from 1.5%. Yeo also conveyed industry concerns about recent developments in US export control policy, as Washington tightens restrictions on technology transfers to competitors such as China. Lutnick, speaking on Bloomberg Television, said Washington is working to finalize more trade deals with 10 other countries in the coming two weeks in line with the July 9 deadline, though he did not specify which nations. He also said Trump could extend the deadline to facilitate talks, and that negotiating partners will get a 'response.' A senior South Korean official, speaking to reporters in Washington, said Seoul has not yet been informed of any extension and is not in a situation to 'feel assured,' according to Yonhap News. America's Top Consumer-Sentiment Economist Is Worried How to Steal a House Inside Gap's Last-Ditch, Tariff-Addled Turnaround Push Luxury Counterfeiters Keep Outsmarting the Makers of $10,000 Handbags Apple Test-Drives Big-Screen Movie Strategy With F1 ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store