Yonhap News Summary

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

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(LEAD) Top diplomats of N. Korea, China agree to strengthen ties, cooperate on peninsula issues

BEIJING/SEOUL -- The top diplomats of China and North Korea have agreed to strengthen their friendly bilateral ties and closely work together to resolve Korean Peninsula issues, Beijing's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho met Monday in Pyongyang and discussed a wide range of issues, including regional security and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to the ministry.

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(LEAD) S. Korean economy grows revised 1 pct on-quarter in Q2: BOK

SEOUL -- South Korea's economy grew at a slower-than-expected pace in the second quarter from three months earlier on sluggish exports and government spending, the central bank said Tuesday.

The country's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 1 percent in the April-June period, rebounding from a 0.4 percent on-quarter contraction the previous quarter, according to preliminary data by the Bank of Korea (BOK).

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(LEAD) Hyundai Motor union OKs wage deal without strike

SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor Co.'s union approved this year's wage and collective bargaining agreement, avoiding a strike for the eighth consecutive year, the union said Tuesday.

In a vote held Monday, 56 percent of 43,871 participating Hyundai workers cast a ballot for a revised wage and collective bargaining deal, the union said in a statement.

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(2nd LD) Consumer price growth hits record low in August

SEJONG -- South Korea's consumer price growth hit a record low in August due mainly to declines in prices of agricultural and petroleum products, government data showed Tuesday.

South Korea's consumer prices remained unchanged at 0.0 percent in August from a year earlier, staying below the 1 percent threshold for the eighth consecutive month, according to the data from Statistics Korea.

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Samsung to launch budget 5G smartphone in S. Korea

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday it will release a mid-range 5G smartphone in South Korea to target budget-conscious consumers and expand its presence in the next-generation wireless market.

Galaxy A90 will be Samsung's first non-flagship smartphone with 5G connectivity, which goes on sale at the price of 900,000 won (US$741) in the domestic market on Wednesday.

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N.K. propaganda outlet calls Seoul 'hypocritical' over joint drill, arms purchase

SEOUL -- A North Korean propaganda outlet on Tuesday lashed out at South Korea over a joint military exercise with the United States and arms purchase, calling it "hypocrisy" to talk about dialogue while "derailing" inter-Korean relations.

Uriminzokkiri, one of the North's propaganda websites, said Seoul should neither have conducted the military exercise with the U.S. nor introduced new weapons, such as F-35A stealth fighters, if it really had a will for dialogue.

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S. Korea names provisional roster for Olympic baseball qualifying tournament

SEOUL -- Some of the biggest stars in the domestic league headlined South Korea's provisional roster for an Olympic baseball qualifying tournament announced on Tuesday, while the country's major leaguers were left off.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) unveiled the 60-man roster for the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12. There were 28 pitchers, five catchers, 15 infielders and 12 outfielders. Only those on the provisional roster will be eligible for the final squad of 28, which must be submitted to the WBSC by Oct. 3.

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5G subscribers in S. Korea near 2 million in July: data

SEOUL -- Almost 2 million South Koreans subscribed to 5G mobile network as of July, with new devices spurring accelerated growth in August from previous months, government data showed Tuesday.

The number of 5G users in the nation reached 1.91 million as of the end of July, adding 574,840 from a month ago, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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U.S. also positive on prompt return of military bases in S. Korea: Seoul ministry

SEOUL -- South Korea's push for a prompt return of American military bases in the country has long been discussed between the allies and the U.S. is also positive on the move, the defense ministry said Tuesday, guarding against any political interpretation of the issue.

Last week, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae vowed to push for a prompt return of 26 U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) bases across the country, sparking speculation that it may signal a possible rift in the alliance following Seoul's decision to terminate a military information-sharing pact with Japan.

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