Yonhap News Summary

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.

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JCS chief, EU ambassador vow to strengthen military cooperation

SEOUL -- Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Won In-choul met with the European Union's (EU) ambassador to South Korea, Maria Castillo Fernandez, on Wednesday to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the military said.

During the talks, Won expressed his commitment to strengthening cooperation between South Korea and the EU and asked for the union's continued support for the denuclearization of the peninsula, according to the JCS.

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Ex-CIA and N. Korea expert named deputy assistant secretary for East Asia

WASHINGTON -- Jung Pak, a former Central Intelligence Agency official and North Korea expert, said Tuesday she has been named new deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

The announcement came hours after Antony Blinken took office as the top U.S. diplomat.

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Moon to hold online summit meeting with Uzbek president

SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in will hold a summit meeting with the president of Uzbekistan via video link this week to explore ways to deepen the two countries' bilateral cooperation, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.

Moon will hold the meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on Thursday, marking the South Korean leader's first summit meeting of 2021.

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Selective support to pandemic-hit sectors is desirable: IMF

SEOUL -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Wednesday that it would be desirable for South Korea to selectively provide assistance to sectors and people hit hard by the pandemic as economic recovery is uneven.

During a conference call with Finance Minister Hong Nam-Ki, Andreas Bauer, Korea mission chief at the IMF, said South Korea needs to maintain policy support to tackle economic slumps caused by the new coronavirus outbreak.

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S. Korea seeks to tackle demographic cliff amid low birthrate, rapid aging

SEOUL -- South Korea said Wednesday it plans to launch a task force on population policy next month in an effort to preemptively tackle a demographic cliff amid the country's chronic low birthrate and rapid aging.

The third pan-governmental task force will set sail in February to deal with major demographic risks, including a fall in the population and preparation for a super-aged society, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

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Delivery workers announce strike in protest of unchanged conditions

SEOUL -- Delivery workers said Wednesday they will launch a strike later this week, accusing logistics firms of violating the terms of their recent agreement to improve working conditions.

The Parcel Delivery Workers' Solidarity Union said the walkout will begin Friday with the participation of 2,800 members working for private logistics firms, such as Hanjin Transportation Co., Lotte Global Logistics Co. and CJ Logistics Co.

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Gov't imposes stronger virus screening measures on international students

SEOUL -- All international students bound for South Korea should undergo additional coronavirus testing within a day of arrival, the education ministry said Wednesday, in the latest effort to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus.

The ministry announced toughened measures, which will be effective for the first half and aim at protecting students and curbing the community spread of COVID-19.

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Youn Yuh-jung wins her 20th best supporting actress title for 'Minari'

SEOUL -- Youn Yuh-jung, a South Korean supporting actress in the immigration drama "Minari," continued her winning streak in the ongoing U.S. award season in the run-up to the Academy Awards.

In the list of 2021 award winners by the National Board of Review (NBR) released on Wednesday (U.S. time), Youn was named best supporting actress for her performance in the American film written and directed by Korean American Lee Isaac Chung.
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