Yonhap News Summary

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

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Cannes-winning actor Song Kang-ho returns home to hero's welcome

SEOUL -- Song Kang-ho received a hero's welcome in South Korea on Monday after winning the country's first best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.

Song arrived at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, along with director Hirokazu Kore-eda and co-stars of "Broker," with about 300 fans and journalists celebrating the historic honor.

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Yoon calls for firm response to N.K. provocations

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol called for a firm response to North Korean provocations during a visit to the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Monday.

It was the first time the president has visited the building shared by the ministry and the JCS after he relocated the presidential office to what used to be the defense ministry's headquarters upon taking office on May 10.

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Biz leaders of S. Korea, Japan discuss economic cooperation in annual conference

SEOUL -- Business leaders of South Korea and Japan on Monday held an annual conference to discuss economic cooperation in the areas of global value chains and exchanges of young talent in the post-pandemic era.

The 54th South Korea-Japan Business Conference, hosted by the Korea-Japan Economic Association (KJEA), was held virtually in Seoul and Tokyo under the theme of "Opening the New Stage in South Korea-Japan Economic Connections."

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Top N. Korean diplomat affirms 'full support' for China's global security proposal

SEOUL -- North Korea threw its weight behind a new global security initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Monday, making clear its geopolitical stance amid a growing rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

In a piece posted on the foreign ministry's website, Vice Minister Pak Myong-ho stressed that Pyongyang's commitment to further boosting relations and cooperation with its most important ally and economic benefactor remains firm "despite the complicated international situation."

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S. Korea's military closely monitoring N. Korea's nuclear facilities amid testing possibility

SEOUL -- South Korea's military said Monday it is keeping close tabs on North Korea's nuclear facilities amid reports Pyongyang may soon carry out a nuclear experiment.

Last week, Victor Cha, a senior vice president and Korea chair at the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, raised the possibility the North could conduct a nuclear test around the U.S. Memorial Day holiday that falls on Monday (local time).

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S. Korea approves project to upgrade Patriot missile defense system

SEOUL -- South Korea approved a 750 billion won (US$605 million) project Monday to upgrade its Patriot missile defense system by 2027, the state arms procurement agency said, in the wake of North Korea's recent missile provocations.

The Defense Project Promotion Committee endorsed the project to procure an unspecified number of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile interceptors and upgrade the PAC-2 launchers into more advanced PAC-3 launchers, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

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Police chief vows to keep rally ban within 100-meter radius of presidential office

SEOUL -- The ongoing police ban on assemblies and demonstrations within a 100-meter radius of the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, will be maintained until the court makes its final judgment on the matter, the city's police chief said Monday.

Kim Chang-yong, commissioner-general of the Korean National Police Agency, told reporters that his agency has signed a contract with a law firm and will make all other possible preparations to ensure that the court will rule in favor of the rally ban near the presidential office.

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Victorious LPGA veteran 'excited' to return to historic major tournament

SEOUL -- As a former champion, South Korean LPGA veteran Ji Eun-hee would have liked nothing better than to return to the U.S. Women's Open, set to tee off Thursday in South Carolina.

She had played at every one of them since her rookie season in 2008 and won it in 2009. But the 36-year-old hadn't yet qualified for this year's U.S. Women's Open, coming into the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play in Las Vegas.

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