Yonhap News Summary

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

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(LEAD) Yoon says S. Korea, Japan should discuss past, future issues simultaneously

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol said Friday he believes South Korea and Japan should discuss past and future issues simultaneously to overcome the disputes that have plagued their relations in recent years.

Yoon made the remark to reporters on Air Force One en route home from Spain where he attended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit this week and had multiple encounters with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines.

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Late official's brother urges ex-President Moon to disclose presidential document on 2020 death

SEOUL -- The brother of a fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020 urged former President Moon Jae-in on Friday to unseal classified presidential documents related to the death that the Moon government concluded happened while the official attempted to defect to the North.

The Presidential Archive rejected the request by the family of the late fisheries official, Lee Dae-jin, to look into sealed documents to determine why the Moon government announced he was shot and killed while attempting to defect to the North.

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U.S. military announces plan to transition Korea rotational force to Stryker brigade combat team

SEOUL -- The U.S. Army has announced a plan for the transition this fall of its rotational force in South Korea to a new brigade combat team employing the Stryker armored fighting vehicle in a move to ensure capabilities to "rapidly respond to any acts of aggression."

The planned shift from the current armored brigade combat team (ABCT) to a Stryker brigade combat team (SBCT) comes as Seoul and Washington are striving to sharpen deterrence against evolving North Korean military threats.

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Embattled PPP chief greets Yoon ahead of ethics committee meeting

SEOUL -- Ruling People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok appeared at an airport to greet President Yoon Suk-yeol returning from a trip to Spain, spurring speculation he may try to seek help from the president in connection with sexual bribery allegations against him.

Lee's visit to Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, to welcome Yoon came about a week before the PPP's ethics committee meets to determine whether and how to discipline Lee over allegations that he received sexual services as a bribe about 10 years ago and attempted to cover it up.

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(LEAD) Seoul shares sharply down for 3rd day to 20-month low on recession jitters

SEOUL -- South Korean stocks dropped for a third day to hit a 20-month low Friday as investors dumped market heavyweights, such as chipmakers and chemicals, over recession woes. The Korean won rose against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 27.22 points, or 1.17 percent, to close at 2,305.42.

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Rival parties trade allegations over fisheries official's death

SEOUL -- Rival political parties traded allegations and counter allegations Friday over the 2020 death of a fisheries official at the hands of North Korea, accusing the previous and incumbent presidential offices of misrepresenting investigation results.

The late official, Lee Dae-jun, was fatally shot by the North's military on Sept. 22, 2020, near the inter-Korean sea border in the Yellow Sea, after going missing the previous day while on duty aboard a fishery inspection boat.

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Culture minister vows to lift regulations on gaming industry

SEOUL -- The culture minister on Friday pledged to lift the country's strict regulations on the computer gaming industry, saying "games are not a disease."

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Park Bo-gyoon made the comment during a meeting with industry leaders at the Korea Association of Game Industry in southern Seoul.
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