Yonhap News Summary

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

-----------------
(LEAD) Biden sends letter to Yoon expressing willingness for talks on IRA

SEOUL -- U.S. President Joe Biden has sent a letter to President Yoon Suk-yeol expressing his willingness to continue frank and open-minded talks on the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, a presidential official said Wednesday.

Biden also said in the letter the previous day that he is well aware of Yoon's concerns about the IRA, the official told reporters.

-----------------
Culture minister says will make decision on BTS' military service issue by December

SEOUL -- Culture Minister Park Bo-gyoon said Wednesday his ministry will determine whether to give K-pop superstar BTS exemptions from active military service by December, after which the band's oldest member has to join the Army.

"The ministry will determine its position as early as possible as the conscription issue of BTS' oldest member Jin will be concluded in December," Park said responding to a request from Rep. Lee Yong-ho of the ruling People Power Party to positively consider granting the team exemptions.

-----------------
(LEAD) Unification minister meets German president, discusses N.K. denuclearization, unification

BERLIN/SEOUL -- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed "full support" for South Korea's "audacious initiative" designed to help North Korea improve its economy in return for denuclearization steps, Seoul unification minister said Tuesday following a bilateral meeting.

Kwon Young-se, South Korea's top point man on North Korea, paid a courtesy call on Steinmeier during his four-day trip to Germany to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of Berlin's unification.

-----------------
S. Korean envoy condemns N.K. nuclear, missile activities at U.N. meeting

NEW YORK -- South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations has strongly condemned North Korea's continued nuclear and missile activities, addressing a U.N. session.

In a keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly's first committee meeting in New York on Tuesday, Hwang Joon-kook urged Pyongyang to respond to Seoul's "audacious initiative" designed to help the North develop its economy in exchange for denuclearization steps.

-----------------
PM to visit Chile, Uruguay, Argentina next week

SEOUL -- Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will depart for Chile next week for a three-nation trip that will also take him to Uruguay and Argentina, as Seoul seeks to bolster economic cooperation with the Latin American nations, officials said Wednesday.

During talks with leaders of the three nations, Han will also ask them to support South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern port city of Busan, the Office for Government Policy Coordination said in a statement.

-----------------
Inflation likely to remain high in 5-6 pct range for considerable time: BOK official

SEOUL -- South Korea's inflation is expected to remain high in the 5-6 percent range for a considerable time, a ranking central bank official said Wednesday, citing upward rises in the energy and currency markets.

Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 5.6 percent last month from a year earlier, slowing from a 5.7 percent rise in August, according to the data from Statistics Korea.
(END)