International

South Korea's central bank held its key interest rate steady for the fifth straight time on Thursday as it weighs a slowdown in growth amid moderating inflation.According to Yonhap News Agency, the monetary policy board of the Bank of Korea (BOK) kept the benchmark seven-day repo rate unchanged at 3.5%.This marked the fifth straight time that the BOK has stood pat following rate freezes in February, April, May and July. The rate freezes came after the BOK delivered seven consecutive rate hikes from April 2022 to January 2023.The central bank said inflation has slowed, but it will likely pick up again later this year, hovering above its target level for a considerable time.Asia's fourth-largest economy is facing the prospect of slowing down in the face of growing economic risks in China, the country's largest trading partner, and an extended slump in outbound shipments amid easing inflationary pressure.The central bank maintained its growth outlook for the year at 1.4%. In May, the bank cut its growth projection for Asia's fourth-largest economy to 1.4% from the 1.6% predicted three months earlier.Given the growing uncertainties, the central bank cut its growth projection for next year to 2.2% from May's 2.3%.South Korea's economy grew at a slightly faster pace of 0.6% in the second quarter of this year than three months earlier despite a slump in exports. In the first quarter, the economy expanded 0.3% following a 0.3% contraction.Last year, the country's economy grew 2.6%, slowing from a 4.1% advance in 2021 and marking the slowest pace since 2020, when the economy contracted 0.7% amid the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. (QNA)

Seoul's mayor vowed on Wednesday to increase the number of surveillance cameras in city parks following the brutal rape and murder of a teacher on a busy hiking trail last week.Police have accused the suspect -- identified on Wednesday as Choi Yun-jong -- of selecting his victim at random and lying in wait on a section of trail in Seoul's Sillim district that he knew was not covered by CCTV. He then allegedly beat and raped the woman, who later died of her injuries.The crime has shocked South Korea and sparked outraged calls for a councilman in the district, who announced last year on YouTube he was cutting the area's "women's safety" budget, to resign."The crime was meticulously planned (and) he attempted to sexually assault a random woman in a public place, causing her death," police said of the suspect, according to the Yonhap news agency.Suspects' identities are not typically made public in South Korea, but police said Wednesday they had decided to identify the man "in consideration of public interest, such as people's anxiety over repeated crimes", Yonhap reported.The victim, who has been identified only as a female elementary school teacher in her 30s, was seriously injured and died at the hospital two days later, Yonhap added.Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon said Wednesday the city would increase the number of surveillance cameras in parks and on hiking trails across the capital to reduce "crime blind spots"."Seoul was famous as a city where women could feel safe walking alone," he said. "If indiscriminate crimes continue, Seoul's image as a safe city could be tarnished."South Korea is generally a very safe country, with a murder rate of 1.3 per 100,000 people in 2021, according to official statistics.But the country has witnessed a string of high-profile violent crime incidents in recent weeks, including two mass stabbings.

The South Korean Navy will participate in an annual multinational humanitarian assistance exercise in the Indo-Pacific later this month to sharpen combined operational capabilities, the armed service said Wednesday.South Korea's News Agency (Yonhap) said that it plans to send its Cheonjabong landing ship as well as 180 personnel, including Marines, to the Pacific Partnership exercise, which began on Aug. 9 and will run through Nov. 21.Its contingent is set to join parts of the exercise in the Philippines and Malaysia from Aug. 21-Sept. 16."The exercise is a good opportunity to improve capabilities for humanitarian assistance and disaster responses in cooperation with multinational forces, and enhance military cooperation with the participating countries," a Korean Navy official said.The exercise involves personnel from South Korea, the United States, Australia, Britain, Japan and New Zealand. It was launched in 2004 as part of an effort to overcome the damage wrought by a tsunami that hit South and Southeast Asia.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday called former colonial ruler Japan a "partner" that shares his country's values and common interests as he aims to strengthen ties with Tokyo in response to North Korea's growing nuclear threats.Relations between the North and South are at one of their lowest points in decades, with diplomacy stalled and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calling for increased weapons development, including tactical nukes.In response, Yoon has pulled South Korea closer to long-standing ally Washington while seeking to bury the hatchet with former colonial power Japan.The three are set to hold a trilateral summit in the United States on Friday, during which the leaders are expected to announce plans for expanding military cooperation.The summit "will set a new milestone in trilateral cooperation contributing to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo Pacific region," Yoon said.Seoul and Tokyo, key US security allies, have long been at odds over historical issues tied to Japan's brutal 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean peninsula, such as sexual slavery and forced labour.But speaking at an event marking the anniversary of liberation from Japan's rule, Yoon said the two "are now partners who share universal values and pursue common interests".He reiterated that Tokyo, Seoul and Washington must "share North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles data in real-time"."The seven rear bases provided to the United Nations Command(UNC) by the government of Japan serve as the greatest deterrent" to an invasion by the North, he added.The three allies said in June that they aimed to launch before the end of 2023 a system allowing the sharing of real-time missile warning data.-'Audacious plan'-August 15 -- known in the South as Gwangbokjeol, or Liberation Day -- is the only public holiday celebrated in both North and South Korea, according to Seoul's National Institute for Unification Education.On last year's anniversary, Yoon offered Pyongyang an "audacious" aid plan that would include food, energy and infrastructure help in return for the North abandoning its nuclear weapons programme. Pyongyang has since ridiculed the offer, calling it the "height of absurdity" and a deal it would never accept, but Yoon on Tuesday said Seoul would "steadfastly implement" the plan and continue attempting to convince Pyongyang to return to dialogue.North Korea's leader recently called for stepping up war preparations "in an offensive way" as well as a "drastic boost" in missile production.Kim last month oversaw a dramatic military parade featuring new attack drones and Pyongyang's nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, flanked by visiting Russian and Chinese officials.Some experts said the attendance of Moscow's defense minister showed Russia's readiness to expand military cooperation with Pyongyang.North Korean state media on Tuesday said Kim had exchanged letters with Russian President Vladimir Putin to mark the August 15 anniversary."This holiday is a symbol of bravery and heroism of the Red Army soldiers and the Korean patriots who fought together to liberate Korea from Japan's colonial rule," Putin told Kim in his letter, according to KCNA, adding: "I am sure that we will strengthen the bilateral cooperation in all fields."Kim wrote to Putin: "The two countries will always emerge victorious, strongly supporting and cooperating with each other in the course of achieving their common goal and cause."Last month, Putin hailed Pyongyang's "firm support for special military operations against Ukraine".

The death toll from floods caused by heavy rains in South Korea has risen to 39 dead and 34 injured, while nine people are still missing.Four more bodies have been recovered from a once-flooded underground road in central South Korea, indicating that casualties could rise as rescuers continue an operation to drain and search the flooded underpass, where more than 10 vehicles are believed to be submerged, South Korean news agency (Yonhap) quoted officials as saying.Downpours have also damaged 628 public facilities and 317 other private properties, including 146 roads that collapsed or were swept away and 139 flooded homes, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced said in his statements that the mobilization of all available resources and all measures, including designating damage areas as special disaster areas to deal with the repercussions of the heavy rains.Since the end of last week, South Korea has been experiencing heavy rains that led to landslides and temporarily cut off electricity in several regions of the country, while more than 7,000 people were forced to flee their homes and moved to safe places away from the floods.

North Korea said Monday it conducted drills simulating a tactical nuclear counterattack against its enemies over the weekend, as the United States and South Korea are staging their joint annual military exercise.The North's leader Kim Jong-un "guided" the exercises of its military units operating tactical nuclear weapons Saturday and Sunday, including a ballistic missile launch drill, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).Kim called for fully establishing the country's readiness posture for nuclear attacks against its enemies, as the US and the South have been "frantically" carrying out a "rehearsal of invasion" of the North, involving American military assets."We cannot deter the war only with the fact that we are a nuclear state. Only when we complete the country's readiness posture for nuclear attacks that can be operated swiftly and accurately at any time, we can fulfill the important, strategic mission of deterring war," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.The North said it conducted a drill to review the reliability of its tactical nuclear force Saturday. On Sunday morning, the country held a ballistic missile launch drill simulating the country carrying out a tactical nuclear attack in a bid to check the operational reliability of its nuclear explosion control devices and detonators, according to the KCNA. It said the missile, fired from Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, precisely "exploded in the air" at a height of 800 meters above the East Sea, after flying 800 kilometres, Yonhap News Agency reported.South Korea's military said Sunday it detected the firing of a short-range ballistic missile from the Tongchang-ri area in the North's western part toward the East Sea.The Freedom Shield military exercise of the allies are under way in and around the peninsula, aimed at bolstering their defense posture against the North's evolving nuclear and missile threats.

A civilian helicopter crashed in the small eastern town of Yeongwol in South Korea on Wednesday, leaving both passengers on board dead.Local fire authorities and police said the aircraft carrying two passengers crashed into the town located 138 kilometres east of Seoul, South Korea's News Agency (Yonhap) reported.The two victims, a 65-year-old pilot and a 51-year-old freight company official, were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.Police suspect the aircraft which was transporting electric wires for the construction of a transmission tower, may have come into contact with a transmission line, causing the accident.

Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine on Sunday, state news agency KCNA said on Monday, just as US-South Korea military drills were due to begin."Strategic" is typically used to describe weapons that have a nuclear capability.KCNA said the launch confirmed the reliability of the system and tested the underwater offensive operations of the submarine units that form part of North Korea's nuclear deterrent.South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the military was on high alert and the country's intelligence agency was working with its US counterpart to analyse the specifics of the launch.On Monday, South Korean and American troops were scheduled to begin 11 days of joint drills, dubbed "Freedom Shield 23," which will be held on a scale not seen since 2017.The drills will strengthen the allies' combined defensive posture, the two militaries have said, and will feature field exercises including amphibious landings.North Korea has long bristled over drills it regards as a rehearsal for invasion. It has conducted a record number of missile tests and drills in the past year in what it says is an effort to boost its nuclear deterrent and make more weapons fully operational."It's very regretful that North Korea is using our regular, defensive drills as a pretext for provocation," said Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson for South Korea's unification ministry handling relations with the North. "I hope North Korea realises that there is nothing they can earn from escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula."The submarine launches aimed to show North Korea's determination to control a situation in which, KCNA said, "the US imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces are getting evermore undisguised in their anti-DPRK military manoeuvres."DPRK stands for North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.KCNA said the strategic cruise missiles were fired from the "8.24 Yongung" submarine in the water off the east coast of Korea in the early hours of Sunday.The missiles travelled some 1,500 kilometres before hitting a target in the sea, the KCNA report said.A JCS spokesperson said not everything North Korea claimed was accurate, but he did not give further details.It is unclear whether North Korea has fully developed the miniaturised nuclear warheads needed to fit on such missiles. Analysts say that perfecting smaller warheads would most likely be a key goal if the North resumes nuclear testing.Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said that North Korean cruise missiles launched from a submarine represent a threat the United States, and its allies must take seriously, but that Pyongyang could be exaggerating its capabilities."The Kim regime wants to show it can match or surpass military capabilities on display during US-South Korea defence exercises. Yet the reality is North Korean soldiers are poorly fed and are being ordered to help farmers address the country’s food shortage," Easley said.Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said there was no information that the missile flew toward Japan's waters or caused any damage."If North Korea's announcement that the missile had a range of more than 1,500 kilometres was true, it would pose threats to the region's peace and stability - we are concerned," Matsuno said.He said US military deterrence in Asia-Pacific is "essential" in the region, adding the North "may step onto further provocative acts such as a nuclear test."North Korea has a large submarine fleet but the 8.24 Yongung (August 24th Hero) is its only known experimental ballistic missile submarine. Analysts say it plays a critical role in the development of missiles, submarine technology and operational procedures, as well as hands-on training of new submariners.North Korea has said it is building an operational ballistic missile submarine.While overseeing a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launching exercise on Thursday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the military to intensify drills to deter and respond to a "real war" if necessary.On Sunday state media reported that Kim led a ruling party meeting to discuss and decide on "important, practical measures" to boost the country's war deterrence in the midst of stepped-up actions by the United States and South Korea. The report did not provide specifics on the measures.

A firefighter died while trying to put out the main wildfire at Mount Jiri National Park in southern South Korea, 21 hours after it started, having burned more than 900,000 hectares of woodland.A firefighter was killed in responding to the blaze that began in the mountainous town of Hadong, 286 kilometres south of Seoul, according to the Korea Forest Service (KFS). It had spread to nearby areas before the main fire was put out around noon Sunday.Some 75 residents were forced to evacuate their homes, but no other casualties were reported, the KFS said.The fire scorched an estimated 910,000 hectares of woodland, it added.The authorities are working to put out the remaining fires and plan to launch a probe into what caused them, according to the agency.

North Korea has decided to take "important, practical" measures for the "offensive use" of war deterrents, state media said Sunday, with the United States and South Korea set to launch their joint military exercise this week.The decision was made at an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), presided over by leader Kim Jong-un, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).Washington and Seoul are scheduled to kick off the Freedom Shield (FS) exercise Monday for an 11-day run, along with a large-scale field maneuver, called the Warrior Shield."The meeting discussed and adopted the important practical steps for making more effective, powerful and offensive use of the war deterrent of the country in coping with the present situation in which the war provocations of the US and South Korea are reaching the red-line," the KCNA said in an English-language dispatch, cited by Yonhap news agency. It did not specify what the practical measures would be.The North is widely expected to conduct weapons tests timed with the allies' combined military exercises, which Pyongyang has long denounced as a rehearsal for an invasion.Kim inspected a "fire assault drill," simulating its attack on the enemy's airfield, last week in a bid to check the "actual war" readiness posture of its military.His younger sister Kim Yo-jong earlier warned her country is ready to take "overwhelming" actions against military activities by the US and the South.

South Korean firefighting teams managed Thursday morning to control a forest fire in the southeastern town of Hapcheon.The Korea Forest Service said in a statement that the fire started on a hill in the Hapcheon, about 355 kilometres southeast of Seoul on Wednesday and quickly spread due to strong winds.The main body of the fire was contained at around 10 am Thursday, after damaging 163 hectares of forest area, equivalent to the size of 228 football fields.No casualties or property damage have been reported. A total of 214 people from six villages were evacuated Wednesday and returned home Thursday morning.Over the course of two days, a total of 2,970 personnel and 152 pieces of equipment, including firetrucks, were deployed to extinguish the wildfire.Officials said 10 helicopters and 830 personnel will remain on standby.The authorities plan to investigate the exact cause of the fire as soon as all remaining flames are extinguished.

The UN called for practical steps to reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula, saying that the situation on the Korean Peninsula continues to head in the wrong direction due to "the negative action-reaction cycle."The Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia, and Pacific Khaled Khiari said in a speech to the UN Security Council that "the DPRK needs to take immediate steps to resume dialogue leading to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula; this should include the DPRK refraining from carrying out further launches using ballistic missile technology or nuclear tests."Khiari affirmed the need to avoid an unintended escalation indicating that "Communication channels must be enhanced, particularly military to military. Avoiding confrontational rhetoric will help to lower political tensions and create space to explore diplomatic avenues.""Diplomacy not isolation - is the only way forward." he added.In this context, the UN official welcomed the Council's commitment to a peaceful, comprehensive, diplomatic and peaceful solution."We welcome the Security Council's commitment to a peaceful, comprehensive, diplomatic, and political solution to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the importance the Council has placed on working to reduce tensions," Khiari said.On Monday, the South Korean announced that North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, one day after South Korea and the US staged joint air drills, involving B-1B bombers, in response to the North's long-range missile launch.The launch is the third of its kind this year and came two days after Pyongyang launched its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and short-range ballistic missile on Jan 1.

South Korea said Monday it has decided to impose additional independent sanctions on North Korea in response to its latest long-range ballistic missile launch and the firing of two short-range ballistic missiles.The government is imposing the sanctions on four individuals and five institutions involved in the secretive regime's nuclear and missile development programs or helping Pyongyang evade sanctions, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement carried by (Yonhap) news agency.Those blacklisted include Ri Song-un, former economic and commercial counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Mongolia. Ri is known to have negotiated trade deals involving weapons and luxury goods, the ministry said.Among the organisations facing Seoul's measure are Songwon Shipping & Management, and Korea Daizin Trading Corp.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, after re-deploying a nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier off the coast of South Korea.This comes one day after South Korea and the United States staged joint air drills, involving B-1B bombers, in response to the North's long-range missile launch.The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from the Sukchon area in South Pyongyang Province between 6:01 am and 6:23 am (local time), and that the missiles flew some 390 kms and 340 km, respectively, Yonhap News Agency reported.Hours after the launch, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the artillery unit of the Korean People's Army fired two shots from the 600-mm multiple rocket launcher during firing drills, and that they flew 395 km and 337 km, respectively.Leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, issued yet another warning and bristled at the United States for trying to turn the UN Security Council into what she called a "tool for its heinous hostile policy" toward Pyongyang."I warn that we will watch every movement of the enemy and take corresponding and very powerful and overwhelming counteraction against its every move hostile to us," she said in a statement.On Sunday, the allies carried out the air drills, involving the US bombers and South Korean F-35A stealth jets, as the North launched what it claimed to be a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the previous day.

North Korea fires first missile since Jan. 1Pyongyang had warned of 'strong' response over drillsJapan and South Korea condemn launchNorth Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off Japan's west coast on Saturday after warning of a strong response to upcoming military drills by South Korea and the United States.Japanese authorities said the missile plunged into waters inside Japan's exclusive economic zone more than an hour after it was launched, suggesting the weapon was one of Pyongyang's largest missiles.Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kisihda said the missile appeared to have been ICBM-class, referring to an intercontinental ballistic missile. He told a briefing Japan strongly condemned the launch, calling it a threat to the international community.Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile appeared to have a range of more than 14,000 km - sufficient to reach the US mainland.Tokyo said there were no immediate reports of damage to ships or aircraft.In South Korea, which denounced the launch as a "clear breach of UN Security Council resolutions", the joint chiefs of staff said the missile had flown about 900 km before splashing into the sea.North Korea's first missile firing since Jan. 1 came after Pyongyang threatened on Friday an "unprecedentedly persistent, strong" response as South Korea and the United States gear up for annual military exercises as part of efforts to fend off the North's growing nuclear and missile threats.Following Saturday's launch, South Korea's National Security Council convened a meeting and agreed to increase cooperation on security with Washington and Japan.The White House strongly condemned the launch and said it would take all necessary measures to protect the US homeland and regional allies.The launch "needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region," Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said in a statement.The US Indo-Pacific Command said the launch did not pose an immediate threat to the US or its allies.Nuclear-armed North Korea fired an unprecedented number of missiles last year, including ICBMs that are capable of striking anywhere in the United States, while resuming preparations for its first nuclear test since 2017.Saturday's missile was launched from the Sunan area near Pyongyang, South Korea's military said. Sunan is the site of the Pyongyang International Airport, where North Korea has conducted most of its recent ICBM tests.North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes are banned under UN Security Council resolutions, but Pyongyang says its weapons development is necessary to counter "hostile policies" by Washington and its allies.Allied nuclear drills, called the Deterrence Strategy Committee Tabletop Exercise, are scheduled for Wednesday at the Pentagon and will involve senior defence policymakers from both sides, Seoul's Defence Ministry said.The two countries are also planning a range of expanded field exercises, including live fire drills, in the coming weeks and months.Some 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a full peace treaty, leaving the parties technically at war.Pyongyang may have created a military unit tasked with operating new ICBMs, in line with its recent restructuring of the military, state media video footage from a Feb. 9 parade suggested.That parade displayed more ICBMs than ever before, including a possible new solid-fuel weapon, which could help the North deploy its missiles faster in the event of a war."North Korean missile firings are often tests of technologies under development, and it will be notable if Pyongyang claims progress with a long-range solid-fuel missile," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha University in Seoul.

Nine fishermen went missing, while three others have been rescued, as their fishing boat capsized in the waters off the southwestern coast of South Korea.Local authorities said that three crew members were rescued by a nearby boat, while nine people were still missing, as they may be trapped inside the overturned boat. The local authorities also indicated that search operations are still underway by the rescue teams of the South Korean Coast Guard, Yonhap news agency reported.Authorities indicated that the 24-ton vessel had overturned in waters 16.6 kilometres west of the island of Daebichi. The uninhabited island lies some 20 km from the southwestern county of Sinan.It is not the first time that South Korea witnessed a boat sinking this year. On January 25, a cargo ship sank off Jeju Island in southern South Korea.

A Hong Kong-registered cargo ship carrying 22 crew members sank off South Korea's southern island of Jeju on Wednesday.Five of the crew were rescued, while a search is under way for the others, the Coast Guard in South Korea said.Fourteen Chinese and eight Myanmarese crew members were aboard the Jin Tian, a 6,551-ton, wood-carrying ship, when it sent out a distress signal in waters 148.2 kilometers southeast of the city of Seogwipo on Jeju Island, the Coast Guard said in a statement reported by Yonhap News Agency.The ship was completely submerged when Coast Guard personnel arrived at the scene.Five of the crew members were rescued by other ships that were sailing by, officials said, adding the Coast Guard is conducting a joint search and rescue operation with their Japanese counterparts for the 17 others.The Coast Guard said the ship appears to have gone down when it sent the distress signal via the emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), an emergency locator system.

South Korea will drop rules that require people to wear masks in most indoor spaces, authorities said Friday, ending one of the country's last major pandemic restrictions as Covid-19 cases dwindle.From January 30, it will no longer be mandatory to wear facemasks in most indoor spaces, except on public transport and in medical facilities.The mask mandate has been in place since October 2020, and is one of South Korea's last remaining pandemic-era restrictions, with other rules from business curfews to social distancing long dropped.The country still makes it mandatory for those who get officially diagnosed with Covid to isolate themselves for seven days."The adjustments on the mandatory indoor mask mandate will be implemented from Monday, January 30th, after the Lunar New Year holiday," said Jee Young-mee, the head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said the plan was to change the indoor mask mandate from "required to recommended," he told a government Covid response meeting.He said the decision had been made in view of the country's solid medical response capabilities, the decreased number of critical cases and deaths from the coronavirus, and a downward trend in new infections."External risk factors were also judged to be sufficiently manageable," he said, in an apparent reference to Seoul's response to the recent surge in cases in China.Seoul earlier this month implemented a host of new rules for visitors from China, including visa restrictions and testing requirements.China last week suspended issuing short-term visas to South Koreans, in apparent retaliation for restrictions imposed on Chinese travellers over outbreak concerns.Almost 30 million South Koreans have been infected with Covid, and more than 33,000 have died, according to official data.The country was hit by one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China, where the coronavirus was first detected.Its early response to the pandemic -- which involved mass testing and aggressive contact tracing while never imposing a compulsory lockdown -- was praised as a model for containing the pandemic at the time.

South Korean police on Friday blamed negligence and planning failures for last year's Halloween crowd crush in Seoul that killed more than 150 people.Scores of young costumed partygoers, mostly women in their 20s, died in the disaster on October 29 in the capital's popular Itaewon nightlife area.A special team that spent months combing through evidence and interviewing officials, said at the end of its probe that there had been massive planning and response failures -- but stopped short of blaming any top government or national policy agency officials."Organisations that are legally obligated to prevent and respond to disasters -- police, district offices and Seoul Metro -- did not establish safety measures in advance or came up with poor plans," Sohn Jae-han, the team's head, told reporters."Appropriate measures were not taken even after receiving rescue requests" on the day of the disaster, he said.Poor cooperation between agencies and delays in communications and relief efforts contributed to a higher death toll, he added.Six people have been arrested due to the probe -- including Lee Im-jae, the former head of the Yongsan Police Station, which oversees Itaewon, and Park Hee-young, the head of the Yongsan district office.Both Lee and Park are being held in detention on charges of professional negligence resulting in death.In December, a teenager who had survived the crush was found dead in an apparent suicide, with officials ruling he should be considered a victim of the disaster, and raising the death toll to 159.- No top government officials liable –But the team did not blame any officials from the Seoul city government, the interior ministry, or the national policy agency, Sohn said, as it was "difficult to conclude that there was a concrete violation of duty".Interior Minister Lee Sang-min has faced mounting pressure to step down over the tragedy.Shortly after the crush, he was widely criticised for claiming that having more fire department and police personnel in Itaewon would not have prevented the disaster.He has since repeatedly apologised -- including in person last week to the families of the victims -- but has not offered to resign.South Korea's rapid transformation from a war-torn, impoverished backwater to Asia's fourth-largest economy and a global cultural powerhouse is a source of its national pride.But a series of preventable disasters -- such as the Halloween crush and the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking that killed 304 people -- has shaken public confidence in the authorities.

South Korea's unmanned space vehicle Danuri has successfully entered the orbit of the moon earlier than planned, the South Korean science ministry said Wednesday.Danuri, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, was captured by the moon's gravity on Tuesday and began rotation, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.It was achieved after three rounds of lunar orbit insertion (LOI) maneuvers since the first one held on Dec. 17.Danuri was scheduled to achieve the lunar orbit on Thursday after performing a total of five rounds of LOI maneuvers, the adjustment process for a space vehicle to lower its speed and commit itself to the gravity of the moon.The space vehicle will measure terrain, magnetic strengths, gamma rays and other traits of the lunar surface using six onboard instruments during its yearlong mission starting in January. The orbiter will also identify potential landing sites for future lunar missions.Danuri, South Korea's first space mission beyond Earth's orbit, was launched in August aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the U.S. state of Florida for South Korea's first lunar mission. It has traveled a cumulative 5.94 million kilometres so far.