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≡ Seoul Under Ultrafine Dust Warning As Of 9 AM
An ultrafine dust warning has been issued for Seoul and Gyeonggi province.
Such a warning is issued when the density of fine dust remains over 90 micrograms per cubic meter for more than two hours.
As of 9 a.m. it reached 104 micrograms per cubic meter in Seoul and 110 micrograms in Gyeonggi.
Authorities advise citizens to wear protective masks when outdoors and those with heart and respiratory problems as well as children and the elderly to stay indoors.■
[2018.03.25]
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≡ Moon To Hold Bilateral Summit With United Arab Emirates
President Moon Jae-in will hold a bilateral summit with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi today, on the second day of his four-day state visit to the United Arab Emirates.
During his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Moon is expected to discuss ways to expand the countries' bilateral cooperation in various areas, including the ICT sector and fourth industrial revolution technologies.
President Moon said earlier in an interview with a UAE media outlet that he hopes the two countries will be able to build a strong foundation to develop their relations into a future-oriented strategic partnership.
After the summit, the two leaders will attend a ceremony to sign a related MOU.■
[2018.03.25]
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≡ Parties To Enter Discussion On Constitution Amendment After Moon Submits Bill On Monday
The ruling and opposition parties are expected to clash head-on this week over the ongoing discussion on constitutional revisions, after President Moon Jae-in submits the government's own revision bill to the National Assembly tomorrow as scheduled.
Both rival parties are on the same page in that it should be parliament that leads the amendment plan, but they differ on the timeline for the submission of the revision bill.
The Democratic Party insists that their own proposal should be finalized by May 4th to meet the legal time frame in order to hold a referendum alongside the June local elections.
However, the Liberty Korea Party is strongly opposed to the move, saying it will politicize the issue.
The minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, meanwhile, is also against the government's proposed extension of the presidential term.■[2018.03.25]
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≡ Korea's Economy Contracted 0.2% In Q4: Moody's
Korea's economy is forecast to have contracted slightly in the fourth quarter last year due largely to a slowdown in exports and construction investment.
Moody's Analytics said in its final estimate that Korea's GDP posted a negative growth of minus 0.2 percent in the final quarter of 2017, the same prediction made by the Bank of Korea earlier.
The U.S.-based economic analysis provider, however, added that Korea's near-term growth prospects remain positive, as global growth is projected to remain solid this year, and the government's expansionary policies are likely to lift consumer spending.■
[2018.03.25]
