China's deadly Coronavirus has taken the lives of three in China, South Korea has confirmed the emergence of one case and Thailand has confirmed two. Travellers from China are to be screened at airports. Watch report:

South Korea confirms 1st case of Coronavirus, 2 cases reported in Thailand

South Korean thriller "Parasite" was the upset winner at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards on Sunday, while Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger were named best actors, cementing their roles as frontrunners at the Oscars next month.

'Parasite,'&nbsp;the Korean language social satire about the wealth gap in South Korea, was the first film in a foreign language to win the top prize of best cast ensemble in the 26 year history of the SAG awards.

Despite an unknown cast, it beat homegrown Hollywood movies "The Irishman" and "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" which both have A-list stars. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/sag-awards-2020-parasite-wins-top-honours-heres-the-list-of-key-winners-275358">See full list of winners here</a>

The SAG awards, which focus entirely on performances, are closely watched as an indicator of Oscar success because actors form the largest voting group in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"Parasite" director Bong Joon Ho said backstage that no-one could predict what might happen at the Oscars on Feb. 9

Speaking through an interpreter he added; "It is true that the momentum is building and we are a part of the awards race and campaign. But what happened today, what’s truly important, is that these actors were acknowledged by fellow peers as the best ensemble cast of this year."<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/sag-awards-2020-robert-de-niro-wins-lifetime-award-takes-a-shot-at-donald-trump-275351">Robert De Niro wins lifetime award; takes a shot at Donald Trump</a>

Phoenix's terrifying performance as a loner who finds fame through violence in "Joker" has swept awards season.

"I am standing on the shoulders of my favorite actor - Heath Ledger," Phoenix said on Sunday, referring to the actor who won a posthumous Oscar in 2009 for his turn playing the comic book villain.

Zellweger, likewise, has picked up most of the prizes so far for her performance as a desperate, aging Judy Garland in biopic "Judy."

Brad Pitt picked up another trophy for his supporting role as a charming stunt man in "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood," while Laura Dern was named best supporting actress for playing a ruthless divorce lawyer in Netflix &lt;NFLX.O&gt; domestic drama "Marriage Story."

"It was a difficult part," quipped Pitt of his role. "A guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesn't get on with his wife. It was a big stretch," he said to laughter, riffing on his own life as a twice-divorced Hollywood heartthrob.

DISAPPOINTING NIGHT FOR 'IRISHMAN'

Sexual harassment drama "Bombshell" went into Sunday's awards with a leading four nods but emerged empty-handed.

Martin Scorsese's $170 million Netflix &lt;NFLX.O&gt; gangster movie "The Irishman" had another disappointing night, despite a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.

Several of the contenders for best picture at the Oscars on Feb. 9 were not nominated for best movie cast ensemble at SAG.

Those left out include immersive World War One film "1917," the big winner at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, as well as "Joker," "Marriage Story," and novel adaptation "Little Women."

De Niro, whose lead performance in "The Irishman" has been snubbed by the Oscars, Golden Globes and SAG, was given a lifetime achievement award at the SAG dinner and used his speech to take a veiled shot at U.S. President Donald Trump.

In television, Jennifer Aniston was an upset winner for her role as a TV anchor in "The Morning Show," bringing the second award this year for the new Apple TV+ &lt;AAPL.O&gt; streaming service. Her co-star Billy Crudup won a Critics Choice award last week.

Comedy "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel" and British royal drama "The Crown" took the prizes for their TV ensemble casts. But "Mrs Maisel" actress Alex Borstein said the comedy prize should have gone to quirky British comedy "Fleabag."

Moments earlier, "Fleabag" creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge accepted the best television comedy actress statuette, capping a year of multiple awards for her and the show.

"This whole thing has been a dream and if I wake up tomorrow and find it's been just that, thank you. It's been the most beautiful dream," Waller-Bridge said.

South Korean thriller "Parasite" was the upset winner at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards on Sunday, while Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger were named best actors, cementing their roles as frontrunners at the Oscars next month.

South Korean thriller "Parasite" was the upset winner at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards on Sunday, while Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger were named best actors, cementing their roles as frontrunners at the Oscars next month. 'Parasite,' the Korean language social satire about the wealth gap in South Korea, was the first film in a foreign language to win the top prize of best cast ensemble in the 26 year history of the SAG awards. Despite an unknown cast, it beat homegrown Hollywood movies "The Irishman" and "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" which both have A-list stars. See full list of winners here The SAG awards, which focus entirely on performances, are closely watched as an indicator of Oscar success because actors form the largest voting group in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "Parasite" director Bong Joon Ho said backstage that no-one could predict what might happen at the Oscars on Feb. 9 Speaking through an interpreter he added; "It is true that the momentum is building and we are a part of the awards race and campaign. But what happened today, what’s truly important, is that these actors were acknowledged by fellow peers as the best ensemble cast of this year."Robert De Niro wins lifetime award; takes a shot at Donald Trump Phoenix's terrifying performance as a loner who finds fame through violence in "Joker" has swept awards season. "I am standing on the shoulders of my favorite actor - Heath Ledger," Phoenix said on Sunday, referring to the actor who won a posthumous Oscar in 2009 for his turn playing the comic book villain. Zellweger, likewise, has picked up most of the prizes so far for her performance as a desperate, aging Judy Garland in biopic "Judy." Brad Pitt picked up another trophy for his supporting role as a charming stunt man in "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood," while Laura Dern was named best supporting actress for playing a ruthless divorce lawyer in Netflix <NFLX.O> domestic drama "Marriage Story." "It was a difficult part," quipped Pitt of his role. "A guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesn't get on with his wife. It was a big stretch," he said to laughter, riffing on his own life as a twice-divorced Hollywood heartthrob. DISAPPOINTING NIGHT FOR 'IRISHMAN' Sexual harassment drama "Bombshell" went into Sunday's awards with a leading four nods but emerged empty-handed. Martin Scorsese's $170 million Netflix <NFLX.O> gangster movie "The Irishman" had another disappointing night, despite a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Several of the contenders for best picture at the Oscars on Feb. 9 were not nominated for best movie cast ensemble at SAG. Those left out include immersive World War One film "1917," the big winner at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, as well as "Joker," "Marriage Story," and novel adaptation "Little Women." De Niro, whose lead performance in "The Irishman" has been snubbed by the Oscars, Golden Globes and SAG, was given a lifetime achievement award at the SAG dinner and used his speech to take a veiled shot at U.S. President Donald Trump. In television, Jennifer Aniston was an upset winner for her role as a TV anchor in "The Morning Show," bringing the second award this year for the new Apple TV+ <AAPL.O> streaming service. Her co-star Billy Crudup won a Critics Choice award last week. Comedy "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel" and British royal drama "The Crown" took the prizes for their TV ensemble casts. But "Mrs Maisel" actress Alex Borstein said the comedy prize should have gone to quirky British comedy "Fleabag." Moments earlier, "Fleabag" creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge accepted the best television comedy actress statuette, capping a year of multiple awards for her and the show. "This whole thing has been a dream and if I wake up tomorrow and find it's been just that, thank you. It's been the most beautiful dream," Waller-Bridge said.

SAG awards 2020: Parasite wins top honour, boosting Oscar chance

Heavy&nbsp;snow, chilling winds and poor visibility hampered the&nbsp;search&nbsp;Sunday for four South Koreans and three Nepalis caught in an avalanche in the popular <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-avalanche-nearly-200-rescued-from-mt-everest-and-annapurna-275170">Annapurna</a> region of the Himalayas, officials said.

Relatives of the&nbsp;missing&nbsp;Koreans have arrived in <a>Kathmandu</a> alongside several officials sent by Seoul to help with the emergency rescue efforts, Ang Dorjee Sherpa of the&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;Alpine Federation said.

The&nbsp;missing&nbsp;group was near the Annapurna base camp around 3,230 meters (10,600 feet) above sea level when the avalanche struck after&nbsp;heavy&nbsp;snowfall on Friday.

"Search&nbsp;and rescue efforts are underway but weather and&nbsp;snow&nbsp;in the area have made it difficult to make much progress," said Mira Acharya from&nbsp;Nepal's tourism department.&nbsp;

Helicopters were sent out on Saturday to rescue about 200 people stranded around Annapurna and other nearby mountains after the incident.

Photos from the area shared on social media showed guesthouses along the trekking route blanketed in a thick layer of&nbsp;snow.

Tek Gurung, a guesthouse owner aiding in the&nbsp;search&nbsp;operation, said more than two meters of&nbsp;snow&nbsp;(6.6 feet) had fallen on the hiking trails.

"We have been searching since yesterday but have not found anything yet. It is very windy and snowy here, to&nbsp;search&nbsp;the&nbsp;snow-covered areas on foot is difficult," Gurung said.

"There are still masses of&nbsp;snow&nbsp;falling from above."

<img alt="Trekkers arrive after a rescue operation from the Annapurna circuit" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="135a8a31-837b-4b83-ad08-f5c4acc5f821" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2830%29_5.jpg" /> 
[ Trekkers arrive after a rescue operation from the Annapurna circuit (Courtesy: AFP) ]

Six of the&nbsp;missing&nbsp;were part of the same expedition, while one Nepali porter was escorting a different group.&nbsp;

The four foreigners which include two men and two women were part of an 11-member team of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/four-south-korean-trekkers-among-seven-missing-in-nepal-avalanche-275074">South&nbsp;Korean</a>&nbsp;nationals.&nbsp;

"The rest of the team are unhurt and have safely come down. We are coordinating to make the&nbsp;search&nbsp;operation effective," said Dilip Gurung of the tourism management committee in Chhomrong, which lies on the trekking route.

Education officials in Seoul said they were part of a team of volunteer teachers working with children in&nbsp;Nepal.&nbsp;

Two more South Koreans were due to arrive in&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;on Sunday to help with the&nbsp;search, the country's foreign ministry said.

Sherpa said it had snowed heavily around Annapurna in recent days, making the trek risky.

"The weather and&nbsp;snow&nbsp;got worse and, feeling it was becoming dangerous and difficult, they decided to turn. As they were heading back the avalanche hit," Sherpa said&nbsp;on Saturday.

Annapurna is an avalanche-prone and technically difficult mountain range with a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak.&nbsp;

Thousands of&nbsp;trekkers&nbsp;visit the route every year for its stunning views of the Himalayas.

A&nbsp;snowstorm&nbsp;killed about 40 people on the circuit in 2014, in one of the biggest trekking tragedies to hit&nbsp;Nepal.

Heavy snow, chilling winds and poor visibility hampered the search Sunday for four South Koreans and three Nepalis caught in an avalanche in the popular Annapurna region of the Himalayas, officials said.

Heavy snow, chilling winds and poor visibility hampered the search Sunday for four South Koreans and three Nepalis caught in an avalanche in the popular Annapurna region of the Himalayas, officials said. Relatives of the missing Koreans have arrived in Kathmandu alongside several officials sent by Seoul to help with the emergency rescue efforts, Ang Dorjee Sherpa of the Korean Alpine Federation said. The missing group was near the Annapurna base camp around 3,230 meters (10,600 feet) above sea level when the avalanche struck after heavy snowfall on Friday. "Search and rescue efforts are underway but weather and snow in the area have made it difficult to make much progress," said Mira Acharya from Nepal's tourism department. Helicopters were sent out on Saturday to rescue about 200 people stranded around Annapurna and other nearby mountains after the incident. Photos from the area shared on social media showed guesthouses along the trekking route blanketed in a thick layer of snow. Tek Gurung, a guesthouse owner aiding in the search operation, said more than two meters of snow (6.6 feet) had fallen on the hiking trails. "We have been searching since yesterday but have not found anything yet. It is very windy and snowy here, to search the snow-covered areas on foot is difficult," Gurung said. "There are still masses of snow falling from above." [ Trekkers arrive after a rescue operation from the Annapurna circuit (Courtesy: AFP) ] Six of the missing were part of the same expedition, while one Nepali porter was escorting a different group. The four foreigners which include two men and two women were part of an 11-member team of South Korean nationals. "The rest of the team are unhurt and have safely come down. We are coordinating to make the search operation effective," said Dilip Gurung of the tourism management committee in Chhomrong, which lies on the trekking route. Education officials in Seoul said they were part of a team of volunteer teachers working with children in Nepal. Two more South Koreans were due to arrive in Nepal on Sunday to help with the search, the country's foreign ministry said. Sherpa said it had snowed heavily around Annapurna in recent days, making the trek risky. "The weather and snow got worse and, feeling it was becoming dangerous and difficult, they decided to turn. As they were heading back the avalanche hit," Sherpa said on Saturday. Annapurna is an avalanche-prone and technically difficult mountain range with a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak. Thousands of trekkers visit the route every year for its stunning views of the Himalayas. A snowstorm killed about 40 people on the circuit in 2014, in one of the biggest trekking tragedies to hit Nepal.

Heavy snow hampers search for missing South Korean, Nepal trekkers

Seven&nbsp;trekkers, including&nbsp;four&nbsp;South&nbsp;Koreans, went&nbsp;missing&nbsp;in&nbsp;Nepal's northwest Himalayan region after an&nbsp;avalanche&nbsp;hit their trail, local police and hiking officials said on Saturday.

The area where the&nbsp;avalanche&nbsp;struck the group, which also included three local guides, is estimated to be about 150 km (93.21 miles) northwest of&nbsp;Nepali capital <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/worlds-shortest-man-khagendra-thapa-magar-dies-in-nepal-at-27-274952">Kathmandu</a>, according to the officials. The&nbsp;avalanche&nbsp;was triggered by heavy rain and snowfall, they said.

"Four&nbsp;of our&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;clients, who were trekking in the Annapurna region are not in contact and are&nbsp;missing&nbsp;since an&nbsp;avalanche&nbsp;struck them on Friday," Sandesh Pandey, who runs the tour company which organized the hike, told reporters.

Mount Annapurna, in northwest&nbsp;Nepal, is the world's tenth highest mountain at 8,091 meters (26,545 feet) and its base camp is popular with thousands of&nbsp;trekkers&nbsp;who visit annually.

The three&nbsp;Nepali guides are also not reachable, said Mira Acharya, a tourism department official in Kathmandu.

Four&nbsp;helicopters have been deployed for the search and rescue mission with police and local volunteers also looking for the&nbsp;trekkers, Acharya said, adding, however, that rough weather conditions were making the operation difficult.

The incident comes as the annual trekking season in&nbsp;Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountain peaks including Mount Everest, is drawing to a close.

It could potentially dampen the mood for the Himalayan nation's tourism industry, yet to recover from a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015 including 18 climbers and their guides at the base camp of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/satellite-images-find-grass-shrubs-in-mount-everest-273403">Mount Everest</a>.

Cash-strapped&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;earns 4 per cent&nbsp;of GDP through income from tourists.

About 8 per cent of the nearly 1.1 million tourists who visited the country in 2019 went hiking or mountain climbing, according to official estimates.

Separately,&nbsp;four&nbsp;rescue helicopters on Saturday evacuated nearly 200&nbsp;trekkers&nbsp;in the Annapurna region about 140 of them foreigners&nbsp;to safer locations, police said. Their nationalities are not yet known.

Seven trekkers, including four South Koreans, went missing in Nepal's northwest Himalayan region after an avalanche hit their trail, local police and hiking officials said on Saturday.

Seven trekkers, including four South Koreans, went missing in Nepal's northwest Himalayan region after an avalanche hit their trail, local police and hiking officials said on Saturday. The area where the avalanche struck the group, which also included three local guides, is estimated to be about 150 km (93.21 miles) northwest of Nepali capital Kathmandu, according to the officials. The avalanche was triggered by heavy rain and snowfall, they said. "Four of our Korean clients, who were trekking in the Annapurna region are not in contact and are missing since an avalanche struck them on Friday," Sandesh Pandey, who runs the tour company which organized the hike, told reporters. Mount Annapurna, in northwest Nepal, is the world's tenth highest mountain at 8,091 meters (26,545 feet) and its base camp is popular with thousands of trekkers who visit annually. The three Nepali guides are also not reachable, said Mira Acharya, a tourism department official in Kathmandu. Four helicopters have been deployed for the search and rescue mission with police and local volunteers also looking for the trekkers, Acharya said, adding, however, that rough weather conditions were making the operation difficult. The incident comes as the annual trekking season in Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountain peaks including Mount Everest, is drawing to a close. It could potentially dampen the mood for the Himalayan nation's tourism industry, yet to recover from a devastating earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people in 2015 including 18 climbers and their guides at the base camp of Mount Everest. Cash-strapped Nepal earns 4 per cent of GDP through income from tourists. About 8 per cent of the nearly 1.1 million tourists who visited the country in 2019 went hiking or mountain climbing, according to official estimates. Separately, four rescue helicopters on Saturday evacuated nearly 200 trekkers in the Annapurna region about 140 of them foreigners to safer locations, police said. Their nationalities are not yet known.

Four South Korean trekkers among seven missing in Nepal avalanche

More than 200 students braved freezing winter temperatures on January 14 to test themselves against the rigours of South Korea's Marine Corps boot camp at a shore of the port city of Pohang. Dressed in combat uniforms, the mix of young men and women clambered aboard armoured amphibious vehicles in a mock beach invasion that included smoke bombs. More demanding activities include carrying heavy rubber boats along the beach, running through obstacle courses, and learning to march.

WION Dispatch: Young South Koreans hit beach in mock Marine Corps boot camp

HBO has secured the rights to adapt <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/parasite-a-movie-from-south-korea-being-used-in-north-to-praise-own-regime-228352">South Korean</a> filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's critical smash hit 'Parasite' into a miniseries, the US cable channel said Thursday. 
 
Television companies vying to adapt the movie include Netflix, which produced Bong's 2017 hit 'Okja,' entertainment website Deadline Hollywood reported.&nbsp; 
 
A dark satire about the relationship between two families, 'Parasite' has earned $130 million worldwide, picking up the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes and a best foreign film Golden Globe along the way. 
 
"Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films," the 50-year-old Bong said as he accepted the award at the Globes on Sunday. 
 
"I think we use only just one language -- the cinema." 
 
Already considered a favourite for the foreign-language Oscar -- with the nominations announcement coming on Monday -- some analysts say 'Parasite' could be a contender to win best picture too.<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/oscars-2020-21-movies-you-should-watch-before-the-awards-night-273034"> Read: 21&nbsp;movies you should watch before Oscars 2020</a>

 
Joining Bong on the adaptation will be Adam McKay, the Oscar-winning writer-director of 'The Big Short' (2015) and 'Vice' (2018).&nbsp;

HBO has secured the rights to adapt South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's critical smash hit 'Parasite' into a miniseries, the US cable channel said Thursday. Television companies vying to adapt the movie include Netflix, which produced Bong's 2017 hit 'Okja,' entertainment website Deadline Hollywood reported.

HBO has secured the rights to adapt South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's critical smash hit 'Parasite' into a miniseries, the US cable channel said Thursday. Television companies vying to adapt the movie include Netflix, which produced Bong's 2017 hit 'Okja,' entertainment website Deadline Hollywood reported. A dark satire about the relationship between two families, 'Parasite' has earned $130 million worldwide, picking up the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes and a best foreign film Golden Globe along the way. "Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films," the 50-year-old Bong said as he accepted the award at the Globes on Sunday. "I think we use only just one language -- the cinema." Already considered a favourite for the foreign-language Oscar -- with the nominations announcement coming on Monday -- some analysts say 'Parasite' could be a contender to win best picture too. Read: 21 movies you should watch before Oscars 2020 Joining Bong on the adaptation will be Adam McKay, the Oscar-winning writer-director of 'The Big Short' (2015) and 'Vice' (2018).

Bong Joon-ho's critical 'Parasite' to soon turn into a miniseries

Australia's&nbsp;weather&nbsp;agency&nbsp;sees&nbsp;no&nbsp;sign&nbsp;of&nbsp;cooler&nbsp;weather&nbsp;or&nbsp;significant&nbsp;rainfall in the next few months, an unwelcome forecast for authorities who have warned that only a large downpour will halt&nbsp;bushfires&nbsp;sweeping across the country.

Following&nbsp;Australia's hottest and driest year on record in 2019, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/drought-hit-australia-recorded-third-warmest-year-last-year-189344">Bureau&nbsp;of Meteorology</a> said on Thursday temperatures were likely to remain higher than average over the next few months.

While there was some&nbsp;rainfall coming from the north it would not be enough to douse the&nbsp;bushfires&nbsp;raging in the country's southeast, the&nbsp;bureau&nbsp;said.

"While the&nbsp;rainfall will be welcome, we’re stopping short of saying that it’s going to be drought-breaking or really relieving the conditions we’ve seen," the&nbsp;Bureau&nbsp;of Meteorology’s Manager of Climate Monitoring, Karl Braganza, told reporters at a briefing on its annual climate statement.

Australia&nbsp;has been battling large&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lack-of-forecast-rains-to-prolong-australian-bushfires-threat-261992">bushfires</a>&nbsp;for months. A three-year drought that has left the countryside tinder-dry, which experts have linked to climate change, has helped fuel the crisis.

More than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres) of land an area the size of South Korea has been razed since September, killing 26 people and killing or injuring an estimated one billion animals, including livestock.

More than 100 fires remain alight and authorities have said the largest of the blazes will only be doused by&nbsp;significant&nbsp;rainfall.

The&nbsp;bureau&nbsp;said climate change and natural drivers, including warmer than normal waters in the Indian Ocean off Africa, had made 2019&nbsp;Australia's hottest and driest year on record, with the highest ever forest fire danger rating.

The country had only 6 per cent&nbsp;of its typical annual&nbsp;rainfall last year, while daytime temperatures across were more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal.

"These are large departures that we saw in 2019, both in terms of how different they were to the average temperatures and&nbsp;rainfall that we see, but also compared to previous records as well," Braganza said.

He said these were part of longer term trends in temperature and fire&nbsp;weather&nbsp;that the&nbsp;bureau&nbsp;has observed.&nbsp;Rainfall has been tracked since 1900 and temperatures since 1910.

"Australia's getting warmer, the fire season's getting longer and the severity of the fire&nbsp;weather&nbsp;during that season is getting more frequent and severe," Braganza said.

"When we look at the projections that we do for climate change, certainly&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;should be preparing for those trends to continue."

Australia's weather agency sees no sign of cooler weather or significant rainfall in the next few months, an unwelcome forecast for authorities who have warned that only a large downpour will halt bushfires sweeping across the country.

Australia's weather agency sees no sign of cooler weather or significant rainfall in the next few months, an unwelcome forecast for authorities who have warned that only a large downpour will halt bushfires sweeping across the country. Following Australia's hottest and driest year on record in 2019, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Thursday temperatures were likely to remain higher than average over the next few months. While there was some rainfall coming from the north it would not be enough to douse the bushfires raging in the country's southeast, the bureau said. "While the rainfall will be welcome, we’re stopping short of saying that it’s going to be drought-breaking or really relieving the conditions we’ve seen," the Bureau of Meteorology’s Manager of Climate Monitoring, Karl Braganza, told reporters at a briefing on its annual climate statement. Australia has been battling large bushfires for months. A three-year drought that has left the countryside tinder-dry, which experts have linked to climate change, has helped fuel the crisis. More than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres) of land an area the size of South Korea has been razed since September, killing 26 people and killing or injuring an estimated one billion animals, including livestock. More than 100 fires remain alight and authorities have said the largest of the blazes will only be doused by significant rainfall. The bureau said climate change and natural drivers, including warmer than normal waters in the Indian Ocean off Africa, had made 2019 Australia's hottest and driest year on record, with the highest ever forest fire danger rating. The country had only 6 per cent of its typical annual rainfall last year, while daytime temperatures across were more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal. "These are large departures that we saw in 2019, both in terms of how different they were to the average temperatures and rainfall that we see, but also compared to previous records as well," Braganza said. He said these were part of longer term trends in temperature and fire weather that the bureau has observed. Rainfall has been tracked since 1900 and temperatures since 1910. "Australia's getting warmer, the fire season's getting longer and the severity of the fire weather during that season is getting more frequent and severe," Braganza said. "When we look at the projections that we do for climate change, certainly Australia should be preparing for those trends to continue."

Australia weather bureau sees no sign of cooler weather or rain to quell bushfires

South Korea's President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dozens-of-south-korean-mps-charged-over-parliamentary-stand-off-271713">Moon Jae-in</a> said on Tuesday that there is a "desperate need" for practical ways to improve ties with North Korea and he was ready to meet with the reclusive leader in Pyongyang repeatedly if necessary.

Moon, sidelined from his leading role in the diplomatic effort with&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea in 2018, said he regretted the past year's lack of progress in negotiations.

In an annual New Year's speech in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/faster-rockets-more-warheads-what-north-korea-could-gain-from-new-weapons-development-271619">Seoul</a>,&nbsp;Moon&nbsp;called for new talks with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-leader-skips-set-piece-new-years-speech-271374">Kim Jong Un</a> and vowed to keep up work to facilitate <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-promises-action-on-any-north-korea-missile-test-white-house-270890">US-North&nbsp;Korea</a> communication.

"In a time of deadlock in US-North&nbsp;Korea talks and where we are even concerned about a step backward in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-fires-warning-shots-towards-north-korean-merchant-vessel-264862">inter-Korean relations</a>, we are in desperate need of practical&nbsp;ways&nbsp;to&nbsp;improve&nbsp;inter-Korean cooperation," he said.

He also said he would continue to push for restarting the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-leader-kim-vows-to-clear-south-korea-relics-from-kumgang-resort-257625">Kaesong Industrial Complex</a> and tours to Mt. Kumgang, and mentioned border cooperation without elaborating. He added the joint 2032 Olympics bid would be a unifying event, as would completing the inter-Korean railroad.

"We want to make an era where separation is no longer a roadblock for peace and prosperity for&nbsp;South&nbsp;and&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea," he said.

North&nbsp;Korea has been unresponsive to other recent overtures from Seoul, and cooperation projects between the neighbors have stalled in the face of international sanctions that bar most business with the&nbsp;North.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-holds-top-party-meeting-ahead-of-us-deadline-270787">Pyongyang</a> has expressed frustration at what it calls Washington's lack of flexibility, while US&nbsp;officials say it must take more concrete steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs before sanctions are eased.

"The momentum for US-North&nbsp;Korea talks must continue,"&nbsp;Moon&nbsp;said. "Provocations and threats are not helpful for anyone."

Over the New Year, Kim said he planned to further develop nuclear programs and introduce a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, though he signaled there was still room for dialogue with the United States.

Watch:&nbsp;Kim Jong-Un's plan for 2020

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-kim-jong-uns-plan-for-2020-271989/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Security and prosperity on the Korean peninsula are dependent on resolving international tensions, but the two Koreas could achieve progress through cooperation,&nbsp;Moon&nbsp;said.

"I suggest&nbsp;South&nbsp;and&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea put our heads together," he said.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday that there is a "desperate need" for practical ways to improve ties with North Korea and he was ready to meet with the reclusive leader in Pyongyang repeatedly if necessary.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday that there is a "desperate need" for practical ways to improve ties with North Korea and he was ready to meet with the reclusive leader in Pyongyang repeatedly if necessary. Moon, sidelined from his leading role in the diplomatic effort with North Korea in 2018, said he regretted the past year's lack of progress in negotiations. In an annual New Year's speech in Seoul, Moon called for new talks with Kim Jong Un and vowed to keep up work to facilitate US-North Korea communication. "In a time of deadlock in US-North Korea talks and where we are even concerned about a step backward in inter-Korean relations, we are in desperate need of practical ways to improve inter-Korean cooperation," he said. He also said he would continue to push for restarting the Kaesong Industrial Complex and tours to Mt. Kumgang, and mentioned border cooperation without elaborating. He added the joint 2032 Olympics bid would be a unifying event, as would completing the inter-Korean railroad. "We want to make an era where separation is no longer a roadblock for peace and prosperity for South and North Korea," he said. North Korea has been unresponsive to other recent overtures from Seoul, and cooperation projects between the neighbors have stalled in the face of international sanctions that bar most business with the North. Pyongyang has expressed frustration at what it calls Washington's lack of flexibility, while US officials say it must take more concrete steps to dismantle its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs before sanctions are eased. "The momentum for US-North Korea talks must continue," Moon said. "Provocations and threats are not helpful for anyone." Over the New Year, Kim said he planned to further develop nuclear programs and introduce a "new strategic weapon" in the near future, though he signaled there was still room for dialogue with the United States. Watch: Kim Jong-Un's plan for 2020 × Security and prosperity on the Korean peninsula are dependent on resolving international tensions, but the two Koreas could achieve progress through cooperation, Moon said. "I suggest South and North Korea put our heads together," he said.

In desperate need of practical ways to improve inter-Korean cooperation: South Korea President

South Korean prosecutors on Thursday indicted almost 30 MPs and the leader of the main opposition party on assault and other charges over a two-day parliamentary stand-off.

In an attempt to stop legislation being passed, members of the opposition Liberty Korea party (LKP) lay on the floor linking arms to block access to a committee room, and blockaded an MP in his office for five hours.

Scuffles broke out as MPs of the governing Democratic party tried to force their way into the hall in April.

Seoul prosecutors indicted the LKP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn and 23 of his MPs -- including former parliamentary floor leader Na Kyung-won -- on charges including causing a commotion at the national assembly and illegal detention.&nbsp;

Five Democratic party MPs were indicted on accusations of assault.

Among the 29 accused, prosecutors said 18 will face court trials, including Hwang and Na, while the others are likely to be fined without court proceedings as their offences are considered minor.&nbsp;

The indictment comes three months before a legislative election and if any of the MPs are fined five million won (US$4,300) or more on conviction, they will be stripped of their seats and barred from standing for re-election for five years.

The LKP said the five-to-24 ratio of charges was "unfair" and "unbalanced", while Na -- who is herself a former judge -- condemned the indictment as "politically retaliatory" and claimed it was "top-down ordered" by the administration of President Moon Jae-in.

Score-settling is ingrained in the country's winner-takes-all political system, with every one of the country's living former presidents either currently in prison or convicted of crimes after leaving office.&nbsp;

The dispute broke out when the governing party and its allies sought to fast-track a series of reform bills, among them setting up a body to probe corruption by high-ranking officials.&nbsp;

South Korean prosecutors on Thursday indicted almost 30 MPs and the leader of the main opposition party on assault and other charges over a two-day parliamentary stand-off.

South Korean prosecutors on Thursday indicted almost 30 MPs and the leader of the main opposition party on assault and other charges over a two-day parliamentary stand-off. In an attempt to stop legislation being passed, members of the opposition Liberty Korea party (LKP) lay on the floor linking arms to block access to a committee room, and blockaded an MP in his office for five hours. Scuffles broke out as MPs of the governing Democratic party tried to force their way into the hall in April. Seoul prosecutors indicted the LKP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn and 23 of his MPs -- including former parliamentary floor leader Na Kyung-won -- on charges including causing a commotion at the national assembly and illegal detention. Five Democratic party MPs were indicted on accusations of assault. Among the 29 accused, prosecutors said 18 will face court trials, including Hwang and Na, while the others are likely to be fined without court proceedings as their offences are considered minor. The indictment comes three months before a legislative election and if any of the MPs are fined five million won (US$4,300) or more on conviction, they will be stripped of their seats and barred from standing for re-election for five years. The LKP said the five-to-24 ratio of charges was "unfair" and "unbalanced", while Na -- who is herself a former judge -- condemned the indictment as "politically retaliatory" and claimed it was "top-down ordered" by the administration of President Moon Jae-in. Score-settling is ingrained in the country's winner-takes-all political system, with every one of the country's living former presidents either currently in prison or convicted of crimes after leaving office. The dispute broke out when the governing party and its allies sought to fast-track a series of reform bills, among them setting up a body to probe corruption by high-ranking officials.

Dozens of South Korean MPs charged over parliamentary stand-off

North Korean leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/donald-trump-kim-jong-un-summits-other-aim-was-to-sell-vietnam-model-to-north-korea-208086">Kim Jong Un</a> appeared to skip his set-piece <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/xi-jinping-delivers-new-year-speech-calls-for-calm-in-hong-kong-271343">New Year speech</a> Wednesday, with analysts suggesting the move may have been to avoid implicitly admitting mistakes in the last two years of diplomacy with the US.

Kim has been giving the annual speech since 2013 after he revived the tradition started by his grandfather&nbsp;North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung.

It has been a key moment in the North Korean political calendar, reviewing the past and setting out goals for the future, and printed in full in the Rodong Sinmun mouthpiece newspaper.

At first, he wore a party uniform and stood at a lectern to address troops, but the format has evolved over time as Pyongyang modernises its messaging, and last year he sat in his office in a Western-style suit and tie.

But this year there was no January 1 morning broadcast&nbsp;as has been standard recently or even at noon, considered the latest likely time.

Instead, state television showed a lengthy readout of Kim's address at a four-day party meeting, over footage of the leader addressing top officials where he said Pyongyang no longer considered itself bound by its moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and threatened to demonstrate a "new strategic weapon".

It is a marked departure from the diplomacy of the last two years, which have not seen the North gain sanctions relief or take sufficient steps towards denuclearisation to satisfy the US.

Park Won-gon, a professor of international studies at Handong University in South Korea, said the change of format may have been to avoid "burdening" Kim.

"There is a huge difference between giving a New Year's speech with your own voice and announcing&nbsp;what has been decided at the plenary meeting," he said.&nbsp;

"When you give a speech, this means you are giving a direct message to North Korean citizens on top of the outside world.

"This may require you to inevitably admit that your past approach&nbsp;has been flawed."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared to skip his set-piece New Year speech Wednesday, with analysts suggesting the move may have been to avoid implicitly admitting mistakes in the last two years of diplomacy with the US.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared to skip his set-piece New Year speech Wednesday, with analysts suggesting the move may have been to avoid implicitly admitting mistakes in the last two years of diplomacy with the US. Kim has been giving the annual speech since 2013 after he revived the tradition started by his grandfather North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung. It has been a key moment in the North Korean political calendar, reviewing the past and setting out goals for the future, and printed in full in the Rodong Sinmun mouthpiece newspaper. At first, he wore a party uniform and stood at a lectern to address troops, but the format has evolved over time as Pyongyang modernises its messaging, and last year he sat in his office in a Western-style suit and tie. But this year there was no January 1 morning broadcast as has been standard recently or even at noon, considered the latest likely time. Instead, state television showed a lengthy readout of Kim's address at a four-day party meeting, over footage of the leader addressing top officials where he said Pyongyang no longer considered itself bound by its moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and threatened to demonstrate a "new strategic weapon". It is a marked departure from the diplomacy of the last two years, which have not seen the North gain sanctions relief or take sufficient steps towards denuclearisation to satisfy the US. Park Won-gon, a professor of international studies at Handong University in South Korea, said the change of format may have been to avoid "burdening" Kim. "There is a huge difference between giving a New Year's speech with your own voice and announcing what has been decided at the plenary meeting," he said. "When you give a speech, this means you are giving a direct message to North Korean citizens on top of the outside world. "This may require you to inevitably admit that your past approach has been flawed."

North Korean leader 'skips' set-piece New Year's speech

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-and-south-korea-should-reunite-say-70-seoul-citizens-270181">South Korea</a>'s Constitutional Court dismissed on Friday an appeal by a group of women forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels to strike down an agreement signed by the two countries to settle claims over the abuse.

The ruling is expected to have little impact on the 2015 agreement as it has been effectively abandoned by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has called it seriously flawed and inadequate to resolve the issue that has been for many years a source of rancour between the neighbours.

Constitutional Court President Yoo Nam-Seok said the agreement was a political one that tried to resolve the comfort women issue and, unlike a treaty between two countries, did not create legal responsibilities on the part of the governments.

Comfort women is a euphemism for the thousands of girls and women, most of them Korean, who were forced to work in Japan's brothels before and during World War Two when Japan occupied Korea.

"It cannot be said that the rights of the victims of the Japanese military were infringed upon by this agreement," Yoo said in the court's ruling.

Bitterness over Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula is a major influence on their relations and has been at the heart of rancour this year that has seen their ties plunge to their worst in decades.

The 2015 agreement, reached by Moon's conservative predecessor, Park Geun-Hye, and Japanese <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-meets-japans-abe-in-beijing-calls-for-advancing-bilateral-ties-269799">Prime Minister Shinzo Abe</a>, was welcomed by the United States at the time as an important step towards reconciliation.

But surviving comfort women saw it as unjust and the constitutional petition was brought by 29 of them, and 12 of their families.

They argued that it violated their rights as they were not consulted when the governments agreed to close the matter as "irreversibly resolved" with an apology by Japan and a 1 billion yen&nbsp;fund to compensate the women.

"This could have been an opportunity to address their pain," said Rhee Dong-Joon, a lawyer representing the women.

"It is disappointing that the Constitutional Court failed to bring closure to their hurting.”

The ruling comes after Moon and Abe held talks for the first time in 15 months on Tuesday and stressed the need to improve ties, after the worst period of tension between the countries in decades when South Korean anger over Japans' wartime behaviour spilt into the trade arena.

Last week, Japan partially eased curbs put in place in July on the export of key high-tech material to South Korea. The trade restrictions were followed by the two countries removing each other from their list of favoured trade partners.

No one knows how many Koreans were forced to work in Japan's military brothels.

South Korean activists say there may have been as many as 200,000 Korean victims, only a few of whom have ever told of the abuse they endured at the hands of Japanese forces.

Since the early 1990s, nearly 250 women came forward to talk about their experiences. Only 20 of them survive.

South Korea's Constitutional Court dismissed on Friday an appeal by a group of women forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels to strike down an agreement signed by the two countries to settle claims over the abuse.

South Korea's Constitutional Court dismissed on Friday an appeal by a group of women forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels to strike down an agreement signed by the two countries to settle claims over the abuse. The ruling is expected to have little impact on the 2015 agreement as it has been effectively abandoned by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has called it seriously flawed and inadequate to resolve the issue that has been for many years a source of rancour between the neighbours. Constitutional Court President Yoo Nam-Seok said the agreement was a political one that tried to resolve the comfort women issue and, unlike a treaty between two countries, did not create legal responsibilities on the part of the governments. Comfort women is a euphemism for the thousands of girls and women, most of them Korean, who were forced to work in Japan's brothels before and during World War Two when Japan occupied Korea. "It cannot be said that the rights of the victims of the Japanese military were infringed upon by this agreement," Yoo said in the court's ruling. Bitterness over Japan's occupation of the Korean peninsula is a major influence on their relations and has been at the heart of rancour this year that has seen their ties plunge to their worst in decades. The 2015 agreement, reached by Moon's conservative predecessor, Park Geun-Hye, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was welcomed by the United States at the time as an important step towards reconciliation. But surviving comfort women saw it as unjust and the constitutional petition was brought by 29 of them, and 12 of their families. They argued that it violated their rights as they were not consulted when the governments agreed to close the matter as "irreversibly resolved" with an apology by Japan and a 1 billion yen fund to compensate the women. "This could have been an opportunity to address their pain," said Rhee Dong-Joon, a lawyer representing the women. "It is disappointing that the Constitutional Court failed to bring closure to their hurting.” The ruling comes after Moon and Abe held talks for the first time in 15 months on Tuesday and stressed the need to improve ties, after the worst period of tension between the countries in decades when South Korean anger over Japans' wartime behaviour spilt into the trade arena. Last week, Japan partially eased curbs put in place in July on the export of key high-tech material to South Korea. The trade restrictions were followed by the two countries removing each other from their list of favoured trade partners. No one knows how many Koreans were forced to work in Japan's military brothels. South Korean activists say there may have been as many as 200,000 Korean victims, only a few of whom have ever told of the abuse they endured at the hands of Japanese forces. Since the early 1990s, nearly 250 women came forward to talk about their experiences. Only 20 of them survive.

South Korea’s top court dismisses 'comfort women' petition against deal with Japan

Over 70 per cent of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/is-koreas-cold-war-about-to-end-178133">residents in the South Korean capital </a>believe that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-and-south-korea-begin-destroying-border-guard-posts-176682">North and South Korea</a> should be unified, a poll conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed on Wednesday.

The survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government found that 74.2 per cent of the city's residents considered reunification to be a necessary step. The Yonhap news agency reported that this number is consistent with a similar poll conducted last year.

The poll also showed that Seoul residents have a positive outlook concerning relations with Pyongyang. Over a quarter of respondents, or 25.6 per cent, believes that reunification will occur within 20 years, and 39.5 per cent stated that relations between the two countries will improve within the next five years.

However, most Seoul citizens are expecting little change shortly. Almost half — 48.2 per cent — of respondents predict that there will be no change in the state of relations between Seoul and Pyongyang, while approximately 70 per cent of respondents believe that North Korea’s denuclearization is unlikely.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has set a goal of reunifying Seoul and Pyongyang by 2045.

Over 70 per cent of residents in the South Korean capital believe that North and South Korea should be unified, a poll conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed on Wednesday.

Over 70 per cent of residents in the South Korean capital believe that North and South Korea should be unified, a poll conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government showed on Wednesday. The survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government found that 74.2 per cent of the city's residents considered reunification to be a necessary step. The Yonhap news agency reported that this number is consistent with a similar poll conducted last year. The poll also showed that Seoul residents have a positive outlook concerning relations with Pyongyang. Over a quarter of respondents, or 25.6 per cent, believes that reunification will occur within 20 years, and 39.5 per cent stated that relations between the two countries will improve within the next five years. However, most Seoul citizens are expecting little change shortly. Almost half — 48.2 per cent — of respondents predict that there will be no change in the state of relations between Seoul and Pyongyang, while approximately 70 per cent of respondents believe that North Korea’s denuclearization is unlikely. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has set a goal of reunifying Seoul and Pyongyang by 2045.

North Korea and South Korea should reunite, say 70% Seoul citizens

The trilateral summit between South Korea, Japan and China has come to an end. The summit saw some major commitments made on free trade and North Korea. Free trade and economic cooperation were also at the forefront of the meetings between the leaders. #TrilateralSummit #China #SouthKorea #Japan

WION Dispatch: China-Japan-South Korea trilateral summit ends

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/japan-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-might-cancel-india-trip-report-268002">Shinzo Abe</a> will meet President Xi Jinping separately before going to the southwestern city of Chengdu for a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Though various economic matters will also be on the agenda - as well as tensions between Seoul and Tokyo - North Korea appears likely to dominate the agenda.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a meeting of top military officials to discuss boosting the country's military capability, state news agency reported on Sunday.

North Korea has set a year-end deadline for the United States to change what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to make progress on their pledge to end the North's nuclear programme and establish lasting peace.

Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018, but there has been no substantive progress in dialogue while the North demanded crushing international sanctions be lifted first.

On Saturday, the state media said the United States would "pay dearly" for taking issue with the North's human rights record and said Washington's "malicious words" would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

US&nbsp;special envoy for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-conducts-another-crucial-test-at-satellite-launch-site-report-268259">North Korea</a> Stephen <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-envoy-biegun-to-north-korea-were-here-you-know-how-to-reach-us-268526">Biegun</a> met with two senior Chinese diplomats during his two-day visit to Beijing last week, following similar meeting in South Korea and Japan days earlier, as diplomats make last-ditch attempts to prevent new confrontation.

Beijing, jointly with Russia, proposed last week that the United Nations Security Council <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-make-un-proposal-to-ease-sanctions-against-nuclear-armed-north-korea-268814">lift some sanctions</a> in what it calls an attempt to break the current deadlock and seek to build support.

But it's unclear whether Beijing can convince Seoul and Tokyo to break ranks from Washington, which has made its opposition clear and can veto any resolution.

Though South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving negotiations, it has so far sidestepped questions on whether it supports the new proposal by Beijing and Moscow. Japan, which has historically been a staunch supporter of sanctions against North Korea, has also refrained from commenting on the proposal.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet President Xi Jinping separately before going to the southwestern city of Chengdu for a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet President Xi Jinping separately before going to the southwestern city of Chengdu for a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Though various economic matters will also be on the agenda - as well as tensions between Seoul and Tokyo - North Korea appears likely to dominate the agenda. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a meeting of top military officials to discuss boosting the country's military capability, state news agency reported on Sunday. North Korea has set a year-end deadline for the United States to change what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to make progress on their pledge to end the North's nuclear programme and establish lasting peace. Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018, but there has been no substantive progress in dialogue while the North demanded crushing international sanctions be lifted first. On Saturday, the state media said the United States would "pay dearly" for taking issue with the North's human rights record and said Washington's "malicious words" would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. US special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun met with two senior Chinese diplomats during his two-day visit to Beijing last week, following similar meeting in South Korea and Japan days earlier, as diplomats make last-ditch attempts to prevent new confrontation. Beijing, jointly with Russia, proposed last week that the United Nations Security Council lift some sanctions in what it calls an attempt to break the current deadlock and seek to build support. But it's unclear whether Beijing can convince Seoul and Tokyo to break ranks from Washington, which has made its opposition clear and can veto any resolution. Though South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving negotiations, it has so far sidestepped questions on whether it supports the new proposal by Beijing and Moscow. Japan, which has historically been a staunch supporter of sanctions against North Korea, has also refrained from commenting on the proposal.

China's Xi to meet Japan, South Korea leaders as North Korea tensions rise

The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea will be holding a trilateral summit in China this week amid feuds over trade, military manoeuvring and historical animosities. Most striking has been a complex dispute between Seoul and Tokyo, while Beijing has recently sought to tone down its disagreements with its two neighbours. Ahead of the trilateral summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping met the South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Beijing. #TrilateralSummit #China #SouthKorea #NorthKorea #Japan

WION Dispatch: China to hold trilateral summit over trade, regional disputes

It is "more important than anything" to keep up the momentum for talks between the United States and North&nbsp;Korea,&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday.

North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has set a year-end <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-envoy-to-visit-seoul-as-deadline-looms-for-stalled-north-korea-talks-268219">deadline</a> for the United States to change what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to make progress on their pledge to end the North's nuclear programme and establish lasting peace.

North&nbsp;Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US&nbsp;President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018, but there has been no substantive progress in dialogue while the North demanded crushing international sanctions be lifted first.

On Saturday, state media said the United States would "pay dearly" for taking issue with the North's human rights record and said Washington's "malicious words" would only aggravate tensions on the&nbsp;Korean Peninsula.

China is North&nbsp;Korea's most important diplomatic backer and trading partner, and Moon took his message about the significance of talks straight to Xi.

"It is more important than anything to keep up the momentum for dialogue between North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and the United States," Moon said, according to his spokeswoman Ko Min-jung who was present at the meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

Ko cited Xi as saying that many people are concerned about the tense situation on the&nbsp;Korean peninsula.

"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-japan-south-korea-prepare-for-trilateral-summit-amid-tensions-269632">China and&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea</a>&nbsp;should gather strength to help North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and the United States sustain the momentum for dialogue," she cited Xi as saying.

Earlier, Moon's office quoted him as saying that the suspension of US-North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;talks and rising tensions was not beneficial for&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea, China or North&nbsp;Korea.

New impetus

Xi told Moon that China supports&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea's efforts to improve ties with North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and inject new impetus into promoting peace talks, China's Foreign Ministry said.

China and&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;both advocate that the&nbsp;Korean peninsula issue be resolved through dialogue and consultation and are a "firm force for maintaining stability and promoting talks", the ministry paraphrased Xi as saying.

Moon is visiting China for a trilateral meeting between him, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in the&nbsp;southwestern city of Chengdu.

Though various economic matters will also be on the agenda - as well as tensions between Seoul and Tokyo - North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;appears likely to dominate the agenda.

US&nbsp;special envoy for North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;Stephen Biegun met with two senior Chinese diplomats during his two-day visit to Beijing last week, following a similar meeting in&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and Japan days earlier, as diplomats make last-ditch attempts to prevent new confrontation.

Beijing, jointly with Moscow, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-china-make-un-proposal-to-ease-sanctions-against-nuclear-armed-north-korea-268814">proposed</a> last week that the United Nations Security Council lift some sanctions in what it calls an attempt to break the current deadlock and seek to build support.

But it's unclear whether Beijing can convince Seoul and Tokyo to break ranks from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-us-commandos-practice-raiding-enemy-facility-as-north-korea-tensions-rise-269734">Washington</a>, which has made its opposition clear and can veto any resolution.

Though&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;sees China as instrumental in reviving negotiations, it has so far sidestepped questions on whether it supports the new proposal by Beijing and Moscow.

For its part, Japan has historically been a staunch supporter of sanctions against North&nbsp;Korea.

Japan Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Naoki Okada, speaking to reporters after Abe held his own meeting with Xi in Beijing, said Xi had asked Japan to support the joint Chinese-Russian proposal.

But Japan considers easing sanctions on North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;"still premature", Okada said.

It is "more important than anything" to keep up the momentum for talks between the United States and North Korea, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday.

It is "more important than anything" to keep up the momentum for talks between the United States and North Korea, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. North Korea has set a year-end deadline for the United States to change what it says is a policy of hostility amid a stalemate in efforts to make progress on their pledge to end the North's nuclear programme and establish lasting peace. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018, but there has been no substantive progress in dialogue while the North demanded crushing international sanctions be lifted first. On Saturday, state media said the United States would "pay dearly" for taking issue with the North's human rights record and said Washington's "malicious words" would only aggravate tensions on the Korean Peninsula. China is North Korea's most important diplomatic backer and trading partner, and Moon took his message about the significance of talks straight to Xi. "It is more important than anything to keep up the momentum for dialogue between North Korea and the United States," Moon said, according to his spokeswoman Ko Min-jung who was present at the meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Ko cited Xi as saying that many people are concerned about the tense situation on the Korean peninsula. "China and South Korea should gather strength to help North Korea and the United States sustain the momentum for dialogue," she cited Xi as saying. Earlier, Moon's office quoted him as saying that the suspension of US-North Korea talks and rising tensions was not beneficial for South Korea, China or North Korea. New impetus Xi told Moon that China supports South Korea's efforts to improve ties with North Korea and inject new impetus into promoting peace talks, China's Foreign Ministry said. China and South Korea both advocate that the Korean peninsula issue be resolved through dialogue and consultation and are a "firm force for maintaining stability and promoting talks", the ministry paraphrased Xi as saying. Moon is visiting China for a trilateral meeting between him, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in the southwestern city of Chengdu. Though various economic matters will also be on the agenda - as well as tensions between Seoul and Tokyo - North Korea appears likely to dominate the agenda. US special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun met with two senior Chinese diplomats during his two-day visit to Beijing last week, following a similar meeting in South Korea and Japan days earlier, as diplomats make last-ditch attempts to prevent new confrontation. Beijing, jointly with Moscow, proposed last week that the United Nations Security Council lift some sanctions in what it calls an attempt to break the current deadlock and seek to build support. But it's unclear whether Beijing can convince Seoul and Tokyo to break ranks from Washington, which has made its opposition clear and can veto any resolution. Though South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving negotiations, it has so far sidestepped questions on whether it supports the new proposal by Beijing and Moscow. For its part, Japan has historically been a staunch supporter of sanctions against North Korea. Japan Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Naoki Okada, speaking to reporters after Abe held his own meeting with Xi in Beijing, said Xi had asked Japan to support the joint Chinese-Russian proposal. But Japan considers easing sanctions on North Korea "still premature", Okada said.

US-North Korea talks 'more important than anything', South Korea tells China

South&nbsp;Korean and US&nbsp;special forces troops recently conducted drills simulating the infiltration of an enemy facility,&nbsp;as tensions with North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;ratchet up ahead of a year-end deadline.

South&nbsp;Korean and US&nbsp;commandos raided the facility and led out a man with his hands tied behind the back during the exercise described as a joint regular close-quarters battle training last month at a US&nbsp;military base in the&nbsp;southwestern&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean city of Gunsan.

A&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean official said the drill was designed as a hostage rescue operation training as part of a counter-terrorism drill conducted quarterly by the allies. The US&nbsp;Forces&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;did not respond to a request for comment.

Watch:&nbsp;North Korea rules out Denuclearisation Talks

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-rules-out-denuclearisation-talks-266890/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The rare release of the photos by the US&nbsp;Defense Visual Information Distribution Service comes ahead of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-test-fires-rockets-in-thanksgiving-reminder-of-year-end-deadline-for-us-265157">year-end deadline</a> set by Pyongyang for Washington to soften its stance in stalled talks.

The service is operated by an arm of the US&nbsp;Department of Defence.

South&nbsp;Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper, which first reported the training, said the drills were intended to simulate a scenario to capture North&nbsp;Korean executives. Sources identified a man in military uniforms akin to that of North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;collapse upon a gunshot from one of the commandos, Chosun Ilbo said.

Pyongyang has in the past accused the United States and&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;of seeking to topple its regime with "hostile policy", while slamming their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-us-military-drills-violate-agreement-north-korea-state-media-176737">regular joint military exercises</a> as plots to "decapitate" its leadership and a rehearsal for war.

South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;under a previous administration had planned to launch a special unit in 2017 tasked with "removing or paralysing" North&nbsp;Korea's top command in the event of a war.

Tension has been growing in recent weeks as North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;conducts a series of weapons tests and waged a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-warns-united-states-not-to-exploit-close-trump-kim-ties-258322">war of words</a> with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in an apparent bid to underscore its year-end deadline.

Earlier this month, Trump said the United States reserved the right to use military force against North&nbsp;Korea.

General Charles Brown, commander of US&nbsp;Pacific Air Forces, said last week the US&nbsp;military could "dust off pretty quickly and be ready to use" options it had developed during the height of tensions in 2017.

South Korean and US special forces troops recently conducted drills simulating the infiltration of an enemy facility, as tensions with North Korea ratchet up ahead of a year-end deadline.

South Korean and US special forces troops recently conducted drills simulating the infiltration of an enemy facility, as tensions with North Korea ratchet up ahead of a year-end deadline. South Korean and US commandos raided the facility and led out a man with his hands tied behind the back during the exercise described as a joint regular close-quarters battle training last month at a US military base in the southwestern South Korean city of Gunsan. A South Korean official said the drill was designed as a hostage rescue operation training as part of a counter-terrorism drill conducted quarterly by the allies. The US Forces Korea did not respond to a request for comment. Watch: North Korea rules out Denuclearisation Talks The rare release of the photos by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service comes ahead of a year-end deadline set by Pyongyang for Washington to soften its stance in stalled talks. The service is operated by an arm of the US Department of Defence. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper, which first reported the training, said the drills were intended to simulate a scenario to capture North Korean executives. Sources identified a man in military uniforms akin to that of North Korea collapse upon a gunshot from one of the commandos, Chosun Ilbo said. Pyongyang has in the past accused the United States and South Korea of seeking to topple its regime with "hostile policy", while slamming their regular joint military exercises as plots to "decapitate" its leadership and a rehearsal for war. South Korea under a previous administration had planned to launch a special unit in 2017 tasked with "removing or paralysing" North Korea's top command in the event of a war. Tension has been growing in recent weeks as North Korea conducts a series of weapons tests and waged a war of words with US President Donald Trump in an apparent bid to underscore its year-end deadline. Earlier this month, Trump said the United States reserved the right to use military force against North Korea. General Charles Brown, commander of US Pacific Air Forces, said last week the US military could "dust off pretty quickly and be ready to use" options it had developed during the height of tensions in 2017.

South Korea, US commandos practice raiding enemy facility as North Korea tensions rise

Hong Kong football fans booed as the Chinese national anthem was played on Wednesday before their team's clash with China in South Korea as the political turmoil that has gripped the former British colony spilt over to the sports world.

The Korea Football Association said it had taken steps to ensure there were no banners bearing political messages at the Busan Asiad Stadium, where nearly 200 Hong Kong fans chanted and banged drums to drown out a tiny pocket of Chinese supporters.

China won the game by 2-0.

Hong Kong has been rocked by six months of sometimes <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-needs-to-do-more-to-stop-violence-resolve-problems-government-268621">violent demonstrations</a>, with protesters angered by what they see as Beijing's stifling of freedoms despite a "one country, two systems" promise of autonomy when the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-should-stop-interfering-in-our-internal-matters-chinas-top-diplomat-266841">China rejects the suggestion</a> it is interfering in Hong Kong and blames Western countries for inciting the trouble.

Disrespecting the national anthem is a crime in China. Hong Kong has presented a bill that sets jail terms of up to three years for the same offence, a move critics say raises fresh fears over freedom of expression.

Hong Kong, designated the home side for Wednesday's match in the four-team tournament that also includes hosts South Korea and Japan, were dressed all in red and turned to face their bauhinia flag when the national anthem began.

The Chinese players, dressed in yellow, faced their flag and belted out the anthem as it was being played, while boos rang out from the Hong Kong fans.

After the game ended, the Hong Kong fans sang "Glory to Hong Kong," a song that has become a rallying cry for democracy.

Television coverage of the match in Hong Kong did not show the anthem being played, instead of cutting in as the players were shaking hands.

When Chinese Player Ji Xiang scored the first goal in the ninth minute, the Hong Kong fans booed and shouted in English: "Let's go Hong Kong, let's go!"

Chinese fans tried make themselves heard in the cavernous 50,000-seater stadium as Hong Kong supporters chanted: "We are Hong Kong" throughout the match.

University student Ben Wan, 21, said he flew in to watch the tournament and said the match had taken on a different edge due to the unrest back home in Hong Kong.

Wan, who was wearing a black mask, said: "I think the games against China are much more important than the previous because in Hong Kong there is political cleavage, it is becoming more and more serious."

Chinese fan Zhang Hui said he flew in just for this game.

"This particular competition, we think it’s between two Chinese teams, one country two systems, go China!" said the 37-year-old.

Hong Kong fans also jeered the country's national anthem during a soccer World Cup qualifier against Iran in September.

"I’m a bit disappointed about the score because we lost but the team performance was I think was good," a man who gave his surname as So said. "I’ve quite enjoyed the match because we got many friends here."

Hong Kong football fans booed as the Chinese national anthem was played on Wednesday before their team's clash with China in South Korea as the political turmoil that has gripped the former British colony spilt over to the sports world.

Hong Kong football fans booed as the Chinese national anthem was played on Wednesday before their team's clash with China in South Korea as the political turmoil that has gripped the former British colony spilt over to the sports world. The Korea Football Association said it had taken steps to ensure there were no banners bearing political messages at the Busan Asiad Stadium, where nearly 200 Hong Kong fans chanted and banged drums to drown out a tiny pocket of Chinese supporters. China won the game by 2-0. Hong Kong has been rocked by six months of sometimes violent demonstrations, with protesters angered by what they see as Beijing's stifling of freedoms despite a "one country, two systems" promise of autonomy when the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997. China rejects the suggestion it is interfering in Hong Kong and blames Western countries for inciting the trouble. Disrespecting the national anthem is a crime in China. Hong Kong has presented a bill that sets jail terms of up to three years for the same offence, a move critics say raises fresh fears over freedom of expression. Hong Kong, designated the home side for Wednesday's match in the four-team tournament that also includes hosts South Korea and Japan, were dressed all in red and turned to face their bauhinia flag when the national anthem began. The Chinese players, dressed in yellow, faced their flag and belted out the anthem as it was being played, while boos rang out from the Hong Kong fans. After the game ended, the Hong Kong fans sang "Glory to Hong Kong," a song that has become a rallying cry for democracy. Television coverage of the match in Hong Kong did not show the anthem being played, instead of cutting in as the players were shaking hands. When Chinese Player Ji Xiang scored the first goal in the ninth minute, the Hong Kong fans booed and shouted in English: "Let's go Hong Kong, let's go!" Chinese fans tried make themselves heard in the cavernous 50,000-seater stadium as Hong Kong supporters chanted: "We are Hong Kong" throughout the match. University student Ben Wan, 21, said he flew in to watch the tournament and said the match had taken on a different edge due to the unrest back home in Hong Kong. Wan, who was wearing a black mask, said: "I think the games against China are much more important than the previous because in Hong Kong there is political cleavage, it is becoming more and more serious." Chinese fan Zhang Hui said he flew in just for this game. "This particular competition, we think it’s between two Chinese teams, one country two systems, go China!" said the 37-year-old. Hong Kong fans also jeered the country's national anthem during a soccer World Cup qualifier against Iran in September. "I’m a bit disappointed about the score because we lost but the team performance was I think was good," a man who gave his surname as So said. "I’ve quite enjoyed the match because we got many friends here."

Hong Kong fans boo national anthem ahead of soccer match with China

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has accused South Korea of being a rich nation that is profiting off the&nbsp;US&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-south-korea-postpone-joint-drills-in-act-of-goodwill-262741">military</a> forces, which are stationed in the country as a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-koreans-fearful-of-nightmare-us-troop-withdrawal-199239">legacy</a> of the 1950-1953 Korean War and continued threats from North Korea.

South Korean lawmakers have said&nbsp;Washington&nbsp;is seeking up to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-south-korea-resume-defence-cost-sharing-talks-after-trumps-5-bn-demand-gets-dubbed-as-robbery-262883">$5&nbsp;billion</a>&nbsp;a year to support the&nbsp;troops&nbsp;- more than five times the amount&nbsp;Seoul&nbsp;agreed to pay this year.

But the&nbsp;US's chief negotiator James DeHart told reporters after Wednesday's meeting that "($5&nbsp;billion) is not the number we are currently focusing on in the negotiation," according to Yonhap News Agency.

"We have been coordinating and compromising. But the figure we&nbsp;agree&nbsp;on will be very different from our initial proposal and will also be different from what we are currently hearing from the Korean side," he added.

As part of his 'America First" policy, Trump has&nbsp;demanded that many&nbsp;US&nbsp;allies, including NATO members and Japan, pay more towards defence.

The lack of a deal in the talks led on South Korea's side by chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo, could result in a repeat of last year when the two countries missed a year-end deadline but reached a retroactive&nbsp;agreement in the new year.

Some experts, both&nbsp;US&nbsp;and Korean, have warned that if no&nbsp;agreement is reached, it could throw the future of the&nbsp;US&nbsp;presence in South Korea into doubt.

The next set of talks will be in the United States in January, with the exact timing still to be determined.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said their negotiators emphasized the need for "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable&nbsp;agreements," that will strengthen the alliance.

"The two sides have expanded their understanding of each other through many discussions despite differences in their positions on various issues, and decided to continue close consultations," it said in a statement.

The dispute has been a rare public sign of discord in the alliance that has for 70 years formed a buffer against North Korean aggression. The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce but not a peace treaty.

There have been several public protests in South Korea against the&nbsp;US&nbsp;calls for more money, and a survey by the Chicago Council of Global Affairs found that only 4&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of South Korean respondents said&nbsp;Seoul&nbsp;should meet <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-warns-united-states-not-to-exploit-close-trump-kim-ties-258322">Trump</a>'s&nbsp;demands.

On the other hand, 74 per cent&nbsp;of those questioned said they supported the long-term stationing of American&nbsp;troops&nbsp;in South Korea.

If no deal is reached, the most immediate effect may be on thousands of South Korean civilians who work for the&nbsp;US&nbsp;military and who could be placed on unpaid leave.

US President Donald Trump has accused South Korea of being a rich nation that is profiting off the US military forces, which are stationed in the country as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War and continued threats from North Korea.

US President Donald Trump has accused South Korea of being a rich nation that is profiting off the US military forces, which are stationed in the country as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War and continued threats from North Korea. South Korean lawmakers have said Washington is seeking up to $5 billion a year to support the troops - more than five times the amount Seoul agreed to pay this year. But the US's chief negotiator James DeHart told reporters after Wednesday's meeting that "($5 billion) is not the number we are currently focusing on in the negotiation," according to Yonhap News Agency. "We have been coordinating and compromising. But the figure we agree on will be very different from our initial proposal and will also be different from what we are currently hearing from the Korean side," he added. As part of his 'America First" policy, Trump has demanded that many US allies, including NATO members and Japan, pay more towards defence. The lack of a deal in the talks led on South Korea's side by chief negotiator Jeong Eun-bo, could result in a repeat of last year when the two countries missed a year-end deadline but reached a retroactive agreement in the new year. Some experts, both US and Korean, have warned that if no agreement is reached, it could throw the future of the US presence in South Korea into doubt. The next set of talks will be in the United States in January, with the exact timing still to be determined. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said their negotiators emphasized the need for "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable agreements," that will strengthen the alliance. "The two sides have expanded their understanding of each other through many discussions despite differences in their positions on various issues, and decided to continue close consultations," it said in a statement. The dispute has been a rare public sign of discord in the alliance that has for 70 years formed a buffer against North Korean aggression. The two Koreas remain technically at war after the Korean War ended in a truce but not a peace treaty. There have been several public protests in South Korea against the US calls for more money, and a survey by the Chicago Council of Global Affairs found that only 4 per cent of South Korean respondents said Seoul should meet Trump's demands. On the other hand, 74 per cent of those questioned said they supported the long-term stationing of American troops in South Korea. If no deal is reached, the most immediate effect may be on thousands of South Korean civilians who work for the US military and who could be placed on unpaid leave.

Seoul, Washington fail to agree on cost of US troops; US denies $5 billion demand

Senior&nbsp;Japanese and&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;trade&nbsp;officials met on Monday for the first time since&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;imposed controls on exports to its neighbor of high-technology materials, plunging testy relations between the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-defence-secretary-jim-mattis-exit-sparks-concern-among-us-allies-185709">US&nbsp;allies</a> into a new crisis.

Japan&nbsp;imposed the curbs on exports to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-sends-missile-warning-to-south-korea-us-as-tensions-rise-241269">South&nbsp;Korea</a>&nbsp;of three materials used to make semiconductors in July, threatening a pillar of the&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean economy and the global supply chain of chips.

Japan&nbsp;cited its concern about insufficient&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean controls on the materials, suggesting they might have been shipped to North&nbsp;Korea, although the curbs came as relations soured&nbsp;over&nbsp;a&nbsp;dispute&nbsp;over&nbsp;Japan's wartime actions.

Yoichi Iida, director-general at the&nbsp;Japanese&nbsp;trade&nbsp;ministry's&nbsp;trade&nbsp;control department, and his&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean counterpart Lee Ho-Hyeon met in Tokyo for the first senior-level bilateral talks in three and a half years.

The two made no comment to each other or to media as they shook hands at the beginning of their&nbsp;meeting.

On their agenda will be&nbsp;Japan's tighter rules on its exports and its removal of&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;from its list of countries with fast-track&nbsp;trade&nbsp;status.

South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;responded by dropping&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;from its favored-trade&nbsp;list and threatening to end security cooperation.

Japan's chief cabinet secretary<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-rejects-south-korea-deal-over-wartime-forced-labour-228878"> Yoshihide Suga </a>played down expectations for any&nbsp;quick&nbsp;solution to the&nbsp;dispute&nbsp;on Monday.

"We look forward to a comprehensive assessment," Suga told a news conference, suggesting a solution would take time.

Relations between the neighbors have been plagued for years for bitterness&nbsp;over&nbsp;Japan’s colonisation of the&nbsp;Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945, which saw forced use of labor by&nbsp;Japanese companies and the use of “comfort women”, a&nbsp;Japanese euphemism for girls and women, many of them&nbsp;Korean, forced to work in its wartime brothels.

Japan's July&nbsp;trade&nbsp;restrictions came as it complained of the erosion of trust with&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;after a&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean court ruled last year that&nbsp;Japanese companies had to pay compensation to&nbsp;South&nbsp;Koreans forced to work in&nbsp;Japanese factories during&nbsp;Japan’s occupation.

Japan&nbsp;believes the issue was settled under a 1965 treaty and the court ruling violated international law.

The&nbsp;trade&nbsp;dispute&nbsp;has raised fears about security cooperation although&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;last month decided to retain an intelligence-sharing pact with&nbsp;Japan, after threatening to end it.

Senior Japanese and South Korean trade officials met on Monday for the first time since Japan imposed controls on exports to its neighbor of high-technology materials, plunging testy relations between the US allies into a new crisis.

Senior Japanese and South Korean trade officials met on Monday for the first time since Japan imposed controls on exports to its neighbor of high-technology materials, plunging testy relations between the US allies into a new crisis. Japan imposed the curbs on exports to South Korea of three materials used to make semiconductors in July, threatening a pillar of the South Korean economy and the global supply chain of chips. Japan cited its concern about insufficient South Korean controls on the materials, suggesting they might have been shipped to North Korea, although the curbs came as relations soured over a dispute over Japan's wartime actions. Yoichi Iida, director-general at the Japanese trade ministry's trade control department, and his South Korean counterpart Lee Ho-Hyeon met in Tokyo for the first senior-level bilateral talks in three and a half years. The two made no comment to each other or to media as they shook hands at the beginning of their meeting. On their agenda will be Japan's tighter rules on its exports and its removal of South Korea from its list of countries with fast-track trade status. South Korea responded by dropping Japan from its favored-trade list and threatening to end security cooperation. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga played down expectations for any quick solution to the dispute on Monday. "We look forward to a comprehensive assessment," Suga told a news conference, suggesting a solution would take time. Relations between the neighbors have been plagued for years for bitterness over Japan’s colonisation of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945, which saw forced use of labor by Japanese companies and the use of “comfort women”, a Japanese euphemism for girls and women, many of them Korean, forced to work in its wartime brothels. Japan's July trade restrictions came as it complained of the erosion of trust with South Korea after a South Korean court ruled last year that Japanese companies had to pay compensation to South Koreans forced to work in Japanese factories during Japan’s occupation. Japan believes the issue was settled under a 1965 treaty and the court ruling violated international law. The trade dispute has raised fears about security cooperation although South Korea last month decided to retain an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, after threatening to end it.

Japan, South Korea meet over trade dispute but no quick fix seen

A&nbsp;13-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hendrick-strikes-late-as-burnley-beat-newcastle-23173">Burnley</a>&nbsp;fan&nbsp;ejected from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-mourinho-masterstroke-pays-off-as-tottenham-spurs-hit-back-to-win-264816">Tottenham Hotspur Stadium</a> on Saturday for an&nbsp;alleged&nbsp;racist&nbsp;gesture&nbsp;directed at Spurs' South Korea forward&nbsp;Son&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-put-my-booster-on-son-heung-min-shares-secret-behind-magnificent-goal-267042">Heung-Min</a> is being&nbsp;investigated&nbsp;by police, the Lancashire club said on Monday.

The supporter, who was accompanied by a guardian, was spotted by stewards when he made the&nbsp;alleged&nbsp;gesture&nbsp;during&nbsp;Burnley's 5-0 Premier League defeat. The club said the teenager was under investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

Son, named Asia's International Player of the Year last week, scored in the first period when he picked the ball up in his own half and cut through&nbsp;Burnley's midfield and defence with a solo run before slotting it past the goalkeeper.

"Burnley&nbsp;Football Club will be contacting the teenager and his family, with a view to an enforced educational program, run in conjunction with Kick It Out and&nbsp;Burnley&nbsp;FC in the Community," the club said in a statement.

"Burnley&nbsp;Football Club would like to reiterate its zero-tolerance policy&nbsp;towards&nbsp;discrimination of any kind. We will continue to work with the authorities to help eradicate the growing problem of discrimination within football."

On Sunday, two&nbsp;fans from the away end at Brighton &amp; Hove Albion's Amex Stadium were ejected, arrested and later released by Sussex Police for homophobic abuse during the 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A 13-year-old Burnley fan ejected from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday for an alleged racist gesture directed at Spurs' South Korea forward Son Heung-Min is being investigated by police, the Lancashire club said on Monday.

A 13-year-old Burnley fan ejected from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday for an alleged racist gesture directed at Spurs' South Korea forward Son Heung-Min is being investigated by police, the Lancashire club said on Monday. The supporter, who was accompanied by a guardian, was spotted by stewards when he made the alleged gesture during Burnley's 5-0 Premier League defeat. The club said the teenager was under investigation by the Metropolitan Police. Son, named Asia's International Player of the Year last week, scored in the first period when he picked the ball up in his own half and cut through Burnley's midfield and defence with a solo run before slotting it past the goalkeeper. "Burnley Football Club will be contacting the teenager and his family, with a view to an enforced educational program, run in conjunction with Kick It Out and Burnley FC in the Community," the club said in a statement. "Burnley Football Club would like to reiterate its zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination of any kind. We will continue to work with the authorities to help eradicate the growing problem of discrimination within football." On Sunday, two fans from the away end at Brighton & Hove Albion's Amex Stadium were ejected, arrested and later released by Sussex Police for homophobic abuse during the 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Football: Burnley fan, 13, investigated for alleged racist gesture towards Son

As the monkeypox virus continues to spread, Germany confirmed the first case in a four-year-old child. German health officials detected the virus in a girl reportedly living with two infected adults. But she has no symptoms currently even as doctors took the swab for diagnosis.

The country’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) had confirmed the spread of monkeypox virus among teenagers last week. Germany has recorded 2,900 monkeypox cases so far.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-moves-to-stretch-out-monkeypox-vaccine-supply-505298">Also Read:&nbsp;US moves to stretch out monkeypox vaccine supply</a>

Monkeypox cases in Europe have surged since May. RKI said the risk to the population was low, but added it would continue to “monitor” the situation. Germany’s standing committee on health said in order to prevent the outbreak, it is important for the country to start the vaccination campaign.

However, the German committee said it had only 40,000 doses of Jynneos vaccine while it ordered another 200,000 doses.

Watch:&nbsp;California declares monkeypox emergency

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/california-records-827-monkeypox-cases-declares-emergency-502884/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The United States had declared monkeypox a public health emergency last week as it sought to ramp up the supply of vaccines. The US is one of the worst-hit countries with over 9,000 monkeypox cases. New York is currently the epicentre of the virus with majority of cases involving men who have had sex with men, reports say.

On Monday, Peru recorded the first monkeypox death while reporting over 300 cases. Health officials said the 45-year-old man suffered from comorbidities.&nbsp;Hospitals in the country have been reporting eight to nine monkeypox cases per day.

According to the World Health Organisation(WHO), over 18,000 people have been infected with the monkeypox virus outside Africa in at least 78 countries worldwide with the majority of cases currently in Europe.

(With inputs from Agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

&nbsp;

As the monkeypox virus continues to spread, Germany confirmed the first case in a four-year-old child. German health officials detected the virus in a girl reportedly living with two infected adults.

As the monkeypox virus continues to spread, Germany confirmed the first case in a four-year-old child. German health officials detected the virus in a girl reportedly living with two infected adults. But she has no symptoms currently even as doctors took the swab for diagnosis. The country’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) had confirmed the spread of monkeypox virus among teenagers last week. Germany has recorded 2,900 monkeypox cases so far. Also Read: US moves to stretch out monkeypox vaccine supply Monkeypox cases in Europe have surged since May. RKI said the risk to the population was low, but added it would continue to “monitor” the situation. Germany’s standing committee on health said in order to prevent the outbreak, it is important for the country to start the vaccination campaign. However, the German committee said it had only 40,000 doses of Jynneos vaccine while it ordered another 200,000 doses. Watch: California declares monkeypox emergency The United States had declared monkeypox a public health emergency last week as it sought to ramp up the supply of vaccines. The US is one of the worst-hit countries with over 9,000 monkeypox cases. New York is currently the epicentre of the virus with majority of cases involving men who have had sex with men, reports say. On Monday, Peru recorded the first monkeypox death while reporting over 300 cases. Health officials said the 45-year-old man suffered from comorbidities. Hospitals in the country have been reporting eight to nine monkeypox cases per day. According to the World Health Organisation(WHO), over 18,000 people have been infected with the monkeypox virus outside Africa in at least 78 countries worldwide with the majority of cases currently in Europe. (With inputs from Agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

South Korea jails three executives of Samsung Electronics

Hwang Won was on a domestic Korean Air flight from Gangneung to Seoul's Gimpo airport on December 11, 1969, only for the aircraft to be hijacked by a North Korean spy 10 minutes after takeoff and made to land in Pyongyang.

Two months later, 39 passengers were repatriated, but the North never returned 11 people including Hwang -- whose son, who was two at the time of the hijacking, has continued to fight for his release.

Returning passengers said Hwang Won had been dragged away after resisting indoctrination efforts and questioning North Korea's ideology.

Hwang In-cheol, now in his 50s, was joined Sunday by dozens of supporters at Imjingak, just south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the hijacking next Wednesday.

"World leaders won't do anything about this until enough of us speak up," Hwang said in a petition calling for the release of his father.

"North Korea is the worst country in the world, and will remain so until humanity forces it to change," he said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has engaged in a flurry of diplomacy since last year, including summits with US President Donald Trump and the South's President Moon Jae-in, but activists say the issue of human rights has largely been off the table.

With temperatures dipping below zero in the bitter weather, activists waved posters reading, "We stand with Hwang In-cheol", and flew paper airplanes with messages to his father that said: "See you this Christmas!"

Hwang wrote on a ribbon "North Korea, send my father home" and tied it on a wall of other ribbons on a barbed wire fence.

For Hwang In-cheol's supporters, his case is a reminder of the luxuries in life that are often taken for granted.

"I can call my dad at any time, I can see my family, I can go home, I know where my family is," said Jennifer Bowman, a member of TNKR, a nonprofit group helping North Korean refugees.

"That really made me realise this is an issue that applies to everyone."

Hwang Won was on a domestic Korean Air flight from Gangneung to Seoul's Gimpo airport on December 11, 1969, only for the aircraft to be hijacked by a North Korean spy 10 minutes after takeoff and made to land in Pyongyang.

Hwang Won was on a domestic Korean Air flight from Gangneung to Seoul's Gimpo airport on December 11, 1969, only for the aircraft to be hijacked by a North Korean spy 10 minutes after takeoff and made to land in Pyongyang. Two months later, 39 passengers were repatriated, but the North never returned 11 people including Hwang -- whose son, who was two at the time of the hijacking, has continued to fight for his release. Returning passengers said Hwang Won had been dragged away after resisting indoctrination efforts and questioning North Korea's ideology. Hwang In-cheol, now in his 50s, was joined Sunday by dozens of supporters at Imjingak, just south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the hijacking next Wednesday. "World leaders won't do anything about this until enough of us speak up," Hwang said in a petition calling for the release of his father. "North Korea is the worst country in the world, and will remain so until humanity forces it to change," he said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has engaged in a flurry of diplomacy since last year, including summits with US President Donald Trump and the South's President Moon Jae-in, but activists say the issue of human rights has largely been off the table. With temperatures dipping below zero in the bitter weather, activists waved posters reading, "We stand with Hwang In-cheol", and flew paper airplanes with messages to his father that said: "See you this Christmas!" Hwang wrote on a ribbon "North Korea, send my father home" and tied it on a wall of other ribbons on a barbed wire fence. For Hwang In-cheol's supporters, his case is a reminder of the luxuries in life that are often taken for granted. "I can call my dad at any time, I can see my family, I can go home, I know where my family is," said Jennifer Bowman, a member of TNKR, a nonprofit group helping North Korean refugees. "That really made me realise this is an issue that applies to everyone."

Son of North Korea hijack victim demands return of father

China's top diplomat arrived in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/873-million-fine-against-us-chip-gaint-qualcomm-south-korea-266064">Seoul on Wednesday</a>, visiting South Korea for the first time in more than four years as the two countries seek to repair ties that soured over the deployment of US&nbsp;anti-missile systems in South Korea.

During his two-day stay the State Councillor Wang Yi will meet South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and President Moon Jae-in, officials in Seoul said.

Yi last visited the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/south-korea-to-hold-trade-talks-with-japan-in-december-265163">South Korean capital</a> for a trilateral meeting, also attended by Japan, in 2015.

A year later a row blew up over the planned sitting in South Korea of the US&nbsp;Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, designed to intercept ballistic missiles.

Beijing said it upset the regional security balance as the system's powerful radar could penetrate into Chinese territory.

South Korea and the United States went ahead regardless, installing the anti-missile system in 2017, saying it was warranted because of North Korea's provocations.

North Korea has test-fired dozens of missiles since Moon Jae-in took office in 2017, most recently on the U.S Thanksgiving holiday last week.

South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving stalled denuclearisation talks between the United States and North Korea, a longtime ally of Beijing.

Denuclearisation negotiations between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-japan-set-to-back-air-traffic-deal-after-near-misses-265017">North Korea and the United States</a> have hit a stalemate after a day-long working-level meeting in October in Stockholm broke down.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set an end-year deadline for Washington to reconsider its approach in denuclearisation negotiations after the last talks ended in disagreement. US&nbsp;officials have downplayed the deadline, calling it artificial.

South Korea is seeking to open additional military hotlines with China to improve communications. The two countries' defence ministers discussed the issue on the sidelines of an international conference in Bangkok last month, Seoul's defence ministry said.

China's top diplomat arrived in Seoul on Wednesday, visiting South Korea for the first time in more than four years as the two countries seek to repair ties that soured over the deployment of US anti-missile systems in South Korea.

China's top diplomat arrived in Seoul on Wednesday, visiting South Korea for the first time in more than four years as the two countries seek to repair ties that soured over the deployment of US anti-missile systems in South Korea. During his two-day stay the State Councillor Wang Yi will meet South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and President Moon Jae-in, officials in Seoul said. Yi last visited the South Korean capital for a trilateral meeting, also attended by Japan, in 2015. A year later a row blew up over the planned sitting in South Korea of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, designed to intercept ballistic missiles. Beijing said it upset the regional security balance as the system's powerful radar could penetrate into Chinese territory. South Korea and the United States went ahead regardless, installing the anti-missile system in 2017, saying it was warranted because of North Korea's provocations. North Korea has test-fired dozens of missiles since Moon Jae-in took office in 2017, most recently on the U.S Thanksgiving holiday last week. South Korea sees China as instrumental in reviving stalled denuclearisation talks between the United States and North Korea, a longtime ally of Beijing. Denuclearisation negotiations between North Korea and the United States have hit a stalemate after a day-long working-level meeting in October in Stockholm broke down. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set an end-year deadline for Washington to reconsider its approach in denuclearisation negotiations after the last talks ended in disagreement. US officials have downplayed the deadline, calling it artificial. South Korea is seeking to open additional military hotlines with China to improve communications. The two countries' defence ministers discussed the issue on the sidelines of an international conference in Bangkok last month, Seoul's defence ministry said.

Top Chinese diplomat visits South Korea to improve relations after four-year gap

A&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;court&nbsp;on Wednesday upheld a record $873&nbsp;million&nbsp;fine&nbsp;against&nbsp;US&nbsp;chip&nbsp;giant&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/tech-group-sides-with-apple-in-qualcomms-iphone-ban-dispute-18142">Qualcomm&nbsp;</a>for unfair business practices related to patent licensing and modem&nbsp;chip&nbsp;sales.

Seoul High&nbsp;Court&nbsp;Judge Noh Tae-ak rejected the company's appeal&nbsp;against&nbsp;the penalty imposed by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) in 2016 saying&nbsp;Qualcomm&nbsp;had abused its dominant market position.

The&nbsp;court, however, said the regulator's claims that&nbsp;Qualcomm&nbsp;had disadvantaged smartphone makers by signing "comprehensive" licensing deals lacked evidence, opening the door for the company to continue such practices.

It was not immediately clear whether either side would appeal to the Supreme&nbsp;Court.

Qualcomm, the world's biggest supplier of mobile phone&nbsp;chips, derives most of its profits from a business segment that invents technologies and licenses them.

The company forecast between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion in revenue for that segment for its fiscal first quarter, above analyst expectations of $1.23 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

Qualcomm&nbsp;is a top&nbsp;chip&nbsp;supplier to&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;smartphone makers <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/samsung-electronics-third-quarter-net-profit-slumps-52-258964">Samsung Electronics</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/lg-electronics-joins-hands-with-here-technologies-self-driving-cars-27857">LG Electronics</a>, as well as to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-asks-united-states-to-waive-tariffs-on-chinese-made-watches-iphone-parts-airpods-259657">Apple Inc</a>.

A South Korean court on Wednesday upheld a record $873 million fine against US chip giant Qualcomm for unfair business practices related to patent licensing and modem chip sales.

A South Korean court on Wednesday upheld a record $873 million fine against US chip giant Qualcomm for unfair business practices related to patent licensing and modem chip sales. Seoul High Court Judge Noh Tae-ak rejected the company's appeal against the penalty imposed by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) in 2016 saying Qualcomm had abused its dominant market position. The court, however, said the regulator's claims that Qualcomm had disadvantaged smartphone makers by signing "comprehensive" licensing deals lacked evidence, opening the door for the company to continue such practices. It was not immediately clear whether either side would appeal to the Supreme Court. Qualcomm, the world's biggest supplier of mobile phone chips, derives most of its profits from a business segment that invents technologies and licenses them. The company forecast between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion in revenue for that segment for its fiscal first quarter, above analyst expectations of $1.23 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Qualcomm is a top chip supplier to South Korean smartphone makers Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, as well as to Apple Inc.

South Korea imposes $873 million fine against US chip gaint Qualcomm

South Korean pop star Cha In Ha aged 27 found dead in his home. Third Korean pop star to die in 2 months. Cause of death is under investigation.

Third South Korean pop star commits suicide in last two months

South&nbsp;Korea's Olympic committee plans to buy&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;detectors&nbsp;and ship&nbsp;homegrown ingredients to Japan for its athletes at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/with-eight-months-from-tokyo-2020-venue-preparations-enter-final-stretch-263688">Tokyo&nbsp;Games</a> because&nbsp;of worries local&nbsp;food&nbsp;may be contaminated by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Japan has posted data to show the country is safe&nbsp;from&nbsp;Fukushima&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;and many countries have lifted Fukushima-related&nbsp;food&nbsp;restrictions.

The&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;Sports &amp; Olympic Committee (KSOC) plans to ship red pepper paste, a key ingredient in&nbsp;Korean dishes, and other&nbsp;foods, and check for&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;in meat and vegetables that can only be sourced locally due to stringent quarantine rules, a KSOC meals plan report shows.

"Apparently, ingredients and&nbsp;food&nbsp;will be transported&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/873-million-fine-against-us-chip-gaint-qualcomm-south-korea-266064">South&nbsp;Korea</a>&nbsp;as much as possible, possibly including canned&nbsp;food," Shin Dong-keun, a ruling Democratic Party member of the parliamentary sports committee who was recently briefed by KSOC, told Reuters in an interview.

"For this Olympic&nbsp;games,&nbsp;food&nbsp;is our team's main focus so they can provide safe meals for the athletes to erase&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;worries, as opposed to in the past,&nbsp;food&nbsp;was meant to play the supplementary role of helping with their morale."

KSOC plans to arrange local&nbsp;Korean restaurants to prepare meals for baseball and softball players competing in Fukushima, as shipping boxed lunches&nbsp;from&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;is not feasible, it said in the "2020&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;Summer Olympics Meals Support Centre Plan".

"These&nbsp;Korean restaurants should only handle&nbsp;food&nbsp;confirmed as&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;free,"

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station, located about 220 km (130 miles) northeast of&nbsp;Tokyo, was rocked by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in March 2011, sparking three reactor meltdowns.

More than 160,000 residents fled nearby towns in the aftermath as&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;from&nbsp;the reactors contaminated water,&nbsp;food&nbsp;and air.

Greenpeace said on Wednesday that&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;hot spots have been found at the J-Village sports facility in Fukushima where the&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;2020 Olympic torch relay will begin.

South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has stepped up demands for a Japanese response to concerns&nbsp;food&nbsp;produced in the Fukushima area and nearby sea could be contaminated by&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;from&nbsp;the Fukushima plant.

Japan is having trouble removing more than 1 million tonnes of contaminated water&nbsp;from&nbsp;the crippled plant.

When it finalises menus around April, the KSOC will consider asking&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;to ease its stringent quarantine ban on&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean produce, an official at the committee said.

The official said&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;was preparing a separate meals plan due to concerns&nbsp;from&nbsp;the public and politicians over&nbsp;food&nbsp;safety, unlike the United States and Australia whose athletes will mainly eat&nbsp;food&nbsp;provided by the host country, Japan.

The official requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

South&nbsp;Korea's concerns about possible contamination&nbsp;from&nbsp;the nuclear disaster has become a thorn in already contentious ties with Japan.

Seoul has banned imports of seafood&nbsp;from&nbsp;Japan's Fukushima region since the nuclear disaster, prompting&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;to launch a World Trade Organisation complaint. Japan has said many nations such as the United States and Australia had lifted or eased Fukushima-related restrictions.

Japanese officials&nbsp;use&nbsp;international events to promote the recovery of areas hit by the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster to show produce&nbsp;from&nbsp;Fukushima prefecture is safe.

Mineral water&nbsp;from&nbsp;Fukushima was served on tables at the last month's G20 foreign ministers meeting it hosted in Nagoya.

The&nbsp;South&nbsp;Korean Olympic committee plan to purchase&nbsp;radiation&nbsp;detecting equipment by February and station an inspector at its own cafeteria in&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;during the&nbsp;games to check contamination levels, according to the KSOC report.

The budget for the&nbsp;Tokyo&nbsp;Olympics meals service is earmarked at 1.7 billion won, which includes twice the amount of money for buying and shipping ingredients than previous&nbsp;games, according to the committee.

South Korea's Olympic committee plans to buy radiation detectors and ship homegrown ingredients to Japan for its athletes at the Tokyo Games because of worries local food may be contaminated by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

South Korea's Olympic committee plans to buy radiation detectors and ship homegrown ingredients to Japan for its athletes at the Tokyo Games because of worries local food may be contaminated by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Japan has posted data to show the country is safe from Fukushima radiation and many countries have lifted Fukushima-related food restrictions. The Korea Sports & Olympic Committee (KSOC) plans to ship red pepper paste, a key ingredient in Korean dishes, and other foods, and check for radiation in meat and vegetables that can only be sourced locally due to stringent quarantine rules, a KSOC meals plan report shows. "Apparently, ingredients and food will be transported from South Korea as much as possible, possibly including canned food," Shin Dong-keun, a ruling Democratic Party member of the parliamentary sports committee who was recently briefed by KSOC, told Reuters in an interview. "For this Olympic games, food is our team's main focus so they can provide safe meals for the athletes to erase radiation worries, as opposed to in the past, food was meant to play the supplementary role of helping with their morale." KSOC plans to arrange local Korean restaurants to prepare meals for baseball and softball players competing in Fukushima, as shipping boxed lunches from Tokyo is not feasible, it said in the "2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics Meals Support Centre Plan". "These Korean restaurants should only handle food confirmed as radiation free," The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station, located about 220 km (130 miles) northeast of Tokyo, was rocked by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in March 2011, sparking three reactor meltdowns. More than 160,000 residents fled nearby towns in the aftermath as radiation from the reactors contaminated water, food and air. Greenpeace said on Wednesday that radiation hot spots have been found at the J-Village sports facility in Fukushima where the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch relay will begin. South Korea has stepped up demands for a Japanese response to concerns food produced in the Fukushima area and nearby sea could be contaminated by radiation from the Fukushima plant. Japan is having trouble removing more than 1 million tonnes of contaminated water from the crippled plant. When it finalises menus around April, the KSOC will consider asking Tokyo to ease its stringent quarantine ban on South Korean produce, an official at the committee said. The official said South Korea was preparing a separate meals plan due to concerns from the public and politicians over food safety, unlike the United States and Australia whose athletes will mainly eat food provided by the host country, Japan. The official requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. South Korea's concerns about possible contamination from the nuclear disaster has become a thorn in already contentious ties with Japan. Seoul has banned imports of seafood from Japan's Fukushima region since the nuclear disaster, prompting Tokyo to launch a World Trade Organisation complaint. Japan has said many nations such as the United States and Australia had lifted or eased Fukushima-related restrictions. Japanese officials use international events to promote the recovery of areas hit by the 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster to show produce from Fukushima prefecture is safe. Mineral water from Fukushima was served on tables at the last month's G20 foreign ministers meeting it hosted in Nagoya. The South Korean Olympic committee plan to purchase radiation detecting equipment by February and station an inspector at its own cafeteria in Tokyo during the games to check contamination levels, according to the KSOC report. The budget for the Tokyo Olympics meals service is earmarked at 1.7 billion won, which includes twice the amount of money for buying and shipping ingredients than previous games, according to the committee.

South Korea to use radiation detectors, food from home at Tokyo Olympics 2020

South Korean pop star Cha In Ha found dead in his home

North&nbsp;Korean leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-and-trump-have-special-relationship-state-media-257802">Kim Jong Un</a> has opened a flagship construction project close to Mount Paektu, a symbol of the Korean nation and the supposed birthplace of his father and predecessor, state media reported Tuesday.

The North has poured huge resources into the rebuilding of Samjiyon, the closest town to the dormant volcano that straddles the border with China.

The project is on a vast scale and includes a museum of revolutionary activities, a winter sports training complex, processing plants for blueberries and potatoes, and 10,000 apartments.

Kim is closely associated with the scheme and has visited the area several times, reportedly riding a white horse to the mountain's summit in October.

Kim had "worked heart and soul to turn Samjiyon County, the sacred place of the revolution, into the utopia town under socialism", the North's official KCNA news agency said.

The North is subject to multiple sets of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and KCNA portrayed Samjiyon as a demonstration of resilience.

The Korean people were, it said, "advancing along the straight road chosen by themselves without any vacillation despite the worst trials".

The opening comes with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinping-and-kim-jong-un-hail-immortal-china-north-korea-relationship-254034">nuclear negotiations with the US deadlocked</a> since the Hanoi summit broke up in February.

Pyongyang has set Washington an end-of-year deadline to offer it new concessions and has&nbsp;issued a series of increasingly assertive comments in recent weeks as time runs out.

KCNA released a picture of Kim,&nbsp;in a black leather trenchcoat and surrounded by fur-hatted officials,&nbsp;cutting a red ribbon at an inaugural ceremony,&nbsp;with a statue of his father Kim Jong Il in the background.

According to North Korean propaganda the elder Kim was born at the nearby Mount Paektu Secret Camp where his own father Kim Il Sung was fighting the Japanese,&nbsp;although independent historians and Soviet records say he was actually born in Russia, where the North's founder was in exile.

The official story plays a central role in Pyongyang's teachings about the Kim family, who have led the country for three generations, and every year 100,000&nbsp;students and workers or more are taken on study trips to the area.

The scale of the Samjiyon project is immense: thousands of workers swarmed over the site during construction, AFP saw, many of them soldiers. Much of the North's army is devoted to construction.

Students have been sent to work on the scheme during university holidays, KCNA reported previously, while diplomats say children have also been deployed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has opened a flagship construction project close to Mount Paektu, a symbol of the Korean nation and the supposed birthplace of his father and predecessor, state media reported Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has opened a flagship construction project close to Mount Paektu, a symbol of the Korean nation and the supposed birthplace of his father and predecessor, state media reported Tuesday. The North has poured huge resources into the rebuilding of Samjiyon, the closest town to the dormant volcano that straddles the border with China. The project is on a vast scale and includes a museum of revolutionary activities, a winter sports training complex, processing plants for blueberries and potatoes, and 10,000 apartments. Kim is closely associated with the scheme and has visited the area several times, reportedly riding a white horse to the mountain's summit in October. Kim had "worked heart and soul to turn Samjiyon County, the sacred place of the revolution, into the utopia town under socialism", the North's official KCNA news agency said. The North is subject to multiple sets of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and KCNA portrayed Samjiyon as a demonstration of resilience. The Korean people were, it said, "advancing along the straight road chosen by themselves without any vacillation despite the worst trials". The opening comes with nuclear negotiations with the US deadlocked since the Hanoi summit broke up in February. Pyongyang has set Washington an end-of-year deadline to offer it new concessions and has issued a series of increasingly assertive comments in recent weeks as time runs out. KCNA released a picture of Kim, in a black leather trenchcoat and surrounded by fur-hatted officials, cutting a red ribbon at an inaugural ceremony, with a statue of his father Kim Jong Il in the background. According to North Korean propaganda the elder Kim was born at the nearby Mount Paektu Secret Camp where his own father Kim Il Sung was fighting the Japanese, although independent historians and Soviet records say he was actually born in Russia, where the North's founder was in exile. The official story plays a central role in Pyongyang's teachings about the Kim family, who have led the country for three generations, and every year 100,000 students and workers or more are taken on study trips to the area. The scale of the Samjiyon project is immense: thousands of workers swarmed over the site during construction, AFP saw, many of them soldiers. Much of the North's army is devoted to construction. Students have been sent to work on the scheme during university holidays, KCNA reported previously, while diplomats say children have also been deployed.

Kim Jong Un opens a flagship construction project close to Mount Paektu

South Korea and Japan have agreed to hold senior-level trade talks in December to discuss Tokyo's export restrictions at the centre of a bitter dispute between the two countries, the South Korean trade ministry said on Friday.

South Korea and Japan have agreed to hold senior-level trade talks in December to discuss Tokyo's export restrictions at the centre of a bitter dispute between the two countries, the South Korean trade ministry said on Friday. The talks would include Japan's tighter rules since July on the export of three high-tech materials to South Korea and its removal of Seoul from its so-called "white list" of countries with fast-track trade status, the ministry said. Seoul responded by taking Japan off its list of fast-track trade countries, deepening the trade dispute that has festered for months and hurt some of Asia's biggest exporters. "We will pursue dialogue with an ultimate goal to make things like the white list or three items go back to the original state," Lee Ho-hyun, a South Korean senior trade ministry official, said at a news briefing. The talks would take place in the third week of December in Tokyo, the ministry added. The two countries agreed on Saturday to hold a summit next month in a major step towards improving relations strained by decades of bitterness over their wartime past. In a further sign of an easing of tensions, South Korea has also agreed to stick to an intelligence-sharing deal with Japan. Officials from both countries met on Thursday to discuss holding the senior-level trade dialogue, according to the South Korean trade ministry. The mood at the meeting on Thursday was more "friendly" than a similar meeting in July shortly after Tokyo imposed the export curbs, Lee added.

South Korea to hold trade talks with Japan in December

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../north-korea-says-pointless-for-kim-to-attend- south-korea-asean-summit-263634">North Korea </a>fired two "unidentified projectiles" on Thursday, the Thanksgiving holiday in the US,&nbsp;Seoul said, as nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked.

The brief statement from the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Pyongyang fired two projectiles eastwards from South Hamgyong province which came down in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.

It said the launch was carried out at 16:59 pm local time or the early hours in Washington DC, on one of the US' biggest annual holidays.

It was also one day short of the two-year anniversary of the first test of its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say is capable of reaching the entire US mainland.

Japan's defence ministry described the projectiles as "ballistic missile-like" but said they did not come down in the country's exclusive economic zone.

Pyongyang is banned from firing ballistic missiles under UN Security Council resolutions.

Thursday's launch was the latest in a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang, which fired what it called two "super-large multiple rocket launcher" systems last month.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../trump-signs-hong-kong-democracy-act-china- threatens-firm-countermeasures-264966">US President Donald Trump</a> has played down the recent launches, repeatedly pointing to North Korea's moratorium on nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches as foreign policy successes for him.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un adopted a vaguely-worded statement on the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" at their first summit in Singapore in June last year, but little progress has since been made.

Negotiations have been gridlocked since a second summit between the pair in Hanoi in February collapsed without a deal.

North Korea is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes and lifting some of them was a key demand at the Hanoi summit.

Trump and Kim then agreed to restart working-level talks during a brief meeting at the Demilitarised Zone dividing the peninsula in June and the two sides met in Sweden in October, only for Pyongyang to walk away.

Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington said they would postpone planned joint military exercises to ease diplomacy with the North, an announcement Pyongyang dismissed.

The North has long condemned the joint drills, which it condemns as preparations for invasion, and carried out multiple missile launches in the summer in protest as the allies carried out their annual exercises.

North Korea has issued a series of increasingly assertive comments in recent weeks as its end-of-year deadline for the US to come up with a fresh offer approaches.

Trump hinted at the prospect of a fourth meeting with Kim in a tweet earlier this month, only to be rebuffed by the North, which said it had no interest in summits "that bring nothing to us".

North Korea fired two "unidentified projectiles" on Thursday, the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, Seoul said, as nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked.

North Korea fired two "unidentified projectiles" on Thursday, the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, Seoul said, as nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington remain deadlocked. The brief statement from the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Pyongyang fired two projectiles eastwards from South Hamgyong province which came down in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. It said the launch was carried out at 16:59 pm local time or the early hours in Washington DC, on one of the US' biggest annual holidays. It was also one day short of the two-year anniversary of the first test of its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say is capable of reaching the entire US mainland. Japan's defence ministry described the projectiles as "ballistic missile-like" but said they did not come down in the country's exclusive economic zone. Pyongyang is banned from firing ballistic missiles under UN Security Council resolutions. Thursday's launch was the latest in a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang, which fired what it called two "super-large multiple rocket launcher" systems last month. US President Donald Trump has played down the recent launches, repeatedly pointing to North Korea's moratorium on nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches as foreign policy successes for him. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un adopted a vaguely-worded statement on the "complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula" at their first summit in Singapore in June last year, but little progress has since been made. Negotiations have been gridlocked since a second summit between the pair in Hanoi in February collapsed without a deal. North Korea is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes and lifting some of them was a key demand at the Hanoi summit. Trump and Kim then agreed to restart working-level talks during a brief meeting at the Demilitarised Zone dividing the peninsula in June and the two sides met in Sweden in October, only for Pyongyang to walk away. Earlier this month, Seoul and Washington said they would postpone planned joint military exercises to ease diplomacy with the North, an announcement Pyongyang dismissed. The North has long condemned the joint drills, which it condemns as preparations for invasion, and carried out multiple missile launches in the summer in protest as the allies carried out their annual exercises. North Korea has issued a series of increasingly assertive comments in recent weeks as its end-of-year deadline for the US to come up with a fresh offer approaches. Trump hinted at the prospect of a fourth meeting with Kim in a tweet earlier this month, only to be rebuffed by the North, which said it had no interest in summits "that bring nothing to us".

North Korea fires two 'unidentified projectiles': Seoul

south-korea

South Korea, News on South Korea, stories on South Korea, articles on South Korea, South Korea stories at Wion, South Korea news, South Korea latest news

south korea