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≡ S. Korean Officials Man Joint Liaison Office After N. Korea's Abrupt Pullout
Dozens of South Korean officials have headed to the joint inter-Korean liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong for work as usual.
According to the unification ministry, around 40 to 50 officials, including Kim Chang-su, deputy chief of the liaison office, crossed the western land border this morning.
They joined 25 officials already there to staff the office this week.
Their dispatch came despite the North's abrupt pullout of its staff last Friday, which North Korean officials said was based on an order from "higher-ups."
Experts and analysts say the move appears to be designed to pressure Seoul to do more to persuade Washington to lower its demands in the stalled denuclearization negotiations.■[2019.03.25]
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≡ Assembly Speaker, Floor Leaders To Discuss Fast-Tracking Bills
National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and the floor leaders of the four major political parties will meet for a luncheon today to discuss pending issues.
Their talks are expected to focus on fast-tracking bills, including one on electoral reform, which the ruling Democratic Party, the Bareunmirae Party, the Party for Democracy and Peace and the Justice Party have been pushing.
The floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, Na Kyung-won, said she would not attend due to her schedule.■[2019.03.25]
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≡ Trump Did Not Coordinate With Russia In 2016: Mueller
Special counsel Robert Mueller says he did not find evidence that U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice.
Mueller's conclusions were written in a four-page letter to Congress, summarized by Attorney General William Barr on Sunday.
It represented a victory for Trump, who has been dogged by questions about whether his campaign worked with Russia to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
However, Barr quoted Mueller as writing, "While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."
After the announcement, Trump told reporters it was a "complete and total exoneration."
Democrats have demanded to see the full report, insisting the summary by Trump's attorney general hardly put him in the clear.■[2019.03.25]
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≡ Weather Update 900
Taking a look at the weather, it's hazy skies for Seoul and the surrounding areas.
Chilly conditions will ease up this afternoon with temperatures returning to seasonal norms, however clouds will linger.
The local mercury will peak at 14 degrees.
Be aware, air quality in the capital region, and parts of Gangwon and North Chungcheong province are forecast to get hit by bad levels of fine dust.
Take necessary precautions when outdoors.
As for the current reading in central Seoul, it is _____ degrees Celsius or _____ degrees Fahrenheit.■[2019.03.25]
