News - 2026.03.03 PM5

From Seoul, Korea, KBS World Radio News today starts right now.

On today's broadcast, US President Donald Trump hints that war with Iran could last

a month or longer, as South Korea convenes an emergency meeting to discuss the conflict.

The Cosby closes down more than 7 percent, and program cell orders are briefly halted,

following the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

And President E.J.

Myeong is set to hold summit talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila.

This is KBS World Radio News, I'm Monica Shin.

US President Donald Trump has hinted that war with Iran could last a month or longer, and

laid out four goals for U.S. military operation known as epic fury.

Let me provide a brief update on Operation epic fury.

In his first public remarks at the White House since the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran,

US President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missile

capabilities were on the verge of threatening the U.S. mainland.

We're warned Iran not to make any attempt to rebuild at a different location because they

were unable to use the ones that we so powerfully blew up, but they ignored those warnings

and refused to cease their pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Trump also laid out the four objectives of the U.S. military operation known as epic

fury, preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, destroying its missile arsenal and

production sites, annihilating its navy, and ensuring the regime cannot arm, fund, or

direct terrorist armies outside borders.

He said the military is prepared to continue the operation, as long as necessary.

In a brief telephone interview with the New York Post on Monday, Trump did not rule

out sending ground truth in the future if they were necessary.

And we have, right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability

to go far longer than that.

We'll do it.

Whatever.

On the polling showing disapproval of the strikes on Iran, Trump said he had to do the

right thing, adding that Iran, a nation that has been run by crazy people, cannot be

allowed to have a nuclear weapon.

In a nine-minute phone interview with CNN on Monday morning, Trump said that the U.S. military

operation in Iran was going very well, and warned that a big wave is here to come.

Pigeon keep its world radio news.

The government convened on Tuesday an emergency meeting of related agencies to discuss the

latest conflict in the Middle East, sparked by a major combat operation in Iran over

the weekend.

During the meeting, chaired by first vice minister of finance and economy, Yi Hyeong-yu,

the government said that although tensions in the Strait of Hormos are escalating, there

is no evidence that South Korean ships in the region are in danger.

The government said that although South Korea holds sufficient oil reserves, it will seek

to secure supplies outside of the Middle East if the Strait of Hormos is closed.

East rests the need for all relevant agencies to closely monitor developments in the region

and to keep all options open, given the high level of uncertainty.

He said the government will hold emergency response meetings every day until tensions

appear to ease.

The government and the ruling camp are considering evacuating approximately 20,000 South Koreans,

including some 4,000 tourists and short-term visitors from 13 Middle Eastern countries,

Democratic Party Representative Kim Yong-bae, a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification

Committee, said the foreign ministry had reported the estimated figure to the government

and the DP at the National Assembly on Tuesday, in the wake of the latest conflict in the

Middle East.

The figure includes 59 South Koreans in Iran and 616 in Israel, but excludes embassy personnel.

Games said the government and the DP are considering whether it is possible to evacuate such

Koreans to countries whose airspace has not been closed.

The Iran, Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait have closed their

airspace.

Programmed cell orders on the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index market were

briefly halted at noon on Tuesday, following the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, which

sent the future's index plunging sharply.

The Korea Exchange said it had activated its, quote, side-car mechanism, at around 12

p.m. after the Cosby Futures Index slipped 5.09% or 47.75 points from the previous trading

day to 890.05.

The suspension, which was automatically lifted after five minutes, came roughly a month

after the previous halt.

A side-car is activated when Cosby 200 futures rise or fall by at least 5% from the previous

session's close and remain at that level for one minute.

President E.J. Myeong arrived in Manila on Tuesday for some talks with Philippine President

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. following his three-day state visit to Singapore.

The two leaders are expected to discuss cooperation in defense, infrastructure, trade, nuclear

power, shipbuilding, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence.

After the summit, E.J. Myeong will participate in a signing ceremony for memorandums of

understanding and a joint press announcement.

National Security Advisor Lee Sung-Nok said the visit carries special significance because

E.J. is the first state guest to visit the Philippines this year, and the trip coincides

with the 77th anniversary of diplomatic ties on March 3rd.

The presidential office said the visit will broaden bilateral cooperation based on

the two nations' long-standing historical ties and friendship.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Jolly Day urged the public to carefully consider whether

a sudden and major transformation of the judiciary would be good or harmful.

Asked for comment on Parliament's recent passages of three contentious judicial reform

bills on his way to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, Joe said that he, quote, respects the

National Assembly's legislative activities.

Joe said the judiciary will, under any circumstances, fulfill its mission under the Constitution, indicating

that he would faithfully assume his role as Chief Justice amid the substantial changes

the judiciary is set to face.

Joe said it was difficult to agree with the ruling Democratic Party's argument that

judicial reform is necessary to regain the public's trust, arguing that many nations

and international organizations have requested exchanges with South Korea to learn about

its judicial system.

The cabinet has authorized the creation of two new criminal justice agencies as the October

dissolution of the prosecutor's office draws near.

The cabinet, during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Tuesday, approved

bills that would replace the current office with a prosecution-only agency and transfer

investigations to a new standalone bureau.

The legislation has been under discussion since the National Assembly passed a government

reorganization bill last September, which would abolish the prosecutor's office for the

first time in 78 years.

The government partially revised the bills after its initial legislative notices drew criticism

in January.

The new draft legislation proposes narrowing the investigative body's jurisdiction from

nine to six categories of crime, including corruption, economy defense, narcotics, cybercrime,

and insurrection and supporting foreign aggression.

A sole court has begun deliberating the pretrial detention of Democratic Party turned

independent representative Kang So-nwo, who stands accused of receiving roughly 100 million

won or roughly $68,000 US dollars from former Seoul City Council member Kim Kyung ahead

of the 2022 local elections.

The Seoul Central District Court began deliberating the prosecution's request to remain Kang-in-Custody,

on charges of bribery and violations of the Political Funds Act and anti-graphed law

at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Upon arriving at the court, Kang apologized for causing controversy and vowed to provide

a thorough explanation.

Around 1 p.m. the same day, the court finished reviewing the potential pretrial detention

of Kim Kyung.

Game is currently awaiting the court's decision in a holding cell in the Seoul Moppo Police

Station.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said South Korea has promised not to discriminate

against U.S. companies.

In its 2026 trade policy agenda and 2025 annual report released on Monday, the Office

said South Korea had, quote, committed that its laws and policies on digital services,

including network usage fees and online competition regulations, will not discriminate against

U.S. companies and should facilitate cross-border transfer of data.

And that's the news from KBS World Radio's new center in Seoul.

This has been Monica Shin.