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About this Episode
The latest news from home and abroad, with a close eye on Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula in particular
Hosts & Guests
Transcript
From Seoul, Korea, KBS World Radio News today starts right now.
On today's broadcast, President E.J. Myeong issues a strong warning against price
scouting at gas stations and stresses the need to minimize any adverse impact from the
Middle East crisis.
A passenger plane carrying South Korean nationals departs from Dubai on Friday.
And, investigators referred to the prosecution three civilian suspects for their involvement
in sending drones into North Korea.
This is KBS World Radio News.
I'm Daniel Chan.
While it typically takes more than two weeks before fluctuations in global crude prices
are reflected in fuel pumps in South Korea, gasoline and diesel prices have risen to their
highest levels in more than three years, due to panic buying as the U.S. and Israel
reach war on Iran.
The government is carrying out inspections at gas stations across the country to make
sure retailers don't take advantage of consumers.
Piedriun has more.
Gasoline and diesel prices in Seoul have surpassed 1,901 per liter, or around a dollar
in 28 cents amid concerns of a supply shock as violence escalates in the Middle East.
According to the Korea National All Corporations Price Information System, the nationwide
average price of gasoline rose 22,1 per liter from the previous day to 1,856.31 Friday morning.
With the war in the Middle East stimulating consumer demand, the average price of diesel
rose by a margin of 33.41 to 1,863.71 per liter exceeding the price of gasoline.
In Seoul, the average gasoline price rose 27.51 per liter from the previous day to 1,916.51
and diesel price rose 38.91 to 1,934.1 per liter.
It marks the first time in three years and seven months that gasoline has cost more than
1,901 per liter, and the first time in three years and three months for diesel.
A rise in global crude prices typically takes about two or three weeks to affect consumers
at the pump, but panic buying and hoarding could continue to drive prices up.
During a meeting with his aide at the top office, President E.J. Myeong issued another
warning against price scourging and call for the sternest possible response.
Starting Friday, the government is conducting on-site inspections at gas stations in
a clear warning against cashing in on a crisis situation.
The government is reviewing the option of invoking an emergency clause in the Petroleum
and Alternative Fuel Business Act and setting a retail price ceiling in the event that
discussions are not heated.
President Chief of Staff Kang Winshik says a passenger airplane carrying South Korean
nationals departed from Dubai on Friday.
In a briefing Friday, Kang said the flight was arranged late Thursday following consultations
between the government and the United Arab Emirates.
He said the government will continue to consult with the UBE to bring them all South Koreans
in the Middle East at the earliest date possible as tensions continue to escalate into region.
Kang also said the government will purchase 6 million barrels of oil from the UBE on orders
from President E.J. Myeong, adding that the latest emergency crude oil imports will help stabilize
oil prices.
The South Korean government has expressed gratitude to Turkmenistan for allowing South Korean
nationals in Iran to cross its border to safety.
According to Seoul's Foreign Ministry, the head of its rapid response team Im Sang-woo
was dispatched to Turkmenistan, where he met with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet
Gurmanov on Wednesday.
During their talks, Im Sang took Minister's government for designating a dedicated checkpoint
to allow a group of South Koreans to cross the border from Iran and for its cooperation
in expediting related procedures.
The South Korean envoy also conveyed his deep thanks for the special consideration given
to an Iranian family that crossed the border with the South Korean group.
Some explain there may be more South Koreans arriving through the Turkmen border, depending
on the situation in Iran, and ask for continued assistance to allow their safe passage.
The Ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs has pledged to make active efforts to mitigate
factors in the Middle East from at-firstly impacting inter-Korean issues.
The Unification Ministry on Friday made the statement in a report submitted to the Ford
Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly.
The Ministry said it plans to boost communication with neighboring countries, underlining the
need to resolve Korean Peninsula issues through a dialogue, and to closely monitor North
Korean trends and to minimize any unnecessary tensions.
It added it will fulfill its role as a pacemaker to facilitate a resumption of dialogue between
the United States and North Korea by shoring up cooperation with neighboring countries.
A joint team of investigators have referred three civilian suspects to the prosecution for
their involvement in sending drones into North Korea.
The police military joint task force has concluded that they had heightened inter-Korean tensions
and violated national interests.
Our Guijin has more.
A joint team of police and military investigators have referred three civilians to the prosecution
on charges of benefiting the enemy and violating laws on aviation safety and military installation
protection.
According to a statement by the National Office of Investigation at the National Police Agency,
the suspects include a graduate student in his 30s, identified by his family name of all
and two others by the name of Tang and Kim, who worked at a drone startup.
The three individuals are accused of flying drones into North Korea on four occasions,
once in September and twice in November of last year, and once in January this year.
They programmed the drones to take off from Kanghwa Island in Incheon, east of Seoul and
fly over North Korea's Kaisong City and Pyongsan County, then re-enter South Korea and
landed border town of Pajukongi Province.
The probe team was launched shortly after Pyongyang accused Seoul earlier this year of sending
drones into the North and infringing on its sovereignty.
It concluded that the actions by the three individuals heightened inter-Korean tensions
and violated national interests.
Moreover, investigators found that the drones had filmed parts of South Korea's Marine
Corps installations while illegally flying over the military demarcation line.
Police are also conducting probes on other individuals linked to the case, including a National
Intelligence Service official who allegedly made cash transactions with all.
It is also looking into a possible connection between the Defense Intelligence Command and
Online Media outlets operated by all.
Gu Hee-jin, KBS World Radio News.
A group of 24 U.S. states has sued the Donald Trump administration over the 10 percent
global terrorist President Trump imposed after the U.S. Supreme Court strapped down the sweeping
emergency tariffs he announced last year.
Organa attorney General Dan Rayfield said during a press conference on Thursday that the
lawsuit was filed in the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade and that the
tariffs have cost Americans, U.S. businesses, and the states hundreds of billions of dollars.
Oregon, Arizona, New York, California, and 20 other Democrat-led states argue that the
new tariffs levied for 150 days under section 1 to 2 of the 1974 Trade Act are also illegal
as they are supposed to be limited to addressing large and serious balance of payments issues.
The state's state Trump has instead applied that section of the law to address U.S. trade
deficits which occur when a nation imports more than it exports.
The states have asked a court to issue in order blocking the new tariffs and to order a
refund on tariff payments already made under section 1 to 2.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics will open Friday at Verona Arena in the Italian
city of the same name.
A total of 612 athletes from 56 countries, the largest number ever, will compete for 79
gold medals at the games.
South Korea has sent a 56-member delegation including 20 athletes to compete in five sports,
Alpine skiing, Biaflon, cross-country skiing, snowboard, and wheelchair curling.
The team is aiming to win one gold medal and one bronze and finish within the top 20 in
the overall standings.
And that's the news from KBS World Video's new centering soul, Sassman Daniel Chen.
