The Minute to Read(Weekdays) series provides a quick overview of significant events in Korea everyday, conveniently condensed into a one-minute read. Here’s a recap of what happened yesterday: June 3.
North Korea halts trash balloons as South Korea vows strong retaliation
In response to North Korea’s mass launch of “trash balloons” and continued GPS jamming attacks, the South Korean government announced on June 2 plans to resume loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea, a practice halted since 2018. This move includes potentially invalidating the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration and the Sept. 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, which facilitated the dismantling of the loudspeakers. North Korea, reacting to South Korea’s announcement, temporarily suspended the balloon launches but warned of resuming them if South Korean leaflets reappear.
South Korea discovers potential 14B barrel oil and gas reserves in Yeongil Bay
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announced the discovery of potentially massive oil and gas reserves in Yeongil Bay, Pohang, during his first national briefing since taking office. The exploration, conducted by ACT Geo and verified by leading institutions, suggests up to 14 billion barrels of reserves, significantly larger than the Donghae gas field discovered in the late 1990s. This reserve could supply natural gas for 29 years and oil for four years for the entire country. Yoon approved an exploratory drilling plan, with initial drilling set to begin at the end of the year, following preparatory work.
Fu Bao controversy: Korean fans take protest to New York’s Times Square
A large electronic billboard in Times Square displayed a 15-second video titled “My Name is Fu Bao,” funded by Korean fans protesting alleged mistreatment of the four-year-old panda by Chinese authorities. The protest, which also included demonstrations outside the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, highlights claims that Fu Bao, born at Samsung’s Everland amusement park and returned to China in April, was mishandled at the Sichuan panda base. The backlash has united Korean and Chinese fans demanding better treatment for Fu Bao, undermining China’s “panda diplomacy.”
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