Below is the first summary of the most important news stories published by Yonhap News Agency on Thursday.
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■ (LEAD) Yoon proposes to increase pension premiums for the younger and middle generations at different rates
SEOUL: President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday that the government will aim to gradually increase pension premiums for the younger and middle generations at different paces, and also introduce mechanisms to improve the financial stability of the pension system.
Yoon outlined a series of reform measures at a policy press conference as South Korea grapples with the rapid depletion of its pension funds due to an ageing population and falling birth rate.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240829003700315
President Yoon Suk Yeol answers a reporter’s question during a press conference at the presidential office in Seoul on Aug. 29, 2024. (Yonhap)
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■ South Korea wants tougher penalties for deepfake sex crimes and “hotline” on Telegram
SEOUL – The government and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) agreed on Thursday to tighten measures against deepfake sex crimes after a series of pornographic content targeting young women sparked public outrage on a messaging app.
During an emergency meeting in the National Assembly, both sides also agreed to push for a hotline on Telegram and to take legislative measures to increase the maximum penalty for producing sexually explicit deepfake materials with the intent to distribute from the current five to seven years.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240829002800315
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■ Most nurses and doctors cancel planned strike after last-minute wage agreements
SEOUL: Most nurses and medical staff called off their planned strike on Thursday after reaching last-minute wage agreements, hospital officials said, easing worries about public health services strained by a protracted strike by junior doctors.
The Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU), which represents about 30,000 nurses and medical staff, had planned a strike for Thursday to demand wage increases and improvements in working conditions.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240829000900320
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■ Paralympics in Paris begin with first outdoor opening ceremony; South Korea aims to return to top 20
PARIS – The 17th Summer Paralympic Games began in Paris on Wednesday evening with the first outdoor opening ceremony in the competition’s history, as the French capital welcomed athletes with disabilities under the motto “Games Wide Open.”
In Paris, the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics took place outside a stadium for the first time. The athletes traveled down the famous Seine in boats. On Thursday, the Paralympics participants marched along the famous Champs-Elysee and towards the Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240829001000315
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■ “Bipartisan” support for South Korea-US alliance at Democratic and Republican conventions, Seoul envoy says
WASHINGTON – Seoul’s top envoy to Washington said Wednesday he saw “bipartisan” support for the alliance between South Korea and the United States in his meetings with U.S. politicians and others at the recent Democratic and Republican conventions.
Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong attended Democratic and Republican rallies in Chicago, Illinois, earlier this month and in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last month, amid a tight presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240829000200315
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