THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Speeding up deregulation efforts

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon held his weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday to discuss ways of deregulation.

The government will now allow companies to do their businesses and not care about the regulations as long as they don't threaten citizens' life or security or environment.

During his weekly ministerial meeting, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said. the government will respond to companies' questions about regulations within one month.



Two Korean victims of the Japanese military's wartime sexual slavery passed away on the same day.

Kim Bok-dong, a 93-year old victim of Japanese sexual enslavement during World War II passed away late Monday night.

At the age of 14, Kim was taken to "working in a factory" according to Japanese soldiers.

But instead, she was forced to serve as a sex slave for Japanese soldiers in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and other places.

And in 1992, Kim started sharing her painful stories, and worked as a female human rights activist.

In 1993, Kim became the first victim of Japanese sexual enslavement to stand at the World Conference on Human Rights to share her testimony. She met people and international groups, participating in protests and creating funds to help girls who have been sexually abused in wars just as she was.

This comes after another 93-year-old woman, known to the media only by her surname Lee, died Monday morning after suffering from poor health. There are now only 23 South Korean victims still alive. But their wishes for legal compensation and sincere apology from Japan are yet to come.



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed a willingness to normalize relations with North Korea.

In his annual policy speech to the Japanese Diet on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would be willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

He said Pyongyang and Tokyo need to "break the shell of mutual distrust,"  to resolve the issue of the regime's nuclear program.

However Abe did not mention Japanese bilateral relationship with South Korea.

Until last year's annual policy speech, Abe emphasized the cooperative partnership with Seoul.

The Japanese Prime Minister stressed a strengthened alliance with the U.S., and steps towards a peace treaty with Russia.

Monday's annual policy speech was Abe's seventh policy speech since 2012.



South Korea has confirmed the year's first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak on Mondayat a cow farm in Anseong, located south of Seoul.

The confirmation comes after the farm's owner suspected around 20 cows were displaying symptoms of the disease.

Officials say all cattle at the affected farm will be destroyed to prevent the further spread of FMD.

Source: Arirang News