Yonhap News Summary

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday.

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Xi to visit N. Korea, news report says

SEOUL -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to North Korea to reciprocate a recent Beijing trip by the communist ally's leader, a news report said Wednesday.

Xi is preparing to make his first official trip to the North's capital as China's president, according to CNN, which quoted an official "with knowledge of the discussions."

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Gov't unveils package of five-year anti-corruption measures

SEOUL -- The government on Wednesday unveiled a package of measures to fight corruption, including classifying money raised by politicians at their book publication parties as official political funds subject to state scrutiny.

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission presented the five-year plan during a meeting of top officials of related government ministries and agencies that was presided over by President Moon Jae-in at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.

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Gov't to conduct inspection on sexual harassment in pro sports

SEOUL -- South Korea's sports ministry said Wednesday it will conduct an inspection of sexual harassment in pro sports.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said through the Korea Professional Sports Association (KPSA) that it will look into sexual harassment cases in the pro sports community. Five pro sports organizations in football, baseball, basketball, volleyball and golf and 62 pro sports clubs are subject to inspection, the ministry added.

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Top economic policymakers vow financial reform amid FSS chief's resignation

SEJONG -- Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon and Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Choi Jong-ku held a meeting Wednesday and vowed to speed up reforms in the financial sector after the head of a financial watchdog stepped down over alleged ethical lapses.

Kim Ki-sik, governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), resigned earlier this week after an election watchdog ruled that he breached a law in 2016, when he donated money to a lawmakers' association led by him while serving as a lawmaker.

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Top continental sports body to hold Asian Games promotional event in Pyongyang

SEOUL -- Asia's top sports body said Wednesday it will hold a promotional event for the continent's top athletic competition in North Korea this spring.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said the 18th Asian Games Fun Run will take place in Pyongyang on May 1. The OCA launched the Fun Run initiative in 2006 and has been holding these 5-kilometer running events around the continent in the build-up to the Asian Games. And this will be the Fun Run's first stop in North Korea.

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(News Focus) Opinion rigging scandal stirs up heated public debate

SEOUL -- A sprawling online opinion rigging scandal in South Korea is stirring up a heated debate over the morality of polemic writers, the credibility of cyberspace discourse and whether to restrain the online freedom of expression to curb politicking.

Over the past several days, the scandal involving an influential blogger, who goes by the alias Druking, has roiled politics with the ruling Democratic Party (DP) quickly severing ties with the former party member, and the rival parties suspecting its possible link to his alleged misdeeds.

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Record number of journalists to cover historic summit between Koreas

SEOUL, April 18 (Yonhap) -- Literally all eyes will likely be on the upcoming summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with a record number of journalists from around the globe set to cover the event that Moon said could mark the start of the long delayed denuclearization of the communist North.

As of Wednesday, a total of 2,833 journalists from local and foreign news outlets have registered to cover the historic inter-Korean summit slated for next Friday.

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GM Korea offers to relocate Gunsan workers to other plants
By Choi Kyong-ae

SEOUL -- GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Co., on Wednesday offered to relocate workers at the Gunsan plant due to be closed next month to other production lines in the country.

The move appears to be part of the company's last-minute efforts to seek support from its union over its drastic self-help programs. The U.S. auto giant warned it will be forced to put GM Korea under court protection unless the union accepts the restructuring measures that include the shutdown of the Gunsan plant, 270 kilometers south of Seoul, by the end of May.
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