Yonhap News Summary

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

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■ (LEAD) Appeals court upholds ex-President Yoon's suspended prison term in election law trial

SEOUL -- An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a suspended prison sentence for former President Yoon Suk Yeol for violating the election law in a high-stakes trial that puts the main opposition party at risk of returning nearly US$30 million in election expenses.

The Seoul High Court confirmed a lower court's sentence of 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for Yoon on charges of making false statements as a presidential candidate for the People Power Party (PPP) before his March 2022 election.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261104001652315?section=national/politics

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■ DP leader's reversal on Shincheonji claim sparks backlash from lawmakers

SEOUL -- Ruling party leader Kim Min-seok's decision to reverse his claim of collusion between party lawmakers and a religious sect has fueled internal divisions and backlash among the main opposition.

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) had planned to announce the results of an internal investigation into allegations that followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, joined the party to sway the outcome of the party leadership race, but a briefing planned for Tuesday to make such an announcement was canceled at the last minute.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261104008300315?section=search

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■ (LEAD) Special counsel raids NEC headquarters over alleged bid rigging

SEOUL -- Investigators raided the National Election Commission (NEC) headquarters Wednesday over allegations of preferential treatment in choosing a ballot printer maker and suspected tampering of official voting logs, a special counsel team said.

Thirty-two personnel, including two prosecutors, were mobilized to search a division of the NEC at its headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, and the office and factory of the manufacturer of early voting ballot-issuing machines, according to the team led by special counsel Lee Tae-han.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261104004551315?section=search

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■ (Yonhap Interview) More productive, attractive regions outside Seoul key to sustaining growth: OECD officials

SEOUL -- South Korea needs to boost productivity in regions outside the capital area and make them more attractive places to live as it seeks to sustain economic growth and address demographic challenges, officials at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Wednesday.

Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities at the Paris-based institution, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency that the OECD has seen "something very interesting" in South Korea.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261104005900320?section=search

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■ S. Korea, African Union discuss cooperation fund, broader ties

SEOUL -- South Korea and the African Union (AU) have discussed ways to manage their joint cooperation fund and expand economic, healthcare and other forms of cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The discussions took place during the seventh round of policy consultations in Addis Ababa on Tuesday (local time), with Chung Kwang-yong, director-general for African and Middle Eastern affairs at the ministry, and Willy Nyamitwe, chairperson of the AU's Permanent Representatives Committee, leading their delegations, according to the ministry.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261104006300315?section=search

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■ Gov't announces successful candidates to host two new regional medical schools

SEJONG -- Two new medical schools will be established at Sunchon National University in the southwestern city of Suncheon and Gyeongkuk National University in the southeastern city of Andong, the education ministry announced Wednesday.

Starting in 2030, Sunchon and Gyeongkuk universities will admit 60 and 40 medical students annually, respectively.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261104005200315?section=search

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■ (2nd LD) Seoul shares close higher on early U.S. midterm election outcome

SEOUL -- South Korean stocks closed slightly higher Wednesday as early results from the U.S. midterm elections pointed to Democratic victories in both chambers of Congress. The local currency was trading lower against the U.S. dollar.

Swinging between gains and losses, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished at 5,683.80, up 35.01 points, or 0.62 percent.

https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261104006800320?section=search
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