Category World News

Lee Jae Myung, the president of South Korea, has stated that he is considering apologizing to Pyongyang for allegedly ordering cross-border provocations under his leadership.

Following the indictment of former president Yoon Suk-yeol last month over alleged ordering of drones carrying propaganda flyers to fly over the North, Lee said on Wednesday that he felt an apology was appropriate in response. According to prosecutors, Lee said the move was to stir up tension and increase his political support.

The comments were made as Seoul commemorated Yoon’s disastrous declaration of martial law, which was spurred by similar intentions but instead caused a severe crisis in South Korea.

Kim Jong Un, the North’s leader, has so far ignored Lee’s attempts to strike up a dialogue with Pyongyang after he became president.

Lee said at a press conference in Seoul, “I feel I should apologize, but I hesitantly say it out loud.”

If I do, he said, “I worry that it will serve as fodder for ideological rivalries or accusations of being pro-North.”

North Korea claimed that Yoon’s government flew drones over Pyongyang to drop propaganda leaflets three times in October 2024.

During the former administration’s time in power, the military also flew balloons carrying propaganda across the border, according to South Korean media on Monday.

deep division

Lee’s remarks coincided with Yoon’s attempt to implement martial law.

South Korea entered a unique crisis as a result of the decree, which saw lawmakers and protesters encroach on the country’s parliament.

The Supreme Court quickly upheld its constitutionality.

Yoon is currently imprisoned while awaiting trial for insurrection and other charges stemming from his unsuccessful martial law attempt. He was later impeached and removed from office.

However, the stunt has divided South Korea deeply, with Yoon’s supporters voicing their anger at his hardline policy toward the North and his political rivals accusing him of attacking the South’s democracy.

As Seoul celebrated its anniversary on Wednesday, opposing marches took place.

Dialogue

Lee, a liberal who won a slew of presidential elections in April of this year, stated to reporters that he is eager to mend relations with Pyongyang.

He has removed propaganda loudspeakers along the border since taking office in June, among other things.

A law in Seoul that forbids activists from flying balloons carrying propaganda into the North was passed on Tuesday.

Kim claims that his government isn’t interested in dialogue, despite Kim’s assertion that North Korea has so far refrained from trying to stop it.

The president of South Korea reaffirmed his resolve despite this. He suggested that Pyongyang might take advantage of the regular military exercises, which Pyongyang views as a provocation, to encourage the North to resume discussions.

From June 11 through July 19th, the expanded 48-team competition, which included 32 nations competing at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, will take place in all 50 states.

Trump’s confirmation of his attendance at the Kennedy Center’s ceremony on Tuesday, which was confirmed by the White House, strengthens his relationship with Gianni Infantino, who has visited the White House numerous times and even has attended a joint North American bid more than once.

Given Infantino’s close ties to Trump, it is widely anticipated that the US leader will be chosen as the first recipient of a new FIFA Peace Prize, which will be decided at the drawing.

Trump’s second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence will both feature in the World Cup.

He has not paused to discuss domestic politics and has threatened to move World Cup games from Democratic-run cities if he believes the situation is “unsafe.”

Iran said it will boycott the draw because US authorities refused to grant visas to several members of its delegation in response to the global tensions surrounding a World Cup that will have 11 of its 16 locations in the US.

Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian football team, stated: “We have told the head of FIFA that this behavior must be told to stop at [Washington] because it is purely political.”

First-time qualifiers

The contenders for the title will be divided into 12 categories, including a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina that won for the third time in Qatar in 2022.

Argentina, the host country’s USA, Mexico, and Canada, record-holder Brazil, two-time champions France, four-time champions Germany, Spain, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Belgium are the top seeds.

The 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be playing in his sixth World Cup finals with Portugal, would enjoy a long career with his nation’s first global title. He has stated that his will be his last.

A few of the first-time qualifiers, including Cape Verde, Jordan, and the tiny Caribbean island of Curacao, will also have a chance to participate in the enlarged cast.

The favorites want to avoid Italy, who won the World Cup in 2006 but haven’t qualified since 2014, with six more playoffs still to be decided.

The Italians can still advance to the finals by winning two sudden-death games despite a qualification campaign that has been rife with errors.

The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which also hosted the 1970 and 1986 championship matches, will host the opening match, which will take place before the nearly six-week long tournament, which will culminate in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, will host the final game.

Teams will only learn the full details of their matchday locations and kickoff times on Saturday, the day after the draw, due to the complexity.

Fans’ organizations have been warned that because of FIFA’s decision to use dynamic ticket pricing, fans could be paying eye-watering prices for tickets to the most attractive games.

Prices for the July 19 World Cup final in New Jersey starting at about $7, 000 have already soared on popular US secondary market websites like StubHub and SeatGeek.

Despite the ceasefire, which put an end to Israel’s genocidal war on the island, the Islamic University of Gaza has made a significant step toward reopening.

For the first time in two years, the university resumed in-person classes on Saturday, which limited students’ attempts at online learning due to displacement, power outages, and the destruction of university facilities.

After two years of forced academic interruptions due to a conflict that has ruined the enclave’s educational infrastructure, the gradual return to in-person learning takes place inside buildings that have been damaged by air strikes and partially destroyed.

“Today is a historic day. Despite the tragedy and cruelty caused by the genocide, Asaad Yousef Asaad, president of the Islamic University, declared.

“Palestinians, as everyone knows, love education and life,” he continued.

According to the president, a sizable number of students from the medical and health sciences departments retreated to their classrooms on Saturday.

He continued, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, a gradual plan is being developed to bring the university’s functions back to full.

4, 000 students overall received their degrees during the war via distance learning, and for the first time since October 2023, the university is now accepting new students in person.

The Gaza Government Media Office reports that over the past two years or so, some 165 educational facilities have been destroyed by Israeli strikes, and another 392 have experienced partial damage.