1. According to Seoul's foreign ministry on Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Park offered his congratulations to China's new top diplomat, Qin Gang on his recent inauguration. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, China halted the issuance of short-term visas in South Korea as its first COVID-19 related retaliation.
2. South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party leader, Lee Jae-Myung, attended the extraordinary parliamentary session on Tuesday. Lee being summoned for investigation marks the first summoning of a leader of a main opposition party in modern history.
3. French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed and announced on Monday to reinforce cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region against the backdrop of rising tensions in China and North Korea.
