1. During the sixth formal hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial on Thursday, Army Colonel Kim Hyun-tae testified he had been ordered to seal off and secure the National Assembly building during martial law. Former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun is also set to testify.
2. According to data from the Bank of Korea on Thursday, South Korea's current account surplus for 2024 came to 99-point-04 billion U.S. dollars, the second-largest in the country's history. For the month of December, the nation logged a current account surplus of 12-point-37 billion dollars.
3. According to a UN human rights report Wednesday, North Korea’s human rights violations have intensified, with defectors testifying that authorities conduct warrantless home searches and hold public trials, sometimes leading to executions.
