The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday.
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(2nd LD) DP leader calls for defending democracy from 'prosecutor dictatorship' after arrest motion passes
SEOUL -- Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung appealed Friday for defending democracy from what he called the "prosecutor dictatorship" in his first reaction to the National Assembly's passage of a motion consenting to his potential arrest over corruption charges.
On Thursday, the National Assembly voted to endorse the motion to lift Lee's immunity to arrest, reflecting a growing division among the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers, particularly those not aligned with Lee, in anticipation of next year's general elections.
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(LEAD) S. Korea asks for U.S.' cooperation regarding chip export controls on China
SEOUL -- South Korea's Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves in Seoul on Friday and asked for addressing concerns among domestic chipmakers regarding Washington's semiconductor export controls on China, his office said.
In October last year, the U.S. announced a set of rules that restrict exports of certain advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and items to companies in China in an apparent bid to slow Beijing's technological advances.
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Unification minister calls for cooperation with U.S. against N. Korea's suspected arms deal with Russia
SEOUL -- Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho expressed concerns Friday over North Korea's suspected arms deal with Russia and called for strengthened efforts between Seoul and Washington to protect international norms during his meeting with the U.S. ambassador in Seoul.
The meeting between Kim and Ambassador Philip Goldberg, their first encounter since Kim was appointed to the ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs, followed a rare summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
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(LEAD) Surveillance cameras to be a must in hospital operating rooms
SEOUL -- Hospitals will be required to install surveillance cameras in operating rooms and record surgery procedures at the request of patients starting next week, the health ministry said Friday.
The revised Medical Service Act, set to take effect Monday, also calls for storing recorded videos for at least 30 days, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
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(LEAD) Seoul shares close lower amid woes over Fed's drawn-out rate hike cycle
SEOUL -- South Korean stocks closed lower for the second consecutive day Friday amid concerns the U.S. Federal Reserve may keep its benchmark lending rate higher for longer. The local currency climbed against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index had declined 6.84 points, or 0.27 percent, to finish at 2,508.13.
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Appellate court upholds 9-yr prison term for man over filming, distributing sexual videos featuring women
SEOUL -- An appellate court on Friday upheld a nine-year prison term for a man accused of filming sexual videos of women for years and distributing them online.
The Seoul High Court handed down the ruling on the 32-year-old along with an order to complete 80 hours of sexual offender treatment and disclose his identity. The court also banned him from working at child-related facilities for 10 years.
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N.K. rights groups hold rally against repatriation of defectors in front of Chinese Embassy
SEOUL -- Civic groups on North Korea's human rights on Friday staged a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, urging Beijing not to send defectors back to their reclusive country amid apparently eased border controls.
In an open letter addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the activists said over 2,000 North Korean defectors are being held in Chinese detention centers and facing severe punishment, such as the death penalty, if they return to the North.
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46 pct of S. Koreans see arrest warrant against opposition leader as just: poll
SEOUL -- Forty-six percent of South Koreans said prosecutors' request for an arrest warrant against the main opposition leader was part of due procedures for investigation into his corruption allegations, a poll showed Friday.
In a poll conducted by Gallup on 1,001 people aged 18 or older from Tuesday to Thursday, 46 percent of the respondents were supportive of an arrest warrant requested against the Democratic Party (DP) chairman, Lee Jae-myung.
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(Asiad) 'GOAT' has landed; Faker arrives in Hangzhou to great fanfare
HANGZHOU, China -- They call him "GOAT," as in the greatest of all time, in the history of the popular video game, "League of Legends." And South Korean gamer Lee Sang-hyeok, better known by his gaming handle, "Faker," is determined to live up to his moniker as esports, featuring seven games, makes its Asian Games debut in China this month.
In gaming-crazed China, Lee is as big a celebrity as they come. The 27-year-old arrived at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, host of the 19th Asiad, on Friday to a warm reception from well over a hundred Chinese fans, who tried to get a closer glimpse of their gaming hero and shouted words of encouragement in Korean.
Source: Yonhap News Agency