Yonhap News Summary

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Friday. ----------------- ■ (2nd LD) Samsung Electronics union to proceed with strike despite management's dialogue offer SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics Co.'s largest labor union said Friday it will proceed with a major strike planned for next week despite the company's proposal to resume talks without preconditions. An official proposal was sent to the union earlier in the day, in what is seen as the management's latest effort to avert a planned 18-day strike beginning next Thursday that could disrupt production at the world's largest memory chipmaker. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260515004452320 This image, provided by Samsung Electronics Co., shows company executives at the union's office in Pyeongtaek, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 15, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) ----------------- ■ (2nd LD) KOSPI crashes over 6 pct on foreign sell-offs after achieving 8,000-point milestone SEOUL -- South Korean stocks plummeted more than 6 percent Friday, after briefly topping the historic 8,000-point landmark, as investors moved to cash out tech and other market heavyweights after a record-breaking rally amid lingering uncertainties over the Middle East crisis. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunged 488.23 points, or 6.12 percent, to close at 7,493.18, after rising as high as 8,046.78. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260515007652320?section=economy-finance/economy ----------------- ■ (News Focus) Trump-Xi summit highlights cooperation, lacks breakthroughs on key fault lines BEIJING -- When U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing this week, their cordial exchange of pleasantries, a firm handshake and emphasis on cooperation fueled cautious optimism about relations between the two superpowers. However, a lack of major breakthroughs on complex issues, including the status of Taiwan, underscored the persistent challenges facing the Sino-U.S. relationship amid increasingly rancorous competition over trade, security and technological leadership. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260515009500315?section=national/diplomacy ----------------- ■ Long-speculated Trump-Kim meeting fails to materialize during Beijing visit BEIJING -- A long-speculated meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not materialize during Trump's visit to Beijing this week as Trump focused on a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the ongoing war with Iran. Trump wrapped up his three-day trip to China on Friday without any known attempt for the resumption of dialogue with Kim, though speculation had persisted that he could seek to reengage with the North Korean leader while in China, a traditional partner of Pyongyang. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260515005800315?section=national/diplomacy ----------------- ■ Japanese PM Takaichi to visit S. Korea's Andong next week for talks with Lee SEOUL -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit South Korea's central city of Andong next week for a two-day trip that will include summit talks with President Lee Jae Myung, the presidential office announced Friday. The Japanese prime minister's trip, set to begin Tuesday, is part of the so-called "shuttle diplomacy" between the two neighboring countries and comes at an earlier invitation from Lee. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260515004300315?section=national/politics ----------------- ■ Oceans minister opposes Iran's push to charge fees for Hormuz transit SEOUL -- South Korean Oceans Minister Hwang Jong-woo has openly opposed Iran's reported push to charge fees on vessels passing through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, calling such action a "violation of international law." Hwang made the remarks at a press conference held at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries headquarters in the southeastern city of Busan on Thursday, stressing that the Middle Eastern strait is one of the global shipping routes guaranteed free passage by the International Maritime Organization. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260515006100320?section=economy-finance/economy(END)