Yonhap News Summary

South Korea and the United States are in negotiations to hold their key defense dialogue after the U.S. midterm elections on November 3rd, according to informed sources. The allies have agreed to postpone the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) due to the elections. The White House Press Secretary, Katie Zachariah, announced that the new White House spokesperson is Katie Zachariah, and she mentioned a US$54 billion investment package related to an Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

Chinese media reported that a new cross-border bridge between North Korea and China will open on Thursday, after being unused for over a decade. Former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin has been referred to the prosecution for defamation, as she allegedly accused K-pop girl group Illit of plagiarizing NewJeans during a press conference in April 2024.

North Korea has gained experience in deploying troops and sustaining military operations over long distances due to its involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine, according to U.S. Gen. Xavier Brunson. South Korean stocks rebounded late Wednesday morning, with the KOSPI rising over 1 percent, driven by gains in tech shares amid easing concerns over rate hikes.

K-pop supergroup BTS' fifth studio album, Arirang, has surpassed 5 billion streams on Spotify, becoming the most-streamed album of 2026.