Yonhap News Summary

South Korea announces withdrawal of embassy staff from Ukraine due to a dispute over releasing two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) and recurrent threats of airstrikes. Ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon stated that the decision was made as Ukraine has yet to address the diplomatic issue and continued threats have compromised the safety of diplomatic personnel.

Claims that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un died from a brain hemorrhage have circulated on overseas social media platforms, despite North Korean state media reporting his appearance at a public exhibition. The rumors were reported by British tabloid The Sun, New York Post, and India's Economic Times, which quoted social media posts alleging Kim suffered a severe brain hemorrhage, fell into a coma, and was rushed to a hospital in Beijing.

Two fires erupted in nearby buildings in southern Seoul, resulting in one person going into cardiac arrest and 18 others being injured. Police are investigating the possibility of arson, with one fire starting at the third floor of a building in Gangnam district at 11:54 a.m., and firefighters managing to douse the flames by 1:12 p.m.

South Korean shares plummeted nearly 4 percent as investors capitalized on recent gains in major chip shares, driven by concerns over the artificial intelligence (AI) value chain. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 215.27 points, or 3.73 percent, to 5,552.74 following a dip to a low of 5,493.24.

South Korea issued a warning of decisive retaliation if North Korea escalates further, following Pyongyang's threats to resume propaganda broadcasts and deploy additional tactical strike assets along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The defense ministry made this statement a day after Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened to resume propaganda broadcasts and increase military presence near the border, claiming the situation had become very unstable.