News Briefing: Today's Top Stories… Two South Korean Vessels Depart Strait of Hormuz

1. The first high-level follow-up talks on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for ending the war between the United States and Iran, held in Switzerland, have concluded for now. Mediating nations Qatar and Pakistan released a joint statement outlining plans to establish safety mechanisms in the Strait of Hormuz and create an organization to resolve the conflict in Lebanon. They announced that participating countries will continue follow-up negotiations in Switzerland throughout this week. Amid this situation, two South Korean vessels have departed the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Iran peace agreement. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries stated that the number of South Korean ships remaining in the strait has decreased to 22.

2. It has been revealed that the data breach involving the personal information and startup ideas of thousands of successful applicants in the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "Startup for All" project was not caused by an external attack, but by a hacking incident at another company participating in the project. Han Seong-soo, the current Minister of SMEs and Startups and nominee for Prime Minister, apologized for the incident, stating, "I failed to protect the trust of those who believed in the government and took on the challenge of starting a business. As the minister in charge, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility and offer my deepest apologies."

3. The joint prosecution and police investigation team, which is probing allegations of collusion between politics and religion, has requested an arrest warrant for Lee Man-hee, the leader of Shincheonji, on charges including violation of the Political Parties Act related to forced party membership. Lee is accused of violating Article 42 of the Political Parties Act, which prohibits forcing individuals to join or leave a political party, by compelling his followers to register as party members to influence the People Power Party’s presidential and general elections, as well as primary races, between 2021 and 2024.

4. The South Korean national football team has arrived in Monterrey, Mexico, the site of their final group stage match for the North and Central America World Cup. The team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, arrived at their hotel in Monterrey today (June 22) to the cheers of hundreds of local Korean residents and Mexican fans. Unlike Guadalajara, where the first and second matches were held, Monterrey is reportedly experiencing hot and humid weather. The national team will face South Africa this Thursday at 10:00 a.m. in their third group stage match, which will determine their advancement to the Round of 32.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.