Here’s a summary of top news stories from News Agency on Friday:
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■ (LEAD) Seoul Anticipates Massive Crowds for Highly-Anticipated BTS Comeback Concert
SEOUL — Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to descend upon downtown Seoul this weekend for the highly anticipated comeback concert of K-pop supergroup BTS. Authorities are on high alert, implementing strict crowd control and safety measures to ensure the event proceeds smoothly, officials announced Friday.
BTS will grace Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday, marking their return after a four-year group hiatus. An estimated 260,000 people, including 22,000 ticket holders, are expected to fill the area stretching from the square to Sungnye Gate, a distance of over one kilometer.
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■ (LEAD) Fire at Daejeon Car Parts Plant Leaves at Least 50 Injured
DAEJEON — A significant fire erupted at a car parts manufacturing plant in the central city of Daejeon on Friday, resulting in injuries to at least 50 individuals. Authorities report that 35 of the injured sustained serious injuries.
The fire was reported around 1:17 p.m. KST, prompting the National Fire Agency to activate a national firefighting mobilization order, a measure reserved for incidents where the scale of the fire exceeds the capabilities of the local fire department.
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■ (LEAD) BTS Leader RM Suffers Ankle Injury Before Gwanghwamun Concert
SEOUL — RM, the leader of K-pop sensation BTS, sustained an ankle injury during rehearsals just two days before the group’s highly anticipated concert in central Seoul. The concert marks their first full-group comeback in nearly four years, according to the group’s agency on Friday.
BigHit Music confirmed that the rapper injured himself on Thursday and was promptly taken to a hospital for examination and treatment. Doctors diagnosed ligament damage and inflammation, advising him to wear a leg cast and restrict movement for a minimum of two weeks.
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■ President Lee Orders Resumption of Highway Project Suspended Over Allegations Involving Former First Lady
SEOUL — President Lee Jae Myung has directed the resumption of a previously suspended highway construction project. The project had been on hold for almost three years due to allegations of influence-peddling involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee, a senior presidential aide announced Friday.
Hong Ik-pyo, the presidential secretary for political affairs, revealed the decision after the Seoul-Yangpyeong expressway project was halted in July 2023. The suspension followed allegations that the highway’s endpoint was altered to an area where Kim’s family possesses land in Yangpyeong, located east of Seoul.
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■ DP Lawmaker Announces Departure from Party Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations
SEOUL — Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), currently facing allegations of sexual harassment, stated on Friday that he will leave the party to focus on proving his innocence.
Jang’s announcement came one day after a police review panel recommended that his case be referred to prosecutors. The allegations involve the sexual harassment of a female aide.
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■ National Assembly Passes Bill on New Indictment Agency
SEOUL — The National Assembly on Friday passed a prosecution reform bill spearheaded by the ruling Democratic Party (DP). The bill aims to strip the prosecution of its investigative authority and establish the legal framework for a new indictment agency.
The bill was approved with a vote of 161-1 during a plenary session, shortly after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) concluded a 24-hour filibuster. PPP lawmakers boycotted the vote.
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