NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

The South Korea government has decided to expand the scope of regional missions by its Cheonghae anti-piracy unit to include the Strait of Hormuz. However such operations will be conducted independently without joining the U.S.-led coalition. South Korea will also dispatch two liaison officers affiliated with the Cheonghae unit.
At today's cabinet meeting, the government passed the bill for the joint inter-Korean bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics. The bill stipulates details on the preparation for the joint bid and hosting of the Olympic Games by South and North Korea as had been announced by the leaders of the two Koreas in the Pyongyang Declaration.
The Financial Services Commission says it will launch the pilot operation of a financial data exchange in March to ensure smooth distribution of big data in the financial sector. The exchange will act as a platform for trading financial, telecommunication and business data.
The government is to invest 1.2 trillion won in the next six years in the research and development of medical equipment, starting this year. The funding will cover R&D, clinical trials and the issuance of permits for medical equipment.