NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

Amid rumors about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health condition, the North's Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim sent a letter of thanks to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for extending congratulations on the 108th birthday of the late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung.
The Ministry of Unification approved a civic group's request to send 20,000 protective suits to North Korea on Tuesday. On March 31st, the government also approved a civic group's request to send hand sanitizers worth 100 million won to the North.
South Korea is seeing a rebound in its exports of computers, as the coronavirus pandemic has made working from home and online classes the new normal. According to the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea shipped products worth 130.7 billion U.S. dollars between January and March. Computers accounted for 2.4 percent of the total outbound shipment, becoming the ninth major export item of the nation.
An international market researcher predicts that global semiconductor supply will drop for two consecutive years for the first time ever. IC Insights delivered the prediction in a recent report, saying that this year's global chip supply will fall three percent, compared to last year.