NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

The Community Chest of Korea is hosting a fundraising campaign for the year-end, and new year season titled Hope 2021 in the months of December and January. This year's nationwide fundraising goal is 350 billion won including 39.3 billion in capital Seoul. Love thermometers will be installed at 17 cities and provinces, and whenever donations reach 1% of the target goal, the love temperature will rise by one degree.
According to the Trade Ministry, South Korean exports increased in both the total amount and daily average exports in the month of November year-on-year for the first time in 2 years. November shipments totaled 45.8 billion dollars. Meanwhile daily average exports further rose after posting 5.4% growth in October and 4.4% contraction in September. IT goods including semiconductors and the bio-health sector led the shipment increase last month. Imports registered 39.8 billion dollars, resulting in a trade surplus of 5.9 billion dollars in November.
According to Seoul's Oceans and Fisheries Ministries, the International Hydrographic Organization has officially finalized the agreement to adopt new guidelines to identify seas by number instead of names. IHO member states reached a consensus last month to adopt a revised standard for world map production known as S-130. The current S-23 standard published in 1929 uses the name Sea of Japan for the body of water situated between Korea and Japan. The new numerical identifier will no longer provide grounds for Tokyo to insist on the use of Sea of Japan. The decision is expected to help end the long-running naming dispute.