NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

The presidential office says it will expand energy vouchers for vulnerable people to help them heat their homes and pay energy bills. It also announced a greater discount on gas prices. Choi Sang-mok, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, announced that energy vouchers for vulnerable households will temporarily be doubled to 304,000 won per home this winter. State-run Korea Gas Corporation will also increase a discount of gas prices to as much as 72,000 won from the current 36,000 won for 1.6 million households in need.
Chung Jin-suk, the interim leader of the People Power Party, is calling on Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung to immediately lay down his privilege as chief of the main opposition party before appearing at prosecutors' questioning. The ruling party's interim chief criticized Lee for abusing his power as head of the main opposition party to change the date and method of prosecutors' questioning. Chung also said Lee is damaging the rule of law and ignoring the principles of equality before the law. The interim PPP leader said that no other suspects in Korea have the power to select the date and method of questioning.
A latest U.S. report says dramatic and ongoing construction progress is continuing at North Korea's Sohae Satellite Launching Station. It added launch pads at the site appear operational. The report was published on Tuesday in "Beyond Parallel," a website on Korean unification run by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. The report also said the construction includes the expansion of fuel storage, the addition of cooling water tanks and refurbishment of the umbilical tower and launch table.