NEWS BRIEF

[Anchor Lead]

The PPP has decided to push for a parliamentary investigation and a special counsel probe into the repatriation of North Korean fishermen under the previous government. The PPP floor leader and acting chairman said his party will review detailed measures. Kweon criticized the then ruling Democratic Party for blindly trusting North Korea's claim that the fishermen were murderers. He said the DP first should have checked the North's argument before sending them back.
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se held a meeting with World Food Program Executive Director David Beasley at the ministry building today. The minister reaffirmed the government's stance to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea, regardless of political and military affairs. He also thanked the WFP for working hard to improve food shortages in the North. Kwon asked the UN agency to pay greater attention to North Korean issues.
South Korea and the U.S. are conducting joint aerial drills in the South Korean skies this week. It is the two countries' first combined air exercise to be held since South Korea introduced F-35A fighter jets. The military expects the exercise to boost the two allies' joint operational capabilities and their interoperability of the F-35A. With the participation of some 30 fighter jets from both sides, the exercise began on Monday.