North Korea says it'll deploy new long-range artillery systems capable of striking the capital region of rival South Korea this year and commission its first naval destroyer in coming weeks.

By Kyu-seok Shim and Brenda Goh SEOUL, May 8 (Reuters) - South Korea's martial law scandal is set to loom large over local elections in June that will test whether opposition conservatives can rein in the power of the ruling party of President Lee Jae Myung.

An appeals court has reduced to 15 years the prison sentence of a former prime minister over his involvement in then President Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law in late 2024.

SEOUL, May ⁠7 (Reuters) - ⁠South ⁠Korea's former ​Prime Minister ‌Han Duck-soo ‌was ⁠sentenced ⁠on Thursday to 15 ​years in ​prison over charges ⁠including ⁠his ⁠role in the ​brief imposition ​of ⁠martial law ⁠in 2024, after a court of ⁠appeals reduced his earlier sentence of 23 years.

In recent years, speculation among analysts, experts, and scholars that America’s two key allies in the Indo-Pacific could finally pursue nuclear weapons has intensified. The eminent diplomat Henry Kissinger predicted in 2023 that Japan would go nuclear within the decade.

South Korea’s current-account surplus surged to another record in March, driven by a surge in semiconductor exports and stronger shipments across Asia and the US, even as foreign investors sharply reduced holdings of domestic stocks amid rising Middle East tensions.

Goldman Sachs calls the South Korean market its "highest conviction view" in Asia.