SEOUL, July 4 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of inter-Korean news this week.
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S. Korea checking for possible radioactive wastewater from N.K. uranium plant
SEOUL -- South Korea sent nuclear safety experts to the country's western border island of Gangwha on Friday to collect water samples for analysis in connection with a suspected release of wastewater from a North Korean uranium refining plant, the country's nuclear watchdog said.
According to the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, a team of experts from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) collected water samples from six locations on the island. The samples will be sent to KINS laboratories for detailed examinations to detect the presence of radioactive substances, such as cesium and uranium.
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(2nd LD) N. Korean civilian crosses heavily fortified border in presumed defection to S. Korea
SEOUL, July 4 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean civilian crossed the heavily fortified inter-Korean land border this week, South Korea's military said Friday, in an apparent move to defect to the South.
South Korean troops secured the man late Thursday night after identifying him in early morning hours around a shallow stream running along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the midwestern part of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official briefed reporters.
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S. Korea to inspect radioactive levels over suspected N.K. uranium wastewater release
SEOUL -- South Korea will conduct radioactivity and heavy metal contamination tests in waters near the inter-Korean border in connection with the suspected release of wastewater from a North Korean uranium refining plant.
The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, along with the oceans and environment ministries, will conduct radioactive or heavy metal contamination tests on Friday, including checks for uranium and cesium, at 10 sites near Ganghwa Island and the estuary of the Han River, both located near the North's Ryesong River, according to the unification ministry.
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(LEAD) Lee vows to improve relations with N. Korea based on cooperation with U.S.
SEOUL -- President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that his administration will work to improve relations with North Korea based on cooperation with the United States, but acknowledged that dialogue with Pyongyang looks difficult for now.
Speaking at a press conference marking his first month in office, Lee emphasized the importance of dialogue and cooperation with Pyongyang.
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(LEAD) Seoul says no change in radioactive levels in sea over suspected N.K. nuclear waste discharge
SEOUL -- The unification ministry said Tuesday there has been no meaningful change in radioactive levels in the Yellow Sea following a news report over North Korea's suspected discharge of wastewater from its uranium refining facility in North Hwanghae Province.
Daily NK, a South Korean news outlet focusing on North Korea, reported in June that North Korea has been operating a uranium refining facility in Pyongsan County and begun directly dumping uranium waste into rivers flowing into South Korea.
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(LEAD) S. Korea says N. Korea notified U.N. Command of fortification plans inside DMZ
SEOUL -- North Korea has informed the U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC) of its plans to build fortifications inside the border between the two Koreas, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday, marking the first notification of its kind in more than six months.
The North notified the multinational command tasked with monitoring inter-Korean border activities Wednesday that it would resume construction of barriers and barbed wire fences on its side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), according to the Dong-A Ilbo, a local newspaper.
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