Welcome to Arirang News This is Kim Ji Eun, And We start with the top headlines at this hour #1 Negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have gotten underway in Pyongyang. Just after 1 PM today, Russian media, TASS news reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un began talks. The summit is reportedly accompanied by officials, 6 from North Korea and 13 from Russia. The summit is expected to last for about 90 minutes and they are also expected to take a walk afterwards and have tea together. They have been discussing the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement for months now. Putin arrived at Pyongyang International Airport in the early hours of Wednesday morning, for his first visit in 24 years and was welcomed by the North''s leader at the airport. #2 Moving on, Foreign and defense officials from South Korea and China met in Seoul for high-level talks on Tuesday, the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin headed to North Korea. During the meeting, South Korea expressed concerns over Putin''s visit to Pyongyang, highlighting that this should not lead to stronger military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. It once again asked China to play a constructive role in order to achieve denuclearization. In response, China said its policy towards the Korean Peninsula has not changed, and said it will play a constructive role in resolving issues in the region. #3 Meanwhile, The antitrust regulator launched an on-site inspection into a major lobby group for doctors Wednesday for allegedly forcing its members to join a walkout against the government''s medical reform plan. The Fair Trade Commission sent inspectors to the office of the Korean Medical Association in Seoul and conducted a probe regarding the KMA-led one-day walkout on Tuesday that involved community doctors and other medical staff, as well as a massive rally in Seoul. The medical community has been protesting the government''s increase of the medical school admissions quota to address the shortage of doctors in the country. #4 Switching gears to economy, South Korea posted a record current account surplus with the United States last year on brisk demand for autos and increased interest income, the central bank said Wednesday. The country''s current account surplus with the U. S. totaled 91. 25 billion dollar last year, sharply widening from a 68. 97 billion dollar surplus the previous year. South Korea''s overall current account surplus widened to 35. 49 billion dollar in 2023 from 85. 23 billion dollar a year earlier. #5 Lastly, The statue, dubbed a Statue of Peace or comfort women statue, will be unveiled to the public in Italy, at 11 a. m. local time on Saturday, according to the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery. The statue will be the second to be installed on public land in Europe after the first one set up in Berlin, Germany, in 2020. It will also be the 14th statue to be erected overseas after the first one installed in California, in 2013. Moving to the weather forecast, The mid-summer heat continues its upward trend across Korea, going 5 to 7 degrees above normal with heat advisories in place for more parts of Korea. Seoul is forecast to have the season''s highest temperatures at 35 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the monsoon season kicks off on Jeju tonight. The current temperature are __________ Degrees in Seoul __________ Degrees in Daejeon __________ Degrees in Daegu __________ Degrees in Busan And _________ Degrees on Jejudo island You’re listening to, Arirang Radio