President Lee Appoints Kim Seong-soo as Supreme Court Justice

President Lee Appoints Kim Seong-soo as Supreme Court Justice

President Lee Jae-myung has officially appointed Kim Seong-soo, 57, as a Supreme Court Justice on September 18. This marks the first appointment of a Supreme Court Justice under the Lee administration.

The National Assembly's Special Committee on Personnel Hearings held a confirmation hearing for Kim on September 14. On September 16, a report on the hearing, which included both the ruling Democratic Party's approval and the opposition People Power Party's disapproval, was adopted through bipartisan agreement.

The President appoints Supreme Court Justices with the consent of the National Assembly, following a recommendation from the Chief Justice. Kim has completed all necessary procedures, including the confirmation hearing and the President's approval, and will begin his six-year term.

Xi Jinping Returns Early from BRICS Summit Amid Health Speculation

Speculation about Xi Jinping's health has arisen after the Chinese President returned to China earlier than expected from the BRICS summit in New Delhi and has not appeared in public since. Attention is now focused on his upcoming visit to the U.S. and the potential for a U.S.-China summit next week.

According to reports from the UK’s Independent and Newsweek on September 17, Xi attended the 18th BRICS summit on September 12-13 and returned to China on the 13th, ahead of other leaders. He did not attend the gala dinner at the summit and has not made any public appearances since his return.

This was Xi's first visit to India in seven years. Although the schedule was originally set for September 12-13, his actual stay lasted only about 24 hours, leading to speculation on social media regarding the reasons for his early departure.

The health rumors were fueled by a video released during the summit, in which Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paused during his opening remarks to ask Xi, "Are you okay?" Staff members were also seen approaching Xi at that moment.

However, Chinese reporters later released a longer video explaining that Modi's comment was related to an issue with the earphones used for real-time translation, not a health check.

President Lee Meets UAE Official, Thanks for Oil Supply

On September 18, President Lee Jae-myung met with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, the Chief Executive Officer of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, at the Blue House to discuss ways to enhance practical cooperation between the two countries.

According to Yonhap News, Chief Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated in a written briefing that President Lee welcomed Al Mubarak, who returned to Korea for the second time in about eight months since his visit in January.

During the meeting, President Lee recalled the commitment made during UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's state visit to South Korea last November to establish a "century-long partnership." He expressed gratitude for the UAE's prioritization of oil supply to South Korea amid the unstable situation in the Middle East.

Earlier, Kang Hoon-sik, the President's Chief of Staff, announced in March that a total of 24 million barrels of oil would be urgently imported from the UAE as part of a strategic economic cooperation initiative.

Warren Buffett Resigns as Berkshire Hathaway Chairman After 56 Years

Warren Buffett, the legendary American investor known as the "Oracle of Omaha," has stepped down as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway after 56 years. This follows his earlier decision to pass the CEO role to Greg Abel at the beginning of the year, effectively completing the company's leadership transition.

On September 17, Berkshire Hathaway announced in a statement that Buffett has immediately resigned from the chairman position and has been appointed as honorary chairman. The company stated, "Buffett will remain a member of the board and continue to provide his valuable insights and perspectives."

Buffett's son, Howard Buffett, has been appointed as the new chairman. Howard has served on the board since 1993 and will now lead the board in his father's stead.

Buffett's resignation from the chairman role comes about eight months after he transferred the CEO position to Abel on January 1. This marks the first time since he became chairman in 1970 that he has stepped back from day-to-day management.

Korea and Japan to Face Off in Men's Basketball Final at Asian Games

The men's basketball final at the Asian Games will see Korea and Japan face each other for the first time in history.

Under the guidance of Latvian coach Nikolajs Mazulis, Korea, ranked 57th by FIBA, defeated Iran, ranked 28th, 77-51 in the semifinals held on September 18 at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.

Korea will compete against Japan for the gold medal on September 20 at 7:40 PM. This is the first time a Korea-Japan matchup has occurred in the men's basketball final at the Asian Games. Korea has previously won the championship four times (1970, 1982, 2002, 2014) but has never faced Japan in the final.

In their historical matchups, Korea leads with 48 wins to Japan's 22 losses, according to the Korea Basketball Association.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kang Sang Heon ksh@ajunews.com