Yonhap News Summary: Diplomatic Talks, Banking Appointment, Police Raid, Opposition US Visit, China FM Visit Uncertainty

President Lee Jae Myung stressed the need for South Korea and India to work together to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in an interview published Monday, also highlighting the need for joint efforts to stabilize global supply chains. In a written interview with The Times of India, held before his summit talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he noted that the effective closure of the critical shipping route due to the prolonged conflict between the United States and Iran has been driving up global oil prices while also disrupting supply chains for key industrial materials.

A parliamentary committee on Monday adopted a confirmation hearing report for Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor-designate Shin Hyun-song, clearing the way for his official appointment. The National Assembly strategy and finance committee made the decision following Shin's confirmation hearing last Wednesday when he faced scrutiny over allegations related to his family.

The second comprehensive special counsel team raided the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) and two other police offices Monday over an alleged mishandling of the initial police investigation into suspected overseas gambling by Unification Church officials. Prosecutors and investigators from special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team searched the KNPA in western Seoul, along with the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency and the Chuncheon Police Station, both in Chuncheon, 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in the morning to secure materials related to the police's intelligence and internal investigation into church officials' alleged gambling.

Opposition leader Jang Dong-hyeok said Monday he has established a "hotline" with key members of the Republican Party during his recent visit to the United States, rejecting criticism from within and outside his party that the trip may have been fruitless and badly timed. Jang of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) made the remarks at a press conference held shortly after he returned from a 10-day visit to the U.S.

No details have been arranged for Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's expected visit to South Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday, while noting the two countries continue to maintain strategic communication. The remarks by a foreign ministry official came amid speculation that Wang may be delaying his visit to South Korea in protest after Seoul decided to remove the "China (Taiwan)" label from its e-arrival system, following Taiwan's move to change South Korea's designation in its immigration system from "Korea" to "Korea (South)."