Yonhap News Summary

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.

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S. Korea considering arranging Moon-Biden phone talks at 'appropriate time': foreign ministry

SEOUL -- South Korea is considering arranging phone talks between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President-elect Joe Biden at an "appropriate" time, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Lee Jae-woong, the ministry's deputy spokesman, made the remarks as speculation has grown over when Moon will hold his first phone conversation with Biden as President Donald Trump has refused to concede defeat in last week's election.

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(LEAD) Parties in process to pick inaugural chief of new anti-corruption probe body

SEOUL -- Eleven seasoned legal professionals have been nominated to lead an envisioned organization tasked with investigating corruption among high-ranking government officials, as doubts remain over whether the organization will be launched anytime soon amid a drawn-out partisan strife.

The nominations were filed earlier this week by a seven-member panel of government officials and outside experts, entrusted to designate two final candidates for the top post of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).

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(LEAD) Moon to join ASEAN-related summits this week

SEOUL -- President Moon Jae-in plans to participate in a series of ASEAN-related summits this week, via video links, with a focus on Seoul's cooperation with Southeast Asian nations and the greater Asia-Pacific region, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.

Moon will hold an online group summit with leaders of ASEAN, a regional intergovernmental organization comprised of 10 Southeast Asian nations, on Thursday to discuss Seoul's cooperation with member nations in various fields.

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(2nd LD) S. Korea launches new 3,000-ton-class SLBM submarine

GEOJE -- South Korea launched a new 3,000-ton-class indigenous submarine on Tuesday capable of firing submarine-launched ballistic missiles in an effort to boost underwater defense capabilities.

The ceremony for the mid-class diesel-powered submarine, named after a prominent Korean independent fighter, Ahn Mu, took place at the Okpo Shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. in the southeastern city of Geoje.

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Estee Lauder apologizes for changing foundation color 'unfit for Asians'

SEOUL -- U.S. cosmetic giant Estee Lauder posted an apology on Instagram Tuesday after shipping the wrong color foundation to an online customer with a note saying that the product she ordered "does not suit Asians."

Estee Lauder was accused of racism after an anonymous customer posted a review on the Korean e-commerce site 11st on Sunday, claiming a Seoul department state selling its products online arbitrarily switched the color of the foundation she ordered.

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101 suspected flu shot deaths reported in S. Korea

SEOUL -- South Korea's health agency said Tuesday that a total of 101 people, most of whom were elderly, died after receiving seasonal flu vaccines.

The deaths had stoked public anxiety over the safety of such vaccines, but the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said 97 of those deaths have very limited relation with the flu shots. Another four cases are under investigation.

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S. Korea to decide on Delivery Hero's acquisition of Woowa next month

SEJONG -- South Korea's antitrust regulator plans to decide next month whether to approve a US$4 billion deal by Germany's Delivery Hero to acquire the nation's top food delivery app operator, Woowa Brothers, officials said Tuesday.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said it has sent documents about an antitrust review to the German food delivery company.

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