The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.
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■ S. Korea to withdraw some embassy staff from Ukraine amid N.K. POW dispute
SEOUL -- South Korea has decided to withdraw some diplomatic personnel from Ukraine amid an ongoing dispute over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul and persistent threats of airstrikes across the country, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
The decision came as Ukraine has yet to take "positive steps" to resolve the diplomatic dispute over Kyiv's unilateral disclosure of the transfer of the North Korean POWs to Seoul, while continued airstrike threats have made it difficult to ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel, ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said at a regular press briefing.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261020006700315
North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) captured by Ukrainian forces meet with a South Korean producer at a POW camp in Ukraine on Oct. 28, 2025, in this file photo released three days later by a Seoul-based group of North Korean defectors. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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■ Unverified rumors of N.K. leader's death spread on overseas social media
SEOUL -- Unverified claims that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had died after suffering a brain hemorrhage have spread on overseas social media, while North Korean state media reported his visit to a public exhibition.
The rumors were reported Tuesday by the British tabloid The Sun, the New York Post and India's Economic Times, which cited social media posts that had claimed Kim suffered a severe brain hemorrhage, fell into a coma and was rushed to a hospital in Beijing.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261020008300315
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■ (2nd LD) 1 in cardiac arrest, 18 others injured in 2 building fires in southern Seoul
SEOUL -- One person went into cardiac arrest and 18 others were injured Tuesday after fires broke out at two nearby buildings just minutes apart in southern Seoul, officials said, with police investigating the possibility of arson.
One of the fires began on the third floor of a building in Seoul's southern ward of Gangnam at 11:54 a.m., according to fire officials. Firefighters partially put out the blaze at 1:12 p.m.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261020006052315
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■ (2nd LD) Seoul stocks slide nearly 4 pct on AI jitters, unrest in France
SEOUL -- South Korean shares plunged by nearly 4 percent Tuesday, as investors attempted to cash in recent gains in major chip shares amid persistent concerns over the artificial intelligence (AI) value chain. The Korean won was trading higher against the U.S. dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 215.27 points, or 3.73 percent, to 5,552.74 after declining as low as 5,493.24.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261020007152320
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■ (2nd LD) S. Korea warns of 'decisive retaliation' as N. Korea threatens to deploy strike assets to border
SEOUL -- South Korea vowed Tuesday to take decisive action if North Korea launches any further provocations, pushing back after Pyongyang threatened military escalation over warning shots fired by the South along the fortified border.
The defense ministry issued such a statement a day after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts against Seoul and deploy more tactical strike assets along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, saying the border situation has become "very unstable."