The following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday.
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■ (2nd LD) S. Korea's GDP expands 1 pct in Q3 on strong exports, investment: BOK
SEOUL -- Strong semiconductor-led exports and investment drove South Korea's economy to grow faster than expected by 1 percent in the third quarter from a quarter earlier, putting annual growth of 3.6 percent within reach, central bank data showed Tuesday.
The country's real gross domestic product (GDP) -- a key measure of economic growth -- rose 1 percent in the July-September period from three months earlier, according to advance data from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
This file photo, taken May 12, 2026, shows vehicles parked at a port in Ulsan on the southeastern coast, awaiting overseas shipment. (Yonhap)
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261027001452320?section=economy-finance/economy
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■ SCIA chief attends Cabinet meeting for 2nd time amid controversy
SEOUL -- Kim Ji-yong, the inaugural chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA), once again attended a Cabinet meeting presided over by President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday, despite opposition criticism that his presence could undermine the agency's neutrality and independence.
Kim's attendance marked the second time he had joined the weekly Cabinet meeting since heading the SCIA, which was launched Oct. 2 as part of a criminal justice overhaul stripping prosecutors of their independent investigative powers.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261027005300315?section=national/politics
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■ (LEAD) Special counsel searches Seoul handball arena in ballot shortage probe
SEOUL -- A special counsel team on Tuesday searched a handball arena that served as a vote counting center earlier this year as part of a probe into an unprecedented shortage of ballots during the June 3 local elections.
Special counsel Lee Tae-han sent investigators to execute a search-and-seizure warrant at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium in southeastern Seoul, to secure election records and surveillance camera footage.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261027004951315?section=national/politics
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■ Top court to hold hearing on new arrest warrant for jailed ex-first lady
SEOUL -- The Supreme Court was scheduled to hold a hearing Tuesday to decide whether to issue a new arrest warrant for jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee to continue to keep her in custody.
The hearing was set to take place at 2:30 p.m. after special counsel Min Joong-ki's team requested the warrant for Kim, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261027002100315?section=national/national
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■ Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. to hold talks in Philippines ahead of ASEAN meeting
SEOUL -- Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will hold their first bilateral talks in the Philippines this week ahead of a ministerial meeting led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a source familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
Kang and Hegseth are expected to meet one-on-one on Wednesday, a day ahead of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Plus plenary in Cebu, according to the source. It will mark their first sit-down since Kang assumed office in September.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20261027003800315?section=national/defense
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