1.Five-term main opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Won-shik was elected as the Parliamentary Speaker for the first half of the 22nd National Assembly on Wednesday. Woo was elected with 189 votes in favor out of 192 present with ruling PPP boycotting the vote.

2.According to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea on Wednesday, South Korea's real gross domestic product increased 1.3 percent on-quarter in the January-March period, matching an earlier estimate, as recovery in exports continued and private spending remained firm.

3.President Yoon Suk Yeol said Wednesday that South Korea will establish a critical mineral partnership with major African nations to develop resources on the continent in a "mutually beneficial" way. President Yoon made the remark during a business summit held on the second day of the Korea-Africa Summit.