POLITICS

DeSantis talks trade with South Korean officials

Apr 25, 2023, 10:34 PM | Updated: 11:00 pm

In this photo provided by South Korean Prime Minister Office, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-...

In this photo provided by South Korean Prime Minister Office, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, right, shakes hands with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a meeting at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (South Korean Prime Minister Office via AP)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(South Korean Prime Minister Office via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held trade talks with South Korean officials in Seoul on Wednesday, on the second leg of his four-nation trip, as the possible rival to Donald Trump seeks to build his diplomatic profile ahead of a widely anticipated presidential campaign launch.

Leading a trade mission from Florida, DeSantis met with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and expressed hopes to create more jobs by facilitating South Korean trade and investment in his state, according to Han’s office. Han, Seoul’s No. 2 official behind President Yoon Suk Yeol, called for stronger cooperation in industries such as space and aviation, which he described as Florida’s “strengths.”

DeSantis earlier on Wednesday met with Kim Dong-yeon, the governor of South Korea’s largest Gyeonggi province, to discuss exploring partnerships in industries such as biotechnology and solar power generation, Kim’s office said.

According to DeSantis’ office, merchandise trade between Florida and South Korea exceeds $1.3 billion, making Florida the country’s 7th largest bilateral trade partner in the Asia and Middle East region.

DeSantis is considered the biggest challenger to former President Trump for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential race. He is expected to announce his candidacy sometime next month.

DeSantis, who was accompanied by state officials and his wife, Casey DeSantis, began his multi-country trip in Japan, where he met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday and exchanged views on bilateral and regional issues, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry. Following South Korea, DeSantis will travel to Israel and Britain.

Politics

Associated Press

Georgia joins states seeking parental permission before children join social media

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia could join other states in requiring children younger than 16 to have their parents’ explicit permission to create social media accounts. Lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to Senate Bill 351, which also would ban social media use on school devices and internet services, require porn sites to verify users are […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

Georgia House approves new election rules that could impact 2024 presidential contest

ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia House of Representatives on Thursday approved new rules for challenging voters and qualifying for the state’s presidential ballot that could impact the 2024 presidential race in the battleground state. The House passed Senate Bill 189 by a vote of 101 to 73. It now goes to the state Senate for […]

8 hours ago

Associated Press

Ex-Caltrain employee and contractor charged with building secret homes with public funds

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former employee of Caltrain, a mass transit system that connects Silicon Valley with San Francisco, and a former contractor for the transit agency allegedly used public funds to build two small apartments for themselves inside two train stations, authorities said Thursday. San Mateo County prosecutors charged Joseph Vincent Navarro, a […]

9 hours ago

Associated Press

Oklahoma judge rules death row inmate not competent to be executed

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma judge ruled Thursday that a death row inmate is not competent to be executed for his role in the 1999 slayings of a mother and son. Pittsburg County Judge Michael Hogan issued an order in the case involving 61-year-old James Ryder in that county. “The court could go on […]

14 hours ago

Associated Press

Law enforcement executed search warrants at Atlantic City mayor’s home, attorney says

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A lawyer for Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small said law enforcement officers visited the mayor’s home Thursday morning to execute search warrants, but would not reveal further information, including whether anyone was taken into custody. Edwin Jacobs confirmed that officers went to Small’s home with search warrants, but would not […]

14 hours ago

Associated Press

Michigan GOP lawmaker claims that buses carrying March Madness teams are ‘illegal invaders’

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (AP) — A right-wing Michigan state lawmaker who has been tied to former President Donald Trump and his election denials is being widely criticized after making claims that buses carrying college athletes to Detroit for March Madness were immigrant “invaders” being shuttled into the city illegally. Michigan state House Rep. Matt Maddock […]

16 hours ago

DeSantis talks trade with South Korean officials