United Press International (UPI)

April 17 (Asia Today) -- Kang Chang-il, the new senior vice chairman of South Korea's Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, called Thursday for joint efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and said he would work to revitalize the council's public role. Speaking at his inauguration ceremony in Seoul, Kang said many South Koreans are familiar with the Unification Ministry but know little about the advisory council itself.

April 17 (Asia Today) -- South Korea will provide 462.2 billion won ($308 million) in emergency support for small businesses and exporters affected by the prolonged Middle East war, the government said Thursday. Han Seong-sook, minister of SMEs and Startups, visited South Gyeongsang Province to inspect local business conditions and pledged swift policy support for small businesses, exporters and young entrepreneurs.

April 17 (Asia Today) -- Corporate loan delinquency rates in South Korea are rising three times faster than household debt, increasing pressure on banks as lending expands, financial data showed Thursday. According to the Financial Supervisory Service, the delinquency rate on corporate loans at domestic banks reached 0.76% at the end of February, up 0.09 percentage points from a month earlier and 0.08 points from a year earlier.

April 17 (Asia Today) -- Japan is moving to strengthen a government-wide system to boost defense exports, including creating a centralized control structure and easing restrictions on what military equipment can be sold overseas, according to media reports. The government plans to establish a director-general-level coordination body involving key ministries to oversee arms export policy and execution, the Asahi Shimbun reported Thursday.

April 17 (Asia Today) -- Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of South Korea's main opposition People Power Party, has delayed his return from a U.S. visit by three days at the request of U.S. officials, party aides said Thursday. Park Jun-tae, Jang's chief of staff, told reporters at the National Assembly that Jang had originally planned to return later in the day but would now arrive early Sunday.

April 17 (Asia Today) -- This commentary is the Asia Today Editor's Op-Ed. The International Monetary Fund has singled out South Korea in warning of a rapid rise in government debt, raising concerns about fiscal sustainability as global borrowing climbs amid the Middle East conflict.

April 16 (Asia Today) -- South Korean tech company Naver is expanding its artificial intelligence capabilities with robots operating throughout its headquarters, as the firm ramps up investment in next-generation technologies. At the company's second headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul, robots are deployed across the building, which spans from a basement level to 28 above-ground floors.

April 16 (Asia Today) -- China's economy grew 5.0% in the first quarter, exceeding expectations despite concerns over the impact of the Iran conflict, official data showed Thursday. The National Bureau of Statistics said gross domestic product rose 5.0% from a year earlier, topping the 4.8% forecast by economists surveyed by Reuters and Bloomberg. The stronger-than-expected growth was driven by manufacturing and exports.

April 17 (UPI) -- South Korea's Hankook Tire & Technology said Friday it signed a supply deal for Skoda's flagship model, the New Octavia. Under the agreement, Hankook Tire's global brand Laufenn is to provide its second-generation summer performance tire, the S FIT2, as original equipment tires for the model. Hankook Tire said that the Octavia has sustained solid demand across Europe and remains a key growth driver for the Czech automaker, which is under Volkswagen Group.

SEOUL, April 17 (UPI) -- Rep. Lee In-young of the ruling Democratic Party urged regulators to investigate Lotte Card, claiming the issuer had taken on the losses linked to troubled discount chain Home Plus. Lee said Thursday that Lotte Card has classified its $54 million worth of receivables related to Home Plus as estimated losses. He criticized both companies' owner, MBK Partners, one of Asia's leading private equity funds.