Major News Briefing: Asiana Miles Valid for 10 Years; 1-to-1 Boarding Mileage Conversion

1. The Fair Trade Commission today (the 15th) gave its final approval for the integration plan of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines' mileage programs. Existing Asiana customers will have their Asiana miles recognized for 10 years from the date of the merger. Boarding miles will be applied at a 1-to-1 ratio, while partner miles accumulated through credit card usage will be applied at a ratio of 1 for Korean Air and 0.82 for Asiana Airlines. Bonus tickets and upgradeable seats that can be reserved with miles will be supplied for the next 10 years at or above the level of 2023, which marked the highest performance among the two airlines' boarding records over the past 10 years.

2. At around 8:40 a.m. today, an accident occurred in which Freon refrigerant gas leaked from a 769-ton Russian fishing vessel docked at Gamcheon Port in Saha-gu, Busan. There were 15 Russian crew members on board the ship, and four people were injured in the accident. Among them, two fell into cardiac arrest but have now recovered, according to the fire authorities. Although Freon gas, used as a refrigerant in refrigerators and air conditioners, has relatively low toxicity, inhaling it in a confined space can cause suffocation. Fire and police authorities are investigating the exact cause of the accident.

3. A teenage Chinese male has been apprehended by the police for unauthorized eavesdropping on aviation traffic control communications using a private radio receiver at Jeju International Airport. The Jeju Provincial Police Agency announced that it has booked a Chinese teenager surnamed A without detention and is investigating him on charges of violating the Protection of Communications Secrets Act. Teenager A is suspected of secretly listening to communications between the control tower and aircraft using a radio for one hour and thirty minutes on the 27th of last month from the 4th-floor observation deck of Jeju Airport. According to the police investigation, A entered Jeju from China on the day of the incident and brought the radio with him. Numerous photos capturing two or more military facilities located in Gyeonggi Province were reportedly stored on A's camera. The police stated that they have placed a departure ban on A and are investigating whether there are any anti-government espionage suspicions.

4. The Nagoya Asian Games are set to open this Saturday, with preliminary matches for ball sports already underway. Our men's national football team will play their first group-stage match against Qatar at 7:30 p.m. today. Having achieved an unprecedented third consecutive tournament victory at the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago, our national team is determined to secure a fourth consecutive title to relaunch Korean football, which has plummeted following the disappointing performance at the North and Central America World Cup. Captain Lee Gi-hyuk, who performed prominently in the North and Central America World Cup, is expected to step up as a defensive midfielder to anchor the midfield, while European-based players such as Bae Jun-ho, Um Ji-seong, and Yang Hyun-jun are projected to lead the attack. SBS plans to broadcast this opening match live starting at 7 p.m. today.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.