North Korea Fires Another ICBM

  North Korea launched a missile Tuesday that went down in the Sea of Japan about 370 nautical kilometers from the Japanese coast. American officials say it was an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. They say it traveled higher, farther and longer than any earlier North Korean test missile. President Donald Trump spoke about the launch during a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House. He said the United States, in his words, “will take care of it.” He told reporters, “It’s a situation that we will handle.” He did not offer any details. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis also spoke at the meeting. He said North Korea is continuing to build missiles that can “threaten everywhere in the world.” U.S. Defense Department spokesman Rob Manning said the ICBM launched from Sain Ni in North Korea. It traveled about 1,000 kilometers, he said. South Korean military officials said the missile reached the height of around 4,500 kilometers. South Korea’s military answered the launch minutes later with its own missile test. Japan’s defense minister estimated that the missile flew for about 50 minutes. The launch is North Korea’s first since it fired an intermediate range missile over Japan on September 15. David Wright is a physicist at the Union for Concerned Scientists. He told the Associated Press that the missile appeared to be North Korea’s longest-range test yet. He said the missile could go as far as 13,000 kilometers if it had not flown at a lofted angle. The ICBM launch came a week after the United States added North Korea back to the list of countries supporting terrorism. North Korea called that move a “serious provocation” that gives good reason for its development of nuclear weapons. I’m Caty Weaver.   Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English with additional AP news reports. Caty Weaver was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   intermediate range - n. ballistic missile with a range of 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers lofted angle - n. the degree of launch angle to set a missile's path provocation - n. an action that causes someone to be come angry or to do something

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November 28, 2017

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Grow Your Vocabulary by Learning Root Words

  English has been called one the most difficult languages for non-native speakers to learn. One reason is that English has so many rules – and almost as many exceptions of those rules! Sometimes, this leaves learners confused. For example, the order of words in a sentence can be tricky. Another reason English is hard to learn is that the pronunciation of its words cannot always be predicted by their spelling. For example, there are at least six ways to pronounce the group of letters spelled o-u-g-h. And, maybe the worst thing of all is that there are many idioms, or expressions, in English. You could say we use idioms like they're going out of style. So, it is comforting to know that learning root words can help a non-native speaker use English. A root word is the most basic form of a word. Root words can help you to break down large, new words into smaller units to discover their meanings. Learning just one root word can help you understand several words in English. So, by learning just 20 or 30 root words, you can expand your English vocabulary to include hundreds of new words. A root can be any part of a word that carries meaning: the beginning, middle or end. Prefixes, bases, and suffixes are types of roots. The prefix appears at the beginning of a word, the base in the middle and the suffix at the end. Most English root words came from the Greek and Latin languages. Building vocabulary through root words One useful method for building vocabulary through root words is to first look at a base word and then look for familiar prefixes and suffixes that go with that base. Let's try an example: the base word “struct-.” It comes from the Latin word meaning “build.” Any English word you hear containing “struct-”*  will relate to building, developing or creating something. By itself, “struct” is not a word, but it is the basis for more than 30 words in English. For example, the word “construct” is a verb that means “to build.” The prefix “con” means “together” or “with.” So, "construct" means to put things together to build or create something. Adding suffixes to “struct-” creates additional words. For example, adding “-ion” in English makes verbs into nouns. When we add "-ion" to “construct," we get "construction," which means the process, or act, of building something. Adding the suffix “-ing” to “construct” makes “constructing.” That is the gerund form and has a similar meaning as the noun "construction." Adding the suffix “-ive” to make “constructive” gives us the adjective form, and means helpful in developing or improving something. Now, let's build onto “constructive." Adding the suffix “ly” to "constructive" gives us the word “constructively” and produces an adverb. It means doing something in a way that is helpful. There are many other words that the base word “struct” produces. For instance, “destruction” is the opposite of “construction.” "Destruction" is the act of taking apart or damaging something that was built. "Instruction" means the act of building knowledge and has a similar meaning to the gerund "teaching." And, just like with "construct," you can add many suffixes to "destruct" or "instruct" to get several more words. The suffixes may include -ion, -ing, -ive, ing+ly or -ive+ly. So, you see, by knowing just one root word – “struct-” – you can get a better idea of the meaning of at least 15 words in English. A few other common root words include “bio" meaning life, “auto” meaning self, “pro” meaning before or in favor of, and “tele” meaning distance. Surely, you recognize some of these roots. So, choose one or two and write in the comments section all of the words you can think of that come from them. Join us again soon when we will discuss suffixes and prefixes. Learning common roots, prefixes and suffixes will help you become an expert in deconstructing the meanings of English words and constructing a strong vocabulary. I'm Jill Robbins And I’m Alice Bryant.   Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   confuse – v. to make someone uncertain or unable to understand something spell – v. to say, write or print the letters of a word or name idiom – n. an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a meaning of its own like it's going out of style – idiom. done in a way that is much more than people normally do comforting – adj. a state or situation in which you are relaxed and do not have any physically unpleasant feelings unit – n. a single thing, person, or group that is a part of something larger vocabulary – n. the words that make up a language   10 Common Root Words Root Meaning bio- life auto- self phon- sound tele- distance, far geo- earth photo- light vac- empty scrib-, script- write vis-, vid- see port- carry sens-, sent- feel   *The root words "struct-" and "stru-" mean "build."

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'Complicit' Is Dictionary.com's Word of the Year

  Every year, language researchers and dictionary publishers choose a "Word of the Year." The word often reflects the news or social media trends during the year. The American Dialect Society started the practice in 1991. This year, Dictionary.com selected the word "complicit" as its word of the year. The online dictionary site chooses its Word of the Year based on the number of people who look up the word's meaning. Overall, there were 300 percent more people looking up the word “complicit” in 2017 than there were in 2016. Before you run to look up the word, too, we will let you know that Dictionary.com says complicit means "choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others." Staying silent about crimes is being complicit Jane Solomon is an editor at Dictionary.com. She told The Associated Press that there were many discussions in 2017 about people in power and the people around them who stayed silent about crimes they may have seen. “This year a conversation that keeps on surfacing is what exactly it means to be complicit,” she said. “Complicit has sprung up in conversations about those who speak out against powerful figures in institutions, and those who stay silent.” Interest in "complicit" began with a satire video on Saturday Night Live, a weekly television comedy. The video shows a fake commercial for a perfume designed by Ivanka Trump, a daughter of the United States President Donald Trump. The name of the perfume is "Complicit." A voice in the video explains, “She’s beautiful, she’s powerful, she’s complicit.” The satire tries to connect Ms. Trump with accusations that people in her father's election campaign broke laws. About a month later, Ivanka Trump appeared on a morning news television program and said, “I don’t know what it means to be complicit.” Since she did not explain, more people looked up the word. Senator says he will not be complicit On October 24, Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake announced from the Senate floor that he would not try to win another term in the Senate. He criticized President Trump and asked other members of his party not to silently support the president.   “I have children and grandchildren to answer to, and so, Mr. President, I will not be complicit,” Flake said. Solomon says that another reason for the increase in look-ups for "complicit" is the accusations of sexual harassment against movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Some of Weinstein's associates say that they knew about the accusations years earlier, but were afraid to say anything about it publicly. More words of the year to come Keep your eyes open for more "Word of the Year" awards coming up in December and January. We will help you to add those words to your vocabulary in English, too. I'm Jill Robbins. Here is the Saturday Night Live Video: Ivanka Trump's Complicit Cologne Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English based on an AP report. Hai Do was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   scandal - n. an occurrence in which people are shocked and upset because of behavior that is morally or legally wrong complicit - adj. helping to commit a crime or do wrong in some way institution - n. an established organization satire – n. humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, or society fake - adj. meant to look real or genuine but not real or genuine harass - v. to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way

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Bangladesh to House Rohingya in Flood-Prone Island

Bangladesh has approved a plan to temporarily house 100,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in neighboring Myanmar. The plan would put the refugees on Bhashan Char, an island in the Bay of Bengal that floods frequently. Bangladesh’s government approved the plan on Tuesday to develop the island, despite criticism from humanitarian workers. They have said the island is nearly uninhabitable. The decision came days after Bangladesh completed talks to start returning the Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. Planning Minister Mustafa Kamal said it would take time to return the refugees. In the meantime, Bangladesh needs a place to house them. The project to house refugees on the island would be complete by 2019, he said. “Many people are living in dire conditions,” he said. He described the rising number of refugees as “a threat to both security and the environment.” A plan to develop the island and use it to house refugees was first proposed in 2015. The island regularly floods between the months of June and September. That is monsoon season for the area. It is two hours by boat from the nearest settlement. When the sea is calm, pirates sail around nearby waters and kidnap fishermen for ransom. More than 620,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh since the military in mostly Buddhist Myanmar launched a severe counter-insurgency operation against them. The operation across Rakhine state followed attacks by Rohingya militants on an army base and police posts. Meanwhile, Pope Francis said the future of Myanmar depends on respecting the rights of each ethnic group. But he did not use the word “Rohingya” in his speech to civilian leaders of the country. Myanmar’s Catholic Church has asked the Pope to avoid saying “Rohingya,” because doing so could lead to strong reaction against the small Catholic community in the Buddhist-majority country. Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as citizens. The Pope plans to visit Bangladesh on Thursday. His visit does not include a visit to a refugee camp. But he is expected to meet with a small group of Rohingya in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. I'm Ashley Thompson.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Reuters news report. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   uninhabitable - adj. not safe or suitable to live in dire - adj. very bad ransom - n. money that is paid in order to free someone who has been captured or kidnapped counter-insurgency - n. action by an army against people who fight the government

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Television Star Leads Honduras Presidential Vote

Early results in the Honduran presidential election show that a television host has a surprise lead over the country’s current leader. But both candidates are claiming victory after Sunday’s voting. With 58 percent of the votes counted, Salvador Nasralla had 45.17 percent of the vote and President Juan Orlando Hernandez had 40.21 percent. “I am the new president-elect of Honduras,” Nasralla wrote on Twitter after the results were announced. Hernandez said in a brief statement that he had won. He asked supporters to wait for vote counts to come in from rural areas, where he has greater support. The country’s election court said it will wait until all the votes are counted to release the results later in the week. A close result could lead to further tensions in Honduras, which has suffered years of severe gang crime and drug wars. Hernandez has been credited with lowering a high murder rate, increasing economic growth and cutting the deficit since he took office in 2014. But he has also been accused of connections to illegal financing. His opponents also claim that he is plotting a power grab. Hernandez’s attempt to win a second presidential term was divisive in Honduras. The country is still dealing with the effects from a 2009 coup. Former President Jose Manuel Zelaya was ousted after proposing a vote on lifting term limits. Zelaya was at Nasralla’s side on Monday morning. Many people believe that the former president may be a major beneficiary if Nasralla wins. A U.S. official said he did not think Hernandez would now be able to catch Nasralla in the vote count. He called this “a real stress test for Honduras’ democratic institutions and the leadership and character of its political figures.” The United States views Hernandez as a reliable ally in handling drug trafficking, gangs and migration. The U.S. has longstanding military ties to Honduras and few among current Central American leaders. Nasralla has not suggested he would reduce security cooperation with the United States. But U.S. officials do not trust his links to Zelaya. I’m Jonathan Evans.   Gabriel Stargardter and Gustavo Palencia wrote this story for Reuters. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in this Story   beneficiary – n. a person, organization, etc., that is helped by something; someone or something that benefits from something  

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Asian Countries Improve Economic Ties While Ignoring Other Issues

  Asian nations are ignoring human rights issues to focus on trade and investment, some experts say. They say this is causing problems for Western countries that want to increase trade but also protect human rights. The fastest-growing economies are in Asia. About 4.5 billion people live on the continent. Asian leaders rarely criticize other Asian governments for situations within their own borders. Such situations include the campaign against illegal drugs in the Philippines and the conflict between Myanmar’s leaders and ethnic Rohingya. Recently in Manila, members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met with representatives of eight governments, including the United States and China. The delegates did not talk about domestic problems in any of the countries. Human rights groups had urged the delegates for such discussion. Daniel Chua is the deputy head of graduate studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He says he thinks Asian countries do not mix economic projects with domestic issues or human rights. Such non-interference permits governments to focus on trade alone. But, citizens of Western countries often pressure their leaders to link human rights, labor problems or environmental issues with trade. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and President Donald Trump met at the ASEAN meeting. A Duterte spokesman says Trump did not talk about reports that Philippine police have killed thousands of people in the campaign against illegal drugs. Duterte has criticized world leaders who have talked about the campaign, including former President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Jayant Menon is chief economist at the Asian Development Bank. He says Asian countries do not need “deep” free-trade agreements, or FTAs, that would deal with labor and pollution issues. He says a World Trade Organization study shows that, in his words, “Asian FTAs in general are a bit more shallow than other FTAs...because they (Asian countries) are not as big as Europe or North America. To sustain themselves, they need to look outside their borders for most of their trade and investment.” When Asian leaders make trade deals with one another, such as investment in infrastructure projects, they do not include pro-labor or environmental agreements. Western governments often require such agreements as part of trade deals. At the ASEAN meetings, a joint statement was released on a planned ASEAN-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to be signed next year. The trade agreement would involve 16 countries including China and India and half of the world’s population. The statement discusses trade and economic issues but not labor, the environment or human rights. ASEAN represents 630 million people and four countries whose economies are predicted to grow more than 6 percent this year. It has trade agreements with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. In Manila, ASEAN and the United States said they would increase cooperation. I’m Caty Weaver.   Correspondent Ralph Jennings reported this story from Taipei. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story focus - v. to direct your attention or effort at something shallow - adj. smaller sustain - v. to provide what is needed    

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UN: Yemen Is 'Worst Place on Earth to Be a Child'

Ships carrying food aid arrived in Yemen last weekend. The Reuters news agency reported that a ship carrying about 6,000 tons of flour was given permission to stop at the Yemeni port of Hodeida. The United Nations’ World Food Program said about 27,000 tons of wheat arrived on Sunday at the Red Sea port of Saleef. The port is under the control of forces opposed to Yemen’s government. The aid shipments arrived after Saudi Arabia and its allies eased a nearly three-week long blockade. Yet aid agencies say millions of people, including many children, are at risk of death from starvation in Yemen. Many at risk of death Geert Cappelaere is with the UN Children's Fund,or UNICEF. He says Yemen is one of the worst places on Earth to be a child. He is urging all sides involved in the conflict to not block the shipment of humanitarian aid. Cappelaere is UNICEF’s Middle East director. He said that more than 11 million Yemeni children are in need of humanitarian assistance. He said that number includes almost every single boy and girl in the country. He estimated that every 10 minutes, a Yemeni child is dying from a preventable disease.   "I reiterate my plea to everyone with a heart for children, indeed not to prevent us from delivering what is urgently needed and massively needed." Cappelaere noted that aircraft carrying 1.9 million doses of vaccines landed Saturday at Sana’a International Airport. Those vaccines are designed to protect from the diseases diphtheria, tuberculosis and meningitis. The UNICEF official told reporters on Sunday that far more supplies are needed. "Yesterday was just a very small step. It is a very tiny step, it may sound huge - 1.9 million doses of vaccine, but there are many more millions of vaccines needed, if we want to prevent that there will be a break in the routine immunization in the country, there are many more supplies needed." Aid prevented by the blockade About seven million people are at risk of starvation in Yemen. Their survival depends on international assistance. But a Saudi-led coalition blocked off land, sea and air travel to Yemen on November 6 after a missile attack on Riyadh. The Saudis stopped the missile attack. The government blames Iran for the attack and for arming the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Iran’s government denies the accusations.  Last week, the Saudi-led coalition promised to ease the blockade on the Sana’a airport and Hodeida. A U.N. official said close to 5,000 children have been killed or injured since the start of a Saudi-led campaign in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. Two and a half million people have fled the violence. Mohammed Khadeesh is one of about 120 people living in a camp in Yemen’s south.  "The Houthis were firing from the north of our place and the resistance from the south, shooting towards us and flying over us.  We fled and arrived here with our children two months ago. And for the past two months, we haven't received anything: no mattresses, no aid, nothing." The displacement and the blockade have worsened the crisis. Urgent humanitarian need includes water pumps to help control the spread of cholera and fuel needed to transport supplies. Zlatica Hoke and Kenneth Schwartz reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted theirs for Learning English. ­­­George Grow was the editor. How do you think aid should be delivered to countries in conflict? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   dose - n. the amount of a medicine, drug, or vitamin that is taken at one time immunization - n. a vaccine to prevent infection by a disease  

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The Autistic Child: 'Different, Not Less'

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. One in every 160 children worldwide has some form for autism spectrum disorder, also called ASD. This estimate comes from the United Nations’ World Health Organization. The National Institutes of Health in the United States says the term ASD is the name “for a group of developmental disorders.” It includes a wide mix of symptoms, skills and levels of disability. People with ASD often have: social problems that include difficulty communicating and interacting with other people; repetitive behaviors, as well as limited interests or activities; symptoms that are often recognized in the first two years of life; symptoms that hurt the individual’s ability to deal with others socially, at school or work, or in other areas of life. Experts at the National Institutes of Health also explain that ASD begins in childhood and usually continues into adulthood. In order to make the best decisions for an autistic child, parents must sort through a large amount of clinical research. Even with all that information, there are many unanswered questions about the causes of ASD and how to treat it. Betsy Fields is a mother of two sons with autism. She plans each day with them down to the minute. Even a short walk is a rare chance to think and gather strength to continue raising two boys considered "special" or "different" by society.  Fields says her boys may be different from other people, but they are no less important. This is the idea behind a book called “Different, Not Less.” The writer is a woman who has autism. "Different, Not Less" is a saying from a really famous autistic woman, Temple Grandin. She became famous because of autism and that’s one of her sayings in her book – "different, not less.” In both of her sons, Fields discovered they had autism when they were two years old. For her first child, Hunter, doctors gave her hope. They thought a delay in his ability to speak resulted from the fact that Hunter was learning two languages -- English and Spanish -- at the same time. "He had some signs of autism but not all of them. Like, he didn’t line up things; his eye contact was good; he was happy. It didn’t seem like it was autism. It seemed like more of a delay. And then with my other son, I kind of knew what to look for. Even though you know it’s there, you are like, ‘Oh my gosh, how are you going to deal with it?’" In the United States, millions of parents face the same question. Researchers estimate that in the U.S. one in 68 children has autism. Boys are more likely than girls to have ASD. Many states employ therapeutic and inclusion experts in public school systems. They work with children with ASD, and help them to become part of the school community. Kryss Lacovaro is one such expert. She says that the symptoms of autism can differ greatly from person to person. Lacovaro notes that many people with autism have difficulty communicating with others.   “The communication is difficult. Socialization is difficult. So, those are the most typical things about individuals with autism, but again the characteristics can really range. You and I right now are hearing each other. An individual with autism might hear this light that’s on. They might hear the rotating of that camera and the fan that’s on, and me shaking my foot sometimes and someone walking out there -- all at the same noise level. That’s got to be very overwhelming." Betsy Fields says she does not want her children to attend too many after school therapy programs. She told VOA they get all the development classes they need within the school.   "Just because they're autistic, I do not think that we should stop living. We go swimming. I try to get them involved with that...do typical things of what other kids do." Today in the United States, most children with autism study in schools with other children. Depending on their abilities, an autistic child attends special needs classes or traditional classes with other children.   Betsy Fields says she is happy with the quality of education. Her sons study with other neighborhood children at the local public school. John Donvan wrote the book, “In a Different Key: The Story of Autism.” He says there is no simple solution for treating autism and the causes of the disorder remain unclear. He adds that for many parents, the most important thing is to not try to change a child. It is important to accept the child as he or she is. “Parents I know who have had children with autism for a long time have usually reached a point where they have accepted who their child is as that child is. When the children are younger a lot of them -- it's not that they don't recognize it, although some don't want to go for a diagnosis, they're scared to. It’s more that they say 'I'm going to save my child from this.' It really does change a parents' life. Not every parent wants their life to be changed right away. But in time, I've seen many come to accept it." Fields calls these years the most difficult in her life. But her rule as a parent of autistic sons is to never compare them to others. She says she accepts them as they are. And that’s the Health & Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   Anush Avetisyan reported this story for VOANews.com. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English. George Grow edited it.  ______________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding by taking this short quiz. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   symptom – n. a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present interact – v. to act upon one another repetitive – adj. happening again and again : repeated many times therapeutic – adj. of or relating to the treatment of illness typical – adj. normal for a person, thing, or group : average or usual range – n. a sequence, series, or scale between limits diagnosis – n. the act of identifying a disease from its signs and symptoms

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Pope Meets Myanmar’s Military Chief

Pope Francis met Monday with Myanmar’s military chief before the official start of his visit to the Southeast Asian country. The Vatican did not provide many details of the Pope’s 15-minute “courtesy visit” with General Min Aung Hlaing. The general oversees security in Rakhine state, where the military has conducted so-called “clearance operations” against Rohingya Muslims. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said the Pope and the general “spoke of the great responsibility of the authorities of the country in this moment of transition.” The meeting took place in the residence of Cardinal Charles Bo, the archbishop of Yangon. He has resisted international pressure to condemn Myanmar’s military operations against the Rohingya as “ethnic cleansing.” After the meeting, the general's office said in a statement on Facebook “Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all.” It also said the military “performs for the peace and stability of the country.” The meeting was originally planned for Wednesday, after the Pope’s scheduled meeting with the country’s civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The Vatican did not say why the meeting took place earlier than planned. Myanmar’s Catholic Church has publicly urged the Pope to avoid using the term “Rohingya” because the group is not a recognized minority in the country. The Pope’s spokesman did not say if the Pope used the term in his meeting with the general. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church, however, has previously prayed for the Rohingya Muslims, calling them his "brothers and sisters.” He has also spoken out against violence in Rakhine state. Pope Francis’s visit was planned before the latest wave of violence in August, in which a group of Rohingya militants attacked security positions in Rakhine. Myanmar’s military responded with brutal attacks that resulted in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh. More than 620,000 Rohingya have since fled to Bangladesh, the next stop on the Pope’s Asian trip. The Pope’s schedule does not include a visit to a refugee camp. But he is expected to meet with a small group of Rohingya in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. I'm Jonathan Evans.   Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on VOA and AP news reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   courtesy - adj. done to be polite clearance - n. the act or process of removing (people)  

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South Korea Looks to Compete with China in the Philippines

  Development projects in the Philippines may increase competition between South Korea and China. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking partners to develop his country which is in need of improved roads, ports and railways to attract investment. South Korean President Moon Jae-in appealed to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this month at its meeting in Manila. He told members, including The Philippines, that his country was “the best partner to share the experience” of economic growth. South Korea is offering to help with technology projects, railways, clean energy development and water management. The Philippines wants to attract development assistance. Since Duterte took office last year, the country has increasingly turned to China. China promised $24 billion in aid in October of 2016. Earlier this month, China and the Philippines signed 14 economic cooperation agreements including one on railways. In October, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced $8.8 billion in economic support. South Korea does not want to lose ground in the Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 million people. Herman Kraft is with the University of the Philippines Diliman. He says that the United States, Japan and South Korea traditionally have worked together in the region. “I think one of the things that Korea might actually be concerned about right now is of course, in a similar groove with Japan, they’d like to make sure that the Philippines doesn’t just turn around in terms of its relationship with the United States.” Duterte improved relations with China last year. He eased tensions with China after about four years of disputes related to territory in the South China Sea. China claims almost all of the South China Sea as its territory. The Philippines claims many land formations and islands in the eastern part of the sea. At the same time, Duterte appeared to seek less American support of his country’s armed forces. Korea extends aid to The Philippines This month, local media reported that South Korea offered $1.7 billion in credit and financial aid to help the Philippines. The money, the report said, was aimed at developing transportation and energy projects.   Duterte is seeking $167 billion to build public infrastructure, such as roads, rail lines, ports and power centers. But The Philippines needs foreign investment. Manila’s seaport, for example, is crowded. Electricity costs in the country are high for the region. Also, the Philippines has few railways to link cities on its larger islands. The Philippine National Economic and Development Authority keeps records of development aid in the country. The agency says that South Korea provided more than $600 million dollars in aid to the Philippines in 2013. Song Seng Wun is an economist specializing in Southeast Asia with the internet banking group CIMB in Singapore. He said South Korea wants its aid efforts to lift its national “brand.” Chinese brands could become competitors in the Philippine market where South Korean electronic household machines and other products are popular. Consumer spending is an increasingly important part of the Philippine economy which grew 6.9 percent in 2016. The total value of trade between South Korea and the Philippines increased from $10 billion in 2011 to $13.4 billion in 2014. South Korean leaders hope to increase ties with Southeast Asian countries to avoid investing too much in China. Problems with over-investing in China became clear earlier this year. South Korean companies faced boycotts and other problems in China and the number of Chinese travelers dropped sharply. The trade difficulties took place as South Korea permitted the U.S. to deploy the missile defense system known as THAAD. South Korea and the U.S. have said the system is to guard against missile attacks from North Korea. But China, strongly opposes deployment of the system on the Korean Peninsula. Jonathan Ravelas is a market expert with Banco de Oro UniBank in Manila. He says The Philippines probably welcomes the help from South Korea as a way to diversify economic support without angering anyone. I’m Mario Ritter.   Ralph Jennings reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   region –n. a large, separate area of the world or a country groove –n. a ways of doing things or a way of thought brand –n. something, like a product, that is easily recognizable and causes people to seek it out diversify –v. to make something more diverse, to increase the number of possibilities available We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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