Yonhap News SummaryThe following is the first summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Monday . ----------------( 3 rd LD ) Acting president refuses to extend special probe into presidential scandal SEOUL -- Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo - ahn on Monday rejected the special prosecutor team ' s request to extend their highly charged probe into a corruption scandal involving President Park Geun - hye and her friend . The decision , which came a day before the investigators ' 70 - day mandate expires , riled liberal opposition parties and anti - Park protesters but appeased conservatives that have called the probe politically biased . ----------------( LEAD ) Opposition calls PM ' s decision to end special probe ' tyranny ' SEOUL -- South Korea ' s opposition parties expressed disappointment over the acting president ' s decision to end the special probe into the corruption scandal centered on President Park Geun - hye , claiming the move contradicts public sentiment . As the independent counsel ' s 70 - day mandate expires Tuesday , opposition parties have been urging Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo - ahn to exercise his right to grant a month ' s extension . Hwang , however , rejected the request Monday . ---------------- Teaser shows Samsung will debut Galaxy S 8 on March 29 SEOUL -- A teaser video released by Samsung Electronics Co . showed Monday that its new flagship Galaxy S 8 smartphone will be unveiled on March 29 in New York . Announcing the date of the new smartphone at the annual Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona , Samsung also said the S 8 smartphone will offer a high - quality earphone featuring Harman ' s AKG technology . ---------------- S . Korea urges N . K . to stop meddling in Seoul ' s state affairs SEOUL -- South Korea called on North Korea on Monday to stop interfering in the country ' s domestic politics as Pyongyang ' s semi - state agencies condemned President Park Geun - hye on the occasion of the final hearing of her impeachment trial . The History Society of North Korea on Sunday called Park ' s family a " dirty group of traitors , " and an agency promoting anti - imperialism said that rallies staged by Park ' s supporters will only speed up her downfall . ---------------- S . Korea ' s int ' l air passenger traffic jumps 12 . 1 pct in Jan . SEOUL -- South Korea ' s international air passenger traffic jumped 12 . 1 percent from a year earlier last month , helped by a sharp increase in passengers to and from Japan and other Asian countries , the government said Monday . International air passengers to and from the country came to about 6 . 96 million in January , compared with 6 . 21 million in the same month last year , according to the Ministry of Land , Infrastructure and Transport . ---------------- S . Korea ' s retail sales up 8 . 3 pct in Jan . SEJONG -- Sales of major South Korean retailers soared in January from a year earlier on strong sales by convenience stores and big chain supermarkets , government data showed Monday . The combined sales of department stores , large outlets and online malls gained 8 . 3 percent last month , snapping a three straight monthly drop since October last year , according to the data by the Ministry of Trade , Industry and Energy . ---------------- Per capita rice consumption forecast to hit fresh low in 2017 SEOUL -- South Korea ' s per capita rice consumption is forecast to hit a new low in 2017 due to people ' s changing eating habits , a report showed Monday . The average annual consumption of rice per person is likely to reach 59 . 6 kilograms this year , compared with 61 . 9 kg a year earlier , according to the report by the Korea Rural Economic Institute . ---------------- All indicators point to N . K . responsibility in Kim Jong - nam ' s killing : ex - CIA chief WASHINGTON -- All indicators point to Pyongyang ' s responsibility in the killing of the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong - un , a former CIA chief said Sunday , after Malaysia determined a banned chemical weapons agent was used in the killing . John Brennan , who served as CIA director until January , made the remark in an interview with CBS ' " Face the Nation " after Malaysian police announced the nerve agent VX was used in the killing of Kim Jong - nam at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb . 13 . ( END )