President Lee Myung-bak on Monday called for drastic reform of the police agency following a series of corruption allegations and bungled rape and murder cases. “We need to use the appointment of a new police commissioner general as an opportunity to end internal corruption and reestablish police attitudes to better protect the life and property of the public,” Lee was quoted by his spokesperson...

Moves to pressure North Korea spark speculation over possible policy change China’s recent unusual moves against North Korea’s rocket launch and potential nuclear test have raised the question of whether Beijing is shifting its stance toward its unruly ally. Experts are divided over the issue. Some pointed out signs of China rethinking its policy as the North’s saber-ratting undermines its nati...

Ex-KCC chief Choi new embarrassment to president dogged by corrupt aides One of President Lee Myung-bak’s most trusted aides is suspected of having taken bribes from a business developer for several years, dealing a serious blow to an embattled president already suffering from corruption scandals involving his aides. Choi See-joong, a former journalist from Dong-A Ilbo, headed the research orga...

British scientists have identified genes that are flicked on and off in the course of the aging process, marking a breakthrough for anti-aging research, Science Daily reported Thursday. The epigenetic changes in four genes related to cholesterol, lung function and maternal longevity seemed to have a significant impact on aging and longevity, researchers at King’s College London and Wellcome Trus...

North Korea's military says it will launch ``special actions'' soon meant to wipe out conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's administration. The army statement carried by state media Monday said the actions will last 3 to 4 minutes and be carried out ``by unprecedented peculiar means and methods of our own style.'' It gave no more details. North Korea has issued a steady stream of ...

Gyeonggi governor to compete in Saenuri presidential primary Kim Moon-soo, governor of Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday said he would run for the presidency, becoming the first official candidate for the December vote. “I am here to tell you about my decision to run for the 18th president of Korea,” Kim told a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul. The two-term governor said he will j...