The labor union and management at state-run broadcaster KBS on Wednesday reached a tentative agreement to end a 93-day strike. The union said its delegates will vote on the deal during a general meeting on Thursday. The workers began the walkout on March 6 demanding the resignation of its chief executive close to President Lee Myung-bak. The two sides agreed to establish a committee to ensure ...

A government plan to give tax incentives to “environmentally friendly” golf courses has reignited a long-standing controversy over the sport, largely considered a luxury and environmental nuisance in Korea. The Environment Ministry announced last month that it is working on a set of criteria for “green” courses. It aims to finalize them in July and form the certification committee in the followi...

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, California (AP) ― A new Boeing unmanned drone that is designed to stay airborne for days has completed its first autonomous flight at Edwards Air Force Base, despite a rocky landing. Boeing said Monday that the 28-minute flight of the Phantom Eye began at 6:22 a.m. Friday and the aircraft reached an altitude of 1,244 meters and a cruising speed of 114 kph before landing a...

Political leaders ratcheted up their battle over ideology on Wednesday as the nation remembered fallen patriots including soldiers killed during the Korean War. President Lee Myung-bak used his address for the 57th Memorial Day to denounce “those who try to destroy the constitutional order.” “The people of the Republic of Korea will never tolerate anyone who attempts to negate liberal democracy...

The ruling Saenuri Party plans to form an election committee next week that will oversee its presidential primary, the party’s secretary general said Wednesday, balking at calls to launch a preparatory committee first to revise primary rules. Minor contenders such as Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-soo and Rep. Chung Mong-joon have called strongly for new primary rules, claiming the current ...

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― The United States is in the process of selling hundreds of cutting-edge weapons to South Korea, a deal expected to be worth $325 million, according to a defense agency here. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it has notified Congress of possible sales to South Korea of 367 cluster bombs and associated parts, equipment, logistical support and training. The bo...

Supreme Court insists diversity in background considered The four nominees for the Supreme Court face an uphill battle for parliamentary approval as opposition politicians and civic activists have derided them as a club of conservatives. Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae on Tuesday submitted to President Lee Myung-back the list of four candidates to replace incumbents retiring in July. The top court...

Former police chief Cho Hyun-oh, currently at the center of a libel investigation, came under fire over excessive police protection during his questionings after a reporter was injured on Tuesday. As Cho was leaving the prosecutors’ office in southern Seoul on Tuesday, reporters swarmed around him and clashed with police officers who tried to fend them off, witnesses said. The police officers s...

Experts from Korea and Oz were set to discuss multiculturalism in the two countries Thursday. The 2012 Australia-Korea Multiculturalism Symposium is being held in Seoul, with a special focus on the implications of multiculturalism for education. The program includes talks on the characteristics and implications of multiculturalism in both Australia and Korea as well as its impacts on the labor ...

A free workshop on prostitution around U.S. military bases in Korea is being held by a women’s solidarity group on Saturday. The featured speaker at “U.S. Military Camptown Prostitution in Korea: 1945-Present” will be university professor Lee Nah-young. It has been organized by the Women’s Global Solidarity Action Network. The workshop will be held from 2-5 p.m. at the Columban Mission Center, ...

Iron Mic will host a benefit gig for underprivileged and disabled children in Seoul’s Itaewon area on Saturday. The event at Genie Ultra Lounge will start at 10 p.m. with an emcee battle, cypher, performances and dancers. Those attending will be requested to give a 5,000 won donation at the door to raise cash for the Miral Foundation. The organization was founded in 1993 to help pay for the me...