The Korea Herald

[April 27 by-elections] Ex-MBC chiefs clash in Gangwon race

Apr 21, 2011

Ohm, Choi have much in common in birth place, school, path to politics This is the second of a three-part series on the April 27 by-election campaigns in three major electoral districts, Bundang-B, Gimhae-B and Gangwon Province. ― Ed. The northeastern province of Gangwon is the second-largest in the nation, taking up 16.8 percent of the total South Korean territory. Mention the mountainous pro...
‘Carter to fly to Seoul after trip to N. Korea’

Apr 21, 2011

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is likely to fly directly to Seoul after visiting North Korea, sources said Thursday, a trip that could include a meeting with President Lee Myung-bak. Carter will be traveling to Pyongyang next week for discussions expected to focus on North Korea’s denuclearization, a peace treaty and humanitarian food aid to the impoverished communist nation. He will be acco...
Russia to send Siberian tigers by June: source

Apr 21, 2011

The three young Siberian tigers are expected to arrive here from Russia in the first half of this year, a diplomatic source said Thursday. “The two governments in Seoul and Moscow have decided to seek the delivery of tigers in the first half of this year. This is meaningful in that it is a symbol of friendship between the two countries,” the source said, refusing to be identified. The three tig...
Man nearly severs finger in protest of Japan's claims to Dokdo

Apr 21, 2011

A South Korean man nearly cut off his finger and created a commotion in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul Thursday, protesting against Tokyo's renewed territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, police said. The 47-year-old man, identified only by his surname Choi, appeared from behind a building near the embassy with his left pinky almost severed and demanded the Japan...
Panel agrees on legal reform bill

Apr 20, 2011

Measure to ban ex-judges, prosecutors from practicing law in 'cool-off' period The National Assembly committee on legal reform will submit this month a bill to revise the Lawyers’ Act to bar former judges and prosecutors from practicing law for a period of time after retiring. “It is urgent to take measures to root out the long-standing practice of offering career favors to former judges and pr...
‘U.S. military closely monitors N. Korea moves’: Gen. Johnson

Apr 20, 2011

The commander of the Eighth U.S. Army here said Wednesday that there have been no unusual North Korean movements detected recently, underscoring that the allied troops are closely monitoring them. “I am not tracking anything out of the ordinary right now,” Lieut. Ge n. John D. Johnson said in a meeting with Korean journalists at the Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul. “We observe forces in Nor...
Indonesia to join fighter jet project

Apr 20, 2011

Indonesia has signed an agreement to join South Korea’s project to develop a new fighter jet, officials at Seoul’s weapons acquisition agency said Wednesday. Under the agreement, Indonesia’s state-run defense research institute, “Balitbang,” will participate in the technology development process for the KF-X project, also known as the “Boramae” project. According to the deal, Balitbang will pay...
[April 27 By-elections] Much at stake in wealthy satellite town

Apr 20, 2011

Tight match expected between former ruling party chief and ex-governor This is the first of a three-part series on the April 27 by-election campaigns in three major electoral districts, Bundang-B, Gimhae-B and Gangwon Province. ― Ed. Bundang is one of the most successfully developed satellite cities around Seoul with an electorate of commuters to the capital, their families and elderly people w...
S. Korean man guilty of retweeting N.K. messages

Apr 20, 2011

A South Korean man received a suspended jail term Tuesday for retweeting messages from North Korea’s official website in the first such case since the communist state launched a cyber propaganda campaign. The Seoul Central District Court said it had handed the 55-year-old man identified only as Cho a two-year jail sentence, suspended for three years, for violating South Korea’s security law. Th...
North Korean taekwondo masters to perform in U.S.

Apr 20, 2011

A group of 17 North Korean taekwondo performers will visit the United States from late next month through early June to present the Korean traditional martial art to an American audience, according to the Voice of America, a U.S.-funded radio broadcaster. It will be their second performance in the U.S. following one in 2007. According to the Taekwondo Times, an online media outlet, the U.S. Dep...
Lee discusses FTA, N.K. with U.S. senators

Apr 19, 2011

President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday discussed early ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade pact with a team of five U.S. Republican senators led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Sen. McConnell (Kentucky) had attended Lee’s meetings with the U.S. senate leadership during his U.S. visits in 2008 and 2009, according to Lee’s spokesperson Kim Hee-jung. Lee also spoke with Senators Mike ...
Parliamentary panel discusses EU FTA

Apr 19, 2011

A parliamentary panel on Tuesday debated South Korea’s free trade agreement with the European Union, which was unexpectedly voted down by a subcommittee Friday, stymieing Seoul’s move to expand trade with the world’s biggest economic bloc. Ruling and opposition parties received reports from vice ministers of agriculture, knowledge and economy on the government’s plans to minimize the damage to l...
S. Korea considers deploying new frigate near Dokdo islets

Apr 19, 2011

The Seoul government is considering deploying a 2,300-ton frigate ― currently being built ― to Ulleung Island in apparent efforts to bolster its capabilities to defend the easternmost islets of Dokdo, news reports said Tuesday. “After the construction to expand the port on Ulleung Island is completed, (the government) is considering deploying the frigate,” said an anonymous government source cit...
Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Mongolia to hold talks

Apr 19, 2011

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Mongolia will hold talks in Seoul on Thursday to discuss ways to enhance bilateral military ties, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday. South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Mongolian counterpart Luvsanvandan Bold are also scheduled to discuss regional security issues including North Korean provocations such as the sinking of the corvet...
P.M. calls for meticulous preparations for China FTA

Apr 19, 2011

Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said Tuesday that South Korea needs to make “meticulous and creative” preparations for a free trade pact with China by carefully studying the possible ramifications the deal may bring about on the local economy. “China is actively raising the need for a free trade agreement with South Korea,” Kim said during a Cabinet meeting. “There need to be meticulous and creati...