WASHINGTON ― Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramps up his mission to foil an emerging White House-backed nuclear deal with Iran with a speech on Monday to the powerful pro-Israel AIPAC lobby. Netanyahu has infuriated the White House and Democratic lawmakers by accepting an invitation by President Barack Obama’s Republican foes to speak on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Also addressing the 16,0...

Park Geun-hye on Sunday embarked on her strategic trip to four wealthy Muslim countries in a bid to attract “oil money” in her efforts to reinvigorate the economy, in particular the construction sector, which has been in the doldrums since the 2008-09 global financial crisis. Right before her departure for the Middle East, she replaced her chief of staff. The administration is seeking a turnarou...

The reclaimed region of Saemangeum, North Jeolla Province, is in the limelight after the government announced plans to create a Korea-China free trade agreement industrial complex in the area. The government announced the plan to attract investments from the world’s second-largest economy, following the preliminary signing of the Korea-China FTA on Wednesday. “The Korea-China FTA Industrial Com...

Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jay-young is making a big push to absorb young tech firms around the world as part of efforts to create new software and service offerings and finally secure new revenue sources. Since chairman Lee Kun-hee was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack in May, the Korean tech giant, led by the son, has acquired or invested in 11 international start-ups. Thi...

Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo on Tuesday stopped by the National Assembly for the first time since assuming office last week, to carry out what is often considered a ceremonial visit. His visit was an emotional one though, as he shed tears with his former counterpart Rep. Woo Yoon-keun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy. The two met for the first time since Lee’s tough confi...

HOLLYWOOD ― “Birdman,” which won the best picture Oscar on Sunday, is a quirky black comedy about the dark side of fame in the entertainment industry, starring Michael Keaton in the performance of his career. The film directed by Mexico’s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu was the big winner of the night, taking four Oscars out of nine nominations ― including best director and best original screenplay....

Yim Jong-ryong, the nominee for chairman of South Korea’s top financial regulator, is expected to face stiff criticism during his parliamentary confirmation hearing, as the Assembly is divided over his suitability. The opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy likened Yim to previous heads of the Financial Services Commission, calling the former vice finance minister a member of the “mofia”...

When new Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo takes office Tuesday, he will face the herculean task of winning back the public trust he lost through reports of conscription evasion, property speculation and intimidation of journalists. In South Korea, prime ministers are often limited to nominal roles, with executive power centered in the presidential office. But Lee faces daunting challenges as he is ta...

Former top presidential security adviser Kim Jang-soo faces the daunting task of addressing lingering political distrust between South Korea and China, after he was tapped last week as Seoul’s new ambassador to Beijing. President Park Geun-hye’s decision to field the former defense minister illustrates her desire to cement her country’s strategic partnership with China, which has recently suffer...

Lawmakers from the ruling and main opposition parties began hearing from state-run energy companies Thursday, as part of their probe into former President Lee Myung-bak’s “resource diplomacy” initiative. The project spearheaded by Lee, President Park Geun-hye’s predecessor, aimed to reduce South Korea’s dependence on Middle Eastern oil by investing state money in foreign energy projects. Lawmak...

For Ssangyong Motor, spring appears to have arrived earlier than expected. The labor strife-marred automaker is poised to celebrate the high unexpected sales of its new compact sport utility vehicle Tivoli and select its new leader in six years. The automaker said on Wednesday it sold more than 8,000 Tivoli vehicles in the first month since its market debut on Jan. 13. “The morale of employees ...

PARIS ― Herve Falciani was once just an IT worker at a big bank, but since running off with hundreds of thousands of damaging documents from banking giant HSBC he has been alternately called a hero and a thief. “He is brave. We have the highest opinion of Mr. Falciani’s work, whatever his motivations may be. He has served the public interest,” said Eric Alt, vice president of the French antitax ...

The ambitious plan to make the southern part of the Korean Peninsula a stop on the global racing circuit may have come to a halt as the organizing committee of the Formula 1 race in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, on Monday was reported to be considering disbanding. According to local media reports, the organizing committee of the Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix recently decided to disband after the...

NEW YORK ― One of America’s most prominent TV anchors, Brian Williams, faced calls for his resignation Friday for embellishing an Iraq war story from 2003. Williams, 55, who reportedly earns $10 million a year and is watched by an estimated 9 million Americans a night, admitted that a story he often repeated on air about coming under fire was not true. “I made a mistake in recalling the events ...