WASHINGTON -- North Korea's threat to test a nuclear weapon over the Pacific Ocean should be taken "literally," a senior North Korean official has said. The threat came last month when US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un engaged in a war of words over Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Speaking in New York during the UN General Assembly, North Korean Fore...

WASHINGTON -- The United States' ability to defend itself is "unquestionable" in the face of North Korea's renewed threat to test a nuclear weapon over the Pacific Ocean, the State Department said Wednesday. In a CNN interview aired earlier in the day, a senior North Korean official said last month's threat by his country's foreign minister should be taken "literally." "We have been clear that ...

WASHINGTON -- US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday that the international community seeks a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis. He was speaking en route to Thailand after meeting with his counterparts from South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations at a regional gathering in the Philippines. "A number of people talked about hoping diplomatic efforts will work, th...

For Doosan Bears right-hander Dustin Nippert, postseason games in the Korea Baseball Organization are no different than regular season contests. Of course, there's a lot more at stake in October than in, say, May. But at least Nippert is telling himself that they're all the same, in hopes of keeping some pressure off his shoulders. The strategy just might have worked Wednesday in Game 1 of the ...

SK hynix Inc., a major chipmaker, said Thursday its third-quarter net profit reached an all-time high, apparently helped by strong global prices of chips. Net profit came to a record high of 3.05 trillion won ($2.7 billion), rising sharply from 597 billion won posted a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. Operating profit also reached a historic high of 3.7 trillion won in the...

South Korean stocks opened higher Thursday as foreigners turned net sellers on profit taking ahead of major companies' earnings releases this week. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 2.25 points, or 0.09 percent, to 2,490.25 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Foreign and retail investors sold a combined 13.4 billion won ($12 million) worth of stocks, offsetting 15 billion won...

Samsung Electronics Co. showcased two wearable devices optimized for outdoor activities Thursday. The South Korean tech giant said it will start the sales of the smartwatch Gear Sport and the earphones Gear IconX 2018 starting Friday in South Korea. The Gear Sport is a 5ATM waterproof smartwatch that can be used while swimming or washing automobiles, the company said. Its Water Lock Mode preven...

The top military officials of South Korea and the US will visit the Demilitarized Zone together this week and issue a warning message to North Korea, an official said Thursday. Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis plan to tour the Joint Security Area, where South and North Korean forces stand face-to-face, on Friday. With the North several feet away, they plan t...

Samsung Electronics Co. stood as South Korea's most valuable brand, with its brand value almost doubling in five years to $51.4 billion, according to industry data Thursday. The brand value of Samsung Electronics posted a whopping 12 percent on-year climb this year, marking twofold growth from $28.5 billion in 2012, according to the data compiled by Britain-based industry tracker Brand Finance. ...

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping for being re-elected as the head of the communist party, expressing his conviction for better bilateral ties, Pyongyang's state media said Thursday. Kim sent a congratulatory message to Xi on Wednesday after the Chinese leader was elected as general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China at...

South Korea's economic growth hit a seven-year record high in the third quarter due to increased construction investment and exports, central bank data showed Thursday. In the July-September period, the country's gross domestic product increased 1.4 percent from the previous quarter, faster than the previous quarter's 0.6 percent on-quarter gain, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Ko...

South Korea will hold a public hearing next month on the renegotiation of a free trade pact with the United States, Seoul's trade ministry said Wednesday, as the two countries move to reset the terms at Washington's call. The hearing on the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA), slated for Nov. 10, will be an opportunity to exchange public views and collect opinions from experts in the related f...

President Moon Jae-in threw the ceremonial first pitch at the opening game of the Korean Series in the southern city of Gwangju on Wednesday. Moon, a well-known baseball fan, made a surprise appearance at the game between the Seoul-based Doosan Bears and the Kia Tigers, which marked the start of the best-of-seven baseball championship series at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field. Moon was accompanied ...

Prosecutors raided the home and office of the head of Nonghyup Financial Group as part of an investigation into hiring irregularities at the Financial Supervisory Service. Kim Yong-hwan, chairman and CEO of Nonghyup Financial Group Inc., has been suspected of asking a senior FSS official to give favors to the son of an Export-Import Bank executive during the watchdog's regular recruitment of emp...

South Korea's next ambassador to Japan reaffirmed Wednesday a "two-track" approach to bilateral ties that separate historical disputes from future-oriented cooperation on North Korea and the economy. Amb. Lee Su-hoon also expressed hopes for a visit by Japanese Emperor Akihito to Seoul, which, he said, would contribute significantly to improving relations between the neighboring countries. The ...