Most Popular
-
1
Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
-
2
Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
-
3
Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
-
4
Seoul to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
-
5
Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
-
6
Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
-
7
Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
-
8
Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
-
9
‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
-
10
Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
-
U.S. hopes to seal nuke accord with Seoul early next year: envoy
United States hopes that the ongoing negotiations over revising its nuclear cooperation accord with South Korea can be completed early next year, the U.S.ambassador to Seoul said Sunday. Seoul and Washington have entered the final stretch of renewing the 1974 accord over Seoul's civilian nuclear energy use, but the two sides are widely expected to miss the year-end target of concluding the talks due to several issues, such as whether to allow Seoul to reprocess spent nuke fuel. Mark Lippert,
Dec. 28, 2014
-
Danish Embassy comforts orphans with Lego donations
Children’s tear-stained faces lit up with smiles at the sight of Lego blocks spread across the orphanage floor. Thanks to donations by Lego Korea in collaboration with the Danish Embassy, the children of Haesim Orphanage in Seoul will enjoy a Christmas chock-full of creative joy and wonder. The Christmas charity event on Dec. 12 was the second partnership between the embassy and Lego Korea. The donation was comprised of different Lego sets for children from babies to high-school students. Danish
Dec. 21, 2014
-
Juan Valdez Cafe introduces Colombian coffee to Korea
In the Hollywood film “Bruce Almighty” (2003), protagonist Bruce Nolan, played by Jim Carrey, is given a cup of coffee after an all-nighter by character Juan Valdez, wearing his trademark sombrero and poncho and holding a carriel bag. After taking a sip, Nolan sighs with relief and exclaims, “Now that’s fresh mountain-grown coffee from the hills of Colombia!” Korean connoisseurs thirsty for top-notch coffee might utter similar words of joy after visiting Juan Valdez Cafe, which opened its second
Dec. 21, 2014
-
Bulgaria marks 10th anniversary of NATO membership
As an eastern Balkan state, Bulgaria has tactfully aligned itself with hegemonic powers, including the Ottoman, German and Soviet empires, throughout its tumultuous history. Bulgaria’s London Embassy wrote, “Bulgaria has proved to be a constructive force in the region under socialist and democratic governments alike,” thanks to its strategic relations with neighboring countries.Following the fall of the Eastern Bloc in November 1989, Bulgaria became part of greater Europe by adopting parliamenta
Dec. 21, 2014
-
Equestrian spectacle steals Seoulites’ breath
A horde of muscular horses gallop at full throttle, splash water as they abruptly turn about and perform perfectly synchronized moves. Witnessing this display of equestrian art resembling a scene right out of a medieval horse-riding saga, normally introverted Korean audience members, from babies to grandmothers, let out whoops of fascination. The equestrian theatrical spectacular “Cavalia,” which kicked off on Nov. 12 at Jamsil Seoul Sports Complex’s Big Top Theater, will be performed until Dec
Dec. 21, 2014
-
Int'l commission on constitutional law seeks details on South
An international commission has asked South Korea's Constitutional Court to provide a translation of its recent ruling to disband a political party accused of exercising pro-North Korean principles, officials said Sunday.The Venice Commission, made up of independent specialists, advises countries on constitutional matters. According to the officials, the commission has asked to see the full ruling statement as soon as possible. South Korea is a member of the 47-state organization.South Korea's C
Dec. 21, 2014
-
U.N. chief thanks S. Korea for joining fight against Ebola
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon thanked South Korean aid officials for joining the global fight against the Ebola virus, saying the contribution is "very meaningful," Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday.On Saturday, Ban met with a team of three officials from South Korea's foreign and health ministries at a hotel in Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone.The officials arrived in the West African country last week to help a 10-member medical team that South Korea dispatched to the Ebola-h
Dec. 21, 2014
-
Seoul urges N.K. to follow Cuba’s path
South Korea called on North Korea Friday to follow Cuba’s footsteps in improving ties with the U.S. and other nations.The U.S. and Cuba announced their decision earlier this week to end five decades of Cold War hostility and revive diplomatic ties.It has effectively made North Korea the only diplomatically isolated nation on the planet. “With this latest decision, (we) expect acceleration of Cuba’s fence-mending with the international community and hope that North Korea would actively join the t
Dec. 19, 2014
-
N.K. replaces deputy chief of mission to U.N. after human rights resolution
NEW YORK (Yonhap) ― North Korea has recently replaced the deputy chief of its mission to the United Nations in New York, diplomatic sources said Wednesday, a personnel change that followed the recent U.N. passage of a unusually strong human rights resolution against the communist country.“Around two weeks ago, North Korean deputy ambassador to the U.N., Ri Tong-il, was replaced and he returned to the North,” one of the sources, well-versed in U.N. matters, told Yonhap News Agency. “As far as I k
Dec. 18, 2014
-
Yoon embarks on seven-day trip to Middle East
South Korea’s foreign minister left for Jordan on Thursday in a seven-day visit to the Middle East to discuss ways of cooperating and security issues in the region, officials said.The trip will also take Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia, foreign ministry officials said.The move is part of Seoul’s efforts to expand its scope of diplomatic activities to the Middle East where tension between Israel and Palestine has recently intensified and the extremist Islamic S
Dec. 18, 2014
-
U.S. lawmaker urges Japan to apologize over wartime sex slavery
A U.S. lawmaker on Thursday called on Japan to apologize over its wartime sexual enslavement of South Korean women in the near future in the latest diplomatic pressure put on Tokyo to face up to history.Rep. Michael Honda (D-California) said it is “nonsense” to raise questions about the coercive nature of the sex slavery, adding that the issue has gained urgency as the number of surviving victims is on the decline. Only 54 victims remain alive in South Korea, with their average age standing at 8
Dec. 18, 2014
-
S. Korea asks China to clamp down on illegal fishing
South Korea called on China on Thursday to take "strong and effective" measures to clamp down on Chinese fishermen's suspected illegal fishing in the waters off South Korea's west coast, Seoul's foreign ministry said. South Korea made the request during a meeting with China in Shanghai. The two also exchanged views on how to cooperate better in the fishery field, the foreign ministry said. One of the major topics of the talks was Seoul's consistent concerns about Chinese fishermen's illegal fi
Dec. 18, 2014
-
Seoul hails US-Cuba agreement to restore diplomatic ties
South Korea expressed hopes Thursday that an agreement between the United States and Cuba to restore their diplomatic ties could help create an atmosphere that leads to an improvement in Seoul-Havana relations. In a surprise move, the U.S. and Cuba announced the agreement Wednesday to restore their diplomatic relations that were severed in 1961. The two countries have harbored ideological animosity toward one another since Fidel Castro seized power through the 1959 revolution and chose to walk
Dec. 18, 2014
-
Seoul FM embarks on seven-day trip to Middle East
South Korea's foreign minister left for Jordan on Thursday in a seven-day visit to the Middle East to discuss ways of cooperating and security issues in the region, officials said. The trip will also take Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se to Israel, Palestine and Saudi Arabia, foreign ministry officials said. The move is part of Seoul's efforts to expand its scope of diplomatic activities to the Middle East where tension between Israel and Palestine has recently intensified and the extremist Isl
Dec. 18, 2014
-
Mayor calls for affirmative action for migrants
With a soaring number of migrants in society, Korea should push for affirmative action measures to help curb discrimination, promote coexistence with those from various backgrounds and bring about inclusive growth, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said. The city government has been working with the International Organization for Migration for the first International Migrants Day campaign in Seoul to kick off Thursday, aimed at promoting awareness about migrants by highlighting their contributions to Ko
Dec. 17, 2014
-
It’s time to recognize migrants’ contributions
2014 was the deadliest year for migrants. The International Organization for Migration reported that the number of migrants dying on migratory routes, whether at sea or on land, has more than doubled from last year to close to 5,000. In October 2013, 366 migrants died when their boat caught fire and sank off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy. Less than a year later, 500 migrants were feared dead after their ship was rammed by another boat near Malta, only days after a different vessel carrying 200 p
Dec. 17, 2014
-
33 new diplomats begin service
Full of vigor and yearning for a completely different culture, Sohn Sung-won packed his bags and flew to Egypt to learn Arabic when he was in college. The 1 1/2 years he spent there gave him not only good Arabic skills but also life goals, dreams and visions: he decided to become a diplomat and help bridge Korea and other countries. On Wednesday, the 28-year-old began his career as a second secretary at the Foreign Ministry’s first Middle East division ― with a specialization in Arabic.“My trip
Dec. 17, 2014
-
Seoul FM meets with U.S. congressman critical of Japan’s sex slavery stance
South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met Wednesday with a U.S. congressman who spearheaded an effort for the passage of a landmark 2007 resolution on Japan’s wartime sex slavery in the U.S. House of Representatives, officials said.Rep. Michael Makoto Honda, a California Democrat whose district includes the Silicon Valley, arrived in Seoul earlier in the day for a five-day stay to meet government officials to discuss an alliance between Seoul and Washington and situations in Northeast Asia.
Dec. 17, 2014
-
Korea sends backup staff to fight Ebola in Sierra Leone
A team of three South Korean officials departed for Sierra Leone Tuesday as part of the country’s efforts to help fight the Ebola virus in the West African country.The officials from the country’s foreign and health ministries will join the 10-person medical team South Korea dispatched last week to fight the contagious disease in Sierra Leone, the foreign ministry said.The medical team is now undergoing training at an Ebola response center near London, Britain, for their mission in the West Afri
Dec. 16, 2014
-
China says no invite for anniversary of NK leader's death
China on Tuesday confirmed it has not received an invitation to attend a ceremony to mark the third anniversary of the death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, but said it would "respect" Pyongyang's decision. Kim, the father of North Korea's current young leader Kim Jong-un, died of heart failure on Dec. 17, 2011. Under Confucianism tradition, Wednesday's anniversary is considered significant for the young leader because it means the end of the three-year period of official mourning
Dec. 16, 2014