South Korea is considering sending anti-malaria supplies to North Korea, an aid group here said Wednesday, indicating Seoul’s softening stance toward its northern rival. The Seoul government is positively considering the group’s request to approve sending two items of ultrasonic diagnostic equipment to the North, the Korean Sharing Movement said. Charity groups here need government approval to ...

The ruling Grand National Party set to work on legal measures to guarantee comensation for the victims of the savings bank scandal. GNP members of the special committee met with Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Seok-dong and Financial Supervisory Service Governor Kwon Hyouk-se on Wednesday to discuss the revision of related laws and the legislation of a special law, officials said. “T...

Ieodo is not a disputed territory and both South Korea and China are aware that this submerged rock in the East China Sea cannot be claimed by either side, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. The ministry unofficially announced its position as news reports unveiled China had recently renewed its territorial claim over Ieodo by demanding South Korea halt its work to hoist a sunken commercial...

President Lee Myung-bak said Wednesday that Korea could not guarantee the safety of Japanese lawmakers if they visit Ulleung-do, the closest they can get to Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo, over which Japan claims sovereignty. Lee made the remarks in a Cabinet meeting after he was briefed by the Foreign Ministry about the controversial plan of four Japanese lawmakers, according to presidenti...

Seoul National University will position women security guards on campus for the first time in its history in an effort to strengthen campus security for female students and faculty. With the rising number of female students and faculty, the school decided to employ two female security guards, the university said Thursday. “There is an increasing number of female students returning home at night...

On abortion ... If someone tried to kill you while sleeping, what would you do? Maybe you would shout out “Robber! Help me!” for a neighbor to hear. Or you might call the police. The baby in a mother’s womb is alive like us. Even if he can’t shout and talk, can we, even their parents, take away their life? We don’t have a right to do this. That is why the relationship is not top to bottom but ...

LG Electronics posted a second consecutive quarter of operating profit meeting market expectations and fueling anticipation for a much-awaited turnaround, the Seoul-based company said Wednesday. The electronics maker’s quarterly operating profit reached 158.2 billion won ($145.8 million), up 20.9 percent from the previous quarter, while sales stood at 14.4 trillion won ($13.3 billion) to rise 9....

The free trade accord between South Korea and Peru will take effect on Aug. 1, paving the way for the two countries’ trade and investment to increase sharply, the trade Ministry in Seoul said Wednesday. “The free trade deal with Peru will contribute to bolstering trade and investment and promoting cooperation in resources development. We expect that the trade pact will help South Korea expand in...

South Korea’s state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) said Wednesday its first-half earnings more than doubled from a year earlier on commission income from its investment banking business. Net income came to 1.02 trillion won ($972.7 million) in the January-June period, up 148.6 percent from the previous year, said the bank, an affiliate of KDB Financial Group Inc. Its operating profit jumped 10...

GS Engineering & Construction Corp., South Korea’s third-largest builder, said Wednesday that it has won a 402 billion won ($383 million) contract to build subway sections in downtown Singapore. Under the deal with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, GS Engineering will complete the project by the end of 2016, after starting work next month. GS Engineering said that it expects to post 74.5 bi...