South Korea's Army unveiled an ambitious plan Thursday to equip all of its squads nationwide with advanced armored vehicles and other transportation by 2030. The Mount Paektu Tiger project, worth 1.25 trillion won ($1.1 billion), aims to enable all ground troops to move by wheeled-armored carriers, such as the K200 armed vehicle and other small tactical vehicles, rather than on foot. All vehicl...

The South Korean government said Thursday it has detected three cases of bird flu in different parts of the nation and vowed to strengthen quarantine measures. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it has confirmed H5 avian influenza viruses in wild bird droppings collected from Gunsan of North Jeolla Province on Oct. 8 and Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province on Oct. 15. T...

South Korea's bourse operator said Thursday it has taken part in the world's largest futures and options expo and launched campaigns to promote its derivative products. The Korea Exchange joined the 34th annual FIA Futures and Options EXPO 2018 event, which kicked off on Tuesday (US time) for a three-day run in Chicago. As the world's largest event for the global listed derivatives and cleared ...

The head of Hyundai Group is pushing for a trip to a scenic North Korean mountain resort next month to mark the 20th anniversary of a long-stalled inter-Korean tour program, a company official said Thursday. Hyundai Asan, the inter-Korean business arm of Hyundai Group, plans to seek approval from the Unification Ministry handling inter-Korean affairs later this month to contact North Korean offi...

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's two biggest carmakers by sales, said Thursday they are reviewing a US request to testify in regards to engine fires in their cars next month. Hyundai and Kia's US operations received the request from the Senate Commerce Committee to appear at a hearing on Nov. 14 on reports of engine fires in their vehicles. Management is "currently reviewing...

The government plans to increase spending to create more jobs, boost innovation-led growth, narrow income inequality and expand the social safety net in the face of rising uncertainties, the country's economic policy chief said Thursday. In a policy report to the National Assembly, the ministry said it would implement a set of policies as planned in the future to improve job market conditions an...

The amount of money inherited by grandchildren, skipping a generation, has nearly doubled over the past five years despite higher taxes, records showed Thursday. Some 1.48 trillion won ($1.31 billion) worth of wealth was transferred to grandchildren from grandparents in 8,388 cases last year, according to the tally provided by the National Tax Service for a parliamentary audit. The sum marks a ...

South Korea's central bank on Thursday held its policy rate untouched for October on worsening economic data and low inflation pressure. The monetary policy board of the Bank of Korea voted to freeze the policy rate at 1.5 percent for the 11th straight month. The BOK has taken a wait-and-see stance since November last year, when it adjusted up the key rate for the first time in more than six ye...

South Korean President Moon Jae-in was set to meet with Pope Francis on Thursday to ask the pope on behalf of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit the communist state and help move its denuclearization process forward. The meeting will commence at noon, followed by Moon's talks with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, who presided over a special Mass for peace on the Korean Peninsula...

WASHINGTON -- The United States and North Korea are expected to meet soon to hammer out the details of a planned summit on the regime's denuclearization, Seoul's top envoy to Washington said Wednesday. The US appears confident that the working-level negotiations will take place in line with an agreement reached by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier this...

VATICAN -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a special mass for peace on the Korean Peninsula at the Vatican on Wednesday. The mass was presided over by its top diplomat, Pietro Parolin, in honor of Moon, a Catholic, whose peace drive has revived cooperation between the two Koreas and talks to denuclearize the North. The mass began with the Vatican's secretary of state welcoming Moon ...

Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday announced that it has started the production of foundry chips using the 7-nanometer Low Power Plus process that utilizes the extreme ultraviolet lithography technology for the first time in the industry. "The commercialization of its newest process node, 7LPP gives customers the ability to build a full range of exciting new products that will push the boundari...

US President Donald Trump said his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is unlikely to be held in the United States, although it may happen in the future. Trump reaffirmed in an interview with the AP Tuesday that the meeting will take place after the US midterm elections on Nov. 6. He said he wanted to first "help people get elected." "No, I don't think so," he replied, when aske...

WASHINGTON -- South Korea on Wednesday avoided being labeled a currency manipulator by the United States but remained on a list of countries to monitor. The US Department of the Treasury wrote in a semiannual report to Congress that it determined six major trading partners warranted attention to their currency practices. None met the criteria for a currency manipulator. The six countries are So...

바티칸 성베드로대성당서 한반도평화 위한 역사적 특별미사 국무원장 "큰 사명 갖고 계신다" 문대통령 "한반도 평화의 간절함 담았다" 우리 측 미사 제안과 대통령 연설 제안 모두 교황청이 수락해 이어진 보편지향 기도에서는 한반도의 평화를 향한 염원이 구체적으로 표출됐다. 대표 기도자가 "평화의 주님, 여러 가지 이유로 서로 맞서고 있는 이들에게 용서와 화해의 의지를 심어 주시어, 그들이 세상의 안녕과 정의 실현을 위하여 욕심을 버리고, 참된 평화의 길로 나아가도록 이끌어주소서"라고 말하자, 좌중은 "주님, 저희를 주님께 이끌어주소서"라고 화답했다. '분단으로 인해 아픔을 겪는 이들을 위한 기도'도 울림을 줬다. 기도자는 "세계 곳곳에서 역사적, 정치적, 경제적, 종교적 이유로 갈라진 민족들을 굽어보...