Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has opened a five-day visit to South Korea set to include a bilateral summit aimed at easing long-strained relations between the two Asian neighbors. Mr. Noda arrived Tuesday in Seoul, where he was set to return Korean royal documents looted during Japan’s occupation of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to […]
New Japanese PM in South Korea for Key Summit
Posted October 18th, 2011 at 10:25 am (UTC-5)
Leave a comment
S. Korea: No Permanent U.S. Presence at New Naval Base
Posted October 5th, 2011 at 12:30 pm (UTC-5)
A top South Korean naval commander says a proposed naval base on an island popular with East Asian tourists will not become a permanent base for U.S. warships. Rear Admiral Koo Ok-hyoe, speaking Wednesday in Seoul, said the U.S. Navy and other friendly foreign militaries will be welcome as visitors to the port on Jeju […]
S. Korea Appoints New 6-Party Nuclear Negotiator
Posted October 5th, 2011 at 8:05 am (UTC-5)
South Korea has replaced its top envoy to six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, as diplomatic efforts continue to revive the long stalled negotiations. The Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that former deputy nuclear negotiator Lim Sung-nam will replace Wi Sung-lac, who has been appointed Seoul’s ambassador to Russia. The talks, involving the two Koreas, […]
South Korea Closes Door to Vietnamese Guest Workers
Posted September 29th, 2011 at 3:21 am (UTC-5)
South Korea has suspended the admission of guest laborers from Vietnam because too many of them have disappeared after their visas expired. Officials said Wednesday that Seoul has stopped allowing Vietnamese to take a Korean language test which is required before temporary workers can be admitted. More than 4,000 Vietnamese workers entered South Korea in […]
South Korean Banker Jumps to Death Amid Probe
Posted September 23rd, 2011 at 3:46 am (UTC-5)
Police say the head of a major South Korean savings bank jumped to his death Friday in an apparent suicide, amid an investigation into investment and lending irregularities. Authorities say Chung Gu-haeng jumped from the sixth floor of Seoul’s Jeil 2 Savings Bank, following a raid by prosecutors investigating irregularities at seven savings banks. Financial […]
South Korea Slams Diplomats Over Unpaid Traffic Fines
Posted September 21st, 2011 at 3:13 am (UTC-5)
Police and lawmakers in South Korea are expressing frustration with diplomats who refuse to pay fines for traffic and parking violations. Officials say that over the past five years, 60 percent of the fines imposed on foreign diplomatic vehicles have not been paid. The unpaid fines total more than $27,000. Governing party lawmaker You Jung-hyun […]
Unseasonable Heat Sparks Widespread Blackouts in South Korea
Posted September 15th, 2011 at 7:11 am (UTC-5)
Millions of South Koreans were left without power Thursday after unseasonable temperatures pushed up demand while many of the country’s power plants were shut down for maintenance. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said officials were surprised by the hot weather, which caused increased use of cooling systems. Temperatures in many parts of South Korea rose […]
US Drones to be Deployed Soon Near Korean DMZ
Posted September 15th, 2011 at 12:50 am (UTC-5)
A U.S. military newspaper says the United States expects to soon deploy sophisticated Global Hawk drone surveillance aircraft near South Korea’s tense border with North Korea. The Stars and Stripes newspaper quotes senior intelligence officers saying an agreement with South Korea is “very close.” Reuters news agency reported earlier this month that members of the […]
DuPont Wins $919 Million Lawsuit Against S. Korean Firm
Posted September 14th, 2011 at 8:30 pm (UTC-5)
A U.S. court has awarded the American chemical company DuPont $919.9 million in damages after a jury found that a South Korean company stole trade secrets. DuPont accused Kolon Industries of striving to obtain confidential details on the manufacturing of Kevlar — a DuPont fiber used in bulletproof vests. DuPont calls the verdict an enormous […]
Former FIFA President Savages Current Top Official in Memoir
Posted September 12th, 2011 at 3:30 am (UTC-5)
A former top world football executive is describing the current head of the sport’s governing body as a spoiled child who behaves like a dictator. Former FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon makes the charges in a memoir published in his native South Korea last week. Chung lashes out at Sepp Blatter, accusing the FIFA president […]
