S. Korea, US Army chiefs to meet in Washington this week

South Korea's Army Chief of Staff Gen. Suh Wook will visit the United States this week for talks with his US counterpart to discuss ways to boost ties between their services, Suh's office said Sunday.During his seven-day official visit starting on Sunday, Suh is scheduled to meet with US Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James McConville to reaffirm the allies' staunch alliance and find ways to boost exchanges and cooperation between the militaries, according to the Army.The general is also planni

DefenseJan. 12, 2020

[News Focus] No. of Koreans aged over 80 up 1 million since 2009

SEJONG -- South Korea has been picked as one of the few aged societies in Asia, alongside Japan, Hong Kong and Macao, with the average lifespan continuously rising.According to Statistics Korea, life expectancy at birth – average projected lifespan -- reached 82.7 years as of 2018. Korea posted the same life expectancy a year earlier, ranking quite high among 36 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.Japan topped the list with 84.2 years, followed by Switzerla

Social AffairsJan. 12, 2020

S. Korea's exports to Iran dip nearly 90% in 2019

South Korea's exports to Iran dropped nearly 90 percent from a year earlier in the first 11 months of last year, the fastest rate among the top 20 export countries, data showed Sunday.In the January-November period, Seoul's shipments to the Middle East country came to $259 million, down 88.6 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to the data from the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.The amount still marked the 14th largest, but the rate the drop was by far the hi

EconomyJan. 12, 2020

Iran says 'unintentionally' shot down Ukraine passenger jet

TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran said Saturday it "unintentionally" shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people aboard, in an abrupt about-turn after initially denying Western claims it was struck by a missile.President Hassan Rouhani said a military probe into the tragedy had found "missiles fired due to human error" brought down the Boeing 737, calling it an "unforgivable mistake".At a student protest to pay tribute to the crash victims on Saturday, Iranian au

World NewsJan. 12, 2020

Taiwan's Tsai wins landslide in stinging result for China

TAIPEI (AFP) -- Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide victory on Saturday as voters delivered a stunning rebuke of Beijing's campaign to isolate the self-ruled island and handed its first female leader a second term.Tsai, 63, was greeted by thousands of jubilant flag-waving supporters outside her party headquarters, hailing a result which looks set to infuriate China."Today we have defended our democracy and freedom, tomorrow let us stand united to overcome all challenges and diff

World NewsJan. 12, 2020

Cheong Wa Dae silent on N. Korea's ridicule of S. Korea's 'mediator' role

The office of President Moon Jae-in issued no immediate formal response Saturday to North Korea's statement mocking his efforts to facilitate nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington.Kim Kye-gwan, formerly the North's top nuclear negotiator, took issue with Cheong Wa Dae's announcement Friday that it conveyed US President Donald Trump's congratulatory birthday message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Returning from a trip to Washington DC, Chung Eui-yong, director of Cheong Wa Dae's nati

PoliticsJan. 12, 2020

[Newsmaker] Rallies held against government, prosecution

Two different groups of citizens took to the streets of Seoul on Saturday, one criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration and the other calling for the resignation of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, in a sign of the continued social conflict over reforming the state prosecution.Members of conservative groups, many holding the national flags of South Korea or the United States, began a rally on a large square in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, at around 2:30 p.m., demanding Moon's resignation.They

PoliticsJan. 12, 2020

S. Korea beats Chinese Taipei, 1 win away from Olympic women's volleyball tournament

Without its best player, South Korea rallied to defeat Chinese Taipei at the Asian Olympic women's volleyball qualifying tournament on Saturday, moving within one win of clinching a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.South Korea reached the final of the Asian Olympic qualifying tournament with a 3-1 (18-25, 25-9, 25-15, 25-14) win over Chinese Taipei at Korat Chatchai Hall in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.Having lost its captain and top attacker, Kim Yeon-koung, to an abdominal injury, world No.

More SportsJan. 12, 2020

Nuke talks only possible when US fully accepts NK demands: Pyongyang official

Former North Korean chief nuclear envoy Kim Kye-gwan said Saturday that dialogue with the United States can resume only when it fully accepts Pyongyang's demands.Kim, currently foreign ministry adviser, also stressed the North would never engage in a negotiation to exchange its core nuclear facility for partial sanctions relief as it did in the no-deal Hanoi summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in February last year.The remarks, carried by the North's Kore

North KoreaJan. 11, 2020

S. Korea's 'pneumonia-like' illness case unrelated to China outbreaks: KCDC

South Korea's public safety and health agency on Saturday said that it has confirmed that the single "pneumonia-like" illness case reported earlier in the week is not related to the outbreaks in China. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it carried out a so-called pan-coronavirus test on the patient under quarantine and confirmed the illness was not caused by a new strain of the coronavirus that has made people sick in Wuhan, Hubei Province. The 36-year-old Chines

Social AffairsJan. 11, 2020

US unit seen stepping up preparations for rotational deployment to Korea

A US Army unit appears to be quickening preparations for its upcoming rotational deployment to South Korea, with its recent social media post saying its heavy equipment is "on its way to the port."The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division in Fort Riley, Kansas, is expected to arrive in Korea in the coming months for a nine-month rotational mission. It will replace the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. "Rail head operations are just

DefenseJan. 11, 2020

[Newsmaker] Iran says it 'unintentionally' shot down Ukrainian jetliner

Iran announced Saturday that its military  'unintentionally' shot down a Ukrainian jetliner, killing all 176 aboard. The statement came Saturday morning  and blamed ``human error'' for the shootdown.The jetliner, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines, went down on the outskirts of Tehran during takeoff just hours after Iran launched a barrage of missiles at US forces. Iran had denied for several days that a missile downed the aircraft. But then the US and Canada, ci

InternationalJan. 11, 2020

Seoul to launch electronic travel authorization for foreign visitors

South Korea plans to launch an electronic travel authorization (ETA) system for foreign visitors next year, following the parliament's approval of a relevant law early this week, the Ministry of Justice said Saturday.The National Assembly's plenary session on Thursday passed a revision of the Immigration Law on the introduction of the ETA system to help facilitate the entry of foreign tourists and prevent illegal stays by foreigners, the ministry said. Under the legal revision, citizens from vis

Foreign AffairsJan. 11, 2020

Korea to open 30 new Korean-language institutes overseas this year

South Korea will open 30 new state-supported Korean-language institutes across the globe this year to meet growing demand for Korean-language education, driven by the global sensation of K-pop and other Korean cultural content, an official has said. "Boosted by the popularity of K-pop idol group BTS, a boom of learning Korean is growing globally. So (the King Sejong Institute Foundation) plans to establish 30 more King Sejong Institutes this year," Kang Hyoun-hwa, the foundation's chie

Social AffairsJan. 11, 2020

UN sanctions panel approves humanitarian aid activities for two agencies

The UN Security Council committee on sanctions against North Korea has approved the applications by two aid agencies for humanitarian activities in the communist state, its website showed Saturday, the first such approval this year.On Tuesday, the committee gave the green light to the Doctors Without Borders and Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit that have applied to bring items into the North that are required for emergency medical support and repairs to a drinking water supply system, respectively. U

North KoreaJan. 11, 2020

Ministry lodges protest over Iranian envoy's reported mention of possible end of Seoul-Tehran ties

The foreign ministry has called in Iran's top envoy in South Korea to lodge a protest over his reported remarks hinting at the possibility that Tehran could sever ties with Seoul should it send troops to the tense Strait of Hormuz, an official said Saturday.On Friday, the ministry brought in Iranian Ambassador to South Korea Saeed Badamchi Shabestari and checked if he made the remarks as reported in the local daily Joong-Ang Ilbo on the day, according to the official.The ambassador reportedly to

Foreign AffairsJan. 11, 2020

Seoul city to turn old highway into 7.6 km-long park

In another attempt to emulate New York's landmark High Line, the Seoul city government unveiled a plan to build a gigantic linear park on the site of the country's oldest highway, which will be turned into an underground roadway.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it plans to spend 57.3 billion won ($49.3 million) for the oblong-shaped park stretching 7.6 kilometers and measuring 40 to 55 meters in width. The narrow shape of the park will be due to the former highway structure. The envisioned

Social AffairsJan. 11, 2020

Seoul shares to trade higher on eased Mideast tension

South Korean stocks are expected to trade higher next week on eased concerns over a conflict between the United States and Iran, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 2,206.39 points on Friday, up 1.37 percent from a week earlier.Earlier this week, Seoul shares lost ground sharply after Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike, which led to a hike in global oil prices. Although South Korean shares rebounded

MarketJan. 11, 2020

Catholics in Korea increased nearly 50% over past 20 years: report

The number of Catholics in South Korea has steadily increased over the past two decades, though its growth significantly slowed in recent years, a report showed Saturday.The report issued by the Catholic Pastoral Institute of Korea said the number of Catholic Christians here increased 48.6 percent from 3,946,844 in 1999 to 5,866,510 in 2018. By diocese, Suwon, just south of Seoul, logged the highest increase rate of 89.1 percent in the 20-year period, followed by Daejeon in central South Korea w

Social AffairsJan. 11, 2020

Son Heung-min's wonder strike voted top goal for Dec. in Premier League

Son Heung-min's mesmerizing solo strike for Tottenham Hotspur against Burnley has been voted the best goal for December in the Premier League.The English league announced Friday (local time) that Son earned his second career Goal of the Month award for his dazzling effort. His goal was chosen by a panel of experts, combined with a public vote.On Dec. 7 against Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Son secured the ball at the edge of his own penalty box to begin his dash. Son zipped pas

SoccerJan. 11, 2020