Police vow to crack cold case of serial rape-murder from 1980s, after DNA identifies suspect

Police have vowed to crack a cold case of serial rape and murder from more than 30 years ago, with a prime suspect identified via DNA testing. Police said the suspect, already in jail on another conviction, denied charges in the first round of questioning.Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said in a press briefing Thursday morning that DNA from the suspect and from at least three of the serial rape-murders were found to match in a forensics analysis.According to police, a man surnamed Lee,

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2019

Seoul lifts movement ban on pig farms, revs up quarantine to tackle swine fever

South Korea's agriculture ministry said Thursday it has lifted the 48-hour movement ban on local pig farms as the country accelerates efforts to prevent the spread of African swine fever here.The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs imposed a nationwide standstill on all pig farms, slaughterhouses and feed factories across the country on Tuesday morning after the country confirmed the first case of ASF in Paju near the heavily fortified border with North Korea.A new ASF case was repor

Social AffairsSept. 19, 2019

Biggest names in women's golf to meet in S. Korea for exhibition match

A who's who in women's golf will descend on an east coast town in South Korea for a weekend of an exhibition match, giving fans in the golf-crazed nation a rare opportunity to see stars from the past and present.Seolhaeone Resort in Yangyang, about 215 kilometers east of Seoul in Gangwon Province, will host the Seolhaeone Legends Match on Saturday and Sunday, featuring four World Golf Hall of Famers and four active players on their own path to the sport's shrine.Headlining the star-studded roste

GolfSept. 19, 2019

Japan court to rule in only Fukushima criminal case

TOKYO (AFP) -- More than eight years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, a Japanese court will rule Thursday on the only criminal prosecution stemming from the worst nuclear accident in decades.Three former executives from Tokyo Electric Power Company, the firm that operated the Fukushima plant, face up to five years in prison if convicted of professional negligence resulting in death and injury.They are the only people to face criminal prosecution in the wake of the disaster, triggered w

World NewsSept. 19, 2019

BOK chief says US rate cut gives room for additional policy

The head of South Korea's central bank said Thursday the latest US rate cut may have created further room for his country to more actively support the local economy as it grapples with falling exports and sagging investment.On Wednesday (local time), the US Fed slashed its policy rate by 25 basis points to a range of between 1.75 percent and 2.0 percent in its second rate cut in two months -- and the second since 2008. "Of course the US Fed reducing its rate somewhat removes the burden for

EconomySept. 19, 2019

US Fed cuts key interest rate a quarter point, citing 'uncertainties'

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The US central bank cut its benchmark interest rate for the second time this year on Wednesday, and Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell vowed to do whatever is needed to keep the economy growing.But the Fed's policy committee is divided, with three of 10 voting members dissenting from the decision, one because he wanted even more stimulus.Powell said policymakers do not expect a recession, but trade uncertainty is creating "cross winds" that are weighing on the econ

World NewsSept. 19, 2019

US is actively engaged to help resolve S. Korea-Japan row: official

The United States is actively engaged in efforts to resolve the current trade and historical row between South Korea and Japan, and will continue to encourage both sides to find "positive solutions," a top US official said Wednesday.David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, made the remark at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, saying that he has spent a "considerable" amount of time on the issue in his two and a half months in

Foreign AffairsSept. 19, 2019

US official says he assumes N. Korea continues to make nukes

The top American diplomat for East Asia said Wednesday he assumes North Korea continues to make nuclear weapons but declined to offer details.The remark by David Stilwell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, comes as Washington and Pyongyang are expected to resume denuclearization negotiations soon, although no meetings have been scheduled. Talks have been stalled since February's summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended with

North KoreaSept. 19, 2019

Trump names hostages envoy O'Brien as new natl. security adviser

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday named the current envoy for hostage negotiations, Robert O'Brien, as his new national security adviser.Trump made the announcement on Twitter, days after he fired John Bolton over disagreements on policies including how to denuclearize North Korea."I am pleased to announce that I will name Robert C. O'Brien, currently serving as the very successful Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department, as our new National Security Advi

World NewsSept. 19, 2019

Police find suspect in 30-year-old Hwaseong serial murder case

After decades of futile searching, investigators have made belated progress in the “Hwaseong murders” -- a series of rapes and murders that shocked South Korea in the 1980s.Officials of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said Wednesday that they had narrowed down the prime suspect to a man in his 50s who is currently serving a prison sentence for another rape and murder.“In July this year, we sent part of the evidence to the National Forensic Service, which result show

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2019

Experts raise possibility of interim US-N. Korea denuke agreement

The United States and North Korea could take compromise approaches to get tangible results in the next round of denuclearization negotiations, experts said during an international conference hosted by Korea Institute for National Unification, a state-funded think tank, Wednesday.Robert Einhorn, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, suggested a near-term arrangement between Washington and Pyongyang to move their stalled talks forward by addressing the North’s nuclear and missile capab

Foreign AffairsSept. 18, 2019

USFK says it is committed to returning bases to South Korea

United States Forces Korea said Wednesday that it is committed to the plan to return its bases to South Korea, following Seoul’s announcement seeking the prompt return of 26 US bases.In a statement, USFK said some of its military installations had already been cleared out for return.  “Fifteen of the 26 US military installations, including four sites specifically requested for transfer at the earliest possible date … have been vacated, closed and available for transfer to

DefenseSept. 18, 2019

[Graphic News] Aramco is the biggest oil firm in the world

　Drones attacked the world’s largest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia and a major oilfield operated by Saudi Aramco last weekend. 　　Aramco is the biggest energy company in the world. It produces and exports more than 9.5 million barrels of Saudi Arabia’s oil per day to consumers around the world, primarily in Asia. 

World BusinessSept. 18, 2019

Dreamcatcher’s video game fantasy gets real with ‘Raid of Dream’

The seven-piece group, famous for its distinctive metal and dance fusion sound, has returned to the music scene with a little twist this time.The special EP “Raid of Dreams,” which comes nearly seven months after their fourth mini album “The End of Nightmare,” features a total of five tracks including an intro track all produced by Ollounder and LEEZ who the group has worked with since their debut.To the delight of both music fan gamers, the record itself is a collaborati

K-popSept. 18, 2019

2nd outbreak of African swine fever reported

SEJONG -- South Korea’s quarantine authorities are striving to prevent African swine fever, which was detected in the nation’s northwestern region near the inter-Korean border this week, from spreading to other parts of the country.After the first outbreak in Paju, a city in northern Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, the second case was confirmed Wednesday at a hog farm in the nearby county of Yeoncheon, located east of Paju. Both areas are near the border with North Korea.Nearly 9,000 pig

Social AffairsSept. 18, 2019

Samsung heir discusses investment with Saudi prince in Jeddah

Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman and heir apparent of Samsung Electronics, met with Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the crown price of Saudi Arabia, to discuss investment opportunities, according to the company on Wednesday. During the meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday, Lee and the Saudi prince touched on various topics including technology, industry, construction, energy and smart cities, reported the Saudi Press Agency. “They discussed investment opportunities in the Kingdom and cooperation bet

TechnologySept. 18, 2019

Samsung aims to offset decline in China with 5G phones

Samsung Electronics is aiming to recover its declining market share in China with a diverse lineup of 5G-enbaled localized devices, including the latest hit Galaxy Fold, according to industry sources Wednesday. Starting with the Galaxy Note 10 series that was launched last week, Samsung hopes to restore its declining status. “The Galaxy Note 10+ 5G is just the start for China’s 5G market,” a Samsung official said during the launch event. “We hope our new products will hel

TechnologySept. 18, 2019

[Timothy L. O’Brien] Trump is cornered by the Saudi drone attacks

A small squadron of drones -- and possibly cruise missiles -- penetrated Saudi Arabia’s air defenses on Saturday, laying waste to a significant, valuable portion of two of the world’s most essential oil processing facilities. Amid worries about the impact of the strikes on global oil markets and fears about broader military confrontations upending a region perennially vexed by crossed swords, ancient religious rifts, geopolitical maneuvering and greed, facts and conjecture began jock

ViewpointsSept. 18, 2019

[Noah Smith] Too much rent control is asking for trouble

For years, thriving cities in coastal regions of the US have become increasingly expensive to live in. As cities such as San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles and Seattle became more attractive, thanks to booming knowledge industries and falling crime, rents soared.And for almost as long, people have been hotly debating what to do about the problem. Many have called for an increase in housing construction, especially by loosening zoning laws and reducing the ability of legal challenges to ha

ViewpointsSept. 18, 2019