Kim, Xi agree to expand ties whatever external situation: NK media

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and China’s President Xi Jinping reached a consensus on “important issues,” and agreed to build on their countries’ friendly relations “whatever the international situation,” North Korean state media reported.Xi left the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Friday after a two-day visit, the first by a Chinese leader in 14 years. State-run news agency KCNA issued a report on Saturday of the results of the visit. China is North Korea

North KoreaJune 23, 2019

Body of presumed Korean victim in Danube boat sinking found

BUDAPEST -- A body presumed to be a South Korean victim from last month's sinking of a tour boat in the Danube River was found some 30 kilometers away from the accident site, officials said Sunday.The body was found by a Hungarian fisherman about 30 km downstream from the accident scene in the Danube River at around 10:08 p.m. on Saturday, according to a South Korean government response team based in Budapest.The South Korean team, in cooperation with the Hungarian authorities, will identify whe

Social AffairsJune 23, 2019

Moon's new chief policy secretary says he will focus on job creation, income growth

The new chief policy secretary of President Moon Jae-in has said he will spare no efforts to create more jobs and improve incomes, as South Korea's economy has shown signs of slowing growth on faltering exports and investment. Kim Sang-jo, former chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission who was known for actively campaigning against the wrongdoings of family-run business conglomerates, or chaebol, before taking the public job, was named to the post on Friday."Policy efforts will be focus

PoliticsJune 23, 2019

S. Korea tipped to cut 2019 growth target next month

South Korea's finance ministry is expected to slightly cut its growth estimate for the year in the face of a delayed recovery in chip prices and the escalating trade dispute between the United States and China, sources said Sunday.The South Korean government has been adhering to the stance that Asia's fourth-largest economy will gather pace during the second half of the year on the back of an improvement in prices of chips, a major export item for the country, and expanded fiscal spending.But a

EconomyJune 23, 2019

S. Korea's Coast Guard, Navy drive out N. Korean boat sailing south in East Sea

INCHEON -- South Korea's Coast Guard and Navy jointly drove away a North Korean fishing boat entering the South's waters on Saturday, amid criticism about loopholes in maritime surveillance capabilities.The 5-ton North Korean vessel was detected by a Navy surveillance plane at around 9 a.m. in waters 114 kilometers northeast of the easternmost islets of Dokdo, according to the Coast Guard.The Coast Guard dispatched the 1,500-ton patrol vessel to the site at 10:40 a.m. and identified the North Ko

North KoreaJune 23, 2019

NK leader receives personal letter from Trump: KCNA

Received a personal letter with "excellent" and "interesting."Content from US President Donald Trump, Pyongyang's state media said Sunday.  "After reading the letter, the Supreme Leader of the Party, the state and the armed forces said with satisfaction that the letter is of excellent content," the Korean Central News Agency said, referring to its leader.  "Appreciating the political judging faculty and extraordinary courage of President Trump, K

North KoreaJune 23, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae reiterates no cover-up of NK boat incident

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae reiterated Saturday that there was no government attempt to cover up the fact that a North Korean ship recently crossed the maritime boundary into the South undeterred.Presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung made the remarks in a Facebook post as opposition politicians stepped up their accusations that the military failed in its coastal and maritime defense operations amid the government's push for inter-Korean reconciliation. The fishing boat carryin

North KoreaJune 22, 2019

Son of former Hanbo Group chief extradited after 21 years as fugitive

A son of Chung Tae-soo, former head of the now-defunct Hanbo Group, was extradited to South Korea on Saturday, following his discovery in Panama 21 years after he fled a corruption probe, prosecutors said. Chung Han-keun, 54, was recently captured in Panama. In 1998, he fled the probe into allegations that he embezzled 32.2 billion won ($27.6 million) from a subsidiary of Hanbo Group and stashed it in a secret Switzerland-based bank account. Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, Chung r

IndustryJune 22, 2019

Kim, Xi reach consensus on 'important issues' through series of summits: KCNA

Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have said that they reached a consensus on "important issues" through their five summits since last year, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday.They made the remarks during a luncheon hosted by Kim on Friday, the last day of Xi's two-day state visit to Pyongyang during which the leaders highlighted their traditional alliance amid tensions with the United States over China's trade practices and the North's denucleariza

North KoreaJune 22, 2019

Agency concerned about NK deficiencies in tackling money laundering, terrorism financing

A global agency dedicated to safeguarding the international financial system has expressed concerns over North Korea's failure to resolve "significant deficiencies" in its efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.The Financial Action Task Force issued a public statement at the close of its three-day plenary meeting in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, in which it called on the North to "immediately and meaningfully" address the deficiencies. "The FATF

North KoreaJune 22, 2019

Kim, Xi reach consensus on 'important issues' through series of summits: KCNA

Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have said that they reached a consensus on "important issues" through their five summits since last year, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday.They made the remarks during a luncheon hosted by Kim on Friday, the last day of Xi's two-day state visit to Pyongyang during which the leaders highlighted their traditional alliance amid tensions with the United States over China's trade practices and the North's denucleariza

North KoreaJune 22, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae hopes for early resumption of talks after N. Korea-China summit

South Korea's presidential office expressed hope Friday that this week's summit talks between North Korea and China will lead to the early resumption of denuclearization talks that have been stalled for several months."The government assesses that President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea and his summit with State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un have become another chance for contributing to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," Cheong Wa Dae spo

North KoreaJune 21, 2019

Vietnam to cooperate for S. Korean firms' participation in infrastructure projects

South Korea said Friday that it has agreed with Vietnam to cooperate to ensure that South Korean companies can participate in large-scale infrastructure projects in the emerging Southeast Asian country.The agreement was reached between Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, and Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue at a Seoul hotel.Hue is in Seoul for the first talks between the deputy prime ministers of the two countries, an arrangement set up following last year's state vis

IndustryJune 21, 2019

US prepped for strikes on Iran before approval was withdrawn

WASHINGTON — The United States made preparations for a military strike against Iran in retaliation for the downing of a US surveillance drone, but the operation was abruptly called off with just hours to go, a US official said.The official, who was not authorized to discuss the operation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the targets would have included radars and missile batteries. The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump had approved the strikes Thursd

World NewsJune 21, 2019

Large panel looking into defense failure over NK boat case

The defense ministry has set up a large probe panel to look into what went wrong with maritime operations following revelations that a North Korean boat crossed the eastern sea border and arrived at a South Korean port undetected, officials said Friday.The small-sized wooden boat, carrying four North Koreans, was found at the port of Samcheok, Gangwon Province, on Saturday. A South Korean civilian first spotted them and reported the case to police, sparking criticism over loopholes in South Kore

North KoreaJune 21, 2019

Kaesong industrial park should reopen: UN human rights envoy

Kaesong industrial park should be reopened regardless of sanctions, as tens of thousands of North Korean workers suffer from jobs lost, which also cuts access to adequate health care and food, a UN envoy for human rights said Friday.Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea also urged China to not repatriate North Korean escapees, as they face severe punishment when they return home. “Kaesong industrial park should be allowed to reopen because, what is

North KoreaJune 21, 2019

New ride services pose challenge to taxi industry

 An increasing number of mobility startups have released their business plans for ride-hailing services in cooperation with car rental companies here, further stoking controversy in the competition with the conventional taxi industry.　Mobility firm Chacha Creation said Thursday it will work with two local car rental companies to introduce a new car-sharing platform, ChaCha Van service. Limo Korea and Isaac Rental Car will partner with ChaCha to provide cars for the carpooling service schedu

TechnologyJune 21, 2019

Taiwanese woman booked in Burning Sun probe

The South Korean police said Friday they have booked a Taiwanese businesswoman who was a major foreign investor of scandal-ridden nightclub Burning Sun in southern Seoul on a charge of embezzling money from the club in collusion with former BIGBANG member Seungri and his business partner. "We booked the Taiwanese national earlier in the day on charges of having misappropriated money from Burning Sun," the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said. The woman, known as "Mrs. Lin&qu

Social AffairsJune 21, 2019

KT aims to make K-pop in Japan more realistic

　South Korean telecom firm KT announced Friday it will work with Japanese entertainment company JW2B to produce futuristic K-pop content for 5G-based smartphones using virtual and augmented technologies. 　The memorandum of understanding was signed in Tokyo on Thursday. 　The agreement allows KT users to enjoy AR- or VR-based content delivered by JW2B featuring K-pop stars’ performances in Japan. KT said the content will be available on 5G-powered smartphones and KT’s internet TV servi

TechnologyJune 21, 2019

Sono Felice offers discounts for foreigners

Daemyung Hotel & Resort’s Sono Felice is offering a promotion for foreign guests. The resort is located near Vivaldi Park in Gangwon Province, a two-hour drive from central Seoul.Under the promotion, a night at the silver suite costs 187,000 won ($160.70), the gold suite 212,000 won and the royal suite 234,000 won.  The deal also includes discount coupons for breakfast and other perks, including 40 percent off admission to the Ocean World water park, 30 percent off admission to th

TravelJune 21, 2019