Russian military aircraft intrude into S. Korea's air defense zone

A military aircraft believed to be from Russia violated South Korea's air defense identification zone over the East Sea on Tuesday, prompting the Air Force to scramble fighter jets to turn it back, a Joint Chiefs of Staff officer said.The plane entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone earlier in the day without prior notice, the officer said, adding that F-15K fighter jets were scrambled to the area to force the plane to retreat.Other details, including the type of the plane, its fligh

DefenseOct. 22, 2019

National college entrance exam to take place Nov. 14

The annual national college entrance exam is scheduled to take place Nov. 14, the education ministry said Tuesday, with public transportation and working hours at government offices to be affected.More than 540,000 people are expected to sit for this year's College Scholastic Aptitude Test, also known as "suneung" here. The exam will take place from 8:40 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. at 1,185 schools across the country, according to the Ministry of Education. The CSAT, held only once a year, is co

Social AffairsOct. 22, 2019

Son Heung-min nominated for 2019 Ballon d'Or

South Korean football star Son Heung-min has been nominated for the world's top player award for 2019.Son was the only Asian player on the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or Award, presented by "France Football" magazine to recognize the top footballer each year. The list was announced in Paris on Monday (local time). Son scored some key goals to lift Tottenham Hotspur to their first UEFA Champions League final this year, and he ranked second on the team behind Harry Kane with 12

SoccerOct. 22, 2019

Court to review arrest warrant of ex-minister's wife

A Seoul court is expected to decide whether to arrest the wife of ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk this week over charges related to her daughter's college admission and a private equity fund investment.The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to review the arrest warrant request made by the prosecution Wednesday morning.Prosecutors have been investigating Cho's wife, Chung Kyung-sim, for two months regarding the college admission process and a 1 billion-won ($850 million) PEF investment.The Seo

Social AffairsOct. 22, 2019

UN grants sanctions waivers for Red Cross assistance efforts in N. Korea

The UN Security Council has granted sanctions waivers for an international Red Cross organization project to provide clean water and better sanitation in North Korea, the UN website showed Tuesday. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies received sanctions exemptions on materials "urgently required for lifesaving humanitarian assistance" in providing access to clean drinking water and improving sanitation, according to the website.A total of 11 items worth

North KoreaOct. 22, 2019

Chile orders new curfew as violent protests rage

SANTIAGO (AFP) -- Chile ordered an overnight curfew on Monday for the third day in a row as violent protests and looting that left 11 people dead over the weekend raged on into the working week.Protests originally against a hike in metro fares have turned into anger at the military and President Sebastian Pinera, who on Monday night proposed a "social agreement" to meet the demands of demonstrators.Army general Javier Iturriaga, charged with security in the capital, said the 8:00 pm to

World NewsOct. 22, 2019

Gay marriage, abortion laws liberalised in N. Ireland

BELFAST (AFP) -- Same-sex marriage and abortion laws in Northern Ireland were liberalised on Monday in a landmark shift for the province aimed at bringing it into line with mainland Britain but which has stoked resentment.The relaxtion of the UK-ruled territory's restrictive laws on the issues occurred at midnight (2300 GMT), after a deadline elapsed for local lawmakers to stop the changes imposed by MPs in Westminster. British lawmakers in July approved decriminalising abortion and creating law

World NewsOct. 22, 2019

Trump says 'lot of things going on' regarding NK, raises prospects of 'major rebuild'

US President Donald Trump said Monday that "a lot of things are going on" regarding North Korea, as doubts over the regime's will to denuclearize rose after the breakdown of nuclear talks with Pyongyang earlier this month.  During a Cabinet meeting, Trump also mentioned the prospects of a "major rebuild" while touting his engagement with the North, with a renewed claim that if somebody else became president, "you'd, right now, be in a big war.""Something i

North KoreaOct. 22, 2019

SoftBank Seeks Majority Stake in WeWork With Bailout Deal

SoftBank Group Corp. offered to take a majority stake in WeWork, one of two rescue packages that the board of the troubled company is weighing, according to people familiar with the matter.The deal from SoftBank is currently in the lead among some directors, according to a person familiar with the board’s thinking. A decision is likely to be made Monday night, though the process is fluid, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. JPMorgan Chase &

World BusinessOct. 22, 2019

S. Korean PM leaves for Japan to attend emperor's enthronement event, meet Abe

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon left for Japan on Tuesday to attend the Japanese emperor's enthronement ceremony amid frayed ties between South Korea and Japan over the issue of Tokyo's wartime forced labor.Lee embarked on a three-day trip to Tokyo, whose itinerary includes a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday.In his official first schedule, Lee will attend Emperor Naruhito's enthronement event set for 1 p.m. at the palace. A banquet dinner is also scheduled for later in the

Foreign AffairsOct. 22, 2019

NK media slams S. Korea over missile tests, weapons development plans

North Korean propaganda outlets slammed South Korea on Tuesday over its plans to conduct missile tests and develop new weapons, calling such moves "outright provocations" that will have consequences.The criticism came after a top South Korean military officer said earlier this month that the military has conducted test-firings of some of its Hyunmoo missiles this year and plans to routinely conduct such live drills.South Korea's Navy said recently that it is operating a task force on t

North KoreaOct. 22, 2019

S. Korea to host 7th Asian Legislative Experts Symposium

The Ministry of Government Legislation and the Korea Legislation Research Institute will jointly hold the Asian Legislative Experts Symposium in Seoul on Oct. 30. Organized by the ministry since 2013, the conference brings together government officials and experts from Southeast Asian counties, including Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, to introduce their legislation to tackle common issues. Under the theme “Legislative Modification Strategies for Smart City Development,” the parti

Social AffairsOct. 22, 2019

Draft of letter for Japanese PM Abe sent to Cheong Wa Dae for review: foreign ministry

South Korea‘s foreign ministry said Monday it has sent a draft of a letter that will be sent to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the presidential office for review ahead of Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s planned visit to Tokyo this week.Lee will visit Japan from Tuesday to Thursday to attend the Japanese emperor‘s enthronement event amid frayed ties between South Korea and Japan over the issue of Tokyo’s wartime forced labor. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who declin

Foreign AffairsOct. 21, 2019

Prosecutors request arrest warrant for wife of ex-justice minister

Prosecutors asked a Seoul court Monday to issue an arrest warrant for the wife of ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk on 11 charges related to her daughter‘s college admission and an investment in a private equity fund.The request came about two months since the prosecution started investigating Cho’s family over allegations regarding the forgery of a college presidential citation, a dubious financial investment and academic favors. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office sought an ar

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019

Arrest warrants issued for 4 college students for breaking into US envoy’s residence

A Seoul court issued warrants for the arrests of four college students on Monday on charges of breaking into the US ambassador’s residence.Seventeen members of a progressive college student group used ladders to climb over the wall of the residence of US Ambassador Harry Harris in central Seoul on Friday.After reviewing the results of a preliminary probe, prosecutors formally requested the court permit the arrest of seven of them. The Seoul Central District Court approved prosecutors&lsquo

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019

Fine dust measures enforced as dust season begins

South Korea is expected to see a high level of particulate pollution, leading the government to take preliminary anti-dust measures for the first time this autumn and launch a monthlong crackdown on diesel car emissions Monday. Preliminary reduction measures -- proactive measures to prevent air pollution from getting worse the next day -- went into effect from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province as levels of PM2.5 -- ultrafine airborne particles smaller than 2.5 micro

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019

UNC’s authority on giving permission to enter DMZ should be reviewed: minister

Regulations should be revised on the United Nations Command’s authority to give entry permission into the Demilitarized Zone, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Monday. During a parliamentary inspection session, Kim said the system should be revised to allow South Korea’s entry into the DMZ for nonmilitary purposes, while maintaining the area safely, as Rep. Chun Jung-bae pointed out there have been several cases where the UNC rejected entry requests into the area for “unc

North KoreaOct. 21, 2019

Emails suggest SuperM’s Korean sales counted for Billboard charts

Emails between a South Korean record importer and a US record dealer reveal that SuperM’s debut record, released only in the US, was sold here with an assurance that the sales will be reflected in the US charts.In the conversation, obtained by The Korea Herald, record importer Hani Music secured a supply of records from a dealer that reports sales to Nielsen SoundScan, which powers the Billboard music charts. The company previously said they sold at least “thousands of copies”

K-popOct. 21, 2019

[Graphic News] Nearly 15% of foreigners in S. Korea illegal immigrants

　About 15 percent of the foreign residents in South Korea are undocumented immigrants, with Thais forming the biggest national group, a report showed.　A total of 370,889 foreigners were staying in South Korea without permission as of July, 15 percent of the entire population of foreign nationals residing in the country, according to a report by the Ministry of Justice, submitted to Rep. Lee Eun-jae of the Liberty Korea Party.　Of the undocumented foreigners, the number of Thai residents reached 1

Social AffairsOct. 21, 2019