Virginia's House panel passes bill on East Sea name

A legislative panel at the Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday passed a bill requiring new school textbooks to use the Korean name East Sea as well as the Sea of Japan.The 5-4 vote in the education subcommittee kept alive the Korean-American community's hopes that Virginia will become the first U.S. state to introduce legislation to identify the waters between Korea and Japan as the East Sea.The state's Senate approved a similar bill last week.Koreans contend the Sea of Japan, still more pop

Jan. 31, 2014

U.S. envoy holds talks in Beijing amid N. Korea’s charm offensive

BEIJING (Yonhap) ― The U.S. special envoy for North Korea held talks with senior Chinese officials on Monday to discuss their policy toward the North as Pyongyang pushes Seoul to cancel annual military drills with Washington.U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies arrived in Beijing late Sunday on the first leg of his three-nation trip that will also take him to South Korea and Japan this week. In Beijing, Davies started talks with Chinese officials, including Executive Vi

Jan. 27, 2014

Iranian leader willing to mediate between Koreas

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is willing to play a mediator's role in resolving difficult issues between the two Koreas, a South Korean official now visiting Iran said Monday.The Iranian leader made the remarks during his meeting with South Korean Assembly Speaker Kang Chang-hee in Tehran on Monday, according to Kang's spokesman Bae Sung-rye.Kang is the first South Korean Assembly speaker to visit Iran since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1962.The spokesman said Rouhani told

Jan. 27, 2014

Pursuit of nuclear weapons is top N. Korea issue: top U.S. diplomat on Asia

The most important issue concerning North Korea is the challenge it poses by continuing to pursue nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, the top U.S. diplomat on Asia said Sunday.Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel made the remarks after meeting South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Kyung-soo in Seoul, saying the talks were part of intensive and in-depth discussions between South Korea and the U.S. on important issues related to North Korea.Russel, who accompanied Deputy Secretary of

Jan. 26, 2014

Gala celebrates Swedish Chamber of Commerce

Swedish Ambassador to South Korea Lars Danielsson lauded the work of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Korea as it celebrated two years as an organization with a gala dinner in Seoul on Friday.The Swedish Chamber, headed by chair Peter Carlberg of Alfa Laval with vice chair Gustaf Hakan Borin of SAAB, two Swedish companies with offices in Seoul, was established as a result of a growing Swedish business community here. There is also keen local interest in Swedish industrial creativity, innovation a

Jan. 26, 2014

Ecuador promotes high-end chocolatier Pacari

The Ecuadorian Embassy promoted local manufacturer of high-end chocolates Pacari along with other companies at Coex last week.Pacari representatives arrived in Seoul for a four-day exhibition from Jan. 16 called “Salon du Chocolat,” in search of a South Korean partner and entry into the growing domestic market here for chocolate treats. Combining a passion for sustainable business and a commitment to preserving the native Arriba Nacional Cacao bean, they developed Pacari Chocolate ― the first si

Jan. 26, 2014

U.S. confirms S. Korean president not among eavesdropping targets

The United States has confirmed that South Korea's president will be excluded from its eavesdropping targets, a government source said Sunday.U.S. President Barack Obama announced reform measures for the National Security Agency earlier this month, including a promise not to eavesdrop on the heads of state or governments of close U.S. friends and allies unless there is a compelling national security purpose.South Korea has since inquired the U.S. about the measures and has been told that South K

Jan. 26, 2014

China takes note of U.S. state's move on 'East Sea' naming

China has taken note of a move by the U.S. state of Virginia to require school textbooks to use both names used by South Korea and Japan for a body of water between them, Beijing's foreign ministry said Saturday.For decades, South Korea and Japan have locked horns over the name of the body of water, with Seoul calling it the "East Sea" while Tokyo uses the name "Sea of Japan."In a victory for ethnic Koreans in Virginia against high-profile lobbying by the Japanese Embassy in Washington, the U.S.

Jan. 25, 2014

Korea chides Japan for renewed Dokdo claims

South Korea criticized Japan Friday for renewing territorial claims to its easternmost islets of Dokdo, urging Tokyo to heed international warnings against its nationalist actions.Seoul’s reaction came after Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated his country’s claims to the islets in an address to parliament and after the Tokyo government opened a website promoting its claims to the islets. “Such groundless claims and useless attempts repeated over time only show the world that Japan

Jan. 24, 2014

Seoul slams Abe for defending shrine visit

South Korea blasted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Thursday for defending his much-denounced visit to a controversial war shrine last month.Indicating that he may continue visiting the Yaskuni Shrine, Abe said during the World Economic Forum in Davos Wednesday that Japan is determined not to wage another war and that the war shrine is designed to honor regular Japanese war dead, not Class-A war criminals."Paying respects at the Yasukuni Shrine equates to not repenting for Japan's imperialist

Jan. 23, 2014