Earthquake rattles southwest Japan, no damage reported

TOKYO -- An earthquake shook southwestern Japan on Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of damage and a tsunami watch was lifted within an hour. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake measured a preliminary magnitude 5.0, rattling the Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kumamoto areas in the southwest of the main island of Kyushu.  A staff of West Japan Railway Company updates the operation information for stranded passengers as an earthquake stopped and delayed some train services at JR Haka

Jan. 3, 2019

Ministry says no reports of S. Korean casualties in Indonesia's deadly tsunami

The foreign ministry said Sunday that there have been no reports of South Korean casualties from the tsunami that hit coastal areas of Indonesia around the Sunda Strait a day earlier.Reports said that at least 43 people were dead and another 584 injured due to the tsunami on Saturday night. A local walks near her damaged house hit by tsunami at Tanjung Lesung district in Pandeglang, Banten province, Indonesia, December 23, 2018 (Yonhap)"There were some South Korean travelers who escaped to highe

Dec. 23, 2018

Anti-Korean hate speech to be prohibited by law in Japan

Municipal governments in Japan are moving forward with legislation to address hate speech. Although the laws protect people of all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, it is Koreans in Japan who stand to benefit most as anti-Korean sentiment is prevalent throughout the nation.Tokyo’s Kunitachi City Council approved an ordinance on Wednesday banning discriminatory practices and hate speech.  (Yonhap)The bill specifically prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, occupation and s

Dec. 13, 2018

Korean-American judges gaining presence in US

An increasing number of Korean-American judges are making their mark in US courts. Eumi K. Lee was appointed as an Alameda County Superior Court judge on Friday (local time), becoming the first Korean-American judge in that California county, which is part of the San Francisco Bay Area.  Eumi K. Lee (UC Hastings College of the Law-Yonhap)Despite their relatively small presence on US benches, Korean-American judges are setting some notable records. In July, Dorothy C. Kim became the first Korean-

Dec. 11, 2018

Korean official selected as vice chair of OECD committee

 A South Korean official has been named as a vice chair of the OECD Committee for Fisheries, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Friday, in a move that could strengthen Seoul's clout in the fisheries industry. This photo provided by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries shows Cho Il-hwan, who has been named the vice chair of the OECD Committee for Fisheries. (Yonhap)Cho Il-hwan, an official handling the ministry's fisheries policy, is set to serve as a vice chair of the Paris-based committe

Dec. 7, 2018

Act now or risk disaster, nations told at UN climate summit

After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.The COP24 climate summit comes at a crucial juncture in the battle to rein in the effects of our heating planet. Scientists have warned that we need to cut fossil fuel emissions by half by 2030 to avert disaster. (AFP)The smaller, poorer nations that will bare the devastating brunt of climate change are pushing for ric

Dec. 3, 2018

[Newsmaker] Assaults on Korean students in Britain set to spark candlelight vigil

A group of South Koreans living in Britain said Thursday that they plan to hold a candlelight vigil in London on Sunday to call for a thorough investigation into recent assaults on South Korean students.One of the Koreans involved in the preparations for the candlelight gathering said that the protest rally will be held in front of Marks & Spencer in London's Oxford Circus. (Yonhap)The person said that the Korean community in Britain has been shocked by a recent instance of mob violence against

Nov. 22, 2018

[Newsmaker] South Korean named Interpol president in blow to Russia

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — South Korea’s Kim Jong Yang has been elected as Interpol’s next president, edging out a longtime veteran of Russia’s security services who was strongly opposed by the US, Britain and other European nations.The White House and its European partners had lobbied against Alexander Prokopchuk’s attempts to be named the next president of the policing organization, saying his election would lead to further Russian abuses of Interpol’s red notice system to go after pol

Nov. 21, 2018

[Newsmaker] South Korean tourist dies in train accident in Switzerland

GENEVA -- A South Korean tourist died after being hit by a mountain train in Switzerland earlier this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.  The tragic accident occurred on Monday afternoon (Switzerland time) when the man in his 60s was on a group tour program in Mount Rigi in the central area of the European country, according to the ministry. (Yonhap)Reports said that he had already died by the time a rescue team arrived on the scene."The South Korean embassy in Switzerland sent a con

Nov. 21, 2018

US backs Korean candidate for Interpol chief

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Tuesday voiced support for the South Korean candidate to head Interpol amid controversy over his Russian rival.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US "strongly" endorses Kim Jong-yang, who is currently serving as the organization's acting president following the arrest of its former chief in his native China. (Yonhap)"We encourage all nations and organizations that are part of Interpol and that respect the rule of law to choose a leader with credibility

Nov. 21, 2018

Missing Korean student found dead on Wapping Beach in London

The body of the 21-year-old Korean woman, surnamed Chang, was recovered on Wapping Beach along the River Thames, British news outlet East London Lines reported Saturday. There was no evidence of foul play, according to British police.An inquest will be carried out to determine the cause and circumstances of her death.Chang, who was studying fine art and art history at Goldsmiths, University of London, was last seen Nov. 2 near the Deptford Bridge in Lewisham. Worried after not hearing from Chang

Nov. 19, 2018

China says foreign concerns over Muslim rights unwarranted

BEIJING -- China said Thursday that 15 foreign ambassadors exceeded their diplomatic roles by issuing a letter expressing concern about the incarceration of hundreds of thousands of members of the country’s Muslim minorities in reeducation camps. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters at a daily briefing that it would be ``problematic’’ if the diplomats were attempting to put pressure on local authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, where the detentions have taken p

Nov. 15, 2018

13 sailors rescued in boat collision in East Sea

DONGHAE -- Thirteen sailors aboard a South Korean fishing boat were rescued after it collided with a Japanese fishing boat in waters off the easternmost islets of Dokdo on Thursday, officials said.The collision happened at around 9:38 a.m. about 330 kilometers northeast of Dokdo, causing the 48-ton South Korean ship to sink, the Coast Guard said. (Yonhap)The rescue team saved all 13 sailors from the Korean boat, but operations are underway in case there could be more damage. No one on the Japane

Nov. 15, 2018

Korean-American man faces probe over alleged air rage

A 31-year-old Korean-American man faces a probe in South Korea for alleged unruly behavior on a flight bound for Seoul from Los Angeles, police said Thursday.The man caused a disturbance, including using abusive language, threats and violence, during the flight, according to Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's national flag carrier.(Yonhap)He is also accused of breaking one of the plane's inner plastic window panes by throwing his tablet computer as the plane was landing at Incheon International

Nov. 9, 2018

Korea to re-send military cargo jet to quake-hit Indonesia

South Korea will dispatch a military cargo plane again this week to Indonesia struggling to recover from damage caused by an earthquake and a tsunami, the foreign ministry said Thursday.The aircraft will leave for the Southeast Asian nation Friday at the request of its government, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Yonhap)A team of 28 personnel will be dispatched to operate the plane until Nov. 30, it said.Two C-130 Hercules planes of South Korea's Air Force conducted a humanitarian

Nov. 8, 2018

Young Kim certain to become 1st Korean-American woman elected to US Congress

LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON -- Young Kim appeared certain to be elected to the US House of Representatives on Wednesday, becoming the first Korean-American woman to serve in Congress.The 56-year-old Republican garnered 51.3 percent of the vote against 48.7 percent by Democrat Gil Cisneros in California's 39th district, according to separate tallies by CNN and the Associated Press. (Yonhap)If finalized, she will succeed outgoing Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee."I

Nov. 8, 2018

Moon formally appoints Goldman Sachs economist as chief of presidential committee

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday formally appointed Kwon Goo-hoon, a senior economist at the global investment firm Goldman Sachs, to head the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation.Kwon, 56, replaced Rep. Song Young-gil of the ruling Democratic Party as chairman of the committee that was formed to reinforce economic and other forms of cooperation with the northern region, including Eurasia. (Yonhap)A graduate of Seoul National University, Kwon earned his Ph.D from Harvard Uni

Nov. 7, 2018

Global Digital Innovation Alliance successfully inaugurated　

The Global Digital Innovation Alliance was successfully inaugurated in Seoul on Oct 30, with 10 innovative organizations around the world gathering as founding members of the alliance.　　Member organizations agreed that they share the same vision and that there is a need for mutual learning about cases of innovation. 　　Representatives of Innovative organizations around the world, including Belgium, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, the US and Vietnam, came to Seoul and a

Nov. 6, 2018

Rajapakse rally gathers as Sri Lanka showdown toughens

COLOMBO, Nov 5, 2018 (AFP) - Thousands of supporters of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse headed for the capital on Monday to rally in support of his controversial nomination as prime minister, as the island’s constitutional crisis deepened.Sri Lanka has been gripped by political turmoil since President Maithripala Sirisena sacked his former ally, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, on October 26 and appointed Rajapakse in his place.Busloads of Rajapakse followers were arriving Mond

Nov. 5, 2018

Iranians feeling US sanctions ‘in their bones’

TEHRAN, Nov  5, 2018 (AFP) - The latest round of US sanctions on Iran’s vital oil industry may have just started on Monday but some Iranians say they have already become a basic fact of life.“I don’t need the news to tell me that sanctions have started, I am feeling them in my bones,” said Farzad, a 65-year-old pensioner.“Anyone who goes to the market to acquire their basic needs will feel the sanctions straight away,” he told AFP as headed to the Tajrish bazaar in northern Tehran for his weekly

Nov. 5, 2018