Int'l slow movement fest month ahead of opening

An international festival promoting healthy eating and an environment-friendly lifestyle is ready for its kick-off slated for next month, its organizer said Thursday.Under the theme "Good Food, Good Life," the Namyangju Slow Life International Festival will be held for 10 days starting Oct. 8 in the city located about 30 kilometers east of Seoul, bring together participants from around 40 countries.The organizer said the slow lifestyle aims at improving the quality of life by adopting traditiona

Sept. 10, 2015

Park's attendance at China parade useful for THAAD deployment: ex-S. Korean FM

President Park Geun-hye's attendance at last week's Chinese military parade will turn out to be useful in blunting Beijing's opposition to the possible deployment of a U.S. THAAD missile defense battery to South Korea, a former South Korean foreign minister said Wednesday.Park's presence at the muscle-flexing parade, which was shunned by Western leaders, led to some U.S. experts and observers raising questions about whether Seoul is tilting too much toward Beijing at a time of growing rivalry be

Sept. 10, 2015

China's economic growth sustainable: AIIB president-designate

The Chinese economy is becoming "more mature," and will usher in an era of sustainable growth, the inaugural chief of a China-led regional investment bank said Wednesday, dismissing concerns that the world's No. 2 economy is losing its growth momentum."The Chinese economy, I think, is moving towards to the new norm," Jin Liqun, president-designate of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, said in a press conference in Seoul."When we talk about slowing down, I hope we would have no misundersta

Sept. 9, 2015

S. Korea, Australia seek to strengthen security ties

South Korea and Australia will seek to expand security ties to emerging issues, such as epidemics and natural disasters, when their foreign and defense ministers meet in Sydney this week, a government official said Wednesday.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Defense Minister Han Min-koo, and their Australian counterparts, Julie Bishop and Kevin Andrews, are scheduled to meet for their second 2+2 talks on Friday.Following their talks, the ministers plan to announce a "blueprint" for cooperation in s

Sept. 9, 2015

Recent inter-Korean tensions call for tighter S. Korea-U.S. alliance: 8th U.S. Army commander

The recent military tensions between South and North Korea, which were settled through a last-minute deal, stressed the importance of strengthening the military alliance between Seoul and Washington, the commander of the Eighth U.S. Army said Wednesday.Following the detonation of wooden-box land mines on the South Korean side of the demilitarized zone on Aug. 4, which was blamed on North Korea, the two Koreas exchanged live fire on Aug. 20 and put their militaries on a war footing. Tensions had

Sept. 9, 2015

Biz leaders from S. Korea, Japan vow more cooperation

Business leaders from South Korea and Japan vowed Wednesday to join forces on a free trade agreement in Northeast Asia and other key economic issues in the region.Park Yong-maan, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, one of South Korea's large business lobbies, held a meeting with Akio Mimura, president of the Japan Chamber of Commerce, in Fukuoka. There they discussed a variety of issues such as a proposed trilateral free trade deal among South Korea, Japan and China, and the

Sept. 9, 2015

U.S. praises S. Korea's efforts to improve inter-Korean ties after family reunion agreement

The United States praised South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday for her efforts to improve relations with North Korea after the two Koreas agreed to hold reunions of separated families next month."We appreciate President Park's tireless efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, including through pursuit of family reunions," State Department spokesperson Katina Adams said in response to a Yonhap News Agency request for comment on the inter-Korean agreement.Earlier Tuesday, Red Cross of

Sept. 9, 2015

Royce receives Korea-U.S. friendship award

U.S. Congressman Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, received a friendship award Tuesday in recognition of his contribution to relations between South Korea and the United States.Royce, known as one of the strongest advocates for the alliance between the two countries, received the award from the Korean-American Association, a nonprofit organization that has worked to promote the friendship and alliance.Former South Koren Foreign Minister Han Sung-joo, who heads the associ

Sept. 9, 2015

Park: S. Korea to inject $100 mln to help poor countries combat infectious diseases

President Park Geun-hye pledged Tuesday to inject $100 million over the next five years to help 13 poor countries combat infectious diseases.Park said South Korea's financial support will begin next year. South Korea "will make utmost efforts to ensure that many people in those countries can have a hope toward a better future by living a secure life free from the threat of infectious diseases," said Park in a welcoming dinner for delegates of the Global Health Security Agenda.The global health s

Sept. 8, 2015

In IAEA session, S. Korea to seek support for its nuke agenda

South Korea will brief the international community next week on its non-military nuclear program and request support for its efforts to resolve the  North Korean nuclear issue, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.The government plans to send a delegation to the 59th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency to be held in Vienna, Austria, from Sept. 14-18. It will be led by Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.In a keynote speech, Cho will "explain our policy on nonproliferation, nu

Sept. 8, 2015

Japan's top court rules in favor or Korean A-bomb victims

Japan's highest court ruled Tuesday that South Korean A-bomb victims residing in their homeland are entitled to full compensation from local authorities in Japan.In a landmark decision, it upheld the ruling by lower courts, putting an end to a four-year lawsuit against the Osaka prefectural government by Lee Hong-hyun and the surviving family members of two other Korean victims of the Hiroshima and Nakasaki atomic bombings.Lee, 69, is the son of a Korean victim of the 1945 bombing and he was rep

Sept. 8, 2015

S. Korea, China, Japan set for talks on group summit

South Korea, China and Japan will hold working-level talks next week on resuming a trilateral summit, a government official here said Tuesday.President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed last week to open the three-way meeting "at a convenient time," including in late October or early November.If held, it would be the first of its kind since 2012, when the annual group summit came to a halt amid historical and territorial spats among the regional powers.Japan welcomed th

Sept. 8, 2015

FM Yun: China expected to put more focus on N. Korea nuclear issue

China has sent a clear signal that it would place more emphasis on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, South Korea's top diplomat said Tuesday.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se cited a summit deal last week between President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.In the Beijing meeting, the leaders agreed to push for the resumption of "meaningful" six-party talks on the North's nuclear program. They also warned Pyongyang not to make any more provocative acts.Beijing's stance is

Sept. 8, 2015

Chinese party paper admits 'differences' with N. Korea over nuclear issue

A newspaper published by China's ruling Communist Party on Tuesday said there are "differences" between Beijing and Pyongyang over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, but their friendly relations are in the interests of the old allies.The editorial by the Global Times newspaper appeared to underscore how it is difficult for China to rein in North Korea's nuclear weapons program. At the same time, it indicated a desire to avoid acrimony with the unpredictable regime led by Kim Jong-un. China has sid

Sept. 8, 2015

China sidesteps question on meeting between Xi, N. Korean official

China's foreign ministry on Monday sidestepped a question on whether Chinese President Xi Jinping held a one-on-one meeting with a senior North Korean official who attended last week's military parade marking the end of World War II. Choe Ryong-hae, secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, attended the Chinese military parade Thursday, along with about 30 heads of state, including South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Choe sh

Sept. 7, 2015

AIIB president-designate to visit Seoul to boost ties

The president-designate of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will visit South Korea this week to help lay the groundwork for closer ties between Seoul and the multilateral institution, the government said Monday.Jin Liqun is scheduled to visit Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday for meetings with government policymakers and leading businessmen as the Beijing-based multilateral development bank gets ready to start funding infrastructure projects, the finance ministry said.Jin's trip is his firs

Sept. 7, 2015

S. Korea, Australia to hold joint talks of foreign, defense ministers this week

South Korea and Australia will hold their joint meeting of foreign and defense ministers this week to discuss tightening bilateral collaboration in the security and defense sectors, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.The so-called two-plus-two dialogue set for Friday will bring together Defense Minister Han Min-koo, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and their Aussie counterparts, Kevin Andrews and Julie Bishop, in Sydney, according to a news release from the ministry. The forthcoming event

Sept. 7, 2015

S. Korea to send 2,500-ton warship to Indonesian naval parade

A 2,500-ton South Korean warship will depart the country this week to participate in a naval parade in Indonesia next week, the Navy said Monday.The guide missile-equipped frigate Jeonbuk will depart from a naval base in the southern port city of Busan on Tuesday to participate in the Sail Tomini 2015, an international naval parade, marking the 70th anniversary of Indonesia's independence from the Netherlands.Five more countries will take part in the naval parade to be held on Oct. 19: the Unite

Sept. 7, 2015

S. Korea to send 4,500-ton destroyer to Japan's naval parade

South Korea will dispatch one of its 4,500-ton destroyers to a naval parade in Japan next month and conduct a joint search and rescue exercise with the neighbor, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.The guided missiles-equipped Navy destroyer Dae Joyeong will be sent to join the fleet parade to be held by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force on Oct. 18, a ministry official said.The destroyer, built in 2003, is capable of accommodating 200 crewmen and sailing at a speed of 28 knots. The

Sept. 7, 2015