Thailand reports first confirmed case of deadly MERS virus

Thailand confirmed on Thursday its first known case of the deadly MERS virus, a 75-year-old man who recently arrived from Oman for treatment of a heart condition.   Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin said two laboratories had confirmed the results.The man has been quarantined at the ministry's infectious diseases facility, he said.He said the patient was traveling with three other family members, who also are being watched at the facility. Public health officials are also monitoring other

June 18, 2015

THAAD not agenda for U.S. commander in Seoul: Defense Ministry

A U.S. strategic commander will not likely bring up the possible deployment of a U.S. advanced missile-defense system on Korean soil while in Seoul next week, the Ministry of National Defense here said Thursday.Adm. Cecil Haney, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, is scheduled to arrive in South Korea on Sunday for a four-day visit, during which he is to meet with key defense officials here including the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Choi Yun-hee. It is his first visit since taki

June 18, 2015

S. Korea to send troops to South Sudan for U.N. mission

South Korea will dispatch a 5th round of troops to South Sudan to continue its commitment to helping the newly independent African nation's rebuilding efforts, the Army said Thursday. The 290-member Korean contingent, named the "Hanbit" unit, will head to the African nation later this month on a United Nations peace-keeping mission for about eight months, according to the military. The service personnel, mostly engineers and medics, plan to carry out a variety of missions including the construct

June 18, 2015

U.S. congressmen send letter to Park to express sympathy over MERS outbreak

Dozens of U.S. congressmen sent a joint letter to South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday, expressing sympathy over the massive outbreak of MERS and understanding of her decision to postpone a visit to Washington."We wish to convey our deepest sympathies to all those who have been affected by the outbreak of MERS-related illnesses in the Republic of Korea," the 38 congressmen said in the letter to Park, including Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee."We

June 18, 2015

U.S. admiral to visit S. Korea next week

A U.S. Navy admiral whose command is responsible for an advanced missile-defense system will visit South Korea next week, government sources said Wednesday, amid ongoing debates here over whether Seoul should adopt the U.S.-led system.Adm. Cecil Haney, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, will arrive in Seoul on Sunday for a four-day stay, to meet with key military officials in South Korea, including Defense Minister Han Min-koo, sources familiar with the matter said. Haney also plans to

June 17, 2015

S. Korea, EU to discuss Park's regional security initiative

Officials and experts from South Korea, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region will gather in Brussels this week to discuss President Park Geun-hye's foreign policy for regional security, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.The two-day session, co-hosted by the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and the European Union Institute for Security Studies, will open Thursday in Brussels under the theme, "Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative and EU-ROK (Republic of Korea) Cooperation."It is the se

June 17, 2015

S. Korea urges closer regional ties on energy security

vSouth Korea expects its oil hub project to promote three-way cooperation with China and Japan, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.South Korea aims to become one of the world's top four oil hubs by 2020 to be on the par with the United States, the Netherlands and Singapore."Northeast Asia is considered most vulnerable to energy security," Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Lee Tae-ho said in his speech at the 2nd Northeast Asia Energy Hub Symposium in Seoul.He stressed the

June 16, 2015

New nuclear pact sets terms for nuclear reprocessing, enrichment

South Korea on Tuesday disclosed the full text of its revised civilian nuclear pact with the United States, laying down the conditions on which Seoul may develop and use nuclear reprocessing and enrichment technology.The agreement was signed in Washington on Monday (local time) between Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, concluding more than four years of negotiations aimed at revising an earlier nuclear cooperation pact from 1974.Both sides hailed the agreement

June 16, 2015

S. Korea, U.S. formally sign civil nuclear energy cooperation pact

South Korea and the United States signed a civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement Monday, bringing a formal end to years of tough negotiations that had required the pushing back of an initial deadline.South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz signed the revision to the 1974 nuclear cooperation pact that mainly stipulates South Korea's obligations in exchange for receiving technical support and other nuclear cooperation from the U.S.In April, the two

June 16, 2015

Document shows Korean independence movement in New York in 1931

A statement denouncing Japan's invasion of Manchuria has been discovered, showing that Koreans in New York fought for independence of their homeland from Japan's colonial rule in the 1930s.The document, titled "The Korean Manifesto against the Japanese Invasion in Manchuria," was found recently at the Korean Methodist Church & Institute in New York and was signed off by "the allied Korean Organizations in New York." The statement, which came three months before Korean independence organizations

June 15, 2015

U.S. to deploy missile interceptors against N. Korea's KN-08 ICBMs: official

Defending against North Korea's new road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles is the main purpose of the United States' planned additional deployment of ground-based missile interceptors, a senior U.S. official has said.Frank Rose, assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, made the remark at an international missile defense conference in Barcelona on Friday, according to a transcript provided by the department."The Obama Administration has continued the ef

June 15, 2015

China orders airlines to sterilize planes flying from S. Korea

China's civil aviation regulator ordered Friday all of its airlines to sterilize their planes flying from South Korea, in a stepped-up measure to alleviate passengers' concern over the outbreak of MERS in South Korea.   In a statement, the Civil Aviation Administration of China also required airlines operating flights between South Korea and China to "quickly treat suspected cases of MERS."   Since South Korea reported its first Middle East Respiratory Syndrome case on May 20, a total of 126 peo

June 12, 2015

New bill introduced in U.S. Senate for more professional visas for S. Koreans

A new bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate calling for more non-immigration visas to be issued for highly skilled South Korean workers, congressional records showed Thursday.  Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) initiated the bill (S.1547) Wednesday, together with co-sponsors Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Mark Warner (D-VA). The legislation is titled, "A bill to provide high-skilled visas for nationals of the Republic of Korea, and for other purposes."  A similar bill was introduced in the House o

June 12, 2015

Ex-ambassador to France to be granted French order

A former South Korean ambassador to France will be granted a French order of merit for his contributions to bilateral relations, the French embassy said Thursday.  Lee Hye-min, who served in Paris from 2012 to 2015, will receive the Grand Officier de l'Ordre national du Merite during a reception at the embassy later in the day.  Lee, who currently serves as the South Korean sherpa to the G20, has been recognized for his "great contributions" to the development of bilateral ties, including prepar

June 11, 2015

Suspected N. Korean defector shot to death along border with China: media

China's state-run media reported Thursday that a suspected North Korean defector has been killed by Chinese border guards near the border with North Korea.   The incident took place around 3:55 a.m. on Thursday near the Chinese border town of Nanping, just north of the Tumen River that divides the two countries, the Chinese media reported citing authorities.   The victim is believed to be a North Korean defector and was shot dead by Chinese border guards after resisting arrest in Nanping, accord

June 11, 2015

Five S. Koreans nabbed in int'l call routing scam

Five South Koreans have been arrested on charges of pocketing a large sum of money by routing international calls through the illegal usage of SIM cards, police said Thursday.  The suspects, including a ringleader surnamed Um, allegedly brought in 617 SIM cards from China and made a specialized device that routes international calls without the proper government approval, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.   The SMPA alleges that the equipment automatically switches international

June 11, 2015

All S. Koreans quarantined for MERS in Hong Kong, China released

All 14 South Korean citizens who were quarantined at hospitals in Hong Kong and China for exposure to MERS have been discharged after completing their quarantine periods, a South Korean official said Thursday.   They had been under quarantine in Hong Kong and the southern Chinese province of Guangdong since making contact with a 44-year-old South Korean man who flew to Hong Kong on May 26, a day after his father was diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in South Korea. He subsequently

June 11, 2015

S. Korean MERS patient in China gradually recovers

The South Korean MERS patient who traveled to China has been gradually recovering there, but his lungs have become inflamed, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday.  The 44-year-old Korean man flew to Hong Kong on May 26, a day after his father was diagnosed with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus in South Korea and subsequently went to the southern Chinese province of Guangdong by bus.   He was confirmed to be infected with the virus on May 29 and has been treated under quarantine at

June 10, 2015

S. Korea, WFP cement ties on anti-hunger efforts

South Korea said Wednesday it will hold talks with the U.N. food aid agency on promoting partnerships in the global fight against hunger.  A six-member delegation from the World Food Program is visiting here for the first round of annual consultations between the two sides. It is led by Claudia von Roehl, head of the office of government partnerships at the Rome-based organization.  She plans to hold a meeting with Oh Yeoung-ju, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's development cooperation

June 10, 2015

S. Korea vigilant of global response to MERS outbreak

South Korea said Tuesday it is closely monitoring the global response to the MERS outbreak as Hong Kong issued a travel alert for the country following its seventh death from the virus.  As of Tuesday morning, the death toll from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome rose to seven while the number of confirmed patients climbed to 95.  The Foreign Ministry said it will review the travel alerts and safety notices issued by other countries and provide accurate information on the extent of MERS here.

June 9, 2015