[Newsmaker] Sankei investigated over report on Park

Korean prosecutors have opened an investigation into Sankei Shimbun over a report on President Park Geun-hye that raised questions about her whereabouts during the day of the ferry sinking.The Seoul bureau of the Japanese newspaper speculated in its Aug. 3 online edition that Park was not at Cheong Wa Dae when the ferry capsized on the morning of April 16.Citing rumors in the stock brokerage industry, Sankei Shimbun alleged that Park was staying outside the presidential office at the time with a

Social AffairsAug. 10, 2014

[Newsmaker] Space probe makes rendezvous with comet

PARIS ― The space probe Rosetta made a historic rendezvous with a comet on Wednesday, climaxing a 10-year, 6-billion-kilometer chase through the Solar System, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.“We’re at the comet,” Rosetta’s flight operations manager, Sylvain Lodiot, declared in a webcast from mission control in Darmstadt, Germany.It marks the first time a spacecraft has been sent into orbit around a comet, a wanderer of the Solar System whose primeval dust and ice may hold insights into how

World NewsAug. 7, 2014

[Newsmaker] U.S. had role in experimental Ebola drug

Two American aid workers infected with Ebola are getting an experimental drug so novel it has never been tested for safety in humans and was only identified as a potential treatment earlier this year, thanks to a research program by the U.S. government and the military.The workers, Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly, are improving, although it's impossible to know whether the treatment is the reason or they are recovering on their own, as others who have survived Ebola have done. Brantly is bei

World NewsAug. 6, 2014

[Newsmaker] Yi Sun-sin sensation takes hold in cinemas

Period action flick “Roaring Currents” has set one box-office record after another since its opening last Wednesday. Previous period flicks have enjoyed notable successes, including “The King and the Clown” in 2005 and “Masquerade” in 2012. But none became box-office hits as quickly and sensationally as “Roaring Currents.” The film premiered on July 30, with the biggest-ever opening-day viewership in Korean film history (682,778 viewers). It topped the 6 million mark in just seven days on Tuesda

FilmAug. 5, 2014

[Newsmaker] NPAD interim leader headed for choppy waters

Rep. Park Young-sun’s role within the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy is growing in the vacuum left by its moderate leaders. In the wake of NPAD co-chairmen Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Han-gil’s resignations, Park was made the party’s acting chair. She will also head the NPAD’s emergency committee. With the majority of the lawmakers in agreement, the committee will be tasked with reforming the party until new leadership is elected early next year. Park, a three-term lawmaker

PoliticsAug. 4, 2014

[Newsmaker] Park back to work on economy, unification

President Park Geun-hye returns to office on Monday after her much-debated five-day summer vacation. As many expected, the president ended up staying in Cheong Wa Dae the whole time, saying she had no room left in her mind to go on a trip. On a rare occasion, Park expressed her thoughts on her Facebook account last Tuesday, describing the past months as “a difficult and a long period of time.” She went on to say that she was not able to leave the presidential office thinking that she may have “a

PoliticsAug. 3, 2014

[Newsmaker] China probes ex-security czar

BEIJING (AP) ― China’s ruling Communist Party announced an investigation into a feared ex-security chief, demonstrating President Xi Jinping’s firm grip on power and breaking a longstanding taboo against publicly targeting the country’s topmost leaders.If he goes to trial, Zhou Yongkang would be the highest-level official to be prosecuted since the 1981 treason trial of Mao Zedong’s wife and other members of the “Gang of Four,” who mercilessly persecuted political opponents during the chaotic 19

World NewsJuly 30, 2014

[Newsmaker] Evidence hints Japan hid Joseon books

Circumstantial evidence has surfaced that Japan had concealed lists of crucial Korean cultural assets that it smuggled out of the peninsula during the 1910-45 colonial period, when the two countries were engaged in negotiations over their return to Korea in the 1950s-60s. The bilateral talks over the stolen items proceeded as the two countries engaged in negotiations over the normalization of their relationship, which concluded in 1965.According to a recent ruling by an appeals court in Tokyo, t

Foreign AffairsJuly 29, 2014

[Newsmaker] 'Real cause' of ferry disaster still elusive

Almost 15 weeks since the Sewol ferry sank in the West Sea, South Koreans still disagree as to what caused the disaster, with earlier prosecutorial and parliamentary investigations failing to produce conclusive explanations about the accident.Lawmakers, scholars and victims’ families are saying an inquiry panel should be created to unearth the “real causes” of the disaster. On July 12, lawmakers from ruling and opposition parties began to write a special bill to set up the panel. Lawmakers also

PoliticsJuly 28, 2014

[Newsmaker] Russia stoic on sanctions threat

MOSCOW (AFP) ― Russia has remained stoic about the threat of tighter Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, but analysts are concerned that the uncertainty they generate could alone choke off growth.The downing of a Malaysian passenger airliner over eastern Ukraine on July 17, which was carrying mostly Dutch passengers, has hardened Western resolve to impose tighter sanctions against Russia.Western leaders have accused the Kremlin of supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine, a charge Moscow

World NewsJuly 27, 2014

[Newsmaker] Xi shows economic power to S. America

HAVANA (AFP) ― Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a nine-day Latin American tour in Cuba on Wednesday, heading home with dozens of deals underlining Beijing’s growing interest ― and influence ― in the region.Xi kicked off his trip at a summit of the BRICS emerging powers in Brazil, then traveled to Argentina, Venezuela and Cuba ― three countries that have often been among the most outspoken critics of U.S. dominance over the region.His charm offensive began with the announcement by the BRIC

World NewsJuly 24, 2014

[Newsmaker] Jakarta governor wins Indonesian election

Jakarta governor Joko Widodo, who captured the hearts of millions of Indonesians with his common man image, won the country's presidential election with 53 percent of the vote, final results showed Tuesday.Widodo, a former furniture exporter known to most as “Jokowi,” is the first candidate in a direct presidential election with no ties to the former dictator Suharto, who ruled for 30 years before being overthrown in 1998. The other contender, former general Prabowo Subianto, declared he was wit

WorldJuly 22, 2014

[Newsmaker] Elite school stirs dispute

A local education office on Tuesday made a move to turn one of its elite high schools into a regular one on Tuesday, hinting at a potential all-out feud between the government and education superintendents over the autonomous private high school system.Dongsan Christian High School, located in Ansan, fell short of standards required for an autonomous private high school, according to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education. The GOE sent the report to the Education Ministry, effectively takin

Social AffairsJuly 22, 2014

[Newsmaker] Russia risks burning bridges over jet crash

MOSCOW (AFP) ― Russia risks burning bridges with the West over the deadly Malaysian plane crash in Ukraine, as analysts warn that President Vladimir Putin might never accept responsibility for the disaster.Observers said Thursday’s shooting down of a Boeing 777 with 298 people on board over Ukrainian territory held by pro-Kremlin rebels would have unpredictable political and economic consequences for Russia. “We are witnessing a tectonic clash between Russia and the West,” Yuly Nisnevich of the

World NewsJuly 21, 2014

[Newsmaker] P.M. vows key role in state reform

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won vowed to continue to play a pivotal role in Korea’s reform drive, despite widespread concerns that the designation of ruling party bigwigs as deputy premiers will reduce his clout.Chung, who unexpectedly retained his post after two potential successors withdrew their nominations, told reporters Friday that he is planning to work in tandem with the newly appointed finance minister, Choi Kyung-hwan. Choi will double as the deputy prime minister for economy. “Some seem

PoliticsJuly 20, 2014

[Newsmaker] Home affairs minister faces tough mission

Chong Jong-sup, the home affairs minister who took office Thursday, confronts the daunting challenge of revamping the public sector.The former constitutional scholar, entrusted with the task of regaining the public’s trust via governmental reforms, vowed to put his efforts into ensuring that accidents like April’s deadly sinking of the Sewol will not happen again. The ferry sank off the country’s southwestern island of Jindo on April 16 and left over 300 dead or missing, most of them high school

PoliticsJuly 17, 2014

[Newsmaker] Education nominee generates mixed reactions

Former Saenuri Party chairman and pro-Park Geun-hye heavyweight Rep. Hwang Woo-yea is generating mixed reactions as President Park continues to struggle with her personnel selections. Past precedents indicate that Hwang will not face much trouble in passing the parliamentary confirmation hearing. So far, no lawmaker tapped for a Cabinet position has been blocked by the hearings. However, his track record is raising ire among the opposition parties. The five-term lawmaker’s tenure as the ruling p

PoliticsJuly 16, 2014

[Newsmaker] Expectations run high for new ‘boss’

Rep. Kim Moo-sung, who was elected as the chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party at a national convention on Tuesday, is in for a raft of challenges, to say the least. Both sides of the political spectrum have high expectations for his tenure, in the long term, and his role in the July 30 by-elections, in the short term. Kim’s actions are expected to vary greatly from those of his predecessor Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, who was criticized for trying to please President Park Geun-hye while being too indeci

PoliticsJuly 15, 2014

[Newsmaker] Ryu Hyun-jin earns 10th win of season

LOS ANGELES (Yonhap) ― Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers earned his 10th victory of the season after tossing six shutout innings against the San Diego Padres at home on Sunday.In his final start before the All-Star break, Ryu left the game after six innings with the Dodgers leading 1-0. Ryu allowed only two hits and struck out a season-high 10 batters before handing things over to Brandon League to start the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium.Ryu entered the day with a 9-5 record and a 3.65

BaseballJuly 14, 2014