On the eve of the 63rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean war, the South Korean parliament on Monday passed a resolution calling on North Korea to repatriate former service members who were taken there after the war.In the resolution adopted by the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly during its plenary session, the lawmakers urged Pyongyang to "instantly send Korean war prisoners back home" and to "accept Seoul's request for cooperation to resolve relevant i

North Korea June 24, 2013

South Korea and the United States are likely to start high-level negotiations sometime next week to renew the cost-sharing agreement for keeping U.S. troops here, a Seoul government source said Monday."Opening the first round of cost-sharing talks in Washington is under final discussion ... The date (for the talks) will soon be decided," said the source, requesting anonymity.The talks come as the agreement, eighth of its kind and called the Special Measures Agreement (SMA), expires at the end of

Defense June 24, 2013

By Kim Ji-hyunLee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics, on Friday issued a statement thanking Samsung employees to mark the 20th anniversary of his "New Management Initiative." He also reminded them it was time to take Samsung to the next level. "Twenty years ago, we dreamed of becoming a world-class company and have been striving relentlessly to reach that goal ever since. Now, thanks to your dedication and passion, we stand tall as a leading global company," Lee said in a statement.In look

Technology June 7, 2013

From news reports Up to 21 companies wishing to be listed on the new Korea New Exchange (KONEX) market for the smaller industry players submitted their applications, the nation's bourse operator said on Friday. The Korea Exchange (KRX) said that 10 brokerage houses, which were selected as authorized supervisors in March to evaluate and supervise firms to be listed on the envisioned market, handed in the list of candidates.The KONEX was another effort to help foster SMEs and also expand the KRX's

Industry June 7, 2013

The top 600 companies in South Korea are likely to increase investment by 13.9 percent this year from a year earlier despite the economic slowdown, a survey showed Sunday.South Korea's 600 biggest companies in terms of sales said their investments are expected to reach a combined 129.7 trillion won (US$118.4 billion) this year, compared with 113.9 trillion won the previous year, according to the poll made by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), the country's top business lobby.The survey s

Industry May 5, 2013

The chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) visited the heavily fortified inter-Korean border Saturday amid heightened cross-border tensions triggered by North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen's visit to the neutral truce village of Panmunjom comes as North Korea is reportedly moving to launch another missile that could escalate the already high tension on the divided Korean Peninsula, the Cold War's last frontier.According to exper

North Korea April 13, 2013

North Korea warned Saturday that South Korea will face a "catastrophic situation" if a group of North Korean defectors sends anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border as planned.North Korean defectors and a Seoul-based civic organization have said they plan to release leaflets with anti-Pyongyang messages, often mixed with U.S. dollar bills, via balloon in the city of Paju on the late founding leader's birthday, which falls on Monday.In a commentary article published on the Web site o

North Korea April 13, 2013

North Korea did not appear to move vehicles suspected to be mobile launchers for its medium-range missiles over the past two days, a government source said Saturday, in an indication that Pyongyang's missile launch is not imminent.According to intelligence sources, the North had moved two Musudan intermediate missiles, which had been concealed in a shed in the eastern port city of Wonsan, in and out of the facility earlier this week in an apparent bid to interfere with Seoul's intelligence monit

North Korea April 13, 2013

 South Korean rapper Psy's new single "Gentleman" swept the iTunes Chart at home and abroad, its agency said Saturday, just one day after the much-anticipated release of the strong-beat song.   The new single entered top 10 iTunes Single Chart in many Asian, European and South American countries, YG Entertainment said, adding that it topped the Vietnamese chart.   As a follow-up to his previous global smash hit "Gangnam Style," Gentleman satirizes a tacky man who calls himself a gentleman.   The

Performance April 13, 2013

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's offer of dialogue with North Korea reflects South Korean President Park Geun-hye's vision for relations with the communist neighbor, his department said Friday.After talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in Seoul, Kerry told reporters that Washington hopes for negotiations with North Korea."The president and the secretary have been clear that we're open to engagement. But I think really in this context he was referring to President Park's posi

North Korea April 13, 2013

U.S. views Kaesong project still necessary despite criticismThe U.S. government does not support the immediate closure of an embattled inter-Korean industrial complex, according to an official, despite claims that it is a failed effort at rapprochement that fuels the North Korean economy.North Korea has shut down, at least temporarily, the industrial park at Kaesong, hailed as a model of cooperation between the two Koreas.Some say that's good.Chun Yung-woo, a former South Korean national securit

North Korea April 13, 2013