U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in South Korea on Friday on an unusual diplomatic journey, traveling directly into a region bracing for a possible North Korean missile test and risking that his presence alone could spur Pyongyang into another headline-seeking provocation.Kerry was kicking off four days of talks in East Asia amid speculation that the North's unpredictable regime would launch a mid-range missile designed to reach as far as the U.S. territory of Guam. Kerry also planned

World News April 12, 2013

Invitations to Margaret Thatcher's funeral are going out to more than 2,000 celebrities, dignitaries, colleagues and friends of the late British leader _ from former U.S. presidents to composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.The government says invitations are being printed Thursday and will be mailed out on Friday. Some invitees may not attend. The list includes all surviving U.S. presidents, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as British poli

World News April 11, 2013

While tensions mount on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea's border region with China remains calm as Pyongyang prepares to celebrate its most important holiday, Chinese traders said Thursday.Chinese businessmen just across the border from North Korea's Sinuiju city in Dandong said the North is buying a lot of fertilizer in preparation for spring planting."Judging by the volume and the materials going into the country, it does not seem like war is imminent," a local trader said.Chinese observers

North Korea April 11, 2013

North Korea's provocations are escalating a tense situation and this ``war rhetoric needs to end,'' Germany's foreign minister said Thursday.Speaking on the sidelines of the G-8 foreign ministers' meeting in London, Guido Westerwelle said all of the group's ministers shared his conviction.“This war rhetoric is not in any way acceptable and the G-8 has a united position on this,'' he said.The two-day talks among eight world powers are expected to focus on North Korea and the civil war in Syria. T

World News April 11, 2013

Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has sprung yet another leak of radioactive water, its operator said on Thursday, the latest in an increasingly long line of mishaps to rattle public confidence.Tokyo Electric Power Co said around 22 liters of highly radioactive waste water leaked from a pipe as work crews were trying to empty a reservoir that itself had already sprung leaks.The company said it has not seen any evidence that the leaked water had gone beyond the confines of the plant."We ar

World News April 11, 2013

"결혼은 필수?" 남녀 인식차 더 커졌다사회 전반에 '결혼이 필수'라는 가치관이  희석 되는 가운데 남녀간에는 이런 인식 차가 더 벌어지고 있다.10일 보건복지부가 발표한 지난해 '전국 결혼 및 출산 동향 조사' 결과에  따르 면 '결혼을 반드시 해야 한다'고 생각하는 미혼 여성은 13.3%에 그쳤다. 반면 미혼 남성은 이보다 2배 많은 25.8%가 결혼을 꼭 해야 한다고 답변했다. 3년 전 조사에서 결혼이 필수라는 답은 남녀가 각각 23.4%와 16.9%였지만 지난해 는 이 격차가 2배로 벌어진 것이다. 결혼을 '반드시 해야 한다'와 '하는 것이 좋다'고 답한 미혼 남성은 2009년 69.8%에서 지난해 67.5%로 소폭 줄었고 미혼 여성은 63.2%에서 56.7%로 감소 폭이 남성 보다 더 컸다. 결혼 필요성에 대한 긍정적 인식이 3년만에 남녀 모두에서 감소했지만 여성의 인식변화는 훨씬 더 두드러졌다. 또 결혼이 필수라는 가치관에서도 남녀 차가 더욱 커졌다.결혼 기피와 지연의 이

한국어판 April 10, 2013

일본과 대 만이 센카쿠(尖閣•중국명 댜오위다오<釣魚島>) 열도 주변 해역에서의 어업협정에 대략적으로 합의했다고 아사히신문이 10일 보도했다. 아사히에 따르면 양국은 센카쿠 주변의 공동관리수역 획정 방안에 합의를 이뤘다. 센카쿠를 실효적으로 지배하고 있는 일본 입장에서는 대만 어선이 공동관리수역 에서 조업하는 것을 인정하되, 영해로 주장하는 섬 주변 12해리 이내 해역의 출입은 인정하지 않기로 했다.양측은 또 쌍방 어선 수 등을 조정하기 위한 공동관리위원회를 만들기로 했다. 대만 외교부도 양국이 이날 오후 3시(현지시간) 타이베이에서 제17차 어업회담 을 열고 이 같은 내용 등을 담은 센카쿠 주변 어업권 관련 협정에 공식 서명할 예정 이라고 밝혔다.양국 간 어업회담은 2009년 2월 이후 4년 2개월여 만에 공식 재개되는 것이다.양국은 앞서 어업회담 의제 설정과 사전 조율을 위한 2차례 예비회담과 비공식 회담을 잇따라 개최했다.일본 입장에서 이번 합의는 영유권 분쟁의 주된 상대인 중국

한국어판 April 10, 2013

The biggest border crossing between North Korea and China has been closed to tourist groups, a Chinese official said Wednesday as nuclear tensions mounted, but business travel was still allowed.An official at the Dandong Border Office, who declined to give his name, told AFP: "Travel agencies are not allowed to take tourist groups to go there, since the North Korean government is now asking foreign people to leave.""As far as I know, business people can enter and leave North Korea freely," he ad

North Korea April 10, 2013

A Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced TV personality Koh Young-wook to five years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting minors.Koh, 37, the former member of the 90s popular singing group Roo-La, was found guilty of a total of four accounts of rape and sexual assault against three teenagers between July 2010 and December 2012.The Seoul Western District Court also ordered that Koh wear an electronic monitoring anklet for 10 years and that his personal information be made available to the pub

Social Affairs April 10, 2013

South Korea will keep up its monitoring on financial and economic conditions in order to swiftly respond to any eventualities amid deepening geopolitical risks from North Korea's continued war threats, a senior economic policymaker said Wednesday."The government will strengthen its monitoring on financial and economic developments, while keeping its efforts to stabilize sentiment among foreign credit appraisers and foreign investors,"said Eun Sung-soon, the head of the finance ministry's interna

April 10, 2013

북한 국경에 위치한 개성공업단지에서 공장을 가동하고 있는 남측 중소기업들이 개성공단 내 생산라인 중단으로 심각한 타격을 입고 있다. 월요일 개성공단 가동을 잠정 중단한다는 북한의 발표에 이어 공장 근로자 약 5만4천명이 출근하지 않았다.일주일 간 계속된 개성공단 출입금지 조치와 함께 가동 중단 조치는 개성공단에서 공장을 운영하고 있는 중소기업들을 더욱 압박했다. 개성공단 내 123개 입주기업을 대표하는 협의회가 북한에서의 사업 정상화 방안을 논의하기 위해 서울 여의도에서 비상대책회의를 소집했다.이 협의회는 회의를 마치고 발표한 성명에서 "우리는 응급실에 누워있는 환자와 같다. 개성공단에서 공장을 가동하고 있는 많은 기업들은 생산라인이 빠른 시일 안에 재개되지 않을 경우 파산할 수 있다"고 말했다.협의회는 대화를 통한 생산라인 재개방안을 논의하기 위해 북한에 중소기업 대표단 파견을  정부에 촉구했다. 북한의 적대적 조치로 인한 경제적 피해는 늘고 있다. 협의회는 개성공단 중단으로 발생

한국어판 April 10, 2013

Iran, under international sanctions for its nuclear enrichment program, on Tuesday launched a new uranium production facility and began operations in two uranium extraction mines, state media said.The two mines in the city of Saghand in central Iran operate 350 meters underground, and are within 120 kilometers of the yellowcake production facility in the city of Ardakan, in Yazd province, state television said.Yellowcake is the impure state of uranium oxide later used in enrichment facilities. (

World News April 9, 2013

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Tuesday that North Korea's decision to suspend the operation of a jointly run factory complex in its border city of Gaeseong is "very disappointing." Park made the remark during a Cabinet meeting, saying that no country in the world would be willing to invest in North Korea if the communist nation flouts international regulations and promises."It is very disappointing that North Korea abruptly said yesterday that it will temporarily suspend the operation

North Korea April 9, 2013