Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's warning against a growing boycott movement against the Jewish state should peace talks with the Palestinians fail, while some of his Cabinet ministers lashed out angrily, saying the stance undermined Israel's legitimacy and the chances of reaching a peace agreement.The brush-up comes as Israel is negotiating with the Palestinians against a backdrop of increasing international pressure to reach a dea

World News Feb. 2, 2014

The IOC is urging Russian Olympic organizers to move quickly to resolve the issue of accommodations that are not ready for accredited media personnel in the mountains outside Sochi.According to the Sochi organizing committee, only six of the nine media hotels in the mountain area are fully operational.Some media have arrived and found they had no place to stay, and thousands of journalists are expected to arrive Monday.The matter was being examined Sunday at a meeting of the International Olympi

Olympic Games Feb. 2, 2014

The government on Sunday announced a plan to launch an intensive crackdown on the illegal distributors of personal data to prevent further damage from the latest massive leak of customer data from three leading credit card firms.Law enforcement authorities will begin an indefinite crackdown on those who illegally circulate or use the leaked data, the prime minister's office said after a meeting of related Cabinet ministers.It was the first regular weekend meeting presided over by Prime Minister

Feb. 2, 2014

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Wednesday that the Korean unification would be a blessing not only for the Koreas but for neighbors as well, citing investment opportunities in the communist North.Park made the remark during a question and answer session after a keynote speech at this year's meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos. She said unification of the two Koreas would be a "jackpot" for all of Northeast Asia."I think unification will be a great benef

National Jan. 22, 2014

Korea Aerospace Industries, the country's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Wednesday that it aims to secure 7.7 trillion won ($7.2 billion) worth of new orders and push up sales to 2.3 trillion won in 2014 as part of its ongoing effort to become a global player in the aerospace field.In a press conference held in Seoul, KAI said this year's target order represents a 25 percent increase from the year before, while the sales goal marks a 15 percent on-year gain.It wants to push up annual sales to

Defense Jan. 22, 2014

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended South Korean President Park Geun-hye's speech at an annual gathering of global political and business leaders in Switzerland Wednesday.Abe's attendance in Park's speech at this year's meeting of the World Economic Forum, also known as the Davos Forum, drew keen attention because of the possibility of Abe meeting with Park amid badly frayed relations between the two Northeast Asian neighbors.The Japanese leader was seen listening attentively to the spee

National Jan. 22, 2014

China's top legislative committee formally approved a loosening of the country's hugely controversial one-child policy on Saturday and abolished "re-education through labour" camps, state media reported.The decisions were taken by the standing committee of the National People's Congress, China's rubber-stamp parliament, at the conclusion of a six-day meeting, according to Xinhua news agency.The widening of existing exceptions to the one-child policy will allow couples where either parent has no

World Dec. 28, 2013

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered front-line soldiers to become "human bullets" and "bombs" to protect him, the state media reported Saturday, amid rising concerns over potential political instability in the communist state.The Korean Central News Agency reported Kim made the comments while observing military training of two Army units, without elaborating on the location and time of the event.Kim ordered the soldiers to have "unshakable faith" to "protect the leader unto death in the spir

North Korea Dec. 28, 2013

In the old days, filmmakers flocked to Hollywood for its abundant sunshine, beautiful people and sandy beaches. But today a new filmmaking diaspora is spreading across the globe to places like Vancouver, London and Wellington, New Zealand.Fueled by politicians doling out generous tax breaks, filmmaking talent is migrating to where the money is. The result is an incentives arms race that pits California against governments around the world and allows powerful studios  -- with hundreds of millions

Film Dec. 28, 2013

Hyundai Motor America said Friday a former Ford Motor manager has been named the president and CEO of the subsidiary of South Korea's largest carmaker.John Krafcik will step down from the post at the end of this year after a five-year stint, succeeded by David Zuchowski, currently executive vice president of sales, effective Jan. 1, the company said in a press release.It added Krafcik is quitting "upon the successful completion of his contract."Incoming CEO Zuchowski began his career at Ford Mot

Industry Dec. 28, 2013

Tehran said Sunday it will keep talking with world powers on its disputed nuclear programme despite a US move to blacklist Iranian companies for evading sanctions."We are pursuing the negotiations seriously and of course we will give a well-considered, purposeful, smart and proper reaction to any inappropriate and unconstructive move," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on his Facebook page.This was despite the Americans having made "inappropriate moves to which we gave the appropriate

World News Dec. 15, 2013

A senior North Korean official says the execution of leader Kim Jong-un's once-powerful uncle won't lead to changes in economic policies and the nation will push ahead with plans for new economic zones to attract foreign investment.Yun Yong-sok, a senior official in the State Economic Development Committee, said in an interview with The Associated Press in Pyongyang on Sunday that Friday's execution of Jang Song-thaek shouldn't be taken as a sign that the North will change economic course or eff

North Korea Dec. 15, 2013

Nations launched a new round of talks Monday for a 2015 deal to cut Earth-warming greenhouse gas emissions in the aftermath of a deadly Philippines typhoon the UN's climate chief labelled "sobering".The 12-day United Nations talks opened amid a slew of warnings about potentially disastrous warming with increasingly extreme weather phenomena unless humankind changes its atmosphere-polluting, fossil-fuel burning ways."What happens in this stadium is not a game. There are not two sides but the whol

World News Nov. 11, 2013

Park Tong-jin, a former foreign minister, died of natural causes Monday at the age of 91, his family said.The longest serving South Korean foreign minister between 1975 and 1980 under the Park Chung-hee administration, Park Tong-jin also worked as a unification minister, an ambassador to the United States and a two-term lawmaker.He dealt with Seoul's relations with Washington during the turbulent period of the late 1970s. Then President Park Chung-hee was assassinated by his intelligence chief a

Social Affairs Nov. 11, 2013