The number of online financial scams in South Korea surpassed 30,000 in the first 10 months of last year, as scamming methods become increasingly diversified and sophisticated, the police said Friday.Four online financial scams such as SMishing, pharming, instant messenger phishing and memory hacking reached 32,060 cases in the January-October period of last year, the police said.Among the above-cited online financial fraud methods, SMishing caused the most damage to financial consumers, reachin

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2014

North Korea's top envoy to Britain dangled the possibility of progress in staging reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War as he renewed Pyongyang's demands that Seoul cancel its annual military drill with the United States.Hyun Hak-bong said in a video interview posted Thursday that the two Koreas can discuss a date for staging the family reunions, breaking the silence the North has kept since South Korea proposed earlier this week to hold the reunions for the aging Koreans."As

North Korea Jan. 31, 2014

In dealing with South Korea's plan to upgrade its non-military nuclear program, the U.S. government continues to put a priority on a global nonproliferation regime, Washington officials said Thursday.Thomas Countryman, assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation, admitted that Seoul's pursuit of consent for enriching uranium and reprocessing plutonium is a major sticking point in bilateral talks on civilian nuclear cooperation."I'll simply reaffirm that with the

National Jan. 31, 2014

A legislative panel at the Virginia House of Delegates on Thursday passed a bill requiring new school textbooks to use the Korean name East Sea as well as the Sea of Japan.The 5-4 vote in the education subcommittee kept alive the Korean-American community's hopes that Virginia will become the first U.S. state to introduce legislation to identify the waters between Korea and Japan as the East Sea.The state's Senate approved a similar bill last week.Koreans contend the Sea of Japan, still more pop

Foreign Affairs Jan. 31, 2014

북한 급변사태 가능성에 대한 우려가 증가하고 있는 가운데, 주한미군은 수년 안에 특수지뢰방호차량인 MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) 80대 이상 한반도 배치를 추진 중이라고 밝혔다. 2012년 미군은 MRAP의 한반도 운용 적합성에 대한 평가를 한 후에, 2사단 운용이 부적합하다는 평가를 내렸었다. 그럼에도 80대 이상의 MRAP 배치를 추진하는 것은 북한 급변사태를 고려한 것이 아니냐는 분석이 나오고 있다.미육군성의 승인하게 되면, 한국에 있는 미군기지에 MRAP이 배치될 것이라고 미8군측은 설명했다. 미군은 MRAP의 배치 뿐만 아니라, 2월 기계화보병부대 순환 배치 계획을 포함해 대북 억지력을 강화하고 있는 상황이다. 전문가들은 주한미군이 북한 김정은 국방위원장의 고모부인 장성택 처형이후 불안해진 안보상황을 감안해 군사력을 보강하고 있다고 분석하고 있다.MRAP은 미 지상군의 아프간 이라크 전쟁에서 큰 역할을 했다. 특히 MRAP은 전투상황에

한국어판 Jan. 22, 2014

South Korea's trade commission on Friday launched a formal investigation into alleged dumping by a local importer of ethanolamine.The probe will affect products from the United States, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.Ethanolamine is a chemical compound used to produce various products including detergent and plasticizer.In 2012, the country's market for ethanolamine came to about US$47 million with 49 percent of the total supplied by the four

Industry Dec. 20, 2013

North Korea on Friday accepted South Korea's call to hold working-level talks next week to improve the overall competitiveness of the inter-Korean factory park in Kaesong.The Ministry of Unification said Pyongyang notified the South through the Kaesong Industrial Complex joint management committee secretariat that it wants to hold three subcommittee meetings next Wednesday and Thursday."The North proposed talks on three sub-panels related to investment protection, internationalization and rules

North Korea Nov. 8, 2013

North Korea on Friday threatened to take action against the head of South Korea's spy agency for masterminding the kidnapping of its citizens and for plotting to undermine the country's sovereignty.The spokesman for the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said Seoul is using the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to carry out anti-DPRK activities. The DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.He warned that all those who take part

North Korea Nov. 8, 2013

The office of South Korean President Park Geun-hye cautioned Sunday against reading too much into her remark that she is willing to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at any time, saying it was an unspecific and general statement.Park had made the remark in an interview with the French daily Le Figaro published Saturday. She said Seoul is ready to help the North and she can meet with the North's young leader if it is necessary for moving inter-Korean relations forward and promoti

North Korea Nov. 3, 2013

The LG Twins blanked the Doosan Bears 2-0 on Thursday to knot their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) playoff series at one game apiece, backed by a dominant performance by their flame-throwing starter.Radhames Liz struck out 10 and gave up only one hit in eight overpowering innings for the victorious side at Jamsil Stadium, and leadoff Park Yong-taik went 4-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI to back the right-hander.The third game will be back at Jamsil at 2 p.m. Saturday. Since both teams share

Baseball Oct. 17, 2013

South Korea expressed "deep regret" Thursday over a ritual offering made by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the controversial Yasukuni shrine, which is condemned here as a symbol of Japan's past imperialism."Our government cannot help but express deep concerns and regret over Prime Minister Abe's offering to the Yasukuni shrine that glorifies its past wars of aggression and honors war criminals," Foreign Minister Spokesman Cho Tai-young said in a briefing."I once again call on Japanese pol

Foreign Affairs Oct. 17, 2013

A group of South Korean netizens are campaigning to change the official English name for a Korean collection of Buddhist texts carved on more than 80,000 wooden blocks.Tripitaka Koreana, or Palman Daejanggyeong in Korean, is considered the most comprehensive set of Buddhist scriptures found to date. The Haein Temple, where the texts are kept in Hapcheon, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The netizens filed a petition on the "Agora" bulletin board of the local Internet portal Daum with the Cultur

Social Affairs Oct. 17, 2013

 South Korean veteran Jang Ik-jae shot a 4-under 67 to open a one-stroke lead after the first round play at the Kolon Korea Open golf tournament here on Thursday.The 40-year-old enjoyed a bogey-free round that included an eagle on the par-4 10th hole, along with two birdies at the par-71 Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, 90 kilometers south of Seoul in South Chungcheong Province."I didn't hit too well off the tee," said Jang, a Japan Golf Tour member seeking his first win on native soil s

Golf Oct. 17, 2013