South Korea and the United States are discussing the possible location of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that could be deployed in the country to deter North Korea's ever growing missile threats, military sources said Monday.   According to sources, the possible candidates for the base of the THAAD system includes U.S. military bases in the southern city of Daegu or Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul.    The interceptor missile systems and their related sensors

Diplomatic Circuit June 6, 2016

South Korea will set up a special team that will systematically promote the spread of its rural development Saemaeul Movement in foreign countries, the government said Monday.   According to the Ministry of Interior, the governmental team will move to establish a long-term road map to spread the initiative that has been lauded for mobilizing South Korean villagers to modernize the country's rural areas in the past that played a part in significant agricultural productivity growth.   The movement

Politics June 6, 2016

North Korean on Monday blasted a former Korean-American detainee who spent two years in its prison for criticizing the country's ruling ideology.   The state-run Internet propaganda site Meari said Bae's speeches made at his recent book release events in South Korea and the United States defamed the country by calling the juche idea and Kim Il Sungism the pillars that support the repressive regime in power.    Both juche or self-reliance, and Kim Il Sungism, named after the founder of the countr

North Korea June 6, 2016

South Korea and Cuba held their first foreign ministerial talks in Havana Sunday, breaking a decades-long absence of formal diplomatic exchanges between the two sides.   South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se arrived in the Cuban capital a day earlier to attend a summit of the Association of Caribbean States. But the focus of his two-day stay was widely expected to be on relations between South Korea and Cuba, which have yet to establish formal diplomatic ties. Yun is the first South Korean

International June 6, 2016

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that Washington and Beijing "stand firmly" on North Korea's defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons, calling for the North to stop all activities that escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.    Kerry made the remarks at the opening of the two-day U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), which is the highest-level regular dialogue channel between the two countries.   U.S. and China have been at odds over China's aggressive military behavior i

International June 6, 2016

The United States and China on Monday opened annual high-level talks amid tensions over China's aggressive island-building activities in the South China Sea as well as trade disputes between the world's two largest economies.    North Korea was also expected to be on the agenda for the two-day U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED). The talks are the highest-level regular dialogue channel between the two countries.   Representing the U.S. at the talks are Secretary of State John Kerry

International June 6, 2016

President Park Geun-hye said Monday that South Korea will join forces with the international community to induce North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons development program and return to the negotiation table during a Memorial Day speech.   "North Korea must realize that the international community will roll out tougher sanctions as the regime clings to the development of nuke and missiles," Park said, adding the country will eventually fall into further isolation and self-destruction.   The

Diplomatic Circuit June 6, 2016

A former South Korean prime minister who served late President Roh Moo-hyun said Monday that diplomats are not usually suitable for domestic politics, targeting the possible presidential bid by the incumbent United Nations secretary-general.   "The talents of diplomats are not suitable for local politics.Although diplomacy is also important, they don't fit to the politics where tensions are high," former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said. "I have seen many diplomats, but none of them

Politics June 6, 2016

North Korea is moving to expand its second work-hard campaign launched this year as it pushes for more growth, state-run media reported Monday.   Pyongyang has kicked off its "200-day campaign of loyalty" this month as part of its five-year economic development plan, unveiled by at the rare ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) congress in early May.   The drive comes on the heels of a 70-day work-hard drive that began earlier this year ahead of the key party gathering that helped solidify North

North Korea June 6, 2016

South Korea's ruling and opposition parties remained at a stalemate a day before the deadline for the formal launching of the new National Assembly, political sources said Monday, casting concerns about the willingness of lawmakers to serve the people.   The ruling Saenuri Party and the Minjoo Party of Korea have been wrangling over the formation of committees and who will name the speaker after the main opposition took one more seat than the ruling party in the 300-seat unicameral parliament fo

Politics June 6, 2016