The Middle East-based news channel Al Jazeera will open a bureau in Seoul in the first half of this year to provide in-depth coverage of current issues on the Korean Peninsula, the station said Monday.   The Qatar-based network is currently searching for an office and checking the city's broadcasting infrastructure before launching the bureau with a correspondent, a cameraman and a producer, Al An

Social Affairs Jan. 3, 2011

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start on Monday in the first trading of the year, buoyed by gains in technology shares, analysts said.   The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 5.9 points, or 0.29 percent, to 2,056.9 in the first 15 minutes of trading.   Tech issues led the climb with chip giant Hynix Semiconductor adding nearly 4 percent.   Financial shares also len

Jan. 3, 2011

South Korea's foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has continued to spread through the central part of the country despite nationwide quarantine efforts, the government said Monday.   The farm ministry said a pig farm in Boryeong, 170 kilometers southwest of Seoul, tested positive for FMD, along with a cattle farm in Chuncheon, east of the capital city.   The outbreak in Boryeong marks the third time that

Social Affairs Jan. 3, 2011

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan hinted that the South Korea might allow for an “interim entity” if the North collapsed and said China’s role should be considered when he talked with a top U.S. diplomat, according to a leaked U.S. diplomatic cable dating from before his term as minister.The diplomatic cable in question was disclosed by Aftenposten, Norway’s largest newspaper which claims to have Wik

North Korea Jan. 2, 2011

South Korea confirmed five additional foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks at two beef cattle farms and a milk cattle farm in provincial areas on Sunday despite nationwide quarantine efforts to contain the spread of the highly contagious animal disease, provincial government officials said.   The South Chungcheong provincial government said two milk cows at a farm in the central city of Cheonan,

Social Affairs Jan. 2, 2011

Police continued their search on Sunday for a man suspected of stealing 530 million won (US$472,760) in cash from a armored van in this southeastern city on New Year's Eve.   The suspect, thought to be in his 20s or 30s, is still at large after robbing the cash-carrying van that was parked on a college campus on Friday afternoon in Gumi, 261 kilometers south of Seoul.At the time of the theft, the

Social Affairs Jan. 2, 2011

A business arm of South Korea's largest Buddhist sect said Sunday it has expanded its Web site on temple stay programs to support Chinese, Japanese and three other foreign languages as well as English.   The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism, affiliated with the Jogye Order, said it has retooled the site (http://eng.templestay.com) so that information on programs is also available in German, Frenc

Social Affairs Jan. 2, 2011