President Park Geun-hye on Thursday offered three-way talks with ruling and opposition party leaders to end a parliamentary impasse over the National Intelligence Service’s alleged interference in last year’s election. The opposition Democratic Party, whose chairman has been requesting a one-on-one meeting with Park since early August, withheld its answer, raising doubts about the president’s sincerity. At a press briefing about the results of Park’s recent overseas trip, senior presidential pre

Politics Sept. 12, 2013

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a two-year prison term for Park Young-june, a former vice commerce minister under the previous Lee Myung-bak administration, for bribery.Park was convicted of taking some 160 million won ($148,000) in kickbacks from a local property developer in exchange for helping him win a construction permit for a major trade center in southern Seoul.The 53-year-old, known as one of the closest confidants to then-President Lee, was also found guilty of ordering surveil

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2013

A total of 1.1 million people in the United States spoke Korean at home in 2011, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released Wednesday.Korean was among eight languages used by at least 1 million people, along with English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog (Philippines), Vietnamese, French and German.The number of Korean speakers in the U.S. grew by 327 percent from 1980 to 2010, the bureau said in the American Community Survey.In 1980, fewer than 300,000 people spoke Korean.Only 45 percent of Kor

Social Affairs Sept. 12, 2013

Derek Jeter began the season on the disabled list, and that is how it will end.The New York Yankees shortstop will miss the rest of the season after being placed on the disabled list Wednesday with an ankle injury.Jeter, 39, last played Saturday against Boston. He was removed for a pinch runner after hurting his left ankle , and although a CT scan was negative, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the injury will need significant time to heal.“You have to let the pain dissipate and then gi

Baseball Sept. 12, 2013

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Thursday on large-cap gains following the previous rally to a three-month high, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 0.09 point with no percentage change to 2,003.94 in the first 15 minutes of trading, after starting 0.04 percent higher at the opening bell. No. 2 lender KB Financial gained 0.4 percent, with top mobile carrier SK Telecom rising 1.4 percent. The local currency was trading at 1,083.85 won against the

Sept. 12, 2013

Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-biggest automaker, said Thursday that it has reached a tentative wage deal with its union after days of partial strikes.The agreement reached early Thursday calls for a hike of 97,000 won ($89) in basic salaries and 8.5 million won in incentive payments and performance-related bonuses as well as other benefits.The two sides also agreed to double the amount of social contribution to 2 billion won to support the underprivileged in society, according to the co

Industry Sept. 12, 2013

North Korea's International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Chang Ung expressed support for South Korea's effort to secure another seat in the sports governing body, a media report said Thursday.According to Voice of America (VOA), Chang who is attending the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, said he supports the bid by World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) chief Choue Chung-won to become a member of the IOC. He made the comments by phone with the Washington-based media company.The North Ko

More Sports Sept. 12, 2013

Key international players were moving on two diplomatic fronts Wednesday to try to put Syria's chemical weapons under international control, and a fresh effort appeared to be underway to get the government and opposition to peace talks.The five veto-wielding members of the Security Council, who have been deeply divided over Syria, met late Wednesday to discuss what to include in a new resolution requiring that Syria's chemical weapons stockpile be secured and dismantled. They later left Russia's

World News Sept. 12, 2013

A recent satellite image appears to show North Korea is restarting a plutonium reactor, in a move that could raise renewed international alarm over its nuclear weapons program, a U.S. research institute said Wednesday.The 5 megawatt reactor at the Nyongbyon nuclear facility was shuttered in 2007 under the terms of a disarmament agreement. Pyongyang announced plans in April to restart it amid a litany of threats toward the U.S. and South Korea after it faced tougher international censure over its

North Korea Sept. 12, 2013

The South Korean military is apparently seeking to upgrade its missile defense capability to Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC)-III, with the purchase of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems in mind as a possible next step, a U.S. defense industry official said Wednesday.If confirmed, it would contradict South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin's statement that his country is just pushing for the so-called low-tier Korea Missile Defense (KAD) system.South Korea is reportedly unde

Defense Sept. 12, 2013

SBS가 새로운 월화드라마 “수상한 가정부”의 제목변경을 요구하는 목소리에 제목변경은 누리지만 극중에 가정부라는 말은 쓰지 않도록 대본을 수정중이라고 11일 밝혔다.SBS는 언론과의 인터뷰에서 “원작에 충실하기 위해 제목 변경은 힘들다”면서 제막에서만 가정부란 단어가 나올 뿐 내용은 그렇지 않다고 설명했다.한국여성노동자회와 전국가정관리사협회는 지난 6일 “수상한 가정부”에서 “가정부”라는 용어가 직업을 비하한다는 이유로 제목변경을 요구한 바 있다.한 SBS 관계자는 극 중에서 가정부라는 표현을 최대한 자제할 계획이며, 또한 4회 중 어린이들이 주인공인 박복녀 (최지우 분)을 “가정부”라고 지칭하는 것을 지적하며 “가사도우미”라고 정정해주는 장면이 등장한다고 한다. “수상한 가정부”는 엄마를 잃고 아빠와 4남매가 사는 가정에 정체불명의 가정부가 들어오면서 벌어지는 이야기를 담은 작품이다. 기획의도에 따르면 “어딘가 조금씩 비틀려 있는 가족들”이 표정이나 감정 없이 웃지도 않는 가정부

한국어판 Sept. 11, 2013

The education minister said Wednesday the authority will review a controversial high school textbook criticized by opposition lawmakers and left-leaning historians for containing a conservative bias, along with seven other new textbooks, and revise them if necessary."We will, by late October, modify and supplement eight types of high school history textbooks that were approved by the National Institute of Korean History on Aug. 30," Seo Nam-soo said in a press conference at the ministry in Seoul

Social Affairs Sept. 11, 2013