An annual cultural festival at Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO-designated cultural heritage site, is set to return to the city of Suwon, just south of Seoul, this fall to be culminated by a full-scale reenactment of a filial monarch's pilgrimage to his father's tomb, the Suwon municipal government said Thursday.The 53rd Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Cultural Festival, which will open on Oct. 7 for a three-day run, is held in celebration of the 220th anniversary of the fortress' construction. King Jeongjo,

Culture June 2, 2016

A 40-year-old man surnamed Yoo was arrested on suspicion of raping his 17-year-old stepdaughter, police in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, said Thursday. Yoo is accused of raping the victim while his wife was out of town, according to staff at the Yongin Dongbu Police Station. The victim’s brother was also away from home serving his mandatory military service. The case was reported to the police by the victim’s friend. Yoo denied the charges and said that he was intoxicated at the time of the alleged

Social Affairs June 2, 2016

The ruling Saenuri Party officially named a former anticorruption chief as its interim head Thursday, as it moves to reorganize itself and make a comeback after its defeat in the April elections.Kim Hee-ok, the former head of the Government Public Ethics Committee, was officially made party chief at a meeting of members, more than a month after Rep. Kim Moo-sung, the former chairman, stepped down shortly after the general elections.Saenuri not only lost the majority but secured just 122 seats in

Politics June 2, 2016

The South Korean Navy said Thursday it has launched a new guided missile frigate which is capable of hitting ground targets inside North Korean in the event of conflict taking place on the divided peninsula.Earlier in the day, the Navy held a ceremony to launch the 2,800-ton frigate named Daegu on Geoje Island, 470 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to Navy officials.The ship, an improved Incheon-class frigate, not only has ship-to-ground missiles, but will be equipped with the usual array

Defense June 2, 2016

The United Nations has allocated $8 million in humanitarian aid to North Korea, which has been designated one of the nine countries in the world that need emergency funding to cope with humanitarian crises, a news media report said Thursday.According to the Washington-based Radio Free Asia, the U.N.'s Central Emergency Response Fund provided the fund to North Korea. Quoting a report on the CERF's program for the first half of the year, the RFA said the U.N. organization has set aside a total of

North Korea June 2, 2016

South Korea said Thursday that it has developed a new technology to detect the Zika virus within 20 minutes in a joint project with Brazil.Only one or two drops of human blood is needed to check whether he or she is infected with the virus, which spreads primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, according to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning."It can be used as conveniently as a pregnancy test kit," the ministry said.Existing DNA tests require an analysis at

International June 2, 2016

Prosecutors raided South Korean retail giant Lotte Group's hotel unit Thursday over allegations it received bribes from the chief of a local cosmetics brand who is at the center of a lobbying scandal that is rocking the country's legal establishment.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it confiscated computer hard discs, accounting books and other related documents from Lotte Hotel Co.'s department in charge of duty-free shops in central Seoul. The house of Shin Young-ja, the head

Politics June 2, 2016

The South Korean Navy said Thursday it plans to join the Rim of the Pacific exercise, a U.S.-led biennial multinational naval drill, which will kick off late June, in a bid to boost the combat capability of its ships and crew.A group of about 700 servicemen from the Navy and Marine Corps will take part in this year's RIMPAC, which will be held from June 30 to Aug. 4 in waters off Hawaii, according to military officials.The Navy said it plans to send three warships including the Aegis-equipped Se

Defense June 2, 2016