Korean national judo team aims to collect at least two gold medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games, sources at the Korea Judo Association (KJA) said Thursday.Korea, the world No. 3 in the Olympic judo medal rankings with 11 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze medals, will have 12 judokas -- seven men and five women --- in Brazil. This is the first time since the 2004 Athens Olympics that the country failed to send judokas in all weight divisions. In Rio, there will be no South Koreans competin

Olympic Games May 19, 2016

South Korea said Thursday it will hold an exhibition on unification next week, hoping that the event can help raise awareness about inter-Korean unification amid frayed Seoul-Pyongyang ties.The exhibition on unification will run from next Friday to next Sunday at Gwanghwamun Plaza and a park near the government complex and will involve 141 organizations including local governments, civic groups and media companies, according to the Ministry of Unification.The event will be the second of its kind

North Korea May 19, 2016

The finance director of Oxy Korea was summoned Thursday as the first among a number of foreign executives who will be questioned in relation to the production and sales of the toxic humidifier sterilizers that resulted in numerous deaths and illnesses here.Ulrich Hosterbach appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul to give testimony in the snowballing case that involves scores of deaths since 2011, including some pregnant women.Hosterbach has worked as the

Social Affairs May 19, 2016

North Korea has actively launched a nonsmoking campaign and even set up research stations across the country to get people to stop smoking, according to North Korean media reports.In a report picked up in Seoul, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said non-smoking research stations have been established in provincial capitals and major cities and are in close touch with the Pyongyang-based Non-smoking Research Center.Their action programs include counseling for smokers and off

North Korea May 19, 2016

South Korean and U.S. officials gathered here Thursday to discuss cooperation in the cybersecurity sector as both countries are experiencing an increase in online trade.The seminar brought together about 100 government, business and academic participants from the two sides to discuss trends in cybersecurity in critical infrastructure sectors, such as finance and energy telecom.Under the New Frontier slogan, cybersecurity has emerged as a key area of cooperation between the allies, along with spa

Technology May 19, 2016

Health warnings put on alcohol labels are scheduled to change for the first time in 21 years starting September to highlight the health risks to pregnant women and youths, and the government is thinking of further raising the severity of the warnings through follow-up revisions, officials said Thursday.A public health law amended in March, to take effect from Sept. 3, requires all alcoholic beverages to carry a label that warns of the increased chances of liver-related ailments and additional se

Politics May 19, 2016

Korean government, ruling and opposition party officials are set to gather for a meeting later this week, political sources said Thursday, where they will discuss challenges facing the national economy and ways to improve people's quality of life.The meeting, slated for Friday, came after President Park Geun-hye agreed earlier this month to organize talks between the finance minister and top policymakers from major parties.She also vowed to hold consultative discussions with heads of political p

Politics May 19, 2016

Switzerland has joined the United Nations-led efforts to impose toughened sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear test and other provocative actions earlier this year, a U.S.-based media outlet said Thursday.Radio Free Asia (RFA) said in a report posted on its website that the sanctions, which also included halting financial transactions related to the North, were enforced by the Swiss federal government as of 6 p.m. on Wednesday local time. The move is in tandem with the toughened United Natio

North Korea May 19, 2016

Korean artist Kim Hyun-jung opens an exhibition on Thursday in Berlin, the Korean Cultural Center in Germany said.The opening ceremony, attended by the artist herself, will take place at 6 p.m. local time in the center's gallery. One of the most promising young Korean artists, she is widely credited for pushing the boundaries of Korean art by presenting thought-provoking themes with prickly yet humorous wit and experimenting with new artistic techniques in her paintings. Last September she was t

Culture May 19, 2016

Korea and Indonesia will bolster cooperation in sports as they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this week following a summit between two countries. The Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed Thursday that it has signed the MOU with Indonesia's Ministry of Youth and Sports after President Park Geun-hye and her Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo held a summit at Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office. The two sides on Monday signed 11 MOUs in areas like infras

More Sports May 19, 2016

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn left Korea on Thursday to visit Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, his office said, in a move aimed at forging closer ties with his counterparts and finding new business opportunities for local companies.During his trip, Hwang will hold a meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, as well as the country's Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He will also hold talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to discuss ways to expand ties in energy, construction an

Politics May 19, 2016

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on a factory to modernize the process of producing machines by the founding anniversary of the ruling party in October, the North's state media said Thursday.Kim's remarks were made while inspecting a machine manufacturing plant in North Pyongan Province. The visit marks the third time he made an on-site inspection after the country concluded its key party congress on May 9.Pyongyang used the four daylong event to help strengthen Kim's heavy-handed rule

North Korea May 19, 2016

Korean Go master Lee Se-dol, who is known for having faced Google's artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo in the ancient board game, has decided to withdraw from the local professional Go players' association, apparently feeling uncomfortable about how much of a cut of his prize money they take.It turns out that Lee, a ninth-dan player who turned pro at the age of 12, has already submitted a withdrawal letter to Yang Kun, the head of the Korean pro Go players' association, on Tuesday, alo

More Sports May 19, 2016

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Wednesday for rejecting politicians who are unconcerned about climate change and make racist remarks, in what could be a swipe at U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump."We are appalled by war crimes in Syria and elsewhere. We are outraged by racism and hatred, especially when voiced by politicians and would-be leaders who have a duty to bring people together, not drive them apart," Ban said during a speech at the Columbia University commenc

International May 19, 2016