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

A large number of endangered porpoises has been discovered near the Taean Peninsula, a sign that the marine mammals are making a comeback off South Korea's western coast, the local park service said Monday.   According to the Korea National Park Service, some 100 Indo-Pacific finless porpoises have been sighted in protected waters.   It said the discovery of such a large number of porpoises is a sign of the stable and safe eco-system of the Taeanhaean National Park.    The mammals are listed on

Social Affairs 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

Public opinion on North Korea worsened in the wake of that country's fourth nuclear test and long-range missile launch earlier this year, a nationwide poll showed Monday.   According to the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC), a poll carried out on 1,000 adult South Koreans in mid March, showed 34.6 percent saying Seoul should maintain a high degree of vigilance towards the North and its provocations. The same survey showed 27.2 percent of the respondents viewing the reclusive neighbor

North Korea June 6, 2016

A visiting U.S. Republican Senator said Monday that the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. will remain firm regardless of who will win the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Seoul's foreign ministry said.   The remarks by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) were made at a luncheon between Lim Sung-nam, a South Korean vice foreign minister and a group of U.S. Republican senators in Seoul earlier in the day, the ministry said.   Sullivan, who leads the U.S. delegation, said that the U.S. Congres

International May 30, 2016