In the wake of U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Hiroshima last Friday, controversy continues to boil in Korea, with some begrudging him for crushing hopes that he would pay respects at a Korean memorial. He lay a wreath at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and embraced some survivors of the 1945 U.S. nuclear bombing, but Obama stopped short of visiting a monument set up within the park in dedication to Korean victims. He instead remarked at the onset of his speech that he had come to m

Politics May 29, 2016

U.N.Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in a small folk village in southeastern South Korea on Sunday, a trip widely seen as the start of a presidential campaign ahead of next year's election.   Ban, who is on a six-day visit to his native South Korea, made headlines last week after he told senior reporters on the southern resort island of Jeju that he would contemplate his future as a South Korean citizen once he steps down from his U.N. post at the end of this year. The remarks were interpre

Politics May 29, 2016

South Korea's agricultural ministry on Sunday said it has reached an agreement with China to start exporting traditional chicken soup to the world's most populous country as early as June.   The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it has completed talks on exporting "samgyetang."   Samgyetang is a traditional chicken soup made with a whole young chicken stuffed with ginseng, sticky rice and garlic. It is widely recognized in the country as an energy-boosting meal during the summ

Culture May 29, 2016

The South Korean government will work toward eradicating polio, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said at an international event Sunday.    In a welcoming speech at the Rotary International Convention 2016, he said, "The government will support global efforts to fight against polio," adding, "Korea, a former aid recipient but now a giver, is contributing to global prosperity.   "We will share our experiences on economic development and will help global neighbors who are suffering in various fields, s

Social Affairs May 29, 2016

The runaway popularity of the "Descendants of the Sun" TV series has spurred a spike in the number of young men wanting to join South Korean special forces units, a military source said Sunday.   The series that ended in mid-April has been a phenomenal success in both South Korea and in places such as China. The TV show highlighted the exploits of South Korean special forces conducting humanitarian operations in a fictitious country and the romance that develops between the male and female chara

Culture May 29, 2016

North Korea kicked off a new loyalty campaign to get people to work more as part of its five-year economic plan announced at its seventh ruling party congress, state controlled media said Sunday.   According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a joint conference of officials from the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), government, economic sector and military was held Thursday through Saturday, where participants agreed to launch the "200-day campaign of loyalty" that aims to bolster nat

North Korea May 29, 2016

Possible attacks by Pyongyang against South Korean citizens is causing local schools to cancel student excursions to the Mount Paekdu region, along the Sino-North Korean border, sources said Sunday.   Seoul's foreign ministry issued warnings that the North may be planning some kind of attack against South Koreans, which could include kidnapping.   The education ministry and the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also sent official letters to all schools not to arrange trips to Mount Paekdu a

North Korea May 29, 2016

There was a short power blackout at the hotel in Ethiopia where South Korean President Park Geun-hye was staying during her state visit, hotel and South Korean officials said.   The electricity went out around 8:55 p.m. on Thursday and lasted for about 30 seconds to one minute at the Sheraton Addis Hotel in Addis Ababa before the hotel's generators kicked in to provide backup power, hotel concierge Asheber Belay said.   Asheber said the power supply returned to normal later, though he did not el

Politics May 29, 2016

South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn called for efforts to boost economic ties and cooperation with Uzbekistan on Saturday, also urging additional efforts to jointly develop new overseas markets.   The call came at a ceremony marking the construction of a chemical plant in Ustyurt, Uzbekistan, under a joint development project called "Surgil."   "The Surgil gas plant is a milestone of cooperation between South Korea and Uzbekistan, and the success of the Surgil project was possible only bec

Foreign Affairs May 21, 2016

North Korea again urged South Korea to accept its proposal for military talks Saturday in its latest charm offensive toward Seoul.   In a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a ranking official from the country's ruling Workers' Party called on the Seoul government to accept the dialogue proposal made by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the recently concluded party congress.   "If South Korea is willing to improve its relations with the North, it should

North Korea May 21, 2016