South Korea said Tuesday that it does not see a big difference with the United States in understanding that the right conditions for full-fledged talks with North Korea have not been met due to its nuclear and missile aspirations.Seoul's reaction came amid speculation that the US may be uncomfortable with Seoul's latest offer for inter-Korean dialogue at a time when it is pressing tougher sanctions over North Korea's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. The White House said Monday that

North Korea July 18, 2017

The prosecution on Tuesday raided the offices of five subcontractors of Korea Aerospace Industries as part of its sprawling probe into corruption allegations engulfing the country’s sole aircraft manufacturer. Dozens of investigators were dispatched to the five firms mostly based in South Gyeongsang Province, also home to KAI, securing account books, supply-related documents and digital files and mobile phones of involved officials. (Yonhap)KAI is suspected to have given contracts to the supplie

Social Affairs July 18, 2017

The annual convention designed to promote the education of Korean as a second language kicked off in Seoul on Tuesday, gathering hundreds of participants from around the world, the education ministry here said. The World Korean Educators Conference started its first day of a four-day run in southern Seoul, attended by some 420 teachers and experts in the Korean language from 29 countries, the education ministry, a co-host of the conference, said in a statement. The meeting, the ninth of its kind

Social Affairs July 18, 2017

A parliamentary committee on Tuesday adopted a report on the outcome of its confirmation hearing for Justice Minister nominee Park Sang-ki, clearing the way for his official appointment.The adoption of the report is a key procedure before President Moon Jae-in formally appoints him. A ministerial appointment does not require consent from the National Assembly. This photo, taken on July 13, 2017, shows Justice Minister nominee Park Sang-ki speaking during a parliamentary confirmation hearing at t

Politics July 18, 2017

Hyundai Motor Co. on Tuesday added the Sonata plug-in hybrid to its lineup in a move to absorb growing demand for environment friendly vehicles. As the government moves to implement stricter regulations against fine dust-emitting vehicles centered generally around diesel cars, automakers are making an effort to highlight their "green" credentials in their lineups. Hyundai Motor`s Sonata New Rise plug-in hybrid model (Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor) (Yonhap)The Sonata New Rise plug-in hybrid wen

Mobility July 18, 2017

The US Congress has called on the United States Trade Representative to arrange for a consultation meeting in regards to any amendments to the free trade pact with South Korea, Seoul's trade promotion agency said Tuesday. Four leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives sent a letter to the US Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, urging the office to "consult closely with Congress before meeting with South Korea and throughout its discussions," the Korea International Trad

Economy July 18, 2017

South Korean stocks trimmed earlier losses Tuesday morning as institutions and individuals bought stocks on bargain hunting. The won traded higher against the dollar.  The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Indexa backtracked 1.75 points, or 0.07 percent, from the previous day's close to stand at 2,423.35 as of 11:20 a.m.Institutions and individuals bought a combined 85 billion won ($75 million) worth of stocks. Foreigners sold a net 93 billion won, pulling down the main index. Market be

Market July 18, 2017

The elder brother of the chief of retail giant Lotte Group said Tuesday he has raised an objection to the conglomerate's governance shakeup plan, demanding that a key unit be taken off the list of split-ups.In April, the board of directors of the group's four key affiliates passed a plan to split each of them into investment and business entities. Under the plan, which will be put up for approval at their respective shareholders meetings next month, the investment entities split from the four un

Companies July 18, 2017

South Korea's military is mulling over partly financing major firepower projects with private funds, an official said Tuesday.South Korea is pushing for the establishment of a "three-axis" platform to help defend itself against North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats. The three elements are the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system, the Korean Air and Missile Defense and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation strategy.South Korean President Moon Jae-in has pledged to complete the

Defense July 18, 2017

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam has held a meeting with his British counterpart to discuss bilateral relations in trade and cooperation against the growing threats from North Korea's nuclear ambitions, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.The meeting held between Lim and Mark Field in Britain on Monday (local time) focused on how to improve their bilateral ties and expand cooperation in trade, investment and other areas, such as the North's nuclear issue, according to the minist

North Korea July 18, 2017

South Korean retailers have moved quickly to create a favorable work environment for expecting and child-rearing mothers, including incentives for fathers, industry observers said Tuesday.Retail businesses have been fast movers in accommodating women who in most cases make up nearly half of their workforces. With the government encouraging more women to hold on to their careers or return to work after marriage and childbirth, the industry has introduced an array of measures to follow the policy

Industry July 18, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in welcomed five new foreign envoys to Seoul in a meeting held at his presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, on Tuesday, the office said.The five new envoys included new Mexican Ambassador Bruno Figueroa Fischer and new Indonesia Ambassador Umar Hadi. South Korean President Moon Jae-in (C) and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (R) take a picture with Indonesia`s new ambassador to Seoul after a ceremony at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on July 18, 2017, where th

Foreign Affairs July 18, 2017

Prosecutors on Tuesday questioned a member of the minor opposition People's Party as part of a probe into a fake tipoff used in the smear campaign against President Moon Jae-in during the May election.Kim Seong-ho, a former vice head of the party's election panel, was summoned to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office before being grilled over suspicions that he disclosed and may have intentionally failed to verify the tipoff that accused Moon's son, Joon-yong, of unfairly landing a job

Politics July 18, 2017

LG Display Co. topped the world's market for large-sized displays for automobiles both in terms of shipment and sales, data showed Tuesday, expanding gap with Japanese and Taiwanese rivals.According to the data compiled by IHS Markit, LG Display took up 16.8 percent of the market for automobile display panels sized 5 inches and above in the first quarter, beating Taiwan's AUO, which accounted for 16.1 percent. Taiwan-based Innolux Corp., Japan's Sharp Corp., Taiwanese CPT and Japan Display Inc.

Industry July 18, 2017

Part of some 5,200 tons of flour that Russia decided to provide in aid to North Korea via the World Food Programme arrived at a North Korean port earlier this week, a US broadcaster reported Tuesday. "Some 2,400 tons of flour that Russia had provided to a WFP humanitarian project arrived in North Korea on Monday night," Voice of America said, citing a statement posted on the Facebook account of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang.  This undated file photo shows South Korean civic activists loading

North Korea July 18, 2017