Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of the United States Forces Korea in South Korea, “strongly recommended” that American service members here watch “Mr. Sunshine,” a 2018 South Korean hit television series available on Netflix. The general was retweeting an earlier post by Major Gen. Patrick J. Donahoe, the second in command at the USFK 8th Army, who joked on Twitter that visitors to Korea were “legally required” to watch the series. “Fair warning. If you

Defense Feb. 12, 2020

South Korea’s military searched a construction site Tuesday after a number of artillery shells were found there Monday. Construction workers at the site in Seoul’s southwestern Guro district first reported the discovery of objects underground, because they thought they had found explosives. Authorities identified them as blind artillery shells, presumably from the 1950-53 Korean War, noting they needed a more thought examination. By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)

Social Affairs Feb. 11, 2020

The United Nations is seeking to raise $107 million in humanitarian aid for North Korea, where nearly half of the 25 million population are in need, the UN’s resident coordinator for Pyongyang said in a report released Monday. According to the report titled “Provisional 2020 DPR Korea Needs and Priorities Overview,” the funding target for this year is lower than the previous year’s $120 million. At the time, the UN managed to secure just 27 percent of the goal, or $32 mi

North Korea Feb. 11, 2020

The chief of the state-run National Medical Center found himself in hot water on Monday over a cough-like gesture he made a day earlier on a TV program that discussed the new coronavirus, which has infected 27 people here. President Chung Ki-hyun allegedly made a fist and coughed into his left hand, against the advice of the country’s health protection agency. The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends coughing into one’s sleeve to help stop the spread of germs.

Social Affairs Feb. 10, 2020

Home to the presidential office and Seoul Government Complex comprising key government offices, the Jongno District in central Seoul has been a symbolic seat in the political landscape. The election results there have proven to be a yardstick on where rival parties stand for the next president. In the upcoming parliamentary elections in April, the district will once again serve as a key battlefield for liberals and conservatives, as Lee Nak-yon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Chairm

Politics Feb. 9, 2020

The US has not given up on the nuclear talks with North Korea, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Wednesday, referring to his meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo a day earlier. During his two-day visit to the US for the first time since taking office two months ago, the UN nuclear watchdog chief said his agency will undertake a reliable, independent verification process once Washington and Pyongyang reach a deal on denuclearization

North Korea Feb. 6, 2020

A cybercriminal syndicate believed to be linked to the North Korean government breached the Singapore-based DragonEx exchange and stole $7 million worth of cryptocurrencies in March 2019, Radio Free Asia said Wednesday. Hackers of the Lazarus Group withdrew cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ripple and Litecoin, RFA said, citing findings released by US-based blockchain firm Chainalysis. The group created a fake company offering an automated trading bot with a fabricated website and employees,

North Korea Feb. 5, 2020

North Korea has temporary halted the repatriation of defectors from China, days after it suspended all train and air travel from and to the neighboring country, whose central city of Wuhan is the epicenter of a new coronavirus outbreak that has claimed more than 360 lives so far, Voice of America said Monday. “From what I hear, Pyongyang isn’t accepting defectors. It asked Beijing not to (send them back) because of the recent coronavirus outbreak,” South Korean pastor Kim Sung

North Korea Feb. 3, 2020

The Ministry of National Defense said Sunday that its anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit salvaged an Iranian boat drifting near Oman’s Muscat Port on Saturday. The 50-ton small oil vessel named Alsohail departed from Iran two weeks ago on Jan. 18. It was low on fuel and had been drifting, when the Cheonghae Unit spotted six crew members signaling for rescue on the deck. The unit, which has recently seen its operational range extended to cover the Strait of Hormuz near Iran, provided the Iranian

Defense Feb. 2, 2020

The South Korean government should make public the records involving three soldiers’ alleged role in a civilian massacre during the Vietnam War, Seoul’s Administrative Court ruled Friday. In a second trial ruling on the matter instigated by a local civic group against Seoul’s spy agency, which holds the records, the court ordered their release after redacting the soldiers’ dates of birth. Korean soldiers allegedly killed 74 locals in 1968 during the war according to the

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2020

North Korea has suspended all travel from and to China starting Jan. 31, UK’s Foreign Ministry said Friday citing Pyongyang’s latest travel advisories issued a day earlier. “They (the North) have also announced that all air and train routes between North Korea and China are temporarily suspended as of Jan. 31,” the ministry said. The UK Embassy in the North confirmed the news, while the Indian Embassy there said the last flight between the North and China will take place

North Korea Jan. 31, 2020

The US military said it has started notifying nearly 9,000 South Koreans working for United States Forces Korea that they could be put on unpaid leave if Seoul and Washington fail to agree on cost-sharing for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops here. “USFK began providing Korean national employees today with a 60-day notice of a potential administrative furlough that could occur on April 1, 2020,” USFK said Wednesday. It noted that the military was bound by US law to deliver the no

Defense Jan. 29, 2020

North Korea was holding foreign exchange reserves of between $3 billion and $6.6 billion in 2014, but that dipped heavily after the country came under strict US-led sanctions in 2017, the Bank of Korea said Tuesday in its latest report. The report, which was largely based on estimations and assumptions because analysts lacked data from the isolated country, said the North’s holdings of US dollars may have sharply shrunk since the sanctions -- by an estimated $1 billion each year. The Nor

North Korea Jan. 28, 2020

Satellite imagery has shown vehicle activity at a North Korean missile site on the outskirts of Pyongyang, which could signal the imminent launch of missiles or missile engine tests, CNN said Sunday, citing US defense officials familiar with the latest assessment. Vehicles have been spotted at the missile research center in recent days, but they are not believed to be fueling missiles. The US officials were uncertain whether the North was preparing to launch short or medium-range missiles or en

North Korea Jan. 27, 2020

Cloudy weather, with a chance of rain or snow, is forecast for the coming Seollal holidays from Friday to Tuesday. Throughout the holiday, temperatures in Seoul will be mild, with highs reaching about 7 degrees Celsius on average, the Korea Meteorological Agency said Wednesday. Starting Monday, rain is expected nationwide, with Gangwon Province likely to see either rain or snow. Southern regions and Jeju Island will also see up to 80 millimeters of rain until next Tuesday. Throughout Monday a

Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2020