China urged all relevant countries on Friday to make joint efforts to resume long-stalled nuclear talks on ending North Korea's nuclear programs as South Korea floated the idea of holding talks without North Korea.The disarmament-for-aid talks, involving the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Russia and Japan, have been stalled since late 2008.North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 in the clearest sign that it has no intention of giving up nuclear ambition.China's Foreign Ministry spo

World Jan. 22, 2016

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se vowed Friday to push for a meeting of five regional powers that would pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program in the wake of its fourth nuclear test.President Park Geun-hye proposed the meeting earlier in the day, saying there needs to be a "creative approach" to denuclearizing the North after its latest detonation on Jan. 6.South Korea, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia are members of the six-party talks on North Korea's denuclearization, but th

North Korea Jan. 22, 2016

The Hanwha Eagles on Friday announced their signing of former major league catcher Wilin Rosario.The Korea Baseball Organization club inked the 26-year-old from the Dominican Republic to a one-year deal worthUS$1.3 million, which included a signing bonus of $300,000.Rosario has also played first base during his five-year big league career, all with the Colorado Rockies.After making his debut and playing just 16 games in 2011, Rosario exploded for 28 home runs and 71 RBIs in 117 games the followi

Baseball Jan. 22, 2016

On the eve of his team's showdown against Jordan at the Olympic men's football qualifying tournament, South Korea head coach Shin Tae-yong fired verbal salvo at his opponent, calling on the Middle East team to play the game the right way.South Korea and Jordan on Saturday will clash in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation U-23 Championship, which is also the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Only the top three nations will get to play in

Soccer Jan. 22, 2016

South Korea's pointman on inter-Korean affairs made it clear Friday the government is not considering shutting down a joint industrial complex in North Korea or withdraw South Koreans from there despite the North's nuclear test."The government is seeking to focus on how to operate the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North in a stable manner,"Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said in a press briefing.His remarks came amid concerns that an extension of inter-Korean tension sparked by the North'

North Korea Jan. 22, 2016

The number of locals and foreigners going in and out of South Korea recorded the largest figure last year, a 7.7 percent increase from the previous year, the Ministry of Justice said Friday.The tally came to some 66.37 million, with the number of locals reaching 39.11 million and that of foreigners coming in at 27.26 million.But the number of foreigners visiting South Korea stood at13.35 million, a 6.3 percent decrease from the previous year, the ministry said.The decline, the first in 12 years

Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2016

Longest-running Korean boy band Shinhwa will stage concerts in March commemorating the 18th anniversary of its debut, the group's agency said Friday.Shinhwa Company said the concerts will be held on March 26 and 27 at Seoul Olympic Gymnasium in the southern part of the capital city.The six-member boy band achieved huge success with their latest album released in February last year, as the act earned 10 trophies, topping weekly TV music show "M Countdown" numerous times. The album pays tribute to

Performance Jan. 22, 2016

South Korea called on Japan Friday to drop its reckless claim to sovereignty over a pair of rocky islets in the East Sea.It was responding to a Tokyo speech by Japan's top diplomat Fumio Kishida. He reiterated that Dokdo belong to Japan and said his government will deliver the position constantly.In a statement, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said it can't help deploring Kishida's repeat of such an "unfair claim.""(We) urge the Japanese government to immediately abandon its reckless claim to Dokdo, wh

Foreign Affairs Jan. 22, 2016

North Korea said Friday that it has arrested a U.S college student for allegedly conducting hostile acts against the North's regime.The student is being questioned by North Korean officials after being caught taking part in anti-North Korea activity, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a brief dispatch.The state news agency claimed that the student entered North Korea nominally for tourism, though the real intention was to undermine North Korea's unity under the U.S. governme

World News Jan. 22, 2016

The government announced Friday contentious labor guidelines as part of its efforts to make the rigid labor market more flexible and help revitalize the sagging economy.The guidelines finalized and released by the Ministry of Labor and Employment ease restrictions for employers to fire "noticeably"underperforming workers and allow companies to change employment rules more easily.Labor representatives strongly voiced opposition to the move, saying that the government policy would make it easier f

Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2016

A local court on Friday sentenced an activist to three years in prison for organizing violent rallies in central Seoul over a deadly ferry disaster.Still, the Seoul Central District Court suspended the sentence for Park Rae-gun for four years and ordered him to perform 160 hours of community service.The 55-year-old activist was convicted of holding unauthorized rallies and injuring police officers in 2014 and 2015 over the ferry sinking. The 6,825-ton ferry Sewol sank in waters off the country's

Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2016

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described South Korea on Friday as his country's "most important neighbor that shares strategic interests," an expression reflecting the mood of improved bilateral ties.In his annual policy speech in parliament, Abe pointed out that Seoul and Tokyo have put an end to a longstanding source of conflict with a deal on the "comfort women" issue late last month.Under the agreement, Japan admitted that it's responsible for the sexual enslavement of many Korean women

Foreign Affairs Jan. 22, 2016

The government decided Friday to extend its pig movement restrictions for a southwestern province for seven days to help stem the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.Two new cases of the highly contagious animal disease were confirmed at pig farms in Gimje and Gochang, North Jeolla Province, earlier in the month, the Agriculture Ministry said. It said the outbreaks in the southwestern part of the country caused 10,842 animals to be culled. "The restrictions will be pushed back to midnight on Jan. 2

Social Affairs Jan. 22, 2016

A South Korean alpine skiing venue for an upcoming Winter Games test event officially opened Friday, two days after receiving its approval from the sport's international governing body.The Jeongseon Alpine Centre, the venue for the International Ski Federation Alpine Skiing World Cup on Feb. 6-7, was declared ready for the competition in an opening ceremony.   Jeongseon, some 210 kilometers east of Seoul in Gangwon Province, will be among the sub-host cities of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympi

More Sports Jan. 22, 2016