The United States has benefited even more than South Korea has from the countries' free trade agreement, experts here said Monday, noting a demand to renegotiate the terms of the bilateral pact by Washington may well work to serve Seoul's interest.The Korea-US FTA, also known as the KORUS FTA, went into effect five years ago this week. (Yonhap)Washington has yet to file an official demand for the renegotiation of the open trade pact, but is expected to do so under the new Donald Trump administra

March 13, 2017

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun said Friday the political circle should go through an introspection following the expulsion of Park Geun-hye from her office."There must be a thorough self-reflection by the political circle," Chung said in a statement. "This incident is an outcome of complicated problems in Korean politics, rather than personal matters implicating the (former) president and her aides."South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun delivers a public address at the

Politics March 13, 2017

Former President Park Geun-hye became unable to receive a presidential pension as the Constitutional Court decided to remove her from the office at its impeachment ruling on Friday. Instead, she will become a recipient of the national pension. (Yonhap)According to the Law on Privileges for Former Heads of State, a president who retires from the office via an impeachment decision can not receive any special treatment except for personal security guards. Privileges which a dismissed president can

Politics March 13, 2017

South Korean women's national football coach Yoon Duk-yeo said Monday he's concerned about the mental aspect of the upcoming showdown against North Korea in Pyongyang.South Korea will travel across the border for the AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifying tournament starting on April 3. South Korea will face North Korea, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong and India in Group B. South Korean national women's football head coach Yoon Duk-yeo speaks at a press conference in Seoul on March 13, 2017. (Yonhap)Only the to

Soccer March 13, 2017

Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn engaged in no public activities over the past three days, fanning speculation that he may be seriously considering running in the presidential election just two months away.In stark contrast to his hectic activities right after the prime minister took over as acting leader following the December impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye, Hwang has remained muted since the Constitutional Court ruled Friday to remove Park from office. Acting President and Prime Min

Politics March 13, 2017

South Korea football coach Uli Stielike said Monday his squad will try to overcome an intimidating atmosphere in China as the teams meet amid deepening tensions over a political issue.  South Korea unveiled a 24-man roster for the two matches in the final Asian World Cup qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup this month. The Taeguk Warriors will travel to China on March 23 and host Syria five days later in Group A play. South Korea men's football coach Uli Stielike poses for a photo ahead

Soccer March 13, 2017

South Korea's unification ministry said Monday that North Korea is ready to conduct a nuclear test at any time as Pyongyang's provocation would hinge on its internal plan for nuclear weapons development. Satellite imagery of the North's nuclear test site in the northeast area shows that a tunnel under continued excavation has displayed potential for North Korea to carry out an additional nuke test of significantly higher explosive yields, according to 38 North, a US website monitoring the North.

North Korea March 13, 2017

The outgoing acting chief of the Constitutional Court on Monday called for national unity in the wake of President Park Geun-hye's ouster, saying the unrest surrounding the impeachment will help the nation mature.Lee Jung-mi made the remarks during her retirement ceremony at the court, three days after she led a historic ruling to dismiss Park over a corruption scandal.Outgoing Justice Lee Jung-mi receives flowers at her retirement ceremony at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on March 13, 2017.

Politics March 13, 2017

Prosecutors are preparing to open an investigation into former President Park Geun-hye, as she lost her presidential immunity last week with the Constitutional Court's approval of her impeachment, sources said Monday.The sources said prosecutors are expected to begin with sending a summons to Park, who has stayed away from direct investigations by prosecutors and special counsel. The Constitution stipulates that an incumbent president is immune from indictment except in cases of treason or insur

Politics March 13, 2017

할리우드 여배우 스칼릿 조핸슨이 정 치풍자 코미디 쇼 '새터데이 나이트 라이브'(SNL)에서 도널드 트럼프 미국 대통령의 딸 이방카 트럼프를 완벽히 재현했다.12일(현지시간) USA투데이를 비롯한 미국 언론들에 따르면 조핸슨은 전날 저녁 NBC 방송의 'SNL' 이방카의 향수 브랜드 광고 편에서 이방카로 분장하고 나왔다. 이 광고는 SNL에서 제작한 가짜 광고다. (사진=SNL 방송 영상 캡쳐)조핸슨은 광고에서 긴 금발 가발을 쓰고 스모키 눈화장에 반짝이는 은빛 드레스 를 입고 럭셔리한 파티장에서 뭇사람들의 시선을 받으며 등장한다. 이 광고에서 이방카의 향수 이름은 '공모·연루된'이라는 뜻의 '컴플리시트'(Co mplicit)로 명명됐다. 이어 "그녀는 아름답다. 권력도 갖고 있다. 그녀는 이미 연루돼있다. 그녀는 자 신이 원하는 것을 알고 있으며, 무엇을 해야 할지도 알고 있다"는 관능적인 목소리 더빙이 흘러나온다. 또 "페미니스트, 챔피언, 여성들의 옹호자…. 하지만 (그녀가)

한국어판 March 13, 2017

South Korean stocks traded sharply higher late Monday morning as political chaos in the country eased after the Constitutional Court ruled to oust President Park Geun-hye and investors increased risky bets.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 22.95 points, or 1.09 percent, to 2,120.30 as of 11:20 a.m. An image depicting the stock market (123RF)Top market cap Samsung Electronics advanced 1.79 percent to a record high, major chipmaker SK hynix jumped 3.05 percent, and top automaker

March 13, 2017

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will travel to Vietnam and Sri Lanka this week to discuss economic cooperation and joint policies in dealing with a wayward North Korea, his ministry said Monday.Yun will fly to Sri Lanka on Tuesday for a three-day visit marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries. The foreign minister will then come back home to attend to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's two-day Seoul visit slated from Friday, before heading to Vietnam on Sunday

Foreign Affairs March 13, 2017

A top South Korean regulator called Monday for more efforts to protect the country's financial networks amid concern about possible cyber attacks especially by North Korea.The military has already bolstered its defense posture since the nation's president was ousted last week by a court verdict over an influence-peddling scandal, with a new leader to be elected in two months. The financial authorities are closely monitoring any sign of market instability. Jeong Eun-bo (left), vice chairman of th

March 13, 2017

A majority of South Korean businesses in the United States expect additional difficulties down the road due to what many view as protectionist trade policies of the new US administration, a survey showed Monday.More than 7 out of every 10 respondents said they were already facing difficulties in setting up new plans for their businesses and investments in the US, according to the Korea International Trade Association. An image depicting the KORUS FTA (Yonhap)In the recent survey, jointly conduct

March 13, 2017

Construction permits for large buildings rose from a year earlier in 2016 on an increase in residential and commercial buildings, the government said Monday.Construction permits issued for new large buildings came to 274,621 last year, up 3.4 percent from 2015, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The construction business in Korea (Yonhap)Construction permits for new residential buildings, mostly large apartment buildings, increased 4.2 percent on-year to 129,905. Th

Industry March 13, 2017