South Korea on Sunday strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch, calling it an "explicit and clear" violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning tests that can contribute to the advancement of nuclear weapons delivery capability.Pyongyang fired off a ballistic missile at around 7:55 a.m. toward the East Sea from Banghyon air base in its western province of North Pyongan, the first missile provocation since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th US president on Jan. 20. Cho

North Korea Feb. 12, 2017

A fifth foot-and-mouth disease case was confirmed at a cow farm in South Korea, the agriculture ministry in Sejong said Sunday, raising concerns over a nationwide spread of the animal epidemic.Some 70 cows in Boeun of North Chungcheong Province, some 180 kilometers southeast of Seoul, tested positive for the contagious virus, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (Yonhap)Only a week has passed since the first outbreak was confirmed at a dairy farm in the same county S

Social Affairs Feb. 12, 2017

The independent counsel investigating the corruption scandal involving impeached President Park Geun-hye said Friday it will file a suit to stop presidential aides from blocking the search and seizure of the presidential office.“We are set to file for a cancellation and suspension of the presidential office’s disapproval of the search and seizure with the Seoul Administrative Court,” Lee Kyu-chul, the counsel team’s spokesperson, said at a press briefing. Independent counsel team`s spokesman Lee

Politics Feb. 10, 2017

 South Korea's finance minister on Friday called for intensive structural reform to regain the growth momentum of Asia's fourth-largest economy."In order to make a breakthrough for the economy, we have to change the fundamentals of our economy through strong structural reform," Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said in a keynote speech at a Seoul symposium. "We cannot avoid the demand for restructuring. We have to push for it as its achievement leads to the next government and generation." South Korea'

Feb. 10, 2017

Mobile Appliance Inc., a smart car parts supplier, said Friday that it will be listed on South Korea's stock market later this month.The company, a manufacturer of mobile personal navigation devices for automobiles, car digital video recorders and head-up displays, plans to carry out an initial public offering next week. Lee Jae-shin, head of Mobile Appliance Inc., in a photo provided by the firm (Yonhap)"(We) are a prepared firm in the era of the fourth industrial revolution with core technolog

Mobility Feb. 10, 2017

South Korea's foreign ministry said Friday that it will form a special team tasked with monitoring diplomats at overseas missions for any misdeeds in a bid to enforce tougher workplace discipline.The team, in cooperation with the ministry's existing internal inspection office, will keep tabs on diplomats working at the country's embassies, consulates and other missions.The move comes as the current inspection office is said to be short-staffed in that it has to monitor workers at over 180 overse

Foreign Affairs Feb. 10, 2017

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday refused to clarify his stance on the politically-charged issue of extending special prosecutors' corruption probe into President Park Geun-hye, saying it is not the time yet to consider it.Hwang made the remarks during a parliamentary interpellation session amid growing calls from opposition parties to extend Independent Counsel Park Young-soo's probe that expires on Feb. 28.The investigation period can be extended once by a month with

Politics Feb. 10, 2017

All of the 15 Samsung Group affiliates that were members of the business interest organization Federation of Korean Industries have pulled out as of Friday, group officials said, acting on a pledge by the conglomerate's de facto heir to clean up after a major political scandal.Samsung Electronics, the pillar of the Samsung Group, was among the first to submit its withdrawal on Monday. The group's security solution provider S-1 Corp. was the last to submit the papers late Friday, officials said.

Industry Feb. 10, 2017

Prime Minister and acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday said that he was not considering an extension of the ongoing special investigation, in an apparent move to distance himself from calls for President Park Geun-hye’s ouster.He also argued that the Constitutional Court should be left to make its own judgment on the president’s impeachment, and expressed concerns on the anti-Park public sentiment.“The independent counsel still has some 20 days more to go, and now is not the right time to c

Politics Feb. 10, 2017