The state intelligence agency on Wednesday raided the homes and offices of several officials of a minor progressive party over an alleged security law breach, prosecutors said.With a court-issued warrant, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) agents began searching the homes and offices of 10 officials and lawmakers of the Unified Progressive Party (UPP) including Rep. Lee Seok-ki, they said."(The UPP officials) are charged with conspiracy to stage a rebellion and violating the National Securi

Social Affairs Aug. 28, 2013

South Korea's top central banker said Wednesday that global central bankers mostly agreed that current jitters in emerging markets are not likely to flare up into a major crisis although those countries could undergo difficulties in coping with turmoil.Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Kim Choong-soo delivered remarks by the world's central bankers over rout in emerging markets including India and Indonesia after joining the annual Jackson Hole policy retreat held in Wyoming, U.S., on Aug. 22-24.He said

Aug. 28, 2013

South Korean stocks sank nearly 1 percent at the opening bell on Wednesday as a possible U.S.-led military strike on Syria jolted the global financial market, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 18.63 points, or 0.99 percent to 1,867.21 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Most shares lost ground across the board, with large-cap tech and financial companies leading the decline. Samsung Electronics dipped 0.8 percent and banking giant Shinhan Financial Gr

Aug. 28, 2013

Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel meets with his Asian counterparts on Wednesday as the US promotes its shift to the region, but a potential showdown with Syria looms over the talks.Hagel plans to call for restraint in the disputed South China Sea and underscore America's strategic tilt to the Asia-Pacific at the gathering in Brunei of defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China and elsewhere, officials said.The two-day ASEAN meeting is the main event of Hagel's wee

World News Aug. 28, 2013

WASHINGTON -- A senior U.S. envoy will travel to North Korea this week to seek the release of an American sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in the authoritarian country, the State Department said Tuesday. The visit by Bob King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, will be the first public trip to North Korea by an administration official in more than two years and could provide an opening for an improvement in relations severely strained by Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclea

North Korea Aug. 28, 2013

SAN JOSE, California -- Readers who tried to click on the New York Times' website got nothing but error messages Tuesday afternoon in its second major disruption this month, with a group calling itself “The Syrian Electronic Army'' claiming responsibility.Within minutes of the attack, the New York Times announced in a Twitter message that it would continue to publish the news. The site published two reports over two hours on chemical attacks in Syria. The news organization also set up an alterna

World News Aug. 28, 2013

An arms control institute says fighter jet parts seized from a North Korean ship by Panamanian authorities were likely intended for use by North Korea, an apparent violation of U.N. sanctions. The findings by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute contradict Cuba's claim that it was not violating the sanctions as it was sending jet parts, missiles and other equipment to North Korea for repairs and expected it all to be returned. U.N. sanctions are imposed because Pyongyang's pursui

North Korea Aug. 28, 2013

　추석이 얼마 남지 않은 상태에서 직장인의 가장 큰 걱정거리는 ‘과도한 지출’인 것으로 27일 밝혀졌다.다음 달 추석 연휴를 앞두고 온라인 여행사 익스피디아는 20∼40대 기혼 직장인 1천여명을 대상으로 추석 연휴관련 설문 조사를 실시했다. 그 결과 조사대상자의 33.2%가 부모님 용돈, 차례상 준비 등으로 지출이 많아진다는 점을 꼽았다.또한 추석 상여금의 용도를 묻는 질문에 비상금으로 숨겨두겠다는 답변이 25.9%로 가 장 많았고 저축(25.5%), 밀린 카드값 청산(18%), 부모님 용돈(16%)이 뒤를 이었다.(임우정 인턴기자 / 코리아헤럴드)<관련영문기사>Workers concerned over big spending on ChuseokWith only a few weeks left until Chuseok, South Korean office workers’ biggest concern was “excessive expenditure” during the Korean tha

한국어판 Aug. 27, 2013

SK커뮤니케이션즈가 폐쇄형 모바일 사회관계망서비스(SNS) 데이비(Daybe)를 아이폰과 안드로이드 버전으로 출시했다고 26일 발표했다.데이비는 사용자가 친구 50명을 선택해 이들의 소식만을 받아볼 수 있도록 하는 폐쇄형 SNS이다. SK 컴즈 정간채 미래사업본부장은  “사람이 신뢰를 가질 수 있는 가장 적당한 친구 규모가 50명이라는 연구 결과에 따라, 인맥을 50명으로 제한, 관리하는 새로운 SNS의 방향성을 제시했다”고 밝혔다.최근 페이스북, 트위터와 같이 개방되어 있는 SNS와 달리, 데이비가 국내 사용자들에게 솔직하고 진정성 있는 소통 공간을 만들어 줄 것이라는 기대를 사고 있다.(임우정 인턴기자 / 코리아헤럴드)<관련영문기사>SK rolls out new social networkSK Communications, which runs the country’s major social media Cyworld, has launched a new social network ser

한국어판 Aug. 27, 2013

The Ministry of Unification said the date reflects the need to first concentrate on ongoing efforts to arrange reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War and reopen the inter-Korean factory park in Kaesong.Seoul had originally proposed holding Mount Geumgang talks on Sept. 25, but the North wanted negotiations to be held in late August of early September."Seoul feels that there is no need to rush the talks," said the official, who declined to be identified. He stressed that the to

Social Affairs Aug. 27, 2013

South Korean stocks closed almost flat Tuesday, as investors took a breather following previous rallies amid signs of growth in China and Europe, analysts said.The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 2.02 points, or 0.11 percent, to finish at 1,885.84. Trading volume was moderate at 403 million shares worth 3.71 trillion won (US$3.33 billion) with decliners outnumbering gainers 535 to 256. Analysts said the KOSPI's marginal dr

Aug. 27, 2013

South Korean stocks traded 0.18 percent higher late Tuesday morning, paring earlier losses with gains led by builders and state-run firms, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 3.48 points to 1,891.34 as of 11:20 a.m. Hyundai Engineering & Construction, one of the nation's top builders, jumped more than 2 percent, with state-run electricity provider Korea Electric Power Corp rising 1.8 percent. Top-cap Samsung Electronics also gained 0.3 percent. The local

Aug. 27, 2013

South Korean stocks began marginally lower Tuesday on losses in shares of large-cap insurers and brokerage houses, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched down 0.84 points, or 0.04 percent to 1,887.02 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Leading player Samsung Life Insurance fell 0.5 percent with No.2 banking group KB Financial Group sliding more than 1 percent. Analysts predicted the main index to start weaker as investors may opt for profit-taking after the

Aug. 27, 2013

The United Nations will approach the US government over a report by a German magazine that US intelligence spied on video conferences by top UN officials, a spokesman said Monday."We are aware of the reports, and we intend to be in touch with the relevant authorities on this," a UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, told reporters, adding that this meant the US administration.Haq told reporters the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations has become "well established international law, therefore membe

World Aug. 27, 2013

South Korean consumer sentiment remained unchanged for the third straight month in August as economic uncertainty lingers, the central bank said Tuesday.The consumer sentiment index (CSI) -- a gauge of consumers' overall economic outlook, living conditions and future spending -- came in at 105 for August, unchanged from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).Though the index has stayed flat since June, it marked the highest level since the index hit 106 in May last year.A readi

Aug. 27, 2013