North Korea on Sunday threatened a preemptive strike in response to South Korean and US special operations troops' recent drills for incapacitating Pyongyang's leadership in case of conflict.The North Korean People's Army issued a statement saying that it is ready to fend off any attempts by enemy commandos to attack its leader. A statement by the General Staff Department of the North Korean People's Army's is announced by Pyongyang's Korean Central TV on March 26, 2017. (Yonhap)"We will mercile

North Korea March 26, 2017

Rep. Yoo Seong-min, a right-of-center politician, on Sunday appeared headed for a victory in the competition to become the presidential candidate of the minor conservative Bareun Party after sweeping all four initial polls by nonparty members last week. The party said on Sunday that Yoo beat rival Gyeonggi Province Gov. Nam Kyung-pil by 59.8 percent to 40.2 percent in four regional polls from March 19-25. The polls were conducted on 2,689 people outside the party by phone after their policy deba

Politics March 26, 2017

North Korea is expanding its oil import capacity as Washington seeks to tighten sanctions for its nuclear and missile programs, a US broadcaster has reported.Radio Free Asia on Saturday said the oil terminal expansion at Nampo, situated about midway along North Korea's west coast, has been under way since October 2015. The report is based on US commercial satellite photos taken on Oct. 4, 2015, and again on Oct. 4, 2016.These satellite photos provided by Google Earth show an expansion of oil imp

North Korea March 26, 2017

South Korean tech giant LG Electronics Inc. unveiled its test lab to the public for the first time to reassure customers of the safety of its flagship smartphone G6 and its battery, industry watchers said Sunday.The company last week took the press on a tour of its smartphone production line located in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, amid concerns about smartphone safety sparked by rival Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7. LG Electronics Inc.'s G6 smartphone (Yonhap)Samsung suspen

Companies March 26, 2017

The number of cars newly registered in South Korea edged down in 2016 from a year earlier, data showed Sunday, as the prolonged economic slump weighed down consumers' sentiment.According to the data compiled by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, new vehicle registrations came to 1.82 million units last year, down 0.6 percent from 2015. (Yonhap)Industry watchers said the decline came as South Koreans in their 30s and 40s were less inclined to buy new cars amid the gloomy economic out

Industry March 26, 2017

LG Display Co. plans to supply 700,000 units of liquid crystal display panels for TVs to Samsung Electronics Co. this year, industry tracker IHS Markit said Sunday.It will be the first such deal between the two South Korean firms, which are competing in the global tech industry.The logo of LG Display Co. (Yonhap)Samsung earlier sought to receive panels from Sharp Corp., but the Japanese player earlier announced it would end the supply after being purchased by Taiwanese Hon Hai Precision. Industr

Companies March 26, 2017

South Korea's industrial output is expected to move up 3.7 percent on year in February, compared with a 1.7 percent growth tallied a month earlier, according to an estimate by an international ratings agency on Sunday.Stronger global demand for electronics is likely to boost the nation's industrial production last month, Moody's Investor Service said in a statement. (Yonhap)"We expect industrial production to have expanded 3.7 percent y/y in February, up from January's 1.7 percent y/y gain," the

Industry March 26, 2017

South Korea and the United States recently conducted a joint exercise on destroying North Korean chemical weapons, officials said Sunday.The US Forces Korea said the two nations practiced removing the lethal nerve agent sarin at a shooting range in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, north of Seoul, on Tuesday and Wednesday. South Korean and US troops take part in a joint exercise on destroying North Korean nuclear weapons and missiles facilities in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)During the exercise,

Defense March 26, 2017

The Sewol ferry, which fully emerged from the water after a salvage operation, is anticipated to arrive at a major southern port this week, sources said Sunday.South Korea's maritime ministry said the operation team has completed the preparations to relocate the 6,800-ton vessel to a port in Mokpo, about 90 kilometers away. The crew is currently speeding up steps to drain water and oil from the ferry.The Sewol ferry is fully loaded on a semisubmersible transport vessel in waters near Jindo, 472

Social Affairs March 26, 2017

"Whisper," SBS TV's new crime thriller, looks and feels similar to its preceding hit show "Defendant" in many ways.Both are in essence tales of revenge: In "Defendant," the protagonist framed for murder avenges his dead wife and clears his name, while the lead in "Whisper," a female police officer, seeks revenge on a judge who convicts her dad of murder. The cast of SBS TV's new thriller "Whisper" pose for the camera during a press conference at the SBS headquarters in western Seoul on March 24,

Television March 24, 2017

Prosecutors attempted to raid three offices of a former senior presidential aide involved in a corruption scandal that led to the dismissal of former President Park Geun-hye.  (Yonhap)Woo Byung-woo, who served as former President Park's senior secretary for civil affairs, is accused of a string of corruption allegations, including that he abetted alleged wrongdoings committed by Park's friend Choi Soon-sil. The prosecution said its officials visited the presidential office and received relevant

Politics March 24, 2017

South Korea football coach Uli Stielike said Friday he will try to improve the team's performance away from home after suffering a painful defeat to China in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. South Korea, ranked 40th in the FIFA rankings, fell 1-0 to 86th-ranked China at Helong Stadium in Changsha, China's Hunan Province, on Thursday. In the final regional qualification, South Korea are in Group A, along with Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, China and Qatar.  South Korea foot

Soccer March 24, 2017

South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam will visit Egypt and India over the next week to discuss strategic cooperation with the "increasingly important" countries, the foreign ministry here said Friday.Lim will begin his two-day visit to Egypt on Saturday to hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart Hamdi Sanad Loza as well as national security adviser Fayza Aboulnaga, said the ministry. South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam (Yonhap file photo)The meetings will focus on ways t

Diplomatic Circuit March 24, 2017

The Federation of Korean Industries, the largest lobby body for large companies here, said Friday that it would boost transparency and switch to the role of a think tank for the corporate sector.Huh Chang-soo, chairman of the FKI, announced a set of reform measures that centers around its pledge to cut its murky connection with the political circle and the government, and to better serve as a think tank for the corporate sector and society as a whole. (Yonhap)Among others, in a gesture to show i

March 24, 2017

South Korea plans to sell 8 trillion won ($7.1 billion) worth of state bonds next month, the finance ministry said Friday.The government will issue 1.85 trillion won worth of bonds with a maturity of three years and 1.95 trillion won worth of five-year bonds. (Yonhap)It also plans to sell 1.85 trillion won worth of 10-year Treasurys and a combined 2.35 trillion won of bonds with a maturity of between 20 and 30 years.For May, it also has a plan to issue a combined 8 trillion won worth of state bo

March 24, 2017