The Democratic Party on Friday expressed discontent with three other parties' push for a referendum on constitutional revision on the sidelines of the presidential polls on May 9."Our party will seek a well-prepared revision of the Constitution centered on the people by June next year," Rep. Choo Mi-ae, the head of the former main opposition party said, dismissing the referendum proposal as a political ploy.Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party (Yonhap)Earlier this week, the Liberty Korea Part

Politics March 17, 2017

Won Hee-seon recently switched from a Givenchy bag to a Prada for a "fresh look," but the decision did not result in a big dent in her bank account.The secret behind the change of designer luxury bags that ordinarily would have cost a tidy sum of money was simply renting the accessory.Won is one of a growing number of young South Korean women who have signed up for a monthly membership to rent luxury bags and watches. "I want to carry Givenchy and Prada bags, but buying luxury goods is not easy

March 17, 2017

Former President Park Geun-hye's first spy chief announced he will run for the presidency Friday as an independent candidate, vowing to root out what he calls "leftist followers of North Korea."Nam Jae-joon, who served as the head of the National Intelligence Service from 2013 to 2014, will register his preliminary candidacy later in the day, his campaign team said in a statement.Nam Jae-joon, former head of the National Intelligence Service (Yonhap)"The goal is to establish a unified South Kore

Politics March 17, 2017

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson began his two-day trip to South Korea on Friday, which is expected to focus on discussing ways to strengthen the bilateral alliance and fend off the growing threats from North Korea. Tillerson arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul at about 10:10 a.m. He came from Japan where he held talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and others in Tokyo on Thursday.US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shakes hands with one of officials waiting f

Foreign Affairs March 17, 2017

The majority Democratic Party on Friday escalated its campaign against a US missile defense system and renewed calls on the Seoul government to obtain parliamentary approval over its deployment.The center-left party, enjoying rising popularity after the ouster of Park Geun-hye from office, convened the first meeting of its expanded in-house committee on the issue of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and demanded the ongoing deployment be immediately suspended.The first meeting of th

Politics March 17, 2017

South Korean health authorities said Friday they will strengthen monitoring of two super bacteria -- the Vancomycin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae -- that are resistant to certain antibiotics. The two will be designated as level-three infectious diseases starting in June, said the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The ministry divides infectious diseases into five levels in terms of how dangerous they are and how quickly they can spread.The Ministry of

Technology March 17, 2017

US President Donald Trump won't remove any option from the table when dealing with North Korea, the White House said Thursday."The president never takes anything off the table. That's something he's been very clear about," White House press secretary Sean Spicer said at a briefing when asked about Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's remark that diplomatic efforts to disarm the North failed.Tillerson's remark suggests that Trump's approach to the North will be tough and pressure-oriented.Trump has

Foreign Affairs March 17, 2017

Six-party nuclear talks with North Korea failed to deliver their intended results, the State Department said Thursday, adding to Secretary Rex Tillerson's point that diplomatic efforts to disarm Pyongyang failed and a new approach is necessary."There's a recognition that certain mechanisms, like the six-party talks, haven't really borne the fruit that we would have liked to have seen them bear over the years," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said at a regular briefing."That's no sur

Foreign Affairs March 17, 2017

From a diehard supporter for the ousted president to one of the most outspoken rightist commentators, nine politicians joined the crowded field to become the presidential nominee of the conservative Liberty Korea Party on Thursday. The former ruling Liberty Korea Party closed its applications for the in-house primary ahead of the May 9 presidential election. The logo of the Liberty Korea Party (Yonhap)Among the figures include South Gyeongsang Gov. Hong Joon-pyo and former six-term lawmaker Rhee

Politics March 17, 2017

The United States has picked up fresh signs of digging and activity at North Korea's nuclear test site, CNN reported Thursday, citing unidentified intelligence and defense officials.The report adds to concern that the North may be preparing to conduct what would be its sixth nuclear test.Last week, 38 North, a website specializing on North Korea analysis, also reported that commercial satellite imagery shows tunnel excavation work is continuing at the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site in a su

International March 17, 2017

US President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated a senior Boeing Company official to be deputy secretary of defense, putting an engineer-turned-defense industry executive in the No. 2 position at the Pentagon.The White House gave no explanation as to why Trump has tapped Patrick Shanahan, Boeing's senior vice president in charge of supply chain and operations, for the top Pentagon position at a time when the US is grappling with global security challenges. Patrick Shanahan, a senior Boeing Compan

International March 17, 2017

North Korea's Embassy in China on Thursday expressed strong opposition to Seoul and Washington's ongoing joint military drills, saying that they are raising tension on the divided peninsula, diplomatic sources said.The North's embassy told a group of invited foreign correspondents that the planned deployment of an advanced US missile defense system on South Korean soil will hurt strategic balance in Asia, they added.North Korea denied South Korean media's access to the press conference, only ope

North Korea March 16, 2017

A Seoul court on Thursday ordered a Japanese company to compensate a South Korean for forced work during Japan's colonial rule. In the latest legal victory for wartime forced laborers, the Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of  Lee Chun-myeon, 86, who filed the case against Nichi-Fujikoshi Corp. in May 2015. The court ordered the Japanese firm to pay 100 million won ($88,500) to the plaintiff in compensation for her coerced work at a factory in Toyama Prefecture in the 1940s."Japan mobi

Foreign Affairs March 16, 2017

China's retaliation against South Korea over the ongoing deployment of an advanced US missile defense system could be viewed as meddling with internal affairs, a senior foreign ministry official hinted Thursday.During a meeting with lawmakers, Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam said "Yes" to a question on whether China's bashing of Korea over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system represents interfering in internal affairs.He went on to say that giving into Beijing's pressure would not b

Foreign Affairs March 16, 2017

A portion of the annual budget will be executed to support Korean content makers damaged by China's protests over Seoul's move to deploy a US missile defense system, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday.The proposed portion, 116 billion won ($102 million), will be spent earlier than planned as part of measures to help financially troubled content companies in the game, music, performance and animation industries. A trade fair for Korean products in Chongqing, China in 2016.

Social Affairs March 16, 2017