South Korea's foreign ministry strongly condemned North Korea's latest missile provocation Tuesday, calling it a "reckless" act that runs counter to UN Security Council resolutions and global demand for its denuclearization. (Yonhap)The North fired an unidentified ballistic missile earlier in the day from the vicinity of its border with China in the East Sea.It flew more than 930 kilometers, according to South Korea's military. The provocation came days after South Korean President Moon Jae-in a

North Korea July 4, 2017

You Young-min, the nominee to head the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, said Tuesday that he will push forward "tangible" fourth industrial revolution policies that can help create jobs. Yoo Young-min (Yonhap)The government has been pushing forward with various projects to cope with the latest revolution that is characterized by a fusion of cutting-edge technologies, such as big data and the Internet of Things. "I feel huge responsibility in the face of mounting public interest towa

Politics July 4, 2017

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday tapped an incumbent prosecutor as his nominee for new prosecutor-general.Moon Moo-il, the incumbent head of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office, has been designated as the country's new top prosecutor, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. Moon Moo-il (Yonhap)Moon, 55, joined the prosecution in 1989, three years after passing the national bar exam.He graduated from Seoul's Korea University with a bachelor's degree in law.The prosecutor-general nomine

Politics July 4, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for UN Security Council measures against North Korea for its latest missile provocation, officials at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.The president told his security and foreign relations officials to seek "UNSC measures in close cooperation with the country's allies, including the United States," Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said at a press conference.Moon's remarks came at an emergency meeting of the National Secur

North Korea July 4, 2017

WASHINGTON -- The US Pacific Command has determined that North Korea's latest missile launch was an intermediate-range ballistic missile test.  (Yonhap)"The US Pacific Command detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean missile launch at 2:40 p.m. Hawaii time July 3.The single launch of a land-based, intermediate range ballistic missile occurred near the Panghyon Airfield," the command said in a statement."The missile was tracked for 37 minutes and landed" in the East Sea, it said.The

North Korea July 4, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the upcoming G-20 summit in Germany, Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.The two will meet early Friday (German time). (Yonhap)"The two leaders are expected to exchange their views on ways to enhance the countries' exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of areas," Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release."Also, the two leaders will discuss other issues of

Diplomatic Circuit July 4, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in strongly condemned North Korea's latest missile launch Tuesday, saying his country will not tolerate such a provocation."I strongly urge North Korea to come out of its delusion that nuclear and missile development ensures its safety and make a decision to denuclearize," the South Korean president said in an emergency meeting of the National Security Council.(Yonhap)The NSC meeting was convened shortly after the communist North launched an apparent ballistic mis

North Korea July 4, 2017

More than 50,000 hectares of farmland in North Korea's granary zones have been damaged by drought, a US broadcaster reported Tuesday, citing UN data. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a spell of dry weather has continued in the North's main agricultural land as the precipitation there dropped by 30-80 percent in January, compared with that in previous years, Radio Free Asia said."The yield in Pyongan and Hwanghae Provinces and Nampo City is expected to decl

North Korea July 4, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in was set to chair an emergency meeting of the National Security Council later Tuesday, the presidential office said, to personally check the country's readiness against an additional provocation from North Korea.The meeting will be held at noon. The president earlier convened a meeting of the NSC standing committee, which is chaired by his top security adviser and head of the presidential National Security Office, shortly after the North launched what appeared t

North Korea July 4, 2017

North Korea said Tuesday that it will make an "important announcement" at 3:30 p.m. (Korean time).The announcement came hours after North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea on Tuesday. South Korea’s military said the launch is the North's first provocation since the summit between South Korea and the US last week. The missile was fired at 9:40 a.m. from Banghyeon, North Pyongan Province, and flew about 930 kilometers said Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The missile might have cr

North Korea July 4, 2017

North Korea on Tuesday urged Seoul to end its "subservience" to the US, as it questioned South Korea's will to improve inter-Korean ties in its reaction to the latest Seoul-Washington summit.The Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea released a statement saying that the new liberal South Korean administration shows no difference in sticking to its policy of dependence on foreign forces."It is deplorable that (South Korea's president) told his master of the US th

North Korea July 4, 2017

NEW YORK -- China's ambassador to the United Nations warned Monday that tensions with North Korea could get out of control and lead to disastrous consequences unless negotiations reopen as early as possible.Ambassador Liu Jieyi made the remark to reporters during a news conference he held as China took over this month's presidency at the UN Security Council. Ambassador Liu Jieyi (Yonhap)"Currently tensions are high and we certainly would like to see a de-escalation," the envoy said. "If tension

North Korea July 4, 2017

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is likely to have talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Germany this week, aimed at helping Beijing understand why Seoul allowed an advanced US missile defense system called THAAD to be installed on its soil, the country's top diplomat said Monday. (Yonhap)"Basically, the THAAD issue should be addressed with the top priority placed on our national interest and security needs," Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said during an interview with Yonhap News

Diplomatic Circuit July 4, 2017

Russia has expressed hope that South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit the country in September to join a forum it plans to hold in Vladivostok, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the remark during a phone conversation with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha, according to the ministry. This marked the first talks Kang had with Lavrov since her inauguration last month.Kang Kyung-hwa(left) and Sergey Lavrov(right) Yonhap"Lavrov congratul

Diplomatic Circuit July 4, 2017

South Korea's news unification minister vowed Monday to use all available means to induce North Korea to accept Seoul's offer to resume exchanges and improve relations. New unification minister Cho Myong-gyon(L) and Presdient Moon Jae-in(R) (Yonhap)Cho Myoung-gyon also said he will make efforts to resolve North Korea's nuclear issue and mend inter-Korean relations "with persistence and step by step.""I will try to mobilize all available means (to improve frayed inter-Korean ties). I think that a

Politics July 3, 2017