South Korea's spy agency transferred large amounts of intelligence on North Korea to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, an on-line whistle blower site claimed Saturday.WikiLeaks said based on reports sent by the U.S. embassy in Seoul to the State Department dated July 9, 2007 that the South's National Intelligence Service handed over data collected through interviews with around 9,000 North Korean defectors. The flow of information started in 1997 and ran through 2007 with NIS agents transfer

Politics July 13, 2013

Two people were killed and hundreds left homeless after heavy rains pounded North Korea over the past three days, state media said Saturday."Flood damage occurred in the central DPRK," (North Korea) the Korean Central News Agency said, citing preliminary tallies compiled as of late Friday.Large swathes of farmland were flooded in the provinces of South Hamkyong, North Hwanghae and Kangwon, KCNA said.Poor weather makes it harder for the communist state to feed its 24-million-strong population as

North Korea July 13, 2013

South Korean businessmen visited the inter-Korean industrial park in Kaesong for a second consecutive day to bring back finished products and raw manufacturing materials, the government said Saturday.Ministry of Unification that handles relations with the communist country said 115 businessmen and workers crossed the demilitarized zone (DMZ) with 112 vehicles earlier in the day to retrieve materials from the joint venture that has remained idle for over three months.On Friday, personnel from 44

North Korea July 13, 2013

SAN FRANCISCO (Yonhap News) -- A teenage girl died Friday after succumbing to injuries sustained last week during the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport, authorities said. San Francisco General Hospital did not reveal the name of the girl but confirmed she had been in critical condition. Her death was confirmed by the Chinese consulate in the city, which also said that she was a Chinese citizen. The latest death brings the total number of fatalities to thr

Industry July 13, 2013

Shaking up his national security team, President Barack Obama tapped diplomat Susan Rice as his national security adviser, defying Republicans who have vigorously criticized her faulty explanation about the attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya.“Susan is the consummate public servant _ a patriot who puts her country first,'' Obama said while announcing Rice's appointment Wednesday during a Rose Garden ceremony.Rice will take over the top national security post from Tom Donilon, who is resigning

World News June 5, 2013

South Korea on Wednesday criticized the repatriation by Laos of nine North Korean defectors at a U.N. meeting, calling for the international community’s support to ensure their safety and humanitarian treatment. The seven men and two women aged between 15 and 23 were caught by Laotian authorities while trying to reach the South Korean Embassy on May 10. They were expelled to China last week and now likely face severe punishment in their oppressive homeland. Shin Dong-ik, deputy minister for mult

Foreign Affairs June 5, 2013

President Park Geun-hye called Tuesday for sweeping deregulation aimed at facilitating mergers and acquisitions of venture start-ups, saying investments, not loans, are key to revitalizing the industry that is considered a backbone for her "creative economy" vision.Park has championed the vision as one of her main economic policies. It calls for boosting South Korea's economy by creating unheard-of business opportunities and more jobs through the fusion of information technology and cultural and

Politics May 14, 2013

President Park Geun-hye proposed a meeting with leaders of rival parties this week to urge them to quickly pass her government reorganization bill, her spokesman said Saturday.Park will "invite Hwang Woo-yea, the chief of the Saenuri Party, and the party's floor leader Lee Hahn-koo; Moon Hee-sang, the chief of the Democratic United Party; and the party's floor leader Park Ki-choon to Cheong Wa Dae at 2 p.m. Sunday and discuss the government reorganization bill," presidential spokesman Yoon Chang

Politics March 2, 2013

South Korean stocks are expected to trade higher next week despite automatic spending cuts in the United States, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed up 0.1 percent to 2,026.49 on Friday from the previous week.The KOSPI rebounded later this week as Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, made comments that suggested a continuation of the monetary easing policy.Weekly foreign net-buying totaled 70 billion won (US$64 million), while

March 2, 2013

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- The U.S. government accused the North Korean leadership Friday of "wining and dining" former NBA star Dennis Rodman and the Harlem Globetrotters while many of its people are starving."Clearly, you've got the regime spending money to wine and dine foreign visitors when they should be feeding their own people,"Patrick Ventrell, acting deputy spokesman for the State Department, said at a press briefing.He was answering a question about Washington's view on Rodman's trip

North Korea March 2, 2013

SAN FRANCISCO (Yonhap News) -- Overturning her previous ruling, a U.S. federal judge in charge of a Samsung-Apple patent suit on Friday almost halved Samsung's penalty.U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh ordered Samsung to pay Apple $598.9 million, about $450 million less than before.In a ruling in August, Koh set Apple's award at $1.05 billion, accepting the jury's conclusion that the South Korean tech giant infringed on some of Apple's patents.The jury said Samsung copied some designs and technologie

Industry March 2, 2013