Negotiations at the UN Security Council over a new sanctions resolution on North Korea are being drawn out with no signs of an imminent breakthrough nearly two months after Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test.Analysts said that the delay appears to be in part because of political uncertainties in the United States, which will hold a presidential election this week, and a strategic rivalry between the US and China.Following Pyongyang's Sept. 9 nuclear test, the most powerful one to date, the US, along

Foreign Affairs Nov. 6, 2016

The Financial Supervisory Service will offer interpretations for financial consultations in 19 foreign languages, starting Nov. 1. The FSS, in collaboration with the Immigration Contact Center, said Monday that the new translation service is expected to ease the difficulties faced by immigrants or members of multicultural families in Korea.  (Financial Supervisory Service)Those seeking the language support can dial 1332, which will connect them with foreign language experts who provide translati

Oct. 31, 2016

Ko Young-tae -- one of the closest figures to the controversial presidential confidante Choi Soon-sil accused of meddling with state affairs -- returned home Monday afternoon after a second probe that lasted 24 hours. Ko has surfaced as a key figure in the corruption scandal that is shaking the nation after Choi denied ownership of the tablet PC in which confidential documents including unedited manuscripts of the president’s speeches were found. Choi, 60, claimed the laptop was Ko’s, saying she

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2016

Phones under another person’s name, or “daepo phone,” are attracting attention after it was revealed that a number of high ranking officials involved in the Choi Soon-sil scandal have used them for clandestine communications. Former senior policy secretary Ahn Jong-beom, one of the government officials suspected of helping establish illegally funded sports foundations where the president’s confidante Choi Soon-sil is known to be the de facto head, had used the daepo phone to keep in contact with

Social Affairs Oct. 31, 2016

South Korea and Cuba discussed ways to boost bilateral ties Monday, holding their first economic cooperation dialogue in 57 years.The meeting of the Korea-Cuba economic cooperation committee was held in Havana, involving some 150 business leaders from the two countries, according to the Federation of Korean Industries, South Korea's largest business lobby that represents the country's top 600 companies.The meeting marked the first of its kind since the countries severed diplomatic ties in 1959,

Foreign Affairs Oct. 31, 2016

AfreecaTV, South Korea’s biggest video-streaming platform, has pledged to offer a fair profit-sharing scheme to streamers after its shares plummeted. The move came after four of its top streamers decided to leave AfreecaTV in favor of YouTube over profit-sharing issues. Investors took the departure of heavyweights as a bad sign. Shares of AfreecaTV went down by as much as 14 percent over the past two weeks to trade at 25,150 won in early Friday trading on the KOSDAQ. AfreecaTV lost about 44 bill

Culture Oct. 28, 2016

The governor of South Korea's South Chungcheong will make a four-day visit to Japan this week to deepen the province's cooperative ties with Japanese prefectures, the South Korean provincial government said Thursday.Gov. Ahn Hee-jung is scheduled to leave for Tokyo on Friday for talks with officials of the pro-Seoul Korean Residents Union in Japan, to discuss ways to promote cultural exchanges for youths of the two countries before heading to Shizuoka, southwest of Tokyo, the next day to take pa

Foreign Affairs Oct. 27, 2016

New Zealand's top envoy in Seoul said Tuesday she hopes South Korea will join the Trans Pacific Partnership, calling the country a "natural partner."New Zealand is one of 12 countries that have joined what is expected to emerge as the world's largest free trade block. US President Barack Obama has been pushing to ratify the pact before the end of his term. South Korea has yet to decide whether to join.Its actual implementation, however, faces uncertainty as key presidential candidates in the Uni

Foreign Affairs Oct. 25, 2016

A university student received an immediate prison term of 30 months for smuggling in illegal drugs from overseas. Daegu District Court said Sunday that the 25-year-old brought in 4.5 grams of marijuana from Manila, Philippines, in April. She transported it hidden in her luggage, which went undetected through airport customs at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, the southeastern port city of Korea. (Yonhap)Emboldened by this success, in July she once again visited Philippines, this time buyin

Social Affairs Oct. 24, 2016

Prosecutors on Friday sought an 18-month prison term for social activist and artist Hong Seung-hee, who was indicted without detention for drawing satirical graffiti of President Park Geun-hye and for her participation in the 2014 Sewol ferry mourning protest.Hong was indicted on three counts for separate offences. The first involved her participation in the post-Sewol ferry crisis protest in August 2014, where more than 3,000 people marched together in mourning for the tragic sinking of the ove

Social Affairs Oct. 23, 2016

A woman was rescued after she crawled into and got trapped inside a claw machine Tuesday. According to the Incheon Seobu Fire Station, the 165-centimeter tall 20-year-old had somehow managed to crawl through a slot in the machine in a drunken state, in an attempt to steal the stuffed toys inside it.  (Yonhap)A local wire service quoted a fire department staff as saying, “It’s a mystery how she got inside. She was taller than the average women.”The hole was 30 cm in width and height.The fire depa

Social Affairs Oct. 20, 2016