Five crew members of a sunken Malaysian cargo vessel died Thursday after a Korea Coast Guard boat, which had rescued them, capsized in seas off Jeju Island.The Coast Guard dispatched its boat to save 15 crewmen of the 5,000-ton vessel from sinking off the southern island. The rescue boat carrying them and four coast guard officers was heading back to its base when it capsized due to strong tides. The Coast Guard immediately dispatched a helicopter and a patrol ship but the accident claimed five

Social Affairs Oct. 18, 2012

The Global Green Growth Institute, a Korea-initiated nonprofit organization to promote environmentally friendly development, was officially transformed into an international agency on Thursday, 28 months after its launch.The agency met the requirement as an international body, which is the ratification of at least three countries, as Kiribati’s approval on Sept. 18 took effect following Denmark and Guyana.With 18 member countries the GGGI is the first international organization founded under the

Social Affairs Oct. 18, 2012

Korea researchers said they have identified a gene that produces neurotoxic components in Alzheimer’s disease, in a step forward to finding a cure for the degenerative brain disease. The state-run Korea National Institute of Health said on Monday that a team led by Dr. Koh Young-ho at its biomedical science division found small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) 1 protein.The team found in lab testing with mice that SUMO1 integrates with BACE1, a key enzyme which accelerates the production and de

Technology Oct. 15, 2012

Hunger situation in North Korea this year worsened from the 1990s despite considerable amount of international aid to the communist nation, a Washington-based food institute showed Saturday.The 2012 Global Hunger Index published by the International Food Policy Research Institute said hunger remains a serious problem worldwide, with alarming levels in some countries.North Korea’s hunger situation was at the “serious level,” the report said, with its GHI standing at 19 points, higher than that of

Social Affairs Oct. 14, 2012

Senior officials and business leaders of major African countries will gather in South Korea this week to discuss cooperation and joint business opportunities, the foreign ministry said Saturday. South Korea and the African Union will jointly hold the Korea Africa Economic Cooperation Conference in Seoul from Oct. 15-18, bringing 150 ministers and heads of 18 African nations and international organizations, the ministry said.“Africa is the last growth engine of the world economy, which has unlimi

Social Affairs Oct. 14, 2012

Lawmakers of the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee visited South Korea’s 22nd Infantry Division on Friday in Goseong, Gwangwon Province, to toughen their inspection on the military base.The 22nd Division had been held responsible for lax border security on Oct. 2, when a North Korean solider jumped over three fences on the demarcation line and crossed over to the South without being spotted.Lawmakers criticized the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the parliamentary inspection on the inc

Defense Oct. 12, 2012

The Joint Chiefs of Staff came under mounting criticism Thursday over lax security on the border with North Korea following the defection of a soldier from the communist state.The military is also being reproved for maintaining a poor reporting system in the chain of command, further raising concern over South Korea’s military communication channels.The JCS said that the military unit guarding the demarcation line that took in the North Korean solider did not falsely report the situation to or t

Defense Oct. 11, 2012

South Korea and the U.S. are moving to boost their missile defense as a key deterrent against nuclear-armed North Korea.Various sources told local media that the two allies have drawn up a strategic plan that aims to target and intercept the North’s nuclear facilities, underground bunkers and missiles.Officials from the two sides are expected to discuss the matter at the bilateral Security Consultative Meeting, scheduled to be held in the U.S. later this month.The plan calls for launching a stri

Defense Oct. 10, 2012

The Joint Chiefs of Staff has been criticized for loosely guarding the military demarcation line and allowing a North Korean soldier to freely cross over to the South.At a parliamentary inspection on the incumbent administration, lawmakers of the National Assembly’s national defense committee lashed out at JCS Chairman Jung Seung-jo for lax security at the border.The Ministry of National Defense said last Saturday that a North Korean solider defected to the South by crossing the MDL after killin

Defense Oct. 9, 2012