Increasingly violent protesters in support of ousted President Park Geun-hye clashed with police Saturday amid tensions over the Constitutional Court's historic ruling to uphold her impeachment because of a massive corruption scandal.Hours ahead of their rally to call for the nullification of the verdict in central Seoul, dozens of Park supporters threw combustible substances and sprayed fire extinguishers at a police station in an angry reaction to the police's move to tighten security around t

Social Affairs March 11, 2017

An attorney for former President Park Geun-hye said Saturday the Constitutional Court's ruling was "shocking" and should be scrapped."The Constitutional Court's decision was extremely shocking," Kim Pyung-woo said in a statement. "It has turned down the expectations of patriotic citizens who support the rule of law."Kim said it is unconstitutional to decide to oust the president with the bench short one justice.All eight justices currently on the nine-member bench participated in the verdict tha

Social Affairs March 11, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A second straight month of robust hiring pointed on Friday to a US economy healthy enough for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next week and to signal the likelihood of additional rate hikes ahead.US employers added 235,000 jobs in February, average paychecks rose and the unemployment rate dipped to a low 4.7 percent from 4.8 percent, the Labor Department said. February's jobs report was the first to cover a full month under President Donald Trump. During the presid

World Business March 11, 2017

HONOLULU (AP) -- Hawaii has 5,000 or so Muslims -- less than 1 percent of the state's population -- who are finding themselves thrust into an international spotlight after the state's top lawyer launched a challenge to President Donald Trump's revised travel ban, saying it contradicts the islands' welcoming culture that values diversity. Named as a plaintiff in the federal lawsuit fighting the ban is Ismail Elshikh, the imam of the island of Oahu's only mosque -- a converted plantation-style hou

World News March 11, 2017

The front-runner to succeed South Korea's impeached president Park Geun-Hye after her dismissal over a corruption scandal is a former special forces soldier, pro-democracy activist and human rights lawyer.The irony is that Moon Jae-In of the Democratic Party was once chief of staff to left-leaning president Roh Moo-Hyun, who committed suicide in 2009 after being questioned over graft allegations.Even so, Roh invariably polls as South Korea's most beloved ex-president, with other former heads of

Politics March 11, 2017

All eyes were on Seoul's presidential Blue House Saturday as South Koreans awaited ex-president Park Geun-Hye's reaction to her impeachment and preparations to move into her private residence.Election authorities expressed concern over growing tensions in the lead-up to polls to elect a new president, while newspaper editorials called for an end to ongoing street protests.A third person died Saturday in hospital after he lost consciousness the day before in a clash between pro-Park supporters an

Politics March 11, 2017

North Korea is continuing to excavate a tunnel at its nuclear test site, which may support an explosion up to 14 times more powerful than its last test, according to US analysts Saturday. Satellite imagery of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the northeast shows that substantial tunnel excavation is continuing at the North Portal, where the last four of the five underground nuclear tests by the North were conducted, according to the analysis posted at 38 North, a website run by the US-Korea In

North Korea March 11, 2017

The political scandal of former President Park Geun-hye, rooted in her decades-long relationship with her confidante Choi Soon-sil, is one of the biggest, if not strangest, in modern Korean history. It's also too good a topic for TV networks to just pass up.But it's one thing for network executives to order new shows that deal with the latest politics. It's another for showrunners to take the inside minutia of politics and actually make it interesting and engaging, not just for political junkies

Culture March 11, 2017

South Korea's exports jumped 19.3 percent on-year in the first 10 days of this month led by petrochemical goods, semiconductors and automobiles, government data showed Saturday.Overseas shipments from March 1-10 were estimated at US$1.43 million after hitting a five-year high in the previous month, the Korea Customs Service said in a statement."Rising oil prices in recent months have boosted local exporters who had been suffering from slumping oil prices and slowing demand in global markets," a

March 11, 2017

South Korea's financial authorities agreed Saturday to tighten real-time monitoring of banks' foreign exchange liquidity and other market risks, as the country earnestly prepares for a presidential election far earlier than originally scheduled.The decision was made at an emergency meeting of senior officials at the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service, the Korea Exchange and the Financial Security Institute, a day after the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of impe

March 11, 2017

Even if the US designates South Korea a currency manipulator, it won't lead to a significant appreciation of the won's value, a private think tank here said Saturday.The Woori Finance Research Institute questioned the effectiveness of the possible measure by the Donald Trump administration eager to reduce the US trade deficit.The Treasury Department included South Korea, a key US ally and trade partner, on the currency watch list last year, along with China, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Switzerlan

March 11, 2017

South Korean shares are expected to face increased volatility next week as the US Federal Reserve is set to decide interest rates and a set of other major events are in store, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 2,097.35 points on Friday, up 0.89 percent from a week ago.This week, the local stock market started a tad higher on continued foreign investors' buying binge, and top market cap Samsung Electronics extended gains on a rosy outlook for its ear

March 11, 2017

Funds that have invested in domestic bonds have suffered massive cash outflows as investors pulled part of their money out of the funds amid concerns over a rate hike in the US, industry data showed Saturday.According to the data compiled by industry tracker FNGuide, domestic funds have logged an outflow of some 1.1 trillion won ($945 million) so far this year through Thursday, as concerns over rate hikes in the US have emerged.Bond yields have been on a steady rise since the second half of last

March 11, 2017

The United States is closely monitoring developments in South Korea, including its upcoming presidential election, the White House said Friday as it reaffirmed the alliance with Seoul in the wake of the ouster of President Park Geun-hye from office."I believe they have to have an election within 60 days. There is an acting president who we have strong relationships with. We will continue to work with South Korea. They're both an ally and a friend in the region," White House press secretary Sean

Politics March 11, 2017

The United States will continue to ship to South Korea the remaining elements of a THAAD missile defense battery regardless of the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye, the Department of Defense said Friday."Leaders change over time, that's not new," Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters after South Korea's Constitutional Court upheld Park's impeachment and removed her from office, according to Reuters.(Yonhap)"We made an agreement with the Republic of Korea that this was a

Politics March 11, 2017