A US nuclear-powered attack submarine arrived in the southern port city of Busan on Tuesday in what appears to be another show of Washington's military might amid North Korea's continued saber-rattling.The 6,900-ton USS Cheyenne whose home port is Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, entered the ROK (Republic of Korea) Fleet Command in the city, some 450 kilometers south of Seoul, in the morning. The USS Cheyenne, a US nuclear-powered attack submarine, enters the ROK Fleet Command in Busan, some 450 kilometers

Defense June 6, 2017

North Korea on Tuesday urged Seoul to enforce inter-Korean summit declarations signed in 2000 and 2007 to promote bilateral cooperation and reconciliation, a day after it spurned offers by South Korean civic groups to resume exchanges.The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers Party, also said that the new Seoul government's stance on the agreements will be a touchstone to judge whether it sincerely hopes to enhance cross-border ties. (Yonhap)On Monday, the North rej

North Korea June 6, 2017

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday promised to re-evaluate the past to find forgotten and unknown heroes who helped make the nation great.In a speech marking Memorial Day, he also promised to enhance benefits for patriots, including independence fighters under Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule. (Yonhap)"Today, here at the National Cemetery, I think of patriotism.Without our people's patriotism, Korea as it is today would not have existed," the president said.The president said it was numerous indepe

Politics June 6, 2017

South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group appears unlikely to hold any high-profile events this week to mark the anniversary of a landmark declaration of reform as its leader has been in jail over a corruption scandal that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye.On June 7, 1993, Samsung Group's de facto head Lee Kun-hee pressed his employees to "change everything but your wife and kids," as he sought to spearhead a new management strategy.(Yonhap)The announcement, dubbed the "New

Industry June 6, 2017

Former US nuclear negotiator Robert Gallucci has been appointed chief of a Washington-based think tank specializing in Korean issues.Gallucci, who served as chief nuclear negotiator with North Korea during the first nuclear crisis in the early 1990s, has taken office as chairman of the US-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the institute announced. (Yonhap)The website 38 North, known for its expertise on North Korea issues, is also run by the institute.

Foreign Affairs June 6, 2017

The United States and Australia held high-level security talks Monday and agreed to work together to "impose greater costs" on North Korea for its provocative behavior, officials said.The so-called "two plus two" talks in Sydney, which brought together the foreign and defense ministers of the two countries, came after a series of missile tests by the North that demonstrated steady progress in Pyongyang's nuclear missile development. (Yonhap)"We discussed challenges on the Korean Peninsula, in pa

North Korea June 6, 2017

North Korean coal exports dropped to zero in April, a United Nations report showed Sunday, as the international community puts pressure on the reclusive regime to give up its nuclear and long-range missile programs.The sanctions committee under the United Nations Security Council that oversees the enforcement of penalties slapped against Pyongyang, said there was no trade of the fossil fuel in the one month period. (Yonhap)The UNSC passed Resolution 2321 after the isolationist regime detonated i

North Korea June 4, 2017

South Korean businesses posted modest sales growth in 2016 after coping with two straight years of falling numbers, a local report said Sunday.The findings by the Korea Economic Research Institute showed sales edging up 0.27 percent on-year after contracting 0.31 percent and 3.04 percent in 2014 and 2015, respectively. (KERI)It said that while sales did move up, sales totaling 2,250 trillion won ($2 trillion) are smaller than the 2,291 trillion won tallied in 2012, a clear sign of difficult time

Industry June 4, 2017

SEOUL/JEJU ISLAND -- South Korea's agricultural ministry said Sunday it has confirmed a case of a highly pathogenic avian flu in the southern port city of Busan.The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it reached the conclusion after conducting detailed tests on a poultry farm with 6,000 birds.(Yonhap)The farm had purchased 650 Korean Ogol Chickens last month from Gunsan in the country's southwestern region. Some of the birds died off suddenly, which caused quarantine officials t

Social Affairs June 4, 2017

SINGAPORE -- A top Russian defense official on Sunday accused South Korea and the US of escalating tensions in Northeast Asia by deploying the powerful Terminal High Altitude Area Defense on the Korean Peninsula.Deputy Defense Minster Lt. Gen. Alexander Fomin claimed the missile system can be used for launching "long-distance attack missiles," and should not be viewed exclusively as a defensive system."That's why we are alarmed. It's a direct threat to Russia," he said, speaking at a plenary ses

Foreign Affairs June 4, 2017

South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun is working to invite his North Korean counterpart to an upcoming meeting to be held in Seoul involving the parliamentary leaders of many countries, official sources said Sunday.Chung's office insiders said the second Eurasia Parliamentary Speakers' meeting will be held in Seoul on June 26-28 and involve parliamentary leaders and speakers from 41 countries in the region. (Yonhap)The annual event was jointly established by South Korean and Rus

North Korea June 4, 2017

North Korea has been in the spotlight at the forum here of top defense officials from around the world, reflecting increased global concern about its military threats, officials here said Sunday."The biggest characteristics of the session this time is that more attention has been paid to the North Korean nuclear and missile issue than in the previous ones," said South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo. This photo provided by the Seoul defense ministry shows Han Min-koo, South Korea's defense m

North Korea June 4, 2017

The cancellation of the free trade agreement between Seoul and Washington will be more detrimental to US companies than their South Korean counterparts, a local think tank said Sunday.According to the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, if the South Korea-US pact is nullified by the Donald Trump administration, American companies that ship goods to South Korea will be required to pay more import duties, while local companies will be affected less. "If the two-way FTA is scra

Economy June 4, 2017

South Korea said Sunday it has agreed to intensify military cooperation with New Zealand, especially on North Korea.The agreement came at a meeting between Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his New Zealand counterpart Mark Mitchell held on the sidelines of the 16th Asia Security Summit here. South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo (right) shakes hands with his New Zealand counterpart Mark Mitchell in Singapore talks on June 4, 2017, in this photo provided by Han's ministry. (Yonhap)The minsters

Defense June 4, 2017

A group of South Korean scientists have developed a new eco-friendly method to chemically produce terephthalic acid, which is largely used for polyethylene terephthalate, the science ministry said Sunday, a development that could be a boon in the mass production of next-generation industrial plastic.TPA is a large-volume commodity chemical used principally as a monomer precursor in the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate, which finds a broad range of applications in making beverage contain

Technology June 4, 2017