North Korea said Thursday it released an American university student over “humanitarian” reasons in its first official comment since he was returned to his home state of Ohio in a coma.The state-run Korean Central News Agency said Otto Warmbier had been serving hard labor but did not comment on his medical condition or how the country negotiated his release with the United States. (Yonhap)“Warmbier, who had been (serving) in hard labor, was sent back home on June 13, 2017, on humanitarian ground

North Korea June 15, 2017

A group of South Korean medical researchers developed a new type of anti-cancer immune material derived from a plant, the science ministry said Thursday, opening up new treatment opportunities for patients. The team, led by Lee Chang-hwan of Ulsan University, developed the new substance made from the plant named rehmannia that can selectively destroy tumor cells, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said. The substance has shown potential for attacking brain cancer, it said. (Photo c

Technology June 15, 2017

South Korea's capital city of Seoul will face the steepest decrease in population over the next 30 years amid the country's chronic low birth rate and rapid aging, government data showed Thursday.The number of residents in Seoul is predicted to reach 8.81 million in 2045, down 1.13 million, or 11.3 percent, from 9.94 million tallied in 2015, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. (123RF)Busan, the second-largest city located on the southeastern coast, will likely lose 470,000, or 13

Social Affairs June 15, 2017

A hostel inside the North Korean embassy compound in Germany has been in operation despite a German government ban on the building's commercial lease, a news report said Thursday.The Cityhostel Berlin, which rents part of the embassy property, was taking reservations by phone and Internet on Wednesday, according to Washington-based Radio Free Asia. This undated photo shows a hostel operating within the North Korean Embassy in Berlin. (EPA-Yonhap)"Yes, it is possible to make reservations. Rooms f

North Korea June 15, 2017

A Seoul appellate court Thursday upheld a lower court's ruling that cleared two opposition lawmakers of charges of taking illicit political funds in the runup to the April parliamentary elections last year. The Seoul High Court dismissed the prosecution's appeal against the initial verdict and found Reps. Park Sun-sook and Kim Soo-min of the People's Party not guilty.This file photo shows Rep. Park Sun-sook (left) and Rep. Kim Soo-min of the People`s Party on Oct. 12, 2016. (Yonhap)Park and Kim

Politics June 15, 2017

South Korea on Thursday urged North Korea to seek reconciliation and peace as the two rivals marked the 17th anniversary of their first summit.On June 15, 2000, leaders of South and North Korea held a historic summit in Pyongyang, which produced a landmark joint declaration on reconciliation. This file photo taken by the Joint Press Corp. on June 13, 2000, shows former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (right) and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-il shaking hands at an airport in Pyongyan

Foreign Affairs June 15, 2017

President Moon Jae-in presented each of his new vice ministers and officials of similar status with a letter of appointment Thursday, marking what could be seen as an official launch of his new administration.A total of 27 new ministers and vice ministerial-level officials were officially appointed in a ceremony at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)The president named the new vice minister for oceans and fisheries, Kang Joon-suk, earlier Thursday, but he was not

Politics June 15, 2017

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean attacker Son Heung-min might need to go under the knife for his arm injury suffered during a recent FIFA World Cup qualifying match, a national football team official said Wednesday. Son was forced to leave the game with a broken right forearm in South Korea's 3-2 loss to Qatar in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Doha on Tuesday. With the Taeguk Warriors trailing 1-0, Son got up in the air to battle defender Mohammed Musa for the ba

Soccer June 15, 2017

The National Assembly on Thursday adopted reports on the results of confirmation hearings for President Moon Jae-in's picks for the interior and oceans ministers, clearing the way for their official appointments.Oceans and Fisheries Minister-nominee Kim Young-choon speaks during a parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 14, 2017. (Yonhap)The adoption of the report is a key part of the parliamentary confirmation process before the president formally appoints t

Politics June 15, 2017

INCHEON -- The South Korean men's national team made a solemn return on Wednesday from an away loss to Qatar in a World Cup qualifying match.With a dreadful defensive effort, South Korea fell to Qatar 3-2 in Doha on Tuesday, their first loss to the Middle East nation since December 1984.South Korean players (in white) react to their 3-2 loss to Qatar in the teams` World Cup qualifying match at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha on June 13, 2017. (Yonhap)South Korea gave up the first two goals of t

Soccer June 14, 2017

South Korea's Defense Minister Han Min-koo on Wednesday called a recent drone infiltration, presumably by North Korea, a "grave" violation of the armistice agreement, saying his ministry will lodge a complaint through the Seoul-based UN Command."That a North Korean vehicle crossed the military demarcation line and flew into South Korean territory is a grave violation of the armistice agreement," Han told a parliamentary session. The accord halted the 1950-53 Korean War, but has left the two Kore

Defense June 14, 2017

South Korea will push to reopen the industrial park in North Korea only in step with progress in the resolution of its nuclear problems, the nominee for South Korea's unification minister said Wednesday.Cho Myoung-gyon made the remarks apparently to stress that Seoul would not move hastily on the now-suspended Kaesong Industrial Complex. Cho Myoung-gyon, the nominee for South Korea`s unification minister speak to reporters over inter-Korean relations on June 15, 2017. (Yonhap)Just after his nomi

North Korea June 14, 2017

North Korea said Wednesday it is willing to respond to suggestions of any dialogue and cooperation on the humanitarian front, announcing the result of a meeting with a United Nations human rights investigator.Ri Hung-sik, North Korea's human rights ambassador, met with UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities Catalina Devandas-Aguilar at the UN on Monday during which they discussed ways to promote human rights, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.  C

North Korea June 14, 2017

Seven out of 10 people who abused elderly people were family members last year while the number of such cases increased, according to a survey revealed Wednesday by the welfare ministry.Out of 12,009 reported cases in 2016, 4,280 were confirmed by judiciary institutions as elder abuse, up 12.1 percent from a year earlier, according to the report. The victims were men in 1,187 cases and women in 3,093. President Moon Jae-in makes pots of flowers with senior citizens at a state-operated nursing ho

Social Affairs June 14, 2017

Two out of three judges in South Korea approve live television broadcasts of important court hearings, according to a poll released Wednesday.In a survey of about 1,013 judges conducted last week by the Supreme Court's Office of Court Administration, 67.82 percent said the judicial proceedings for major criminal cases can be broadcast partially or entirely on TV upon the permission of the presiding judge.In particular, as many as 73.35 percent consented to a TV broadcast of sentencing hearings a

Social Affairs June 14, 2017