South Korea's troubled defense minister will attend a high-level security forum to open in Singapore later this week, his ministry announced Thursday.It would serve as a chance for the minister, Han Min-koo, to focus on a round of "defense diplomacy" on the North Korean issue, taking a break from a massive political controversy over the handling of the US deployment of its advanced missile defense system, called THAAD, here. South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo (right) shakes hands with his

Defense June 1, 2017

WASHINGTON -- This week's successful ICBM intercept test by the United States sends a clear message to North Korea that the US is capable of shooting down any oncoming missile from the communist nation, a senator said Wednesday."This test clearly demonstrates to our adversaries that our homeland missile defense system remains on track to defend our country. Today is an important day for our nation's missile defenders, our scientists and engineers, and the American people," Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-A

North Korea June 1, 2017

One out of every 3 firefighters in South Korea suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a report showed Thursday, underscoring the mental health issue facing emergency workers. The report showed that 34.4 percent of the firefighters showed some symptoms of the disease, the report by the National Center for Mental Health said. The report was based on a survey conducted on 212 firefighters with an average age of 41.4.PTSD occurs when a person is exposed to traumatic events and represents sympt

Social Affairs June 1, 2017

South Korea's central bank should maintain the current monetary easing policy to support growth, a member of the Bank of Korea's monetary policy board said Wednesday.Koh Seung-beom made the case during a luncheon meeting with reporters at the BOK headquarters in central Seoul, noting the recovery of domestic demand is not strong yet. He also said he does not believe a US rate hike could trigger any immediate foreign capital outflows from South Korea.His comments came six days after the BOK's mon

Market May 31, 2017

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) -- Yemen is descending into total collapse, with its people facing war, famine and a deadly outbreak of cholera, as the world watches, the UN aid chief said Tuesday.Speaking to the UN Security Council, Stephen O’Brien said “the time is now” to end the world’s largest food emergency and put Yemen back on the path to survival.“Crisis is not coming, it is not looming, it is here today -- on our watch and ordinary people are paying the price,” said O’Brien, the UN under-secretar

World News May 31, 2017

TOKYO (AFP) -- Japanese employers are scrambling to find staff, unemployment is at its lowest level in more than two decades and the labor market is tighter than it was during Japan’s booming bubble economy years.This should be great news for the world’s No. 3 economy, but analysts are warning not to pop the champagne quite yet because it is mostly due to a shrinking labor force. And many jobs are temporary and pay very little.Japan tied with Iceland in 2016 for the lowest annual unemployment ra

World Business May 31, 2017

BAB AL-HAWA, Turkey-Syria Border (AP) -- Nikki Haley crouched low in the trailer of an 18-wheeler taping up a box of lentils and wheat for besieged Syrians, her hands-on diplomacy a world apart from the gleaming new NATO headquarters where President Donald Trump was debuting his “America First” doctrine overseas.Haley, Trump’s UN ambassador, had started the day in Turkey’s capital, opened a refugee school in the south of the country, then traveled hours in an armored vehicle to the Syrian border

World May 31, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Pentagon scored an important success Tuesday in a test of its oft-criticized missile defense program, destroying a mock warhead over the Pacific Ocean with an interceptor that is key to protecting US territory from a North Korean attack.Vice Adm. Jim Syring, director of the Pentagon agency in charge of developing the missile defense system, called the test result “an incredible accomplishment” and a critical milestone for a program hampered by setbacks over the years. Peop

World May 31, 2017

GWANGJU -- A group of South Korean scientists successfully created an artificial brain-like three-dimensional neural structure, a local university said Wednesday, a finding that may contribute to studies in various brain diseases including Alzheimer's.The team led by Yoon Myung-han at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in collaboration with a research team from Seoul National University said they used graphene oxide nanoflakes to create bacterial cellulose. (Photo courtesy of the Gw

Technology May 31, 2017

The National Assembly on Wednesday adopted its report on the outcome of a confirmation hearing for National Intelligence Service (NIS) director-designate Suh Hoon, clearing the way for his official appointment.The report was published after Suh faced a last-minute hurdle -- opposition lawmakers taking issue with a sudden rise in his personal assets in 2007. The lawmakers demanded he explain the rise in writing, delaying the adoption of the report. This photo, taken on May 29, 2017, shows Nationa

Politics May 31, 2017

A Seoul court on Wednesday nullified its decision to question former President Park Geun-hye as a witness in her aide's trial as she refused to comply with a court-issued warrant to appear at the hearing. The Seoul Central District Court earlier accepted the request filed by an independent counsel team to bring Park to the trial of Lee Young-seon, a former presidential bodyguard.Former President Park Geun-hye, who is now in jail over corruption charges, is taken to the Seoul Central District Cou

Social Affairs May 31, 2017

South Korea should convince China to accept the ongoing deployment of an advanced US missile defense shield on its soil instead of trying to reverse the move, which could send the wrong signals to both Washington and Beijing, a scholar has said.The installation of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery has been under way at a former golf course in southeastern South Korea since early March. Seoul and Washington say the move is aimed at better countering missile threats from North Korea, w

Foreign Affairs May 31, 2017

Six in 10 South Koreans have a negative viewpoint of China's influence on their country, according to a poll released Wednesday.In the poll of 758 adult South Koreans organized jointly by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies and several foreign institutions early this year, 60 percent negatively evaluated China's influence on South Korea, while those with neutral and positive opinions amounted to 25 percent and 15 percent, respectively. (Yonhap)Institute officials noted that the ratio of negati

Social Affairs May 31, 2017

The National Assembly will hold a confirmation hearing for President Moon Jae-in's foreign minister nominee next week, officials said Wednesday.Kang Kyung-wha, the first woman to be tapped for the job, is expected to attend the hearing held by the parliamentary foreign affairs and unification committee next Wednesday. Kang Kyung-wha (Yonhap)The UN official faces allegations of ethical lapses, including false registration of her elder daughter's address. It is illegal to register an address diffe

Politics May 31, 2017

The daughter of former President Park Geun-hye's close friend involved in a corruption scandal returned to South Korea on Wednesday, after she was extradited from Denmark where she was in custody for five months. Chung Yoo-ra, the 21-year-old daughter of Choi Soon-sil, arrived at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at around 2:40 p.m. She was arrested by local authorities on a flight from Amsterdam where she transferred."I don't even know what my major was at Ewha Womans University" (Y

Social Affairs May 31, 2017