South Korea said on Thursday it has dismissed Japan's protest against its scientific research near Dokdo, reaffirming that the country's easternmost islets are part of its sovereign territory. Earlier, Japanese media reported that Tokyo lodged a protest with South Korea's foreign ministry against a South Korean vessel operating "without permission" in its exclusive economic zone near the islets Wednesday. Dokdo in the East Sea (Herald DB)Cho June-hyuck, foreign ministry spokesman, told a regular

Social Affairs May 18, 2017

GANGNEUNG -- Thousands of North Korea's propaganda leaflets were found in the eastern city of Gangneung on Thursday, police said, in the latest propaganda campaign carried out by the reclusive regime against the South.  North Korea's propaganda leaflets found near a construction site in the city, some 230 kilometers east of Seoul, around 11 a.m. (Yonhap)Police said about 5,000 leaflets were found near a construction site in the city, some 230 kilometers east of Seoul, around 11 a.m. They carried

Social Affairs May 18, 2017

Former President Park Geun-hye's doctors received prison terms Thursday for treating her without meeting due legal procedures or perjury in relation to a corruption scandal that removed Park from office. The Seoul Central District Court made the first ruling on figures implicated in the massive corruption and influence-peddling scandal centering on the disgraced former leader and her close friend Choi Soon-sil. Park was ousted and arrested in March. Dr. Kim Young-jae received 18 months in prison

Social Affairs May 18, 2017

All North Korean ships, which underwent safety inspections at ports in the Asia-Pacific region last year, were found to have had deficiencies, a US broadcaster said Thursday. "North Korea recorded a 100 percent deficiency rate in safety inspections at Asia-Pacific ports last year," Voice of America said, citing the 2016 Annual Report on Port State Control.  A North Korean freighter enters into South Korea's western port of Incheon on Nov. 16, 2016. (Yonhap)The Port State Control Committee of the

North Korea May 18, 2017

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that South Korea is the "most important" country that shares strategic interests, adding he will move toward building future-oriented ties between the Asian neighbors.Abe made the remarks during a meeting with Moon Hee-sang, a special envoy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was sent to deliver his letter to Abe and discuss summit talks. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes.South Korean President Moon Jae-in's special envoy, Moon H

Foreign Affairs May 18, 2017

The North Korean army is repairing protective walls for gallery positions to brace for possible cruise missile strikes after witnessing such US attacks on Syria last month, a US broadcaster said Thursday. The North's armed forces ministry ordered the army to take steps to protect gallery strongholds from air raids in mid-April, Radio Free Asia said, citing the Osaka-based North Korea specialist news organ Asia Press.  The USS Ross fires a tomahawk missile on April 7, 2017, from the Mediterranean

North Korea May 18, 2017

Hundreds of tons of South Korean rice will be shipped to Southeast Asian developing countries as part of an international food aid program for the first time in history, the agriculture ministry said Thursday.A container vessel carrying 250 tons of rice will depart for the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville on Thursday, while 500 tons will go to Myanmar on Friday, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. An official packs a 40-kilogram rice sack for the APTERR food aid prog

Foreign Affairs May 18, 2017

Local egg prices were rising again with the country yet to stabilize the market following the latest outbreak of bird flu, officials said Thursday.The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. said a carton of 30 eggs was priced at an average of 8,027 won ($7.17) as of Wednesday, up 61.3 percent from last year. An image of eggs (Yonhap)Egg prices had shot up following the avian influenza epidemic from November last year, going as high as the 9,000 won range before falling back to the 7,000 won ran

Industry May 18, 2017

Chinese tech companies are gradually expanding sales in India, industry data showed Thursday, and starting to threaten Samsung Electronics Co., which is currently the leading player in the subcontinent.According to the industry tracker Strategy Analytics, China-based Vivo sold 1.9 million handsets in the first quarter in India, accounting for 7 percent of the market and claiming a spot on the top five list.Vivo has been gathering popularity in India on the back of the V5 smartphones. The Chinese

Industry May 18, 2017

Shares of the two latest big debutants on South Korea's stock market -- Netmarble Games Corp. and ING Life Insurance Korea -- have tumbled well below their issue price as investors are leery of earnings and market outlooks, analysts said Thursday.South Korea's largest mobile games maker Netmarble Games Corp. successfully debuted on the country's main bourse on Friday above its initial public offering  price. The company closed at 162,000 won ($144.20), much higher than the IPO price of 157,

Market May 18, 2017

US soldiers stationed in South Korea have recently conducted an exercise aimed at destroying North Korea's weapons of mass destruction by practicing a ship-to-shore air assault from a South Korean warship, the infantry division said Thursday.The US Army forces carried out the exercise, called "Warrior Strike 7" at Camp Stanley in Euijeongbu, just north of Seoul, and the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex near the inter-Korean border, it said. This file photo provided by South Korea's Defense Acquisitio

North Korea May 18, 2017

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Thursday, tracking their US peers that ended bearish amid intensifying political turmoil surrounding President Donald Trump's alleged interference with a federal investigation, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index dropped 11.18 points, or 0.49 percent, to trade at 2,281.90 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The US S&P 100 index marked its biggest fall in months Wednesday (local time), as investors opted for selling o

Market May 18, 2017

A special envoy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in China on Thursday for discussions on a summit between the countries' heads of state and ways to contain North Korea.Also high on the agenda for the special envoy, Lee Hae-chan, was a prolonged row between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of the US missile defense system THAAD in South Korea, officials from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae noted.President Moon Jae-in (left) shakes hands with his special envoy to China,

Foreign Affairs May 18, 2017

WASHINGTON -- US National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster told South Korea's presidential envoy that he is aware that there is a procedural problem in South Korea with the decision to host the US THAAD missile defense system, the envoy said.McMaster made the remark when special envoy Hong Seok-hyun told him that there is a controversy over South Korea's procedure leading to the decision to host THAAD and there is a need to discuss the issue in the National Assembly, the envoy told reporters. US N

Defense May 18, 2017

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump's sharing of highly classified intelligence with Russia could cause a problem with efforts to seek cooperation from allies in dealing with North Korea, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee said Wednesday.Trump came under strong fire following revelations that he revealed intelligence secrets, which were obtained from an ally, when he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak at the White House l

North Korea May 18, 2017