South Korea said Tuesday former and current US Forces Korea service members will launch a new fraternity association in Washington DC this week after years of preparations, adding it would be the largest pro-Seoul group there.The Korea Defense Veterans Association will be born in a ceremony to be held at the official residence of the South Korean ambassador to the US on Wednesday (local time), according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.It will have as many as 3.5 million members

Defense May 2, 2017

Park Geun-hye's sister said Monday she will support the presidential candidate of the conservative party affiliated with her estranged sibling to "save" the jailed former leader.In a press conference, Park Geun-ryoung said she will support Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party in the election just eight days away. Park Geun-ryoung (center), sister of former President Park Geun-hye, is surrounded by reporters as she arrives at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on April 28, 2017. (Y

Politics May 1, 2017

North Korea pledged Monday to bolster its nuclear weapons program at maximum speed, issuing the country's first official response to the recently released North Korea policy by the US administration, which focuses on "maximum pressure and engagement.""Now that the US is kicking up the overall racket for sanctions and pressure against the DPRK, pursuant to its new DPRK policy called 'maximum pressure and engagement', the DPRK will speed up at the maximum pace the measure for bolstering its nuclea

North Korea May 1, 2017

GEOJE -- Six people were killed and 19 others injured after a crane part fell onto a ship under construction on Monday, authorities said.Two cranes collided at a Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in the southeastern port city of Geoje around 2:50 p.m., causing a structure to fall from one of the cranes, according to firefighters and police. The tower crane that broke was between 50 and 60 meters long and weighed 32 tons.Six were confirmed dead, three were seriously hurt, while 19 sustained minor

Social Affairs May 1, 2017

A record number of overseas South Koreans have cast ballots in early overseas voting for the country's upcoming presidential election, the election watchdog said Monday.A total of 221,981 overseas voters cast ballots over a six-day voting period that ended Sunday, according to the National Election Commission.There are about 1.97 million South Korean nationals who are staying overseas and are eligible to take part in the presidential election slated to be held next Tuesday. A South Korean nation

Social Affairs May 1, 2017

MOKPO -- The number of recovered items belonging to the victims of a ferry sinking disaster has increased to 157 since workers started to search for the remains of those still missing in the wreck of the vessel late last month, local government officials said Monday.The Mokpo municipal government in South Korea's southwestern province of South Jeolla made public a list of 44 items and their photos, which it received from the headquarters for the search, on its website the same day. This photo, t

Social Affairs May 1, 2017

More than seven out of 10 teenage prostitutions were found to have been conducted through online chat services, a government survey showed Monday.In a recent survey by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on 173 teens who have experience selling sex in the past, 74.8 percent said they met partners through either smartphone chat applications or chat web services. (Yonhap)A little over 20 percent said they engaged in the trade through brokerage by an acquaintance, while 3.6 percent said they

Social Affairs May 1, 2017

The Korea Confederation of Trade Unions, the more militant of the nation's two umbrella labor organizations, on Monday declared its political endorsement for two progressive candidates in the country's presidential election.In a press conference held in Seoul, the KCTU said it supports Sim Sang-jeung of the Justice Party and Kim Sun-dong of the People's Union Party. The official declaration of support came on the sidelines of a ceremony marking Labor Day. Sim Sang-jeung (center), the presidentia

Politics May 1, 2017

A former presidential aide on Monday denied his charges in an influence-peddling scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye.Woo Byung-woo, who served as Park's senior secretary for civil affairs from 2015 to 2016, is accused of aiding and abetting her friend Choi Soon-sil in meddling in state affairs.This illustration shows Woo Byung-woo (left), former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and former President Park Geun-hye. (Yonhap)He was indicted on charges of abuse of power,

Social Affairs May 1, 2017

Liberal presidential candidates wooed laborers Monday with promises to enhance their rights and ease their burdens, a series of pledges that coincided with Labor Day.Ahn Cheol-soo of the center-left People's Party and Sim Sang-jeung of the progressive Justice Party held separate events to meet with laborers in Seoul as the presidential election closed to just eight days away.Sim, a longtime advocate of labor rights, visited a bridge dedicated to Jeon Tae-il, a tailor who burned himself to death

Politics May 1, 2017

A government survey conducted last year showed two out of three North Korean defectors were satisfied with their life in South Korea.In the survey released Monday, 43.3 percent said they are satisfied and 23.7 percent said they are very much so. Conducted by the state-run Korea Hana Foundation, the poll also found 29.2 percent feel their life here "not bad" and 3.5 percent were dissatisfied, with 0.3 percent giving no answer. A group of North Korean defectors hold talks with South Korean lawmake

North Korea May 1, 2017

Presidential front-runner Moon Jae-in on Monday promised to increase the minimum wage of workers while working to improve their working conditions and job security.Marking the Labor Day, the presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party reiterated his earlier pledge to raise the minimum wage to 10,000 won ($8.77) an hour by 2020. The minimum wage currently stands at 6,470 won an hour. Presidential front-runner Moon Jae-in (on stage) waves to his supporters while staging an election camp

Politics May 1, 2017

A series of organizations here have declared their political endorsement of presidential front-runner Moon Jae-in, apparently suggesting their anticipation of his victory in the May 9 election.The National Employment Service Association, a non-government organization committed to various vocational training services, announced their endorsement of the Democratic Party candidate, the party said Monday. Moon Jae-in, the presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party, gives two thumbs up wh

Politics May 1, 2017

The government plans to take over the management of genetic samples from family members separated by the Korean War from a private company starting late this month, the Unification Ministry said Monday. Their gene specimens including blood, saliva and hair have been stored and tested by a private company since 2014.  Employees work at the Administration Office of Separated Families set up at the South Korean Red Cross on Sept. 28, 2016. (Yonhap)They will be moved to the state-run National Human

Social Affairs May 1, 2017

South Korea's foreign ministry ordered a diplomat stationed in Vietnam to return home in January over a controversial interview in which he made allegations about the murky appointments of two senior colleagues, an informed source said Monday.Kim Jae-cheon, a South Korean consul in Ho Chi Minh City, claimed in an interview with a local cable news channel in November that Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidante to former president Park Geun-hye, played a role in appointing the top envoy in Vietnam a

Social Affairs May 1, 2017