Mike Pompeo, director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is on an unannounced visit to South Korea for discussions on North Korea, news reports here said Monday.He arrived at the Osan Air Base south of Seoul on Saturday, about 12 hours after the North fired a ballistic missile that apparently broke up in mid-air, according to the Kookmin Ilbo. CIA Director Mike Pompeo (AP-Yonhap)He is scheduled to stay in Seoul until Tuesday, the publication added, citing "key officials in the political c

Foreign Affairs May 1, 2017

SYDNEY/TOKYO/BEIJING -- Overseas voter turnouts for the May 9 presidential election surpassed marks set in the previous presidential poll in Asia on Sunday, the final day of their absentee voting period.Voting for South Koreans residing overseas began on Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand, with a total of 204 polling stations in 116 countries staying open. (Yonhap)This marked the fourth time South Korea has held overseas votes, after the parliamentary elections in 2012 and 2016 and the presidentia

Social Affairs May 1, 2017

Thousands of South Korean sailors currently away from their homeland are set to cast their ballots this week in advance of the upcoming presidential election here, the election watchdog said Monday.The early voting for sailors will be held from Monday through Thursday, according to the National Election Commission.Students from Korea Maritime and Ocean University stage a performance urging voters to take part in the upcoming presidential election. (Yonhap)Over 4,000 sailors aboard 568 ships were

Social Affairs May 1, 2017

WASHINGTON -- US Democratic leaders have criticized President Donald Trump for damaging the alliance with South Korea after Trump demanded Seoul should pay for the THAAD missile defense system and he would renegotiate or terminate a free trade pact with the country."President Trump proved once again that he's out of his depth in the White House. The unpredictable bluster and bravado that was a defining characteristic of Trump in the private sector becomes embarrassing and dangerous for the count

Foreign Affairs May 1, 2017

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump warned Sunday that he "will not be happy" if North Korea conducts an additional nuclear test, and vowed not to let the communist nation have a "better delivery system.""If he does a nuclear test, I will not be happy. And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said in an interview with CBS "Face the Nation," referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. US President Donald

North Korea May 1, 2017

WASHINGTON -- The United States should be prepared for military operations against North Korea, even though the hope is to resolve the situation without resorting to force, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said Sunday."We do have to do something, and so, we have to do something, again, with partners in the region and globally. And that involves enforcement of the UN sanctions that are in place. It may mean ratcheting up those sanctions even further. And it also means being prepared for mi

North Korea May 1, 2017

WASHINGTON -- The United States will renegotiate the terms of the THAAD missile defense system's deployment to South Korea, and until then, will stick to the existing deal that commits the US to pay for the system, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said Sunday.McMaster made the remark during an interview with "Fox News Sunday," rejecting reports that he contradicted President Donald Trump and promised the US will pay for THAAD when he spoke by phone with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kw

Foreign Affairs May 1, 2017

Former major league pitcher Jeff Manship on Sunday set a record for the longest winning streak to start a career in South Korea.Manship, who pitches for the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization, won his sixth straight decision by holding the Kia Tigers to a run on four hits in six innings in the Dinos' 12-1 victory.Jeff Manship of the NC Dinos throws a pitch against the LG Twins during their Korea Baseball Organization game at Masan Stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. (Yonhap)

Baseball April 30, 2017

South Korea's state-controlled electric utility company said Sunday that is has made its first overseas foray into the clean development mechanism business.Korea Electric Power Corp. said it signed a deal with its counterpart in Iran on Saturday to reduce greenhouse gases in the resource rich Middle East country. (KEPCO)It said the plan outlines cutting back on sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) being released into the atmosphere by some 700,000 tons in the next 10 years. It said a building energy manag

Industry April 30, 2017

South Korea's Democratic Party said Sunday it will push for a parliamentary hearing on the on-going deployment of a US missile defense system, claiming that the deployment should be decided upon by the next administration. "We will seek a hearing at the National Assembly in May in order to resolve public suspicion over the procedural legitimacy of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) deployment and whether there was a secret agreement," the majority party's special committee on the is

Politics April 30, 2017

Sales of Samsung Electronics Co.'s new flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone stood at about 22,200 units on Saturday in South Korea, industry data showed Sunday, up compared to weekdays. The increase marks a gain from 16,000 units activated by the country's carriers on Thursday and some 17,000 units reported for the following day, according to industry data. Samsung has said preorders for the Galaxy S8 surpassed 1 million units.  (Yonhap)The daily figures included both preordered smartphones and phones

Industry April 30, 2017

A high-profile politician on Sunday accepted centrist presidential nominee Ahn Cheol-soo's offer to lead his campaign panel to prepare for a reformist government as the hopeful struggles to shore up declining voter support.During a press conference, Kim Chong-in, a former interim leader of the Democratic Party, said he will lead the panel to support the candidate of the People's Party envisioning a "joint reformist government" marked by transparency and close cooperation with parliament. Kim Cho

Politics April 30, 2017

INCHEON -- During last week's men's hockey world championship, South Korean forward Shin Sang-hoon had a rather unusual source of motivation to draw upon: his impending military service.All healthy South Korean men have to serve around two years in the armed forces, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Athletes like Shin are no exception, unless they win an Olympic medal or an Asian Games gold medal. South Korean hockey forward Shin Sang-hoo

More Sports April 30, 2017

INCHEON -- For Eric Regan, a Canadian-born hockey defenseman now representing South Korea, nothing is tougher than watching his teammates battle on the ice while he's sidelined with an injury.Despite the absence of the sturdy rearguard for the final two games, South Korea finished in second place at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division I Group A in Kiev, Ukraine, last week. By doing so, South Korea has also qualified for the top-tier international competition, the

More Sports April 30, 2017

Samsung Electronics Co. said Sunday that its innovative Flex wash laundry system won the "Best of Best" ergonomics design award at an industry event on Jeju Island.The global electronics giant said the recognition by Ergonomics Society of Korea on Friday highlighted the excellent convenience and ease of use incorporated into the washing machine that was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier in the year. (Yonhap)It said ESK members also gave high marks for efficiency and

Industry April 30, 2017