S. Korea missile range to increase
Seoul and Washington are nearing a compromise to extend the former’s ballistic missile range which is now restricted to 300 kilometers, sources said Tuesday. The South Korean government reportedly asked to increase the missile range to at least 800 kilometers or to scrap the range-restriction agreement made with Washington. Seoul is banned from developing ballistic […]
Are Koreans ready for woman president?
Park’s victory would be comparable with Obama’s election over color divide Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party pledged to put the people first, if elected president in December, in a speech to launch her presidential bid at an outdoor gathering in Seoul, Tuesday. Seeking to be the ruling party’s standard bearer, the 60-year-old […]
China, DPRK mark 51st anniversary of milestone treaty
BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) — Senior political advisor Bai Lichen on Monday attended a celebration banquet to mark the 51st anniversary of signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The banquet was hosted by Ji Jae Ryong, DPRK ambassador to China, at […]
If Rep. Park Geun-hye wants to be president
There is no question that Rep. Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party is the most viable presidential candidate at the moment as she consistently has the strongest showing in public opinion surveys. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Dec. 19 presidential poll is hers to win. The 60-year-old needs to take care of a […]
Row erupts over lawmaker’s poetry
Textbook publishers instructed to remove Rep. Do’s poems A government-funded educational institute has recommended that textbook publishers remove poems written by a poet-turned-opposition lawmaker from middle school textbooks to be published next year. The move drew fierce protests from the lawmaker, Do Jong-hwan of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), as well as the […]
USFK offers apology for handcuffing of Koreans
The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) apologized Sunday for the handcuffing of three Korean civilians by American troops during a dispute over parking outside a U.S. Air Force base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. USFK Deputy Ccommander Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, said in a news conference, “I have ordered a full investigation of this incident. The individuals […]
Russia-Japan territorial row flares up following Medvedev’s second visit to disputed islands
MOSCOW, July 3 (Xinhua) — Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has braved both unpredictable weather and quite predictable reactions from Tokyo by visiting for the second time the disputed Southern Kuril archipelago in the Far East. Analysts here say his trip on Tuesday to Kunashir (called Kunashiri in Japan) islet whipped up a new round […]
President’s brother questioned
Lee’s political mentor may face arrest for bribery Prosecutors questioned President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother Lee Sang-deuk Tuesday over allegations that he accepted bribes from troubled savings banks. The former National Assembly vice speaker was grilled on whether the money was used for his younger brother’s 2007 presidential campaign. The prosecution also issued a summons […]
Park Geun-hye loyalists clash in power struggle
Two key supporters of Rep. Park Geun-hye traded barbs over the term “economic democracy” Tuesday for a second day in a row, following the first round of the debate a day ago. The clash of ideas between Kim Jong-in and Rep. Lee Hahn-koo took the form of an ideological divide over a set of measures […]
Syrian opposition members asked to unite by Turkey, Arab League
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby have called on the fragmented Syrian opposition to unite, during a meeting in Cairo on Monday to discuss a new international plan for a transitional government. Davutoğlu and Elaraby addressed nearly 250 members of the Syrian opposition at the meeting in an effort to […]