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Recent NK-Japan contacts may thaw their frozen relationship
In late August official talks between North Korean and Japanese diplomats were held in Beijing – the first such talks for four years. Initially it was expected that talks would take two days, but at the last moment, it was decided that the consultations would be extended for another day,…
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Politics
Lee consoles late Zenawi’s wife
President Lee Myung-bak expressed his deep condolences over the death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in a handwritten letter delivered to his grieving wife Azeb Mesfin through Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan. The foreign minister attended the late leader’s funeral Sunday (local time) to console the bereaved family. Meles, who…
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NK’s first lady shows rare pantsuit look
The wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was spotted Sunday wearing a pantsuit, a rare scene in the reclusive communist state that has predominantly shown senior female officials wearing skirts in the past. The state-run (North) Korea Central Television released on Sunday several photos taken during Kim’s visit to…
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Business
Hanwha gains strong foothold in Iraq
Bismaya project win-win option for both parties Hanwha Group has rekindled Korea’s building boom in the Middle East with its construction arm successfully gaining a strong foothold in Iraq by winning an order for a mega development project there. In May, Hanwha Engineering and Construction (Hanwha E&C) won an $8…
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Courts slammed for light sentences on sex offenders
Sex offenders often get away with suspended jail terms Judges are under fire for being too lenient with sex offenders by handing down suspended jail sentences. Civic groups are calling on courts to get tougher with sex offenders as part of efforts to crack down and prevent the recurrence of…
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Less drug offenders but more confiscation
The number of drug offenders in Korea decreased last year but the amount of illegal drugs confiscated by authorities increased greatly, a recent report showed. “Drug Crimes in 2011” released by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on Sunday show that the number of drug offenders decreased 5.7 percent to 9,174 last…
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Society
Police to revive random stops to combat crime
Police will use random stops for the first time since 2010 amid rising concern due to increasing crime. The National Police Agency (NPA) said Sunday it has ordered its forces to question anybody acting suspiciously. The announcement came following a series of recent of vicious attacks against minors, women and…
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Politics
Moon wins 6th straight primary
Rep. Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) won a primary race in Incheon, Sunday, his sixth straight victory. Despite the winning streak, the former presidential chief of staff under the former Roh Moo-hyun government may need to compete in a run-off election after the DUP primaries…
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Society
Unification Church founder Rev. Moon dies at 92
Rev. Moon Sun-myung, founder of the Unification Church, died of complications from pneumonia at a hospital near Seoul early Monday. He was 92. Moon was pronounced dead at 1:54 a.m. at the Cheongshim International Medical Center, a hospital on the church’s estate in Gapyeong, about 60 kilometers east of Seoul,…
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