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Business
Dokdo blow-up has Korean, Japanese firms lying low
President Lee Myung-bak’s surprise visit to Dokdo, a tiny Korean island which Japan argues it has historical claim to, has driven a wedge between the two regional neighbors both in diplomatic relations and public opinion. This has Korean and Japanese companies operating cross-borders trying hard to be invisible. Responding the…
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Politics
China, NK in deal on economic zones
China and North Korea have agreed to accelerate the development of economic zones in the North, Beijing said Tuesday amid signs that Pyongyang is seeking to boost its economy. Under the agreement, the two sides will establish committees to oversee the zones. It also deals with the supply of electricity…
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Politics
Ahn Cheol-soo foundation to change name
A non-profit foundation, established with money donated by Ahn Cheol-soo last year, may undergo a name change as the election watchdog warned it not to use the founder’s name in its title for the time being. On Monday, the National Election Commission (NEC) said providing financial support or scholarships under…
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N. Korea slams Lee, Japan over Dokdo
North Korea on Monday criticized President Lee Myung-bak for his surprise visit to Dokdo last week ― the nation’s easternmost islets ― that ratcheted up tensions with Japan. In a dispatch, Pyongyang’s state media accused Lee of trying to stave off his status as a lame-duck president by politically exploiting…
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East Asia
Ban Ki-moon In Seoul For Four-Day Visit
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon speaks during a press conference after a ceremony to launch the Development Alliance Korea, a coalition of local civic groups to promote overseas development aid, at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Aug. 13, 2012. Ban is on a four-day visit to South…
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West Asia
Scene Of Devastation By Earthquake In Iran
TABRIZ — Survivors rest inside a tent after an earthquake in Ahar in northwest Iran, on August 13, 2012. Twin quakes shook Iran’s northeastern region on Saturday, killing more than 300 people and injuring thousands of others. <Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz> news@theasian.asia
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Society
Photo exhibition shows sorrow of comfort women
Tears started to run down faces as the photographs were finally unveiled in Seoul last week. Photographer Ahn Se-hong is showcasing a collection of his work that has stirred strong emotions in both Japan and Korea — pictures of Korean women in China who are former sex slaves of the…
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Politics
North Korean leader, military waging ‘money war’
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has set some lofty goals since taking power in December, calling for better living conditions for the hungry populace and issuing orders that may provide autonomy over agriculture and business. To deliver on these promises, analysts said Monday that Kim has some dirty work ahead…
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East Asia
Fire Fighting Drill Held In Shanghai Port For Passenger Liner
SHANGHAI — People escape from danger during a drill in Shanghai, east China, Aug. 13, 2012. A drill was held at a waiting hall of a port and the nearby passenger liner in Shanghai to improve the fire control ability of local departments. <Xinhua/Chen Fei> news@theasian.asia
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East Asia
China Wins Bid To Build Suway In Ankara
ANKARA — Binali Yildirim, Turkish minister of transport and communication, addresses the signing ceremony to provide cars for the subways in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Aug. 13, 2012. The China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co. Ltd, China’s largest train manufacturer, won the bid of US$391.2 million to provide…
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