Coming off the best season of his career, South Korean Major League Baseball player Choo Shin-soo received a huge raise for the upcoming season.   The Cleveland Indians outfielder reached a one-year deal worth US$3.975 million Wednesday, Korean time. The left-handed Choo put up the best numbers of his six-year major league career in 2010 while making $461,100, slightly above the major league minim

A Pakistani laborer transports the front portion of a van through his handcart at a road in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. (AP-Yonhap)

By Shin Hae-inA 4,500-ton South Korean destroyer was proceeding toward a Korean commercial vessel apparently hijacked by the Somali pirates Sunday, as the Seoul government remained firm against holding direct negotiations or paying ransom for the 21 crew members.The 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry freighter, carrying eight South Koreans, is believed to have been seized Saturday in the waters between Oman

TBILISI (AFP) - A new business in Georgia is offering single women who need household help the chance to hire 'husbands' by the hour -- but the company's owner admits that all that some of his customers need is love."Our service is here to assist those women who need help with tough housekeeping tasks, such as for example minor repair works," company owner Beso Mchedlishvili told AFP.But he said t

   TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) -- Unrest engulfed Tunisia on Saturday after apopular rebellion forced the president to flee: Dozens of inmateswere killed in a prison fire, looters emptied shops and torched themain train station and gunfire echoed through the capital.   Power changed hands for the second time in 24 hours in this NorthAfrican country after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled thecountry F

    DOHA (AFP) - Australia and South Korea shared the spoils 1-1 in the battle of the big guns at the Asian Cup on Friday as both sides inched closer to the quarter-finals.   The two Asian heavyweights are both seen as potential tournament winnersbut neither could find the decisive winner at the three-quarters full Al-Gharafa Stadium.   Exciting Jeju United 21-year-old Koo Ja-cheol, who has alread

Hyundai's GrandeurHyundai Motor Co. released its fifth-generation Grandeur in Seoul on Jan. 13. The sedan, sold as the Azera in overseas markets, has two models with a 2.4-liter gasoline direction injection (GDI) engine or a 3.0-liter GDI engine. (Yonhap News)

Beijing resident Lily Liu has always liked driving fast, and she doesn’t mind spending to indulge that passion.Liu, 44, bought a gray Porsche AG 911 Carrera S two years ago for 1.2 million yuan ($182,000) and is shopping for an Aston Martin, the sports car made famous by James Bond movies. The construction company president said she is “quite proud” of being the center of attention when she motors

South Korea's financial regulator on Friday suspended operations of an embattled savings bank as it accelerates efforts to restructure the savings banks industry distressed with souring construction loans.    The Financial Services Commission (FSC) said it will suspend Seoul-based Samhwa Mutual Savings Bank for six months for failing to meet regulatory capital requirements.   As of the end of July

   GANGNEUNG, (Yonhap) -- All four workers who had been trapped under a collapsed reservoir construction site here were found dead early Friday, rescuers said.    The scaffolding at the site in the city of Gangneung, 237 kilometers east of Seoul, collapsed at around 4:30 p.m. Thursday while four workers were doing concrete work to build a waterway for a reservoir to prevent flooding.    Rescuers h

Creditors of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. (Hyundai E&C) were to sign a preliminary deal later Friday with Hyundai Motor Group to sell the leading builder in South Korea.   On Jan. 7, creditors, led by Korea Exchange Bank, picked South Korea's top automotive group as the preferred bidder for a 35 percent stake in the builder following a court rejection of Hyundai Group's request to salvag

 WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- North Korea will be on the agenda next week when U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the White House, Obama's spokesman said Thursday.   "There will be discussion on global economic issues as well as security issues like North Korea and Iran and important issues of political reform and human rights," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

The Obama administration wants Congress to ratify the free-trade deal with South Korea before a similar pact between South Korea and the European Union goes into effect in July, the chief U.S. trade official said Thursday.   "Our goal is to hand this agreement to Congress before the EU trade agreement goes into effect on July 1," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told a forum here. "Everything we

About 110 young South Korean students have been held in the capital of the Philippine for allegedly studying English at a language school there without permits, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. Immigration officials rounded up the Korean students, who are all minors, at an English-language learning center in Manila on Jan. 7 for violating the Philippine immigration law, an official at Seoul

LONDON (AFP) – A former Miss England may be deployed in Afghanistan as early as next year after she returned to the Army following her term as a beauty queen.Corporal Katrina Hodge, who has already served in Iraq, swapped active duty for the glitz and glamour of the catwalk when she took the title last January.But she has now handed over her crown and is back on exercise in Army fatigues preparing

Korean actor Hyun Bin, who is one of Asia’s top stars, said on Wednesday he would join the Marines in March to serve the mandatory military duty.　AM Entertainment, an agency representing Hyun, said the actor took a test for the Marines last year and, if he passes the screening, will join the Marines in March. 　“Hyun Bin has so far focused on his image as an actor and also has had a good impression

 Foreign carmakers such as Toyota and GM, participate in the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on Jan. 10. (Photos: AP-Yonhap) The Mercedes Benz SLS AMG E-CellThe Ferrari 458 ItaliaToyota's new Prius VThe Mercedes Benz A-Class E-CellGM's 2012 Buick VeranoA Tesla Roadster 2.5 electric sports carThe new MINI Paceman Concept vehicleChevrolet Sonic Z-spec conceptA newly rede

Hyundai and Kia motors reveal their new cars and concept vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. (Photos: AP-Yonhap)                                         Kia's KV-7 concept car                                Hyundai's new Veloster three-door coupe  Hyundai's Curb crossover concept car

  FRESNO, California (AP) -- The Kardashian sisters have been sued by a California company that created a prepaid debit card endorsed the reality show starlets.   The Fresno Bee reports that Revenue Resource Group LLC filed suit in Fresno County Superior Court last week against Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian.   The sisters pulled out of the endorsement deal in November under criticism over the

Prosecutors pressed charges on Monday against a South Korean man accused of posting Internet messages praising North Korea in what is possibly the first occurrence of such postings through social networking sites.   The 54-year-old man under arrest, identified only by his last name Cho, is suspected of posting about 100 counts of online messages and video clips from 2009 to October of last year on