Officials delay food situation report as international calls grow for assistanceUnlike past springs, South Korea has not been making public its own assessment of the food situation in the North, indicating its dilemma as international charity groups are pressing for shipment of aid to the impoverished regime. Since the 1990s, the South Korean government has every February released its estimation o

Nuclear experts from South Korea and Japan will meet in Tokyo Tuesday to discuss countermeasures for the radiation leaks from a crippled nuclear plant in tsunami-ravaged northeastern Japan, officials here said. Concerns have been growing here since Japan discharged some 11,000 tons of radiation contaminated water into the ocean after using it to cool off reactors in its wrecked Fukushima Daiichi p

Hyundai urges Pyongyang to withdraw threat to strip rights to Mount Geumgang travelNorth Korea’s threat to strip a South Korean firm of exclusive rights in conducting tours to its scenic resort appears to be aimed at getting the Seoul government to resume doing it financial favors, officials and analysts here said Sunday. The communist North, suffering from deepening food shortages and internation

North Korea has ordered its citizens in Libya not to return home, a move apparently aimed at preventing the news of anti-government movements in the northern African state from spreading among its isolated people, a source here said Sunday. The communist North has ordered its embassy in Libya to “obey the measures taken by the Libyan government” instead of sending people back home, the source said

North Korea opened its parliament Thursday as speculation ran high over whether its ailing leader Kim Jong-il would name his youngest son to a post that would officially make him the reclusive state’s second most powerful person. Heir apparent Kim Jong-un was largely expected by outside observers to be further promoted to Pyongyang’s National Defense Commission during the meeting, a move that will

North Korea, which claims to be in dire need of outside food aid to feed its starving people, has some 1 million tons of rice stockpiled at its military warehouses to prepare for potential war or for release on the 100th anniversary of its founder, a ruling party lawmaker here said Thursday. Pyongyang has stored about 300,000 tons for its regular forces and another 700,000 tons for reserve forces,

Author says father-to-son power succession in communist country likely to failAlthough much is being said about reclusive North Korea’s likely next leader, few are familiar with Kim Jong-un’s personality and background, or how starving people in the North really feel about the third-generation power succession. Based on years of experience studying and reporting on North Korea, Ha Tae-keung author

South Korea’s conservative ruling party said Tuesday it will set up new policies that actively prepare for reunifying with North Korea, as the communist state suffers from deepening food shortages and political instability. Although it would not openly admit it, the conservative Lee Myung-bak government in Seoul has been increasing measures preparing for sudden collapse of the Kim Jong-il regime i

Four-month program to train 1,000 young people from N. KoreaSouth Korea will open a program aimed at training young North Korean defectors to be resourceful workers after the reunification of the two Koreas, a civic group here said Tuesday.The four-month program, funded by the government, will train 1,000 young North Koreans, who are either college seniors or graduates, on topics such as social in

Police to launch 5-month campaignSouth Korea said Monday it will crack down on foreigner gang crimes, which are on the rise as the number of non-Korean nationals increase each year in this traditionally homogeneous country.The National Police Agency said it will launch a five-month crackdown from Tuesday on foreign gangsters who are known to be expanding their influence in foreigner-populated area

Construction of ocean research station to begin in April in waters near isletsFrom planting trees to building installations and selling bits of land to ordinary citizens, South Korea is eying several long-term plans aimed at strengthening its sovereignty to counter Japan’s repeated claims over its easternmost islets of Dokdo. Japan strengthened its claims the Dokdo islets in its revised textbooks

Intense competition expected in Gimhae, Bundang constituenciesCompetition for the April by-elections will begin in earnest this week as rival parties have begun to complete the list of their candidates for a race that is largely expected to remap the political landscape ahead of critical elections next year. Though small in size, the upcoming race is considered especially important for several pol

Seoul, Washington reluctant to resume full-scale assistanceFacing ongoing international isolation and experiencing a wobbly power transfer from its ailing leader to his young son, North Korea is escalating efforts to secure food assistance for its starving people, philanthropic groups in and out of the country said Sunday. The communist North, which relies mostly on outside aid to feed its impover

South Korea’s foreign minister met with the head of the U.N. aviation safety agency to ask for continuing help in stopping North Korea from sending jamming GPS signals across their heavily fortified border, officials said Thursday.  Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan meets Secretary-General Raymond Benjamin of the International Civil Aviation Organization at his office Thursday. (Yonhap News)South Kor

Heliport repair under way, to be completed in May: government sourceWhile cautious not to provoke too much tension as Japan continues to suffer from the aftermath of a powerful quake, South Korea is quietly carrying out projects aimed at countering the neighboring state’s continued claims over its islets of Dokdo, sources here said Thursday. Japan strengthened its claims over South Korea’s eastern

Japan strengthened its claims over South Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo in its revised textbooks Wednesday, provoking Seoul to take a set of countermeasures feared to weaken ties between the two neighboring states. Tokyo has for years laid territorial claims over the South Korean islets and glorified its wartime past in textbooks for young students, often providing a stumbling block to mendin

The two Koreas agreed Tuesday to advance their joint study of volcanic threats from Mount Baekdu, providing room for the chance of official dialogue long-stalled amid high tensions.The sides did not agree on a date for the next round of talks, though the North suggested early April and the South said it would review the proposal, according to Yoo In-chang, the chief South Korean delegate.During th

Leftist groups to hold separate demonstration at Imjingak near borderSouth Korean activists said Monday they have asked the government to approve their plan to fly anti-North Korea propaganda balloons across the border ahead of the birthday of the communist state’s late founder. It is the first time for rightist groups here to officially notify the government of the propaganda activity that has lo

South Korea will act sternly should Japan move to strengthen its claims to Seoul’s easternmost islets of Dokdo in its reviewed middle school textbooks, the Foreign Ministry here said Monday. Tokyo is currently conducting a review of its history, geography and other middle school textbooks, the result of which is expected to be unveiled this week. The renewed textbooks are believed to contain Japan

Seoul plans to send back 27 N. Koreans over weekend as 6 new asylum-seekers arriveSix North Koreans, including a grandson of the communist state’s patriotic martyr, are seeking asylum in South Korea, just days after the two rivals patched up a conflict over the repatriation of dozens of others who accidentally strayed here last month. The arrival of North Korean nationals comes at a bad time, anal