The U.S. is urgently deploying several hundred armed troops in and around Iraq and considering sending an additional contingent of special forces soldiers as Baghdad struggles to repel a rampant insurgency, even as the White House insists anew that America will not be dragged into another war.   President Barack Obama notified Congress Monday that up to 275 troops could be sent to Iraq to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the American Embassy in Baghdad. About 170 of those fo

South Korea and China held closed-door talks last week aimed at demarcating their economic exclusive zones (EEZs) ahead of an expected summit meeting between their leaders, a source said Tuesday. The Friday talks come as the two countries remain at odds over Beijing's declaration last year of its new air defense identification zone over the East China Sea that encroaches upon South Korea's and includes the Seoul-controlled submerged rock of Ieodo. Ieodo, which is 4.6 meters below sea level,

North Korea should return all the Japanese people abducted by the communist country first before Japan's prime minister could visit Pyongyang for a summit meeting, a Tokyo minister said Tuesday. A summit meeting would take place in the last stage and the key prerequisite for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to North Korea is that all the abducted Japanese people come home, said Keiji Furuya, the minister in charge of the abduction issue, in an interview with the Washington-based Voice of Amer

On the eve of his World Cup showdown against South Korea, Russia head coach Fabio Capello said Monday he has "great expectations" for his side."We've done everything in our power to come to this beginning in top form," Capello said through an interpreter at the pre-match press conference held at Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, the site of the Group H match between South Korea and Russia at 6 p.m. on Tuesday."All of our players are in excellent physical condition,"Capello added. "I am confident in the

Psy will perform onstage Wednesday in front of crowds gathered on the Yeongdong road in southern Seoul to watch the Korea-Russia World Cup match. The South Korean pop star, is expected to perform his new song “Hangover” live for the first time. The exact time of his appearance and content of the performance are not yet decided.  As the grassy square in front of City Hall, the usual spot for street cheering during the World Cup, has turned into memorial altar for the victims of the Sewol tragedy,

South Korean singer Rain and actress Kim Tae-hee were spotted at a Korean BBQ restaurant in Seoul, according to local news reports on Monday. The two were seen having BBQ together after separately arriving at the restaurant, located in southern Seoul. The famous star couple Rain and Kim recently flew to China to attend the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival and shoot the upcoming Chinese drama “Saint Wang Xizhi,” respectively. 　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)

South Korea on Monday sent back five North Korean fishermen rescued from a sinking boat in South Korean waters last week, the unification ministry said.South Korea's Coast Guard discovered the fishing boat about 60 kilometers northeast of the easternmost islets of Dokdo early Friday and rescued the five seamen aboard the ship.The North Koreans were repatriated via the neutral border village of Panmunjon."Respecting the five North Korean crewmen's wish, we decided to send them all back to the Nor

Russia on Monday said it would cut off gas supplies to Ukraine as a payment deadline passed and negotiators failed to reach a deal on gas prices and unpaid bills.   Gazprom's spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said that since Ukraine had paid nothing for the gas by Monday Moscow has no legal grounds to supply it to Ukraine any more.   "Gazprom supplies to Ukraine only the amount that has been paid for, and the amount that has been paid for is zero," Kupriyanov said Monday morning. Kupriyanov add

Several aides to the fugitive owner of the sunken ferry Sewol denied the charges against them at the start of their trial here on Monday for their alleged role in the sinking that left more than 300 people dead or missing. Eight close confidants of Yoo Byung-eun, who owns the operator of the ill-fated ship, have been accused of embezzlement, breach-of-duty and other instances of corruption believed to have contributed to the April 16 sinking. Prosecutors allege that the defendants, includ

기사요약: 침몰하는 배에 승객들을 버리고 탈출한 혐의로 구속 기소된 세월호 선원들이 지난 10일 열린 첫 재판에서 검찰의 공소사실을 전면 부인했다. 특히 이준석 선장 등 검찰이 살인죄를 적용한 선원들이 살인이나 도주 의사가 없었으며 승객 구조는 해경의 임무였다고 주장했다. 앞으로 재판과정에서 검찰과 변호인간 치열한 공방이 예상된다.　Court holds first Sewol trial[1] The prosecution has embarked on the process of proving that the captain and several crew members of the sunken ferry Sewol abandoned the vessel without any attempt to evacuate passengers.*Embark on: 시작하다 (=launch, begin)*Abandon: 버리다, 유기하다 *Attempt to: ~한 시도 (without attempt to ~

Taeyang, a member of K-pop band Big Bang, landed on the Billboard 200 chart on Friday with his new album “Rise.” (YG Entertainment)“Rise” placed No. 112 on the chart, surpassing all the Korean male singers who have made it to the chart before him. Earlier, “Overdose” by the subunit of idol group EXO, EXO-K, was No. 129, the previous highest ranking for a Korean singer.Taeyang also placed first on both the Billboard World Albums Chart, which ranks albums in terms of sales in non-English speaking

한 인도네시아 여성이 인간 아이 대신 도마뱀을 낳았다고 지난 11일 외신들이 보도했다.지난 12일 영국 타블로이드 메트로는 조산사가 산모 데비 누바토니스의 분만을 돕던 중 침대 위 아기 도마뱀을 발견했다고 전했다. 이 조산사는 산모 다리 사이에서 나온 건 도마뱀 밖에 없었다며 이 산모가 도마뱀을 낳았다고 주장하고 있다.(유투브 캡쳐)임신 8개월째의 이 산모는 다른 산모와 다를 바 없는 출산 징후를 보였으며 도마뱀을 낳을 당시 피와 점액도 발견됐다.인도네시아 정부는 이 사건을 심각하게 받아들이고 공식적인 조사를 벌였다. 조사 결과, 이미 두 아이의 엄마인 누바토니스는 상상임신 증상을 겪고 있었다는 것이 밝혀졌다.인도네시아 쿠팡시의 한 의사는 이 여성이 도마뱀을 실제로 낳았을 확률은 극히 낮다고 밝혔다. "도마뱀 낳았다는 건 거짓이다. 과학적으로 인간이 다른 종을 낳았던 선례는 없다"고 말했다.외신들은 누바토니스와 그녀의 가족이 종종 마법을 부렸다는 이웃들의 증언을 확보하고, 어떤 이웃

President Park Geun-hye's pick for the nation's new education minister, who will double as deputy prime minister for educational, social and cultural affairs, is an expert on education affairs. Kim Myung-soo, 66, who studied education at Seoul National University, began his career as a middle school teacher in 1975. After serving as an assistant professor at Seoul National University College of Education, he is now a professor at Korea National University of Education and the president of

President Park Geun-hye's pick for the next culture minister is a veteran TV reporter with nearly 30 years of work experience in major broadcasting companies such as KBS and SBS. Chung Sung-keun, 59, became well known when he worked as an anchor on various SBS news programs. The nominee, in particular, gained much attention from viewers when he was an anchor of the channel's nighttime news program, "Nightline" for his impressive closing comments often critical of the government. In 2012, he ra

Lee, 57, served at the labor ministry for more than 30 years before becoming the president of Korea University of Technology & Education last year.Lee last served as vice-minister of labor before going into academia.                                                           Lee Ki-kweon, labor ministerMultiple sources within the ministry welcomed Lee’s appointment. Senior ministry officials who claimed to have worked with the bureaucrat said Lee was “a man of virtue” who “always took the blame f

Choi Yang-hee, tapped as the head of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, is one of the country's well-known experts in the information and technology industry. Choi emphasizes the importance of converging different industries and technologies, a key idea of the creative economy, a signature policy of the Park Geun-hye administration that calls for pushing the economy forward by creating new business opportunities. Born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in the country's east, the 58

Kim, 43, nominated as the new Minister of Gender Equality & Family on Friday, is a two-term Saenuri lawmaker who is recognized for her specialty in the IT industry as well as her successful political career.                                                 Kim Hee-jung, Ministry of Gender Equality & FamilyIn 2004, at age 33, she became the youngest elected woman lawmaker in Korean history, by winning the parliamentary election in her hometown Busan. Although her major was political science while

President Park Geun-hye's finance minister nominee faces a heavy burden of pushing  the government's signature three-year economic innovation plan and other reform efforts needed to strengthen the country's long-term growth potential, which recently is showing signs of slowing down. Choi Kyoung-hwan, 59, is a third-term lawmaker of the ruling Seanuri Party. He is to replace Hyun Oh-seok, who has served as finance minister for more than a year since President Park took office in February last ye

Chong Jong-sup, 56, is a renowned constitutional scholar at Seoul National University who has long advocated sweeping state, judicial and social reform.                                       Chong Jong-sup, public administration ministerHe will lead a new ministry envisioned to handle home affairs as the smaller successor to the existing Ministry of Security and Public Administration that will be dismantled as part of President Park Geun-hye’s government reconfiguration plans unveiled in the wak

 미국 워싱턴주 하수관에서 살아있는 뱀 둥지가 발견돼 충격을 주고 있다고 13일 외신들이 보도했다. (Flickr) 용역업자 게리 오웬이 하수관 내 설치한 비디오 카메라를 통해 5마리 이상의 뱀이 서식 중임을 발견했다. 이 뱀은 미국 동부에서 주로 서식하는 불스네이크 종으로 누군가 애완용으로 키우다가 화장실 변기에 버린 것으로 추정된다. 하수관를 빠져나가려던 5마리 뱀은 하수관 내 새로운 하수관로가 설치되면서 그 안에 갇혀 옴짝달싹 못했던 것 같다고 오웬은 밝혔다. 이 뱀들은 지난 달 15일 하수구로부터 150피트 아래 파이프의 오목한 부분에서 죽은 채 발견됐다. 오웬은 "이 뱀들이 구조될 수 있었던 가능성은 없다"고 말했다.   <관련 영문 기사> Snake Nest Found In Sewer P