A North Korean man was found on Gyodong Island near the western port city of Incheon Friday and is currently under investigation by authorities, military officials said. "A naked North Korean man arrived in Gyodong Island earlier in the day," a military official said. "He was found by residents at around 3:40 a.m."The man told residents that he came from the North, the official said. Military and intelligence officials are currently questioning him over the motivation for his defection. Located

The U.S. government apparently sought Thursday to stay away from the fallout from Sen. John McCain's controversial remarks over territorial disputes between China and Japan."I don't have anything specific on his remarks other than to just reiterate that our policy on the Senkaku Islands is long-standing and has not changed," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a press briefing. "The United States does not take a position on the underlying question of the ultimate sovereignty of the Se

South Korea's new multipurpose satellite made contact with a ground station in the Asian country early Friday, confirming its successful deployment into its target orbit, officials in Yasny said.The first communication contact was made at 2:35 a.m. (5:35 a.m. KST), according to the officials from the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The Korea Multipurpose Satellite-5 (KOMPSAT-5) was launched Thursday from a launch base in Yasny, located some 1,800 kilometers southeast of Moscow, using

일베·표절 논란 등에 휩싸였던 크레용팝이 공식 해명을 내놓자 일간베스트(이하 ‘일베’) 사이트가 들끓고 있다. 21일 크레용팝 소속사 크롬엔터테인먼트 측은 장문의 공식 입장을 내고, 일베 활동 의혹에 대해 사실과 다르다고 주장했다. 이 과정에서 소속사 측은 “크레용팝 멤버의 일베 활동은 결코 없었다. 일베가 반사회적, 반인륜적 글과 댓글이 올라오는 사이트임을 인지하지 못했을 당시 이뤄진 일들이었다”고 일베 용어를 쓴 데 대해서도 적극 해명했다. 이에 일베 사이트에서 ‘여신’ 대접을 받던 크레용팝은 순식간에 ‘배신자’로 전락한 분위기다. 일베 회원들은 “크레용팝 해명? 니들 보려고 유튜브 다운받는 내가 XX다”, “지금 크레용팝 까는 게 왜 이중성인지 모르겠다. 아니 우리 싫다는데 왜 우리가 좋아해야함?”, “크레용팝 해명 어처구니 없다. 앞으로 용팝으로 드립 몇번 쳐주면 사장도 정신차릴 듯”이라는 등 격앙된 반응을 보였다. 한 회원은 ‘크레용팝 CD를 꾸며보았다’는 제목으로 크레용팝

Japan’s Topix index erased earlier losses as investors weighed an unexpected increase in China’s manufacturing against Federal Reserve minutes showing broad support for paring unprecedented stimulus. Daikin Industries Ltd. (6367), an air-conditioner maker that gets 18 percent of revenue in China, rose 0.2 percent after falling as much as 1.7 percent. Mazda Motor Corp., an automaker that gets 30 percent of its sales in North America, pared its loss to 2.5 percent. Tokyo Electric Power Co., owner

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Thursday defined President Park Geun-hye's first six months in office as lacking principles and trust, saying she failed to keep many of her campaign promises and neglected the public's wishes.Park, who took office on Feb. 25, has often cited principles and trust as the key pillars of her political philosophy."President Park Geun-hye's politics of principles and trust has turned into a politics that keeps silent in times of a democratic crisis and ove

South Korean stocks traded 0.8 percent lower late Thursday morning, dented by losses in foodmakers and brokerage houses, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 14.86 points to 1,852.60 as of 11:20 a.m.Major brokerage firm KDB Securities Co. dipped more than 2 percent, and CJ Cheiljedang, a food manufacturing giant, slumped 3.1 percent. In contrast, defensive shares gained, with state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. climbing 2 percent. The local currency was ch

북한은 22일 '이산가족 상봉을 위한 적십자 실문접촉을 23일 판문점에서 갖자'는 우리 측 제안에 동의했다.이에 따라 추석(9•19)을 전후한 이산가족 상봉을 위한 남북 적십자 접촉이 23일 판문점 우리측 지역 '평화의 집'에서 이뤄지게 됐다. 북한이 이산상봉 접촉에 최종 동의함에 따라 3년 만에 이산가족 상봉이 성사될 전망이다.북한은 이날 오전 판문점 연락채널을 통해 '23일 이산상봉 실무접촉' 장소를 판문점으로 하는데 동의한다는 입장을 우리측에 전달했다.북한은 또 우리 측이 다음달 25일 개최하자고 수정 제의한 금강산 관광 재개를 위한 실무회담 개최와 관련, "금강산 관광은 빨리 재개했으면 좋겠다"면서 8월말∼9 월초 금강산에서 회담을 개최하기를 희망했다.정부는 북한이 이산가족 상봉을 위한 회담에 동의한 만큼 이날 중으로 회담 대표단의 명단을 상호 교환할 방침이다.또 금강산 관광 회담에 관한 북측의 수정 제안과 관련, 내부 검토를 거쳐 우리 정부 입장을 정한 뒤에 북측에 회신할

North Korea on Thursday accepted Seoul's proposal to hold talks to arrange family reunions for people separated by the 1950-53 Korean War at the neutral border village of Panmunjom. The decision by Pyongyang to consent to the venue for the talks will allow the two sides to meet on Friday so they can work out details for the family reunions to take place on or around the Chuseok holiday that falls on Sept. 19 of this year. Chuseok is equivalent to Thanksgiving Day and is celebrated in both Koreas

Disgraced populist politician Bo Xilai went on trial Thursday accused of abuse of power and netting more than $4 million in bribery and embezzlement, marking the ruling Communist Party's attempts to put to rest one of China's most lurid political scandals in decades.Bo entered the courthouse under police escort in the eastern city of Jinan, the court said, in closely choreographed proceedings held under extremely tight security, with police sealing off nearby roads with red and yellow traffic ba

South Korean stocks began nearly 1 percent lower Thursday, as the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest minutes showed little change of mind about tightening its monetary policy, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 17.81 points, or 0.95 percent, to 1,849.65 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Most large-cap shares drove down the main index, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics falling 0.5 percent and the world's No. 1 shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries losing 1

The Federal Reserve appears on track to slow its bond purchases by the end of this year if the economy continues to improve. But it remains divided over the exact timing of the move.That's the message from the minutes of the Fed's July 30-31 meeting released Wednesday.A few policymakers said they wanted to assess more economic data before deciding when to scale back the central bank's $85 billion a month in Treasury and mortgage bond purchases. These policymakers “emphasized the importance of be

The U.N. Security Council called Wednesday for “a thorough, impartial and prompt investigation” of the latest allegation of chemical weapons use in Syria.The council backed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's determination to ensure a “thorough investigation” of the alleged attack on the eastern suburbs of Damascus that killed at least 100 people.U.N. deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said earlier that the secretary-general was “shocked” at Wednesday's alleged use of chemical weapons and wants all r

U.S. soldier Bradley Manning was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years in prison for giving hundreds of thousands of classified military and diplomatic documents to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, the largest such leak in American history.The military judge didn't offer any explanation for the sentence. Manning stood at attention and appeared not to react.The closely watched case has seen the 25-year-old called both a whistleblower and a traitor, and it opened a fierce debate on national security an

Egypt's prime minister ordered Wednesday that deposed autocrat Hosni Mubarak be placed under house arrest after he's released from prison following more than two years in detention. The announcement came hours after a court ordered Mubarak be released for the first time since he was first detained in April 2011, a move threatening to further stoke tension in a deeply divided Egypt. Many feared Mubarak's release would amplify Islamist allegations that last month's military coup was a step toward

Four iconic female members of Congress will travel to South Korea early next month during a summer recess, congressional sources said Wednesday.They are Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), and Terri Sewell (D-AL)."All of them are symbolic figures in the 113th Congress in terms of representing minority groups," a source said. "Also, they have a good understanding on Korea."Gillibrand is said to have potential to become a political star like Hil

FC Seoul played to a 1-1 draw on the road Wednesday against Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia in the first leg of their quarterfinals at the AFC Champions League.Striker Dejan Damjanovic gave the reigning K League Classic champion the lead after 10 minutes at King Abdulaziz Sport City Stadium, but Sultan Al-Sawadi tied the score in the 80th minute to salvage a draw for the Saudi Professional League club.The two teams will play their second leg at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sept. 18. The aggregate score wi

Nearly eight years have passed since South Korea began developing its latest multipurpose satellite, but the fate of the much anticipated project will be determined in just 15 minutes after liftoff, launch organizers said Thursday.The Arirang 5 satellite was set to be launched at 8:39 p.m. (11:39 p.m. KST) from Russia’s Yasny launch site, some 1,800 kilometers southeast of Moscow, using a Dnepr three-stage rocket converted from Russia‘s conventional intercontinental ballistic missile.In 9.2 seco

 남양유업은 21일, 자사 분유에서 개구리가 발견되었다는 주장과 관련해 “분유과정에서 개구리가 혼입되는 건 불가능”하다며 정확한 원인 규명을 위해 수사를 의뢰했다고 밝혔다.남양유업은 이날 보도자료를 통해 “분유는 제조공정 중 0.4∼2.8㎜ 규격의 거름막을 7차례 통과 하기 때문에 45㎜의 개구리가 통과할 수 없다”며 “분유 생산 라인은 무인 자동화 공 정이기 때문에 이물질이 혼입될 가능성이 없다”고 설명했다.또 분유는 고압•고온 분사를 통해 미립자 형태로 건조돼 개구리와 같은 생물이온전한 형태로 혼입될 수 없고, 이후 2주간 수분 5% 미만의 건조 상태로 보관해 품질검사를 진행하기 때문에 형체를 유지한 개구리가 발견될 수 없다고 강조했다.남양유업은 “피해를 주장하는 소비자의 지역 여건상 어린이들이 개구리 등을 자주 채집할 수 있고, 먹은 분유 캔으로 오인해 개구리를 분유 통 안에 넣었을 가능성이 있다”고 덧붙였다.이번주 초 언론에서는 전남 목포에 거주하는 한 주부가 길이 4.5㎝의

박지성 MOM 선정 소식이 전해졌다. 8년 만에 PSV 에인트호벤 복귀전을 치른 박지성이 외신으로부터 ‘경기 최고의 선수(MOM, Man of the Match)’에 오른 것. 박지성은 21일(이하 한국시각) 네덜란드 에인트호벤 홈구장 필립스 스타디움에서 열린 AC밀란과의 유럽축구연맹(UEFA) 챔피언스리그 예선 플레이오프 1차전에 선발 출전, 68분 동안 맹활약하며 팀의 1대1 무승부에 큰 역할을 했다.네덜란드 에인트호번소재 필립스 스타디움의 유럽축구연맹(UEFA) 챔피언스리그 플레이오프 1차전 AC밀란(이탈리아)과의 홈경기에서 박지성(왼쪽)이 상대 필립 멕세스와 공을 다투고 있다. (AP-연합뉴스) 이날 박지성은 오른쪽 측면 공격수로 나서서 공격과 수비를 오가며 녹슬지 않은 기량을 과시했다. 과거 맨체스터 유나이티드 전성기를 떠올리게 하는 모습이었다. 박지성이 68분 뛴 거리는 8820m로, 풀타임을 뛰었다면 12km에 달하는 활동량이다. 골닷컴 영국판은 박지성에서 “박지성이 P