북한이 12일 강행한 제3차 핵실험의 위력이 기존 예상을 밑도는 것으로 추정되어 추가 핵실험이 이뤄질지 여부가 주목되고 있다.연합 뉴스 보도에 따르면, 군 관계자는 “북한이 주장한 높은 수준의 핵실험이라면 10kt 이상은 돼야 하는데 거기에 못 미치는 규모”라면서 기존에 예상되었던 폭발력에도 미치지 못한다고 설명했다. 이는 이번 핵실험의 위력이 북한이 지난달 24일 외무성 발표를 통해 주장한 ‘높은 수준의 핵실험’에 미치지 못한다는 의미이다.이 당국자는 “북한이 이번에 증폭핵분열탄(boosted fission weapon)으로 핵실험을 할 수 있다는 분석도 있었지만 폭발력으로 추정했을 때 증폭핵분열탄에 훨씬 미치지 않는다”고 덧붙였다.기상청이 분석한 바에 따르면 이번 핵실험은 함경북도 길주군 풍계리 근처를 진앙지로 진도 4.9 규모의 인공지진파를 발생시켰다고 한다. 당국은 이를 토대로 이번 핵 실험의 폭발력이 6에서 7킬로톤 정도일 것으로 추정했다.2006년 10월 실시한 1차 핵실

China expressed its “firm opposition” to erstwhile ally North Korea's latest nuclear test Tuesday and called for new denuclearization talks.The statement from the Foreign Ministry reflects Beijing's growing frustration with its communist neighbor's provocative behavior, as well as its reluctance to impose more severe measures that could destabilize the North's hardline regime. “The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, heedless of widespread international opposition, has again carried out a nuc

Amanda Knox, the college junior who spent four years in an Italian prison after being accused of murdering her British roommate, is telling her story to ABC News.The network says the exclusive interview will air on a prime-time special on April 30. It also will be featured on other ABC News programming.Knox was an American student studying in Italy when, in 2007, she became the center of a murder case that seized the world's attention. She was convicted in 2009. But after an appeal, she was acqu

유엔 안전보장이사회가 북한의 3차 핵실험과 관련해 현지시간으로 12일 오전 9시(한국시간 오후 11시) 긴급회의를 개최한다.유엔주재 한국대표부는 2월의 순번제 의장국 자격으로 안보리 이사국들에 회의 소집을 통보했다.미국을 비롯한 다른 이사국에서도 회의를 열자는 요청이 쇄도하고 있는 것으로 전해졌다.현재 한국 정부는 이날 오전 11시 57분 50초에 함경북도 길주군에서 발생한 규모 5.0의 인공 지진이 북한의 핵실험에 의한 것인지 여부를 확인 중이다.연합뉴스가 정부 당국자를 인용해 보도한 바에 따르면 정부는 북한이 3차 핵실험을 했을 가능성이 높다고 보고 있는 것으로 알려졌다.<관련 영문 기사>UNSC to hold emergency meeting over N. Korea's possible nuclear testSouth Korea requested the U.N. Security Council hold an emergency meeting at 11:00 p.m. (Seoul ti

북한이 국제사회의 만류에도 끝내 3차 핵실험을 강행한 것으로 보인다.기상청은 이날 오전 11시 57분 50초 북한 함경북도 길주군에서 규모 5.0의 인공 지진이 감지됐다고 밝혔다.진앙의 위치는 북위 41.17도, 동경 129.18도로 분석됐다.이곳은 북한의 핵실험장이 있는 풍계리 부근이다.정부는 길주군에서 인공지진파가 발생한 것과 관련, 북한이 3차 핵실험을 했을 가능성이 높다고 보고 자세한 상황 파악에 나섰다.정부 당국자는 이날 "자세한 것은 확인해봐야겠지만 이 시점에 인공지진파가 발생했다면 핵실험이 아니고 무엇이겠느냐"면서 "북한이 3차 핵실험을 했을 가능성이 높다"고 밝혔다.다른 고위 당국자도 "여러 가지 정황상 핵실험인 것 같다"면서 "현재 우리도 자 세한 상황을 평가중으로 정확한 내용은 지진파의 성격을 분석해봐야 알 수 있다"고 말했다.이에 따라 이명박 대통령은 이날 오후 1시 국가안전보장회의(NSC)를 소집했다.군 당국도 북한이 제3차 핵실험을 했을 가능성이 크다고 판단하

The light signatures of lichens and algae reflected in a distant planet's distinctive coloring could be evidence of alien life, German researchers say.Seen from space, Earth gives off a large amount of near-infrared light reflected off the chlorophyll in plants, and similar light wavelength might be seen on distant exoplanets if they also host green vegetation, they said.However, Siddharth Hegde and Lisa Kaltenegger of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, said they thin

South Korean households' consumption fell in the third quarter of 2012 from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday, apparently as the country's rising household debts gave limited leeway in their spending.Local households with more than two members saw their consumption-to-income ratio reach 59.6 percent in the third quarter, down 3.13 percentage points from a year earlier, according to the data by Statistics Korea.The number marks the lowest rate since the agency started to compile such data in 20

The United States on Monday urged the Group of 20 economic powers, which holds a meeting later this week, to avoid competitive currency devaluation that would threaten economic growth."To ensure growth strategies in the world's largest economies are mutually compatible and promote global growth, the G20 needs to deliver on the commitment to move to market-determined exchange rates and refrain from competitive devaluation," said Lael Brainard, the Treasury official who will lead the U.S. delegati

Catholic worshippers and clergy in Africa, where the church is rapidly growing, greeted the news Monday of Pope Benedict XVI's impending retirement with surprise, respect, and a question: Could the next pontiff be from their continent?Some 176 million people in Africa are Catholic _ roughly a third of all Christians across the continent _ according to a December 2011 study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Meanwhile, the number of Catholics in Europe, the traditional stronghold of th

North Korea has pulled manpower and equipment from its nuclear test site, government sources said Monday, a possible sign of an imminent nuclear blast.The South Korean government has been keeping a close watch on North Korea as no movement of manpower and equipment has been observed since Friday at the country's Punggye-ri nuclear test site, the sources said.However, it's unclear whether the withdrawal is temporary or not, they said.North Korea has warned of a third atomic test since last month

After attending an International Olympic Committee (IOC) disciplinary hearing over his Olympic celebration here Monday, South Korean football player Park Jong-woo said he will calmly await its outcome.The IOC's Disciplinary Commission held a meeting over Park's celebration after South Korea's 2-0 victory over Japan for the bronze medal in men's football at the London Olympics last year.Park hoisted a sign that read, in Korean, "Dokdo Is Our Territory," in support of South Korea's sovereignty ove

North Korea said Tuesday that it will continue to launch long-range rockets along with the pursuit of "all-out action of high intensity" to ensure its own security.The message carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang's official news agency, was reached at the meeting of the Political Bureau of the ruling Workers' Party Central Committee that was held Monday. "The bureau stressed the need to continue launching satellites of the Kwangmyongsong series and powerful long-range rock

전문가들은 11일, 일본이 엔저 현상이 더욱 심화될 것으로 보임에 따라 한국의 수출 기업들이 해외시장 변화에 대비해야 할 것이라고 밝혔다.일부 외국계 투자은행 (IB)들과 국내 증권사 등은 엔화 가치가 당초 예상보다 더욱 빨리 하락할 것이라고 추정했다. 일부 IB들은 엔ㆍ환율이 빠르면 2분기에 달러당 100엔을 넘을 것이라고 예상하기도 했다.금융투자업계는 전반적으로 엔ㆍ달러 환율이 올해 말까지 달러당 100에서 105엔이 될 것으로 예상하고 있다. IB들의 당초 예상은 엔ㆍ달러 환율이 2013년에 달러당 90엔까지 떨어질 것이었으며 국내 증권사들은 2014년 초까지 환율이 달러당 100엔으로 떨어질 것이라고 보았다.그러나 수정된 전망에 따르면 올해 말 엔ㆍ달러 환율이 100엔을 넘을 것으로 예상한 IB는 60곳 중 11곳(18.3% )이나 됐다.크레디트 스위스가 105엔으로 전망치가 가장 높았고 모건스탠리, 맥쿼리은행도 100엔을 예상했다. 현대 증권 등 국내 증권사들 역시 엔ㆍ달러

Peruvian Ambassador to Korea Jaime Pomaredo presents his Letter of Credence to President Lee Myung-bak at Chong Wa Dae in a ceremony that officially begins Pomaredo’s posting as his nation’s chief diplomatic representative in Korea.  

A California teacher, jailed for statutory rape and pregnant by her minor former student, said she hopes the father will stay in their lives when he turns 18.Kelly McKenzy Watson, 35, was arrested for statutory rape on Aug. 9, but Wednesday it was publicly revealed she is seven months pregnant with her victim's child, and she will be released from prison to have the baby in April, U-T San Diego reported Saturday.   Watson, who had been a special education teacher at New Haven Youth and Family Se

A southern Philippine town plans to hold funeral rites for the world's largest saltwater crocodile and then preserve its remains in a museum to keep tourists coming and prevent their community from slipping back into obscurity, the town's mayor said Monday.The 1-ton crocodile was declared dead Sunday a few hours after flipping over with a bloated stomach in a pond in an eco-tourism park in Bunawan town, which had started to draw tourists, revenue and development because of the immense reptile, M

Black-robed Islamic extremists armed with AK-47 automatic rifles invaded Gao in wooden boats Sunday to launch a surprise attack on the most populous city in northern Mali, two weeks after French and Malian troops ousted the jihadists.Gunfire echoed for hours across the city of mud-walled buildings. The combat started at about 2 p.m. in downtown Gao and the fighting was continuing as night fell. Later the sound of gunfire was replaced by the clattering of French military helicopters overhead. The

Global investment banks (IBs) expect the Japanese currency will continue to depreciate against the U.S. dollar in 2013, data showed Monday, sounding alarm bells for the export-reliant South Korean economy.In the latest forecast, 18.3 percent of 60 major global investment banks anticipated the Japanese currency will trade above 100 yen against the greenback in the fourth quarter of this year, market data showed.Credit Suisse predicted an average yen-dollar exchange rate of 105 yen at the end of 2

Authorities on Sunday offered $1 million for information leading to the arrest of the former Los Angeles police officer suspected in three killings and the subject of a manhunt in Southern California's snow-covered mountains.Camping gear was found along with weapons inside the burned-out truck belonging to suspect Christopher Dorner. The truck found Thursday in this ski resort town was so charred that investigators couldn't be more specific about the nature of its contents, said Los Angeles poli

Authorities on Sunday offered $1 million for information leading to the arrest of the former Los Angeles police officer suspected in three killings and the subject of a manhunt in Southern California's snow-covered mountains.Camping gear was found along with weapons inside the burned-out truck belonging to suspect Christopher Dorner. The truck found Thursday in this ski resort town was so charred that investigators couldn't be more specific about the nature of its contents, said Los Angeles poli