Passenger train operations, including KTX bullet trains and the Seoul subway, are to face partial disruptions next week due to protracted strikes by rail workers.The Korean Railway Workers’ Union launched a general strike on Monday in protest of Korea Railroad Corp.’s plan to launch a subsidiary for a new bullet train line.The ongoing strike is likely to cause more confusion nationwide next week as KORAIL plans to reduce KTX bullet train operations by 12 percent, starting on Tuesday. Its subway

The stunning execution of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's once-powerful uncle, Jang Song-thaek, is unlikely to have a major impact on bilateral relations with China, a Chinese expert said Friday, describing the execution as Pyongyang's "internal affair." North Korea announced earlier in the day that Jang, who had been considered the second most powerful man in the reclusive state, has been executed after a special military tribunal found him guilty of treason."In my personal opinion, it is unl

South Korean stocks traded lower late Friday morning due mainly to financial uncertainties from the United States, analysts said, while North Korea's instability had a limited impact.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 10.55 points, or 0.54 percent, to 1,957.38 as of 11:20 a.m.Shares lost ground across the board, with tech giant Samsung Electronics falling 1.06 percent and top steelmaker POSCO losing 0.76 percent. Leading chipmaker SK hynix moved down 0.82 percent.Concer

최근 백악관 청원사이트 “위 더 피플(We the People)”에 글렌데일에 세워진 위안부 소녀상을 철거해달라는 청원이 올라와 화제가 되고 있다.이 청원을 올린 네티즌은 “부디 캘리포니아 글렌데일에 있는 공원의 동상을 철거해달라. 이는 평화의 상징으로 가장하고 있는 위안부 동상인데, 본질적으로는 (동상에 적힌) 글귀를 읽어보면 일본인과 일본에 대한 증오를 부추기고 있다”라고 주장했다.이 청원은 11일(현지시간) 등록된 이후 현재 (한국시간 오전 11시 40분)까지 4,500명 이상이 서명을 한 상태이다. 백악관 규정상 청원을 올린 지 30일 내에 10만명 이상이 지지 서명을 하면 관련 당국이 이에 대해 공식 답변을 하야 한다.재미 한인들은 청원을 올린 인물이 텍사스에 살고 있다는 점, 이름의 영문 이니셜이 ‘T.M.’으로 되어 있다는 점을 들어 극우 성향으로 유명한 텍사스주 출신의 블로거 “토니 마라노”일 가능성이 높다고 추정하고 있다.이 인물은 유튜브, 블로그를 통해 극우 성향을

개그우먼 강유미가 `구급차 인증샷`논란에 휩싸이며 누리꾼들의 비난을 받고 있다. 지난 7일 강유미는 자신의 SNS(소셜네트워크서비스) 에 구급차 모습이 찍힌 사진을 게재했다. 강유미는 사진과 함께 “부산공연에 늦어 구급차라는 걸 처음 타고 이동하는 중”이라면서 “살다보면 이런 일, 저런 일…”이라는 글을 올렸다. 해당 사진에는 각종 의료기구와 약품들이 정리되어 있어 구급차 내부라는 것을 확인할수 있다. 이에 대해 누리꾼들은 위급시에 사용해야할 구급차를, 연예인의 공연 지각에 사용했다는 이유로 거센 비난을 가하고 있다.강유미 구급차 소식에 누리꾼들은 “강유미 구급차 사진까지 찍어올리는 건 좀” “강유미 구급차 지각이 웬수” “강유미 구급차 좋게 봤는데 좀 안좋아지려고 함”“강유미 구급차 위급한 환자 실어주는게 구급자 아닌가” 등의 반응을 보였다.<관련 영문 기사>Comedian bashed for using ambulance on her way to gigComedian Kang Yu

South Korea has practically lowered its goal of future overseas development aid due to budget constraints, the foreign ministry said Friday. The government has vowed to increase its official development assistance (ODA) level to 0.25 percent of the country's gross national income (GNI) by 2015 as part of efforts to give back after receiving help from the international community to rebuild its economy following the 1950-53 Korean War. Under the plan set up in 2010, the government has annually inc

South Korean firms have increased the issuance of new shares through October from a year earlier, data showed Friday, due mainly to the falling demand for corporate bonds amid a series of liquidity crises.Local companies raised a combined 3.4 trillion won ($3.3 billion) through October from the stock market, surging 141.9 percent from the previous year, the data by Hyundai Securities Co. showed.The tallied companies raised 866.2 billion won through initial public offerings, and issuance of new s

김정은 국방위원회 제1위원장의 섭정왕 노릇을 했던 장성택 국방위원회 부위원장이 12일 사형됐다. 40년간 북한 권력의 핵심으로 군림한 장성택은 지난 8일 노동당 정치국 확대회의에서 한순간에 ‘반당반혁명종파행위자’로 낙인찍혀 끌려나간 지 나흘 만에 형장의 이슬로 생을 마감했다.조선중앙통신은 13일 “장성택에 대한 조선민주주의인민공화국 국가안전보위부 특별군사재판이 12월 12일에 진행됐다”며 “공화국 형법 제60조에 따라 사형에 처하기로 판결했고 판결은 즉시에 집행됐다”고 밝혔다. 형법 제60조는 국가전복 음모행위에 대한 규정으로 사형에 처할 수 있다.이로써 김정일 국방위원장의 후계자 시절인 1970년대부터 시작된 장성택의 ‘2인자 삶’은 막을 내리게 됐으며, 앞으로 북한에서는 장성택의 측근에 대한 대대적인 숙청 작업이 진행될 것으로 보인다. 서상기 국회 정보위원장은 국정원 비공개 브리핑을 공개하면서 “최근 장성택 부하 두사람 처형할 때 기관총으로 처형했다”면서 “확인은 안되지만 장성택

Samsung Heavy Industries Co., a major shipbuilder of South Korea, said Friday it has obtained combined $300 million orders for three vessels. Under the deal with BW, a global shipping company, Samsung Heavy Industries will deliver a Liquefied Natural Gas Floating Storage Regasification Unit (LNG-FSRU) by 2016, the shipbuilder said. The South Korean firm said it also signed a contract with a European shipping company to provide two petrochemical carriers.The shipbuilder has won orders worth $12.6

Mexico's Congress voted Thursday to open the country's moribund state-run oil industry to foreign and domestic investors, casting aside nationalist opposition to approve the most dramatic energy reform in seven decades.The 353-134 vote will allow the government to give private companies contracts and licenses to explore and drill for oil and gas, deals now prohibited under Mexico's constitution.The final step, approval by 17 of Mexico's 31 states, is widely seen as assured.The state-run oil comp

An opposition leader convicted of war crimes during Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 was executed Thursday, a move that raised fears of new violence before next month's elections.Abdul Quader Mollah was hanged at 10:01 p.m., said Sheikh Yousuf Harun, chief government administrator in Dhaka, hours after the Supreme Court rejected a last-minute appeal.Mollah's Islamic party, Jamaat-e-Islami, immediately called a nationwide general strike for Sunday.Hundreds of people gathered at a major in

U.N inspectors said Thursday that chemical weapons were probably used in four locations in Syria this year in addition to the confirmed attack near Damascus in August.The report by U.N. chemical weapons experts, led by Swedish professor Ake Sellstrom, examined seven alleged chemical weapons attacks and said it lacked information to corroborate the allegations at two locations. The inspectors' limited mandate barred them from identifying whether the government or opposition fighters were responsi

An American who vanished nearly seven years ago in Iran was working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence-gathering mission that, when it came to light inside the government, produced one of the most serious scandals in the recent history of the CIA _ but all in secret, an Associated Press investigation found.The CIA paid Robert Levinson's family $2.5 million to head off a revealing lawsuit. Three veteran analysts were forced out of the agency and seven others were disciplined.The U.S. publi

A top U.S. trade official said it would be "very difficult" for South Korea to join the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, which are on the verge of a deal."We think we are in the end game ... I think it will be very, very difficult for any country, including (South) Korea, to join the ongoing negotiations if you just look at the timetable and the clock," Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler said at a forum here.After months of taking a wait-and-see stance, the

Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday assured Japan that the United States does not recognize a new air zone imposed by China and called for steps to ease tensions.A week after a trip to China, Japan and South Korea, Biden telephoned Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a new show of support for the country which is bound by a security treaty."The vice president reaffirmed that the United States does not recognize China's recently announced Air Defense Identification Zone and that the announcement will

South Korea expressed deep concerns Friday after North Korea announced the surprise execution of leader Kim Jong-un's uncle amid fears about its implications for Pyongyang's future, inter-Korean relations and the standoff over the country's nuclear program.The execution of Jang Song-thaek came as a surprise, as few had expected the young leader would go as far as executing his uncle just four days after the regime held a political bureau meeting of the ruling Workers Party and removed him from a

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday as improved economic data from the United States is feared to induce an early stimulus cut by the Federal Reserve, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 10.11 points, or 0.51 percent, to 1,957.82 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Carmakers traded weak, with No. 1 Hyundai Motor remaining unchanged from the previous trading session, and its auto parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis losing 0.86 percent. Kia Motors shed 0.36 perc

북한은 12일 특별군사재판을 열고 장성택에 사형을 판결하고 즉시 집행했다고 조선중앙통신이 13일 전했다.중앙통신은 "장성택에 대한 조선민주주의인민공화국 국가안전보위부 특별군사재판이 12월 12일에 진행됐다"며 "공화국 형법 제60조에 따라 사형에 처하기로 판결했고 판결은 즉시에 집행됐다"고 밝혔다.형법 제60조는 국가전복음모행위에 대한 규정으로 사형에 처할 수 있다.장성택은 지난 8일 노동당 정치국 확대회의에서 '반당반혁명종파행위자'로 낙인 찍혀 끌려나간 지 나흘 만에 형장의 이슬로 생을 마감했다.김정일 국방위원장의 후계자 시절인 1970년대부터 시작된 장성택의 '2인자 삶'은 40여 년 만에 막을 내리게 됐으며 앞으로 북한에서는 후속조치를 위한 대대적인 숙청작업이 이뤄질 것으로 보인다.중앙통신은 "특별군사재판에 기소된 장성택의 일체 범행은 심리과정에 100％ 입 증되고 피소자에 의해 전적으로 시인됐다"며 "특별군사재판소는 피소자 장성택이 우 리 공화국의 인민주권을 뒤집을 목적으로

North Korea said Friday it has executed leader Kim Jong-un’s uncle, who it said plotted to subvert his nephew’s regime, branding him a “traitor for all ages” and a “despicable political careerist and trickster.”The execution of Jang Song-thaek, former vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, took place the day before, following a special military tribunal. He was found guilty and admitted to “anti-party, counter-revolutionary factional acts,” according to the North’s official K

 [기사요약] 김정은 북한 국방위원회 제1위원장의 삼촌이자 권력 실세로 여겨졌던 장성택 국방위원회 부위원장이 최근 실각한 가운데, 북한이 지난 9일, 장 부위원장의 체포장면을 방송해 화제가 되고 있다.N.K. broadcasts arrest of leader’s powerful uncleNorth Korea said Monday its leader’s powerful uncle was purged for “anti-party, anti-revolution activities” including corruption, drug use and gambling. Purge: 제거하다 숙청하다 Anti-party: 반당 Anti-revolution activities: 반혁명 종파주의 Corruption: 부정부패 Drug use: 약물 복용Gambling: 도박 The North’s state media confirmed the Seoul intelligence agency’s report