PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) – In a courtroom, not an Olympic stadium, there was no click-click-click of Oscar Pistorius' prosthetic limbs. His only sound Friday was loud, uncontrollable sobs as prosecutors charged him with premeditated murder in the shooting death of his model girlfriend."Take it easy," Chief Magistrate Desmond Nasir told the Olympic star-turned-murder-defendant as his father, Henke, and his brother, Carl, reached out to touch his shoulder to comfort him.The 26-year-old Pistoriu

이은숙 작가, 2월 23일부터 3월 10일까지 임진각 자유의 다리 민통선 철조망에서 이산가족의 아픔을 담은 조명 설치작품 선보인다. 6.25전쟁이 끝나고 휴전이 된지 올해로 60주년이 되었다. 이제 유일한 분단 국가로 남은 한국에는 여전히 전쟁의 상흔이 아픔과 한으로 남아 있다. 북쪽에 두고 온 가족은 생사도 모른 채 60년이 흘러 이산 당사자 세대는 계속 세상을 등지고 있어 이제 역사의 기록 속으로 사라지고 있다. 정전 60년을 맞은 2013년. 우리 민족이 하나가 되기를 기원하는 조명설치작품이 임진각 자유의 다리 민통선 철조망에 설치된다. 이 작품은 DMZ 철조망을 따라 설치하려 하였으나 군 부대 작전 보안상 문제로 임진각으로 자리를 옮겼다. 이산가족 아버지를 둔 이은숙 작가는 6.25전쟁 당시 사진과 헤어진 가족에 대한 사연을 묶어 북쪽에 있는 잊혀져가는 그리운 가족의 이름을 불러낸다. 그들을 기억하기 위해 이름의 자음, 모음을 작품으로 제작하여 철조망을 따라 조명과 같이 설치

SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korea's military has erected two surveillance towers along the Joint Security Area (JSA) near the border village of Panmunjom to better monitor South Korean military in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a military official said Sunday. The 60-meter-high steel towers equipped with security cameras were set up in December last year inside the North's portion of the JSA, the official said on the condition of anonymity. The towers were erected following the defection of two North

NEW DELHI (AFP) - South Korea took both the reverse singles to complete a 4-1 victory over depleted India in the Asia-Oceania group one first round Davis Cup tie in New Delhi on Sunday.Jeong Suk-Young gave the Koreans an unbeatable 3-1 lead by outplaying Virali-Murugesan Ranjeet 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in the day's first match.Nam Ji-Sung beat Vijayant Malik, the other Indian debutant, 6-2, 6-4 in the inconsequential fifth rubber that was reduced to best-of-three sets.South Korea will now meet Japan in th

PYEONGCHANG -- Figure skating star Kim Yu-na on Sunday began offering news and information about the ongoing 10th Special Olympics World Winter Games here in PyeongChang through her Twitter account, calling herself a "Twitter Jockey" for the event. In her Twitter postings, Kim explained the difference between the Special Olympics and the Paralympics.She also hailed all athletes who participated in the Special Olympics as "heroes." Kim, an honorary PR ambassador for the Special Olympics World Win

A fortified installation, believed to be a "command bunker," has been found at North Korea's nuclear test site where the country may likely conduct another nuclear test soon, a U.S. think tank said Friday.According to "38 North", an analysis program of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, the "command bunker" is located about 150 meters from the entrance to a tunnel that may be used to carry out the nuclear test.The Punggye-ri test site on the North's northeastern co

South Korea's efforts to help North Korean defectors adapt themselves to its capitalist system have been called into question as an increasing number of them return to their communist home country.North Korea's state-run television station reported a day earlier that a defector family of three members and another woman defector have recently returned to the North after living in South Korea for a while.Referring to a news conference held by the four in Pyongyang, the North's TV report claimed th

SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) – Seoul blasted Tokyo Thursday over its reported move to name peaks on South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, saying it would amount to a "serious violation" of its territorial sovereignty.Tokyo has long laid claim to the islets, which lie closer to South Korea in the body of water dividing the Korean Peninsula and Japan, often leading to diplomatic tensions between the neighboring countries.According to Japan's Kyodo News Service, the Japanese government decided earl

SEOUL, (Yonhap) -- North Korea repeated its claim Saturday that the only maritime border in the western Yellow Sea is the one drawn by Pyongyang, condemning the South Korean president's recent trip to an island near the border where he urged increased efforts to deter any border violation by the communist nation.South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday said the country's service members must stake their own lives if necessary to safeguard the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a de facto maritim

BEIRUT (AP) _ A powerful car bomb tore through the heart of Beirut's Christian sector Friday, killing a top security official and seven others in a devastating attack that threatened to bring the war in Syria directly to Lebanon's doorstep. The blast sheared the balconies off apartment buildings, upended cars and sent dazed rescue workers carrying bloodied children into the streets.Dozens of people were wounded in the blast, the worst the Lebanese capital has seen in more than four years. The st

SONGDO (Yonhap) -- South Korea was selected as a host country of the secretariat of the United Nations climate fund on Saturday, raising hopes that it will play a bigger role on the international stage in tackling global challenges stemming from climate change.After holding a three-day board meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) here, South Korea's Songdo, west of Seoul, was selected to house its secretariat. The final approval will be made later this year in Qatar.The GCF is a U.N. fund launc

HAVANA (AP) _ The rumor mill surrounding the health of Fidel Castro churned anew Friday despite a letter from the aging Cuban revolutionary published by state media and denials by relatives at home and in the United States that he is on death's door.Social media sites and some news organizations have reported allegations by a Venezuelan doctor that Castro, 86, suffered a massive stroke, was in a vegetative state and had only weeks to live, though the same doctor, Jose Rafael Marquina, has made s

BUSAN (Yonhap) – The Lotte Giants defeated the SK Wyverns 4-1 on Friday to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five second-round playoff series in South Korea's top baseball league.The winner will face defending champion Samsung Lions in the Korea Series. The Lions, who won the league title last year, received the bye to the Korean Series by virtue of finishing first in the regular season.In Friday's match at Sajik Stadium in Busan, the Giants' starter Ko Won-jun held the Wyverns to just three single

SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Yonhap) -- The Lotte Giants defeated the Doosan Bears 2-1 on Tuesday to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in the opening round of the playoffs in South Korea's top professional baseball league.In the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) action at Jamsil Stadium here, backup catcher Yong Deok-han hit a go-ahead solo home run in the top ninth for the Giants' second straight come-from-beh

GUMI, South Korea, Oct. 9 (Yonhap) -- Police said Tuesday that workers not properly following safety guidelines caused the gas leak at a chemical factory last month that killed five employees and sickened thousands of nearby villagers.On Sept. 27, some eight tons of hydrofluoric acid, an acute poison that can damage lungs and bones and affect the nervous system, leaked from a chemical factory in G

Photographs of the 2012 Nobel Prize laureates in Physics Serge Haroche from France, left, and David Wineland from the US are presented on a screen during a media conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Science in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday Oct. 9, 2012. (AP-Yonhap News)STOCKHOLM (AP) – Frenchman Serge Haroche and American David Wineland have won the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics for inventing and

The ruling party's minor presidential contenders will return to their primary race for the December presidential election, withdrawing their boycott launched in reaction to a money-for-nomination scandal engulfing the party, officials said Sunday.The race to select a presidential candidate on the Saenuri Party's ticket has been stymied after three minor contenders -- Yim Tae-hee, Kim Moon-soo and

South Korea`s Jin Jong-oh (left) and Cho Young-rae bite their gold and silver medals as they leave the firing range following the victory ceremony in the men’s 50-meter pistol shooting at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2012, in London. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)South Korea enjoyed a one-two finish in men's 50-meter pistol shooting at the London Olympics Sunday.Jin Jong-oh won

South Korea`s Lee Yong-dae and Chung Jae-sung clebrate winning against Malaysia`s Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Wembley Arena August 5, 2012. (Yonhap News)LONDON, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- The South Korean men's badminton doubles team of Chung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae took the bronze medal at the London Olympics on Sunday.At Wembley Arena, the South Koreans def

South Korea`s Lee Hyun-il returns a shot during their men`s singles badminton bronze medal match against China`s Chen Long at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Wembley Arena August 5, 2012. (Yonhap News)LONDON (AP) _ Lee Hyun-il of South Korea has lost the badminton bronze-medal playoff in a second straight Olympic Games.Lee was beaten by Chen Long of China 21-15, 15-21, 21-15 in 80 minutes on