Ministry may seek joint on-the-spot inspection with U.S. militarySouth Korea’s Environment Ministry dispatched Friday an investigation team to an area around a U.S. military base in Korea where barrels of Agent Orange were allegedly buried about 30 years ago.A U.S. cable TV network reported on May 13, citing three former American soldiers who served in the U.S. Forces Korea, that they had buried t

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday a plan to support the city’s 217,000 senior citizens living alone. According to the city’s recent survey, of the more than 1 million elderly people aged 65 or older in Seoul, 21.5 percent live alone, many of them financially struggling.The number of aged living alone has continued to increase in recent years from 16.2 percent in 2004, the city s

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― More is better when it comes to drinking coffee to ward off the risk of deadly prostate cancer, according to a major U.S. study released by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.Men who drank six or more cups per day had a 60 percent lower risk of developing the most lethal type of prostate cancer and a 20 percent lower risk of forming any type of prostate cancer co

Although there is no cure, irritable bowel syndrome can be managedWhen he was a college student, Lee Sang-woo used to memorize the location of toilets at every subway station between his home and school. “Because I had diarrhea frequently, I never took the bus,” said the 32-year-old office worker who has suffered from irritable bowel syndrome for more than 10 years. Even though his symptoms have i

The overpasses planned to be buit near Sungnyemun, the historic gate in central Seoul. (The Korea Herald)The Seoul Fortress, which has surrounded the city for 615 years, will be fully restored by 2014, officials said Wednesday.The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday a plan to reconnect the 18.6-kilometer fortress and seek to list it as a UNESCO cultural heritage site.“The Seoul Fortr

Her elder son who is preparing for an Ivy League school at a prestigious foreign language high school in Seoul may receive the best school education in Korea. However, his mother, Park Sung-hee, says she has never reduced the family’s spending on private education. “Even though you enter a good school, the situation is the same at least for the students at the school. In order not to lag behind ot

Rival regions rage, claim decision was made on political motivationThe nation’s multi-trillion won science belt project took its first step on Monday with Daejeon selected as the host city. A government-private committee said Monday that Daejeon, some 164 kilometers south of Seoul, will have the National Basic Science Institute and a particle accelerator that will be completed in the region over t

Seoul Global Center will start consultations on industrial accidents for foreign residents from Tuesday. The weekly service, offered every Tuesday from 2-5 p.m. at the support center for expatriates, will be provided in seven languages including English, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese. With the number of foreign workers here surging recently, many have complained of difficulty finding proper hel

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (AP) – Brimming with pride, President Barack Obama on Friday met and honored the U.S. commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saluting them on behalf of America and the world and capping an extraordinary week for the country. "Job well done," the president declared.Obama addressed roughly 2,000 troops after meeting privately with the full assault team — A

TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's Iwate prefecture, whose coastline was hard hit by the March 11 tsunami, on Saturday won endorsement for its historic Hiraizumi area to be listed as a World Heritage site, the government said.Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs announced that an International Council on Monuments and Sites panel recommended that the Buddhist architecture, gardens and archaeological sites in Hi

CAIRO (AP) -- Al-Qaida has vowed to keep fighting the United States and avenge the death of Osama bin Laden, which it acknowledged for the first time Friday in an Internet statement apparently designed to convince followers that it will remain vigorous and intact even after its founder's demise.Al-Qaida's plots are usually large-scale and involve planning over months or even years. But Western int

The number of North Korean defectors to Thailand has jumped more than 50 times since 2004, a U.S. report claimed Saturday.Radio Free Asia (RFA), citing a Thai newspaper, the Bangkok Post, said the number of North Koreans who illegally entered Thailand and were arrested soared from 46 in 2004 to 2,482 in 2010.Through April this year, 870 North Koreans have been arrested for illegal entry, RFA added

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Barack Obama Friday urged his nation to invest more in the development of clean energy technology in order not to lag behind South Korea and other countries."We're in a competition all around the world, and other countries -- Germany, China, South Korea -- they know that clean energy technology is what is going to help spur job creation and economic growth for years to

WASHINGTON -- The United States and China next week will discuss ways to improve inter-Korean ties and reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the State Department said Friday.Speaking to reporters, spokesman Mark Toner expressed hope that the Security and Economic Dialogue between the U.S. and China, slated to be held in Washington Monday and Tuesday, will serve as a venue to discuss the tension

Korean history will become a required subject at every school from 2012 and teachers should pass a history exam to be appointed.The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology on Friday unveiled a plan to strengthen history education.“In new schoolbooks, Japan renewed its sovereignty claim over Dokdo and distorted historic facts regarding Korea. Now is a very critical time for Koreans to have a

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley agreed Thursday to increase investment and trade opportunities between Seoul and Maryland, city officials said Friday.The two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday when Oh visited Maryland. The state is well known for its bio cluster of about 500 institutions, the largest of its kind in the U.S. Oh has emphasized the bio

Regulator assures glitch is minor, no radiation dangersThe government will order a safety inspection of the Gori-1 reactor, which was temporarily shut down following a technical glitch last week, officials said Thursday. “It is a welcome decision, risking financial loss,” said Kim Chang-kyung, second vice minister of education, science and technology, in a news conference on Thursday. “The reactor

New schools or those that consider reconstruction will be required to build “see-through” fences that can be seen through in order to protect students from sexual and other violent crimes, officials said Thursday. In a meeting with school facility officials nationwide on Thursday, the Ministry of Education, Technology and Science asked schools to install 1.8-meter-high transparent fences. “The mea

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon hinted at his bid for the presidency next year on an official visit to the U.S. this week. “Korea is facing a very critical moment now. Considering the flexible political environment, I feel a strong responsibility (for the presidency),” Oh said Monday after delivering a lecture at Harvard University. It was the first time the mayor has made public his intention to run for t

Seoul National University will launch a think tank in May to work out a long-term strategy for the nation’s research and development sector, the school said Tuesday. Starting with the organization of its members, the tentatively named “Future R&D Committee” plans to hold the first meeting next month. The nation’s R&D policy has thus far been planned by government offices or research institutes aff