The United States should consider offering to call off the planned deployment of the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea if Beijing imposes serious sanctions on North Korea, US experts said Monday.Eric Heginbotham and Richard J. Samuels of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center for International Studies made the suggestion, arguing that flexibility on THAAD deployment is worth an end to the North's nuclear and missile programs."US leaders should not only point out the downsid

The UN nuclear watchdog should revise its view on the amounts of fissile material North Korea needs to build a nuclear weapon as Pyongyang could have mastered miniaturization technology, a former agency official advises.Olli Heinonen, a former deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the suggestion in an article to the website of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, emphasizing it's important to "not underestimate the skills and know-how of North Korea

A Chinese conglomerate trading heavily with North Korea is suspected of involvement in exports of "dual-use" goods, dealings with sanctioned entities and provision of IT services underpinning cyber infrastructure in the North, a joint South Korea-U.S. research report showed Monday.Six subsidiaries of China's Liaoning Hongxiang Group "have transacted with sanctioned Burmese and North Korean entities, have been associated with North Korean cyber operators, and have traded in various goods and serv

지난 7월 해외 온라인 매체 인퀴지터 (Inquisitr)는 2살때부터 하루 2갑씩 흡연한 아이의 6년 후 근황을 전했다.　　　인도네시아 수마트라의 알디 리잘 (Ardi Rizal)은 하루에 담배 40개비를 피우는 2살짜리로 관심을 모은 바 있다. 　　2010년 처음 언론에 소개되었을 시 리잘은 세발자전거를 타며 도넛 모양 담배 연기를 뿜는 사진으로 전세계 네티즌을 경악시켰다.　(유튜브)　리잘을 도화점으로 국내 아동흡연률이 거센 비난을 받자 인도네시아 정부는 아동 흡연 문제를 정면 해결하려 힘을 모았다. 　　리잘은 이내 특별한 금연 프로그램에 부쳐졌고, 현재 8살인 그는 금연을 이어가며 건강한 생활을 지속하고 있다고 한다. 　　영국 타블로이드 데일리 메일에 따르면 금연의 성공은 ‘놀이’ 덕택이었다고 한다. 　　리잘을 담당한 심리학자 칵 세토 (Kak Seto) 박사는 리잘의 어머니 다이앤 (28)에게 아들을 담배로부터 떨어뜨려 놓을 여러 놀이 활동을 소개했다고 한다. 　　2013년

지난 9일 부산 을숙도공원 앞 도로에서 7세 아동을 친 뒤 아무런 조처 없어 달아나 숨지게 한 40대 운전자는 경찰에 붙잡히기까지 9일 동안 버젓이 직장에 출근하고 추석 연휴를 즐겼다. 19일 부산 사하경찰서에 따르면 뺑소니 혐의를 받는 김모(43)씨는 "사고 시간대 퇴근하다가 을숙도공원을 지날 때 차가 덜컹하는 느낌은 있었지만, 사람을 친 줄 몰랐다"는 취지로 진술하며 혐의를 부인하고 있다. 식품도소매 업체에서 일하는 김씨는 지난 9일 사고를 낸 뒤 사고 사실을 인지하지 못해 이후에도 평상시처럼 생활해왔다고 주장했다.평일에는 정상적으로 회사에 출퇴근했고, 추석 연휴가 시작된 14일부터 17일 사이에는 자녀·부인과 함께 고향에 다녀왔다고 진술했다.경찰은 김씨의 주장에서 몇 가지 의심스러운 점을 확인하고 있다고 밝혔다.몸무게가 20㎏가 넘는 A군이 차량에 부딪힐 때 차체에 전달되는 충격은 운전자가 사고 사실을 곧바로 인지할 수 있을 정도라고 경찰은 판단하고 있다.이 때문에 경찰은 김씨

The chief of Lotte Homeshopping, the TV channel of retail giant Lotte, was summoned by prosecutors on Monday to face questioning over allegations of illegal lobbying to renew its business license.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office called in Kang Hyeon-gu as a suspect for the second time since he was first grilled by prosecutors in July over suspicions of violating the country's Broadcasting Act.Kang is suspected of submitting false reports to the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future P

Ediya Coffee Co., a local low-cost coffee franchise operator, has the most shops in South Korea amid rising demand for cheap take-out coffee, government data showed Monday.There were 1,577 Ediya Coffee franchise outlets across the country last year, followed by 821 Caffe Bene stores and 813 Angelinus shops, according to the data compiled by the Fair Trade Commission. The two other coffee franchise operators are also home-grown brands.Starbucks has around 900 shops in the country, but the brand w

South Korea said Monday that there is not much possibility that it will provide assistance to North Korea to help it recover from damage caused by recent floods given the high tensions following Pyongyang's nuclear test.North Korea's northeastern region is struggling to cope with what is being called its worst-ever floods since the country's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. Heavy rains are believed to have left more than 130 people dead and over 400 missing.South Korea's unificatio

Prosecutors said Monday they have indicted the local subsidiary of China's Huawei Technologies Co. and its executives on charges of leaking its competitor's technologies and trade secrets. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said Huawei Korea's executive, identified only by his surname Kang, is suspected of leaking business secrets from telecoms equipment developer Ericsson-LG while working there in January 2014. The joint venture is between Sweden-based Ericsson and South Korean tech

South Korea has imported over 400 tons of foods grown with radiation exposure in Fukushima, Japan, over the past six years, a South Korean opposition lawmaker said Monday, despite local consumers' worries over contamination.A total of 407 tons of goods from the region were brought into the country, said Choi Do-ja of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, citing data of the Korea Food and Drug Administration submitted to the National Assembly.A devastating earthquake off the east coast of Ja

South Korea's economy has become less dependent on the financial sector over the past several years despite the latter's growth in size, a study showed Monday.The financial industry's output accounted for only 4 percent of the total output of the country's economy in 2014, down from 4.7 percent in 2007, according to National Assembly Research Service.The findings, based on the analysis of the Bank of Korea's data, mean the financial industry has contributed less to the gross domestic product of

South Korea's military appointed senior commanders to two key posts as part of an ongoing effort to better counter rising threats from North Korea, the defense ministry said Monday.Um Hyun-seong, 58, vice chairman of Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff, will take over from the current Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jung Ho-sup. Leem Ho-young, 57, chief director of JCS's Strategic Planning Directorate, will replace Gen.Kim Hyun-jip as deputy commander of the Combined Forces Command, the Ministry of Nat

지난 주 벨기에에서 ‘세계 최초로’ 만 17세 청소년이 안락사로 생을 마감했다고 17일 CNN이 보도했다.　　벨기에에선 안락사 연령 제한이 2년 전 해제되었다.　　안락사 찬성파 자크 드 구트 의원은 벨기에 TV 채널 VTM과의 인터뷰에 난치병을 가지고 태어난 아이가 안락사를 요청해왔음을 밝혔다. 　　벨기에 안락사 평결회의 한 위원은 연령제한이 해제된 이래 안락사를 요청해 온 아동 수는 소수이지만 “그렇다고 해서 그들이 존엄성을 가지고 죽을 권리를 막을 이유는 없다”고 말한 바 있다. 　　벨기에는 2002년 “지속적이고 견디기 힘들며 호전될 수 없는 육체적·정신적 고통을 겪는 사람을 대상으로” 안락사를 허용했다. 　　애초 미성년도 대상에 포함되어 있었지만, 정치적 반대로 최종 결의안에서 제외되었다. 　　이후 2014년 연령제한을 해지해 만 18세 미만의 아동·청소년에게도 “죽을 권리”를 부여했다. 　　이들은 안락사의 의미를 완전히 이해하며 보호자의 동의를 얻는 조건을 충족할 시 안락사

South Korea's minor opposition People's Party is moving towards a more lenient stance in regards to the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system in the country, political pundits said Monday.The move apparently comes as Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test conducted earlier this month is causing the general public to lose patience with North Korea. There has been a rise in the number of people calling for greater protection against the North's nuclear and missile threats.Besides detonating

Major shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. said Monday that its unit has won a $120 million deal from a US shipyard to design two ships and supply materials. Under the deal with NASSCO, a unit of General Dynamics, the Daewoo Ship Engineering Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of DSME, will design two container ships that can also house automobiles.The vessels, 265 meters long and 35 meters wide each, will be able to carry 3,250 container boxes and 525 autos.The ships will be del

뮤지컬 영화 ‘사운드 오브 뮤직’의 7남매 중 장녀 역을 연기한 차미언 카가 73세에 별세했다.　 (유튜브)　카의 대변인 할렌 볼은 고인이 지난 17일(현지시간) 미국 로스앤젤레스에서 치매 합병증으로 숨졌다고 발표했다. 　　카는 1942년 미국 시카고에서 출생해, 21세였던 1965년 사운드 오브 뮤직에서 폰 트라프 대령의 큰딸 리즐 역을 맡아 노래 ‘식스틴 고잉 온 세븐틴’을 부르며 이름을 알렸다.　　　　사운드 오브 뮤직 영화 제작사인 20세기 폭스는 트위터를 통해 “사운드 오브 뮤직이 사랑하는 가족을 잃었다”며 “그를 영원히 그리워할 것”이라고 카를 추모했다.　　카는 사운드 오브 뮤직 이후 텔레비전 뮤지컬 ‘이브닝 프림로즈’에 주연 역으로 출연한 것 외에 눈에 띄는 배우 활동은 없었다.　　카는 사운드 오브 뮤직에 출연한 경험을 토대로 ‘영원한 리즐’과 ‘리즐에게 보내는 편지’라는 책 2권을 냈고, 캘리포니아 남부 지역에서 인테리어 디자이너로도 활동했다. 　　그녀의 고객 중엔 가수

Korea Kolmar Co., South Korea's original development manufacturing cosmetics manufacturer, said Monday it has bought a US-based cosmetics maker to pave the way for entering the North American market.  In a regulatory briefing, Kolmar said it has established a special purpose company, named Seokoh, to acquire a 51 percent stake in Process Technologies & Packaging LLC for 17 billion won ($15.1 million).Established in 1993, the Pennsylvania-based PTP has provided cosmetics for global brands includi

Samsung Electronics Co. on Monday initiated its replacement program for Galaxy Note 7 phablets in South Korea in collaboration with local mobile carriers as part of its global recall of the new smartphones, industry officials said.Customers of the nation's three mobile carriers -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp -- began exchanging their Galaxy Note 7s for new ones at outlets across the country after receiving mobile notifications from the carriers, said the officials.Old Galaxy Note

The turnover rate of deposits in South Korea hit a record low in more than 11 years in July, central bank data showed Monday, in the latest indication that money circulation is clogged.The deposit turnover rate for July recorded 20.3, the lowest since February 2005 when it stood at 18.1, according to the Bank of Korea.The rate is calculated monthly based on the amount of withdrawals and the average account balance. Less turnover means fewer withdrawals, signaling that people are holding on to th

Sales of boxed lunches at convenience stores are increasing at a record pace with demand growing from demographic shifts and a broadening age group of consumers, industry data showed Monday.CU said its sales of lunch boxes increased 2.98 times as of the end of August compared with the same period last year. The jump follows a 65.8 percent increase in 2015 for the year. Helping the sales is the retail chain's collaboration with popular chef Baek Jong-won, who selected the dishes that go into the