North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his intent to stick to nuclear weapons when making his first military-related public activity since the party congress in May, the North's state media showed Monday.Kim conducted the so-called field guidance at National Defense University, which the communist country says contributes to its defense industry, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency. It did not specify the date of his visit.Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA th

The United States should increase pressure on North Korea but at the same time make clear its willingness to hold comprehensive negotiations encompassing not only denuclearization, but also a peace treaty and normalization of diplomatic relations, a U.S. expert has said.Joel Wit, a former State Department negotiator with Pyongyang, made the suggestion in a recent policy suggestion report, stressing that President Barack Obama's policy on the North failed to achieve any progress towards U.S. obje

Festival culture in Korea is quickly evolving, with creative ideas taking shape in the hands of the young and wild. With the Korean summer bringing sweltering heat, many are opting for water-based outdoor events, among many others.One of the prime locations for such festivals is Sinchon, the area next to Yonsei University, Sogang University, Ewha Womans University and Hongik University. Sinchon stands out among popular cultural venues because of the high number of young people and because vehicl

Explosive sing-alongs by Korean fans at concert arenas are nothing new to global pop musicians, as they have begun evolving into more articulately planned events.A slew of world-famous musicians have been elevated by the sight of Korean fans singing along to their hooks, songs and, at times, their signature guitar riffs. “They were singing all of it (‘Live Forever’), word for word, for their own amusement,” British singer-songwriter Noel Gallagher said in an interview with CBC Radio’s talk show

Korea’s festivals have evolved in both variety and scale over the years, attracting tourists and expats to join in the fun. According to data released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the number of tourists revisiting Korea jumped to 46.1 percent in 2015, compared to 34.9 percent in 2014. The government and local festival committees are doing everything in their capacity to maintain the increase. The Seoul Tourism Association even recently launched mobile education centers for tou

사람은 술을 왜 마시는 걸까? 인류의 술의 역사는 적어도 만 년은 더 과거로 거슬러 올라간다. 심지어 정수가 어려웠던 시대에는 오염된 물 대신 술을 마시는 것이 더 안전하다고 여겨졌을 정도다. 14세기 스페인의 아르날더스는 “술이 수명을 늘려주고 나쁜 생각을 없애 주며 심장을 강화시키고 젊음을 유지해 준다”고 말했다고 전해진다. 오늘날에도 사람들은 많은 이유를 대며 술을 마신다. 하지만, 과연 우리가 믿는 사실이 진실일까?(123RF)1. 행복해진다? 술의 에탄올 성분은 행복감을 자극하는 도파민 분비량을 늘린다. 한 잔, 두 잔, 석 잔 마시는 사이 보상 심리가 충족되고 기뻐질 수 있다. 최근 서울대학교 간호대가 집계한 설문조사에 따르면 19세 이상 싱글 여성이 스트레스 해소 목적으로 알코올을 섭취하는 빈도수가 높아지고 있다고 한다. 하지만, 알코올은 중독될 수 있기 때문에 까딱하다가는 알코올이 없을 시 불행하다고 느끼는 단계에 이를 수 있으니 주의하시길.2. 용기를 준다?알코올은

North Korea did not stipulate itself as a nuclear-armed state in its recently revised set of ruling party bylaws, an analysis of the document showed Friday, spawning speculation that Pyongyang has left open the possibility of negotiations over its denuclearization.Yonhap News Agency analyzed the 52-page document after having recently obtained it. The analysis found no reference to the communist state as a nuclear power contrary to widespread expectation.The set of party bylaws, which is regarded

An annual trade fair between North Korea and China will kick off in the Chinese border city of Dandong in October, Chinese organizers said Friday, amid signs that Beijing and Pyongyang are trying to mend fences despite the North's nuclear ambitions. This year's North Korea-China Economic, Trade, Culture and Tourism Expo, which will be the fifth of its kind, will begin its four-day run on Oct. 15, the Dandong city's China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) said in a statemen

Samsung Electronics Co., South Korea's leading tech company, said Friday it ranked first in a recent reputation survey of young adults in the United States.The Reputation Institute, a U.S. consulting firm, conducted the poll of Americans, aged 18-34, who are called "millenials," in the first quarter of this year, Samsung said in a press release. More than 700 firms were on the list of candidates.It did not specify the number of respondents, however.Samsung was followed by Nike, Johnson & Johnson

South Korea's tax revenue surged greatly from a year earlier in the first four months partly on an increase in corporate and income taxes that may reflect a rise in consumption, the government said Friday.In the January-April period, the government collected 96.9 trillion won ($83.2 billion) in taxes, up 23 percent, or 18.1 trillion won, from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Ministry of Strategy and Finance in Sejong City (Yonhap)The four-month tally

[THE INVESTOR] The prosecution raided the head office of Lotte Group, the nation’s fifth-largest conglomerate, and its seven affiliates in Seoul on Friday over allegations that they created a multibillion won slush fund through shady asset transfers between subsidiaries as well as possible capital inflow to Japan.(Yonhap)More than 200 investigators combed 17 Lotte offices including residences of Lotte chairman Shin Dong-bin and other top executives and the secluded office of Lotte founder Shin K

GS Retail together with Konkuk Milk announced Thursday the launch of YouUs Butter Milk, a honey-butter-milk inspired by the potato chips that stormed Korea with its honey-butter flavor last year. The 300-milliliter milk will sell for 1,000 won (86 centers). It will be available at GS25 convenience stores from Friday and later at GS Super Markets as well.  (GS Retail)GS Retail described the milk as a “dessert latte” that blends the rich taste of French gourmet butter with the aroma of fresh milk.

South Korea and the United Nations Command sent in troops Friday to crack down on illegal Chinese fishing boats in neutral waters around the mouth of the Han River between the two Koreas.The military operation marks the first of its kind to have taken place in the estuary region, where the Han River meets the Yellow Sea, after its designation as a no man's land in the armistice agreement following the 1950-53 Korean War.Seoul recently formed a 24-strong military police team with four speed boats

The Great Korean Beer Festival will once again run this Friday to Sunday at Rose Garden at Everland amusement park, located south of Seoul. The event will be held between 11 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. A total of eight breweries -- B&W Liquor, Goose Island, Muse International, Sun International, Shinhan F&B, Czech Beer International, Jejusien and Sewon International -- and three restaurants -- Pizza Hut, France Gourmet and High Street Market -- will participate. The festival will feature some of the worl

North Korea has been sending active duty soldiers to Middle East countries by disguising them as civilian laborers, as the reclusive country tries to earn foreign currency, a U.S.-based media outlet said Friday.Quoting sources in the Middle East, the Radio Free Asia (RFA) added that the North Korean authorities seem to let the soldiers grow out their hair to look more like civilians.Due to the inflow of soldiers, North Korean civilian workers in the Middle East are having a harder time holding o

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Friday the government will do more to expand the rights of women and children, adding its ministries will join forces to achieve gender equality in all sectors."The government will promote gender equality at all levels of society and make a determined effort to achieve this vision," Hwang said.The prime minister said the efforts will include adopting a flexible work-hour system so that women can focus both on childcare and their careers. The government will also

The Galaxy S7's success, according to industry watchers here on Friday, has been due to the combination of three main factors: decent quality, early release and aggressive marketing.Since its debut in March, the new flagship smartphones of Samsung Electronics Co. -- the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge -- have become a global hit, if not a sensation.The combined sales of the two models are estimated to reach 25 million worldwide by the end of June. On Thursday, the South Korean tech giant's share pr

President Park Geun-hye's chief of staff visited the National Assembly on Friday to meet new parliamentary leaders as part of an ongoing effort to enhance cooperation between the government and legislature, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.It marked the first time that Lee Won-jong visited parliament since he was appointed to lead the presidential secretariat last month.Lee first met with Assembly speaker Chung Sye-kyun and delivered an orchid from Park to congratulate him on his new p

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon topped the list of potential presidential candidates in South Korea, data showed Friday, continuing to beat other long-established hopefuls from the opposition parties.According to the survey conducted by Gallup Korea earlier this week, Ban's approval rate came to 26 percent, followed by Moon Jae-in, former leader of the Minjoo Party of Korea, whose numbers stood at 16 percent, down 2 percentage points from a week earlier.It marked the first time for Ban to be

The Ministry of National Defense has demanded a 5.3 percent on-year increase in its defense budget for 2017 as it plans to accelerate efforts to bolster the welfare of military conscripts and build up the country's air defense system, the ministry said Friday.The ministry has submitted its defense budget demand to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, requesting a budget of 40.87 trillion won ($35.18 billion) for next year, according to a statement. The defense budget for this year stands at 38.