The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party on Tuesday rejected President Park Geun-hye's call for constitutional revision, stressing that the truth behind a set of corruption allegations involving a women with ties to Park, should first be verified.During a press conference, Choo Mi-ae said her party will form a research panel on the amendment and push for parliamentary discussions on the issue in a "step-by-step" fashion, while demanding Park and her office Cheong Wa Dae keep away from

Some Lotte Group units are seeking to raise funds by selling bonds after the prosecution concluded a probe into the owner family's alleged wrongdoing that rocked the retail giant, market watchers said Tuesday. Wrapping up a grueling four-month investigation last week, prosecutors indicted Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, his father and elder brother without detention on charges of embezzlement and other business irregularities. According to sources, Hotel Lotte, a crown jewel of the country's

The countries to which North Korea's national carrier, Air Koryo, is now able to operate flights has been limited to only China and Russia at a time many countries have endorsed the UN sanctions on the North, a US broadcaster reported Tuesday.According to the Voice of America, the state-owned carrier flew to Kuwait via Urumqi, western China, in August, but Kuwaiti authorities prevented it from landing, forcing it to terminate flights between Pyongyang and Kuwait.Earlier, the Pakistani government

동영상 공유 사이트 유튜브에 올라온 ‘존재를 믿을 수 없는 10대 아이들’ 영상이 게재된지 4일만에 7만번 넘게 조회되며 눈길을 끌고 있다.　　　1. 줄리아 빈스 (Julia Vins) 　 (사진=유튜브)　인형같은 얼굴의 줄리아는 보디 빌더다.　그녀는 160kg 무게 역기를 가뿐히 들며 세계 기록을 3개 보유하고 있다고 한다. 　인스타그램에서도 유명하다.　　2.마힌드라 아히르와르 (Mahindra Ahirwar)　(사진=유튜브)　인도의 13세 소년 마헨드라는 날 때부터 긴 목 탓에 고개를 제대로 가눌 수 없다. 　그는 한 영국 여성의 모금 덕에 수술을 받고 곧은 목을 가지게 됐다. 　　3. 엘렌 릿트조우 (Ellen Lietzow)  (사진=유튜브)엘렌은 왕따로 거식증을 앓았다. 거식증의 위험을 알리는 사진 　입원 후 건강한 몸을 되찾아 이젠 거식증의 무서움을 알리는 운동을 하고 있다. 　　4. 니할 비틀라 (Nihal Bitla)(사진=유튜브)　노인 같은 외모의 15세 소년 니할은

The United States again downplayed last week's talks between North Korean diplomats and former US nuclear negotiators as "private" and "unofficial" discussions, urging Pyongyang to demonstrate denuclearization commitments so as to reopen the long-stalled nuclear negotiations."There's no US government involvement here. This is done by private citizens and typically they discuss a range of issues. But the United States government isn't sponsoring them. There's no government involvement in it," Sta

South Korea's economy grew at a slower pace in the third quarter than three months earlier, on decreased demand and facility investments, central bank data showed Tuesday.In the July-September period, the country's gross domestic product increased 0.7 percent from the previous quarter, decelerating from a 0.8 percent on-quarter expansion three months earlier, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea. From a year earlier, Asia's fourth-largest economy grew 2.7 percent.The central bank

Ensuring preparedness against increasing threats from North Korea should be a top priority for the next US administration, top military officials said Monday."North Korea plays heavily in my mind because the situation is so unpredictable and the pace seems to be increasing there. There are quite a few soldiers sitting right there, ready in case something happens," Army Secretary Eric Fanning said in response to a question about what to prioritize to his successor during a security seminar."So, m

South Korea announced Monday it will lay the systemic groundwork for the spread of digital currency as part of efforts to promote financial technology, also called fintech."The government will push for the systematization of digital currency on a full scale in tandem with a global trend in the U.S., Japan and other countries," Yim Jong-yong, chairman of the Financial Services Commission, said in a speech at the 12th Fintech Center Demo Day event.He added the government and the local financial in

Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday it is offering a special upgrade program for owners of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in South Korea who swap the fire-prone device for the Galaxy S7 or the S7 Edge smartphone.The program allows South Korean owners of the Note 7 who exchange the device for the S7 or the S7 Edge smartphone to upgrade the replacements to either a Galaxy S8 smartphone or a Note 8 phablet, Samsung said in a statement.Note 7 customers will pay about the half the price of the S7 or th

인도네시아의 한 정치인이 인스턴트 식품을 섭취한 아기는 동성애자로 자란다는 내용의 발언으로 논란을 일으켰다. 　 아리프 R. 위스만시아 (사진=월드오브버즈)　지난 3월 땅그랑 지역 (Tangerang) 시장 아리프 R. 위스만시야 (Arief R. Wismansyah)는 “건강하고 똑똑하고 경쟁력있는 아이를 키우기 위해 가장 중요한 것은 적절한 영양공급이다”며 모유수유의 중요성을 강조했다. 　　나아가 바쁜 일상에 치인 다수의 부모가 라면, 분유 등의 즉석 식품을 아기에게 먹인다며, “동성애자(LGBT)가 늘어나는 데에 이유가 있다”고 말해 시민단체의 공분을 샀다.　  (사진=인스타그램 @pig.yoon)　이슬람이 국교인 인도네시아에서 정치세력의 공개적 반-동성애 발언은 이 외에도 많다. 　　같은 3월 인도네시아 국방부 장관은 불어나는 동성애자 인구가 “핵 전쟁 보다 위험하다”고 발언한 바 있다. 　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　　

한 해외 페이스북 페이지에 등장한 기상천외한 신발 디자인 사진들이 화제다. 　　아래 신발들이 ‘독창적’인지 ‘악취미’인지에 대한 평가는 개개인의 기호에 달려있겠다.  (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio) (사진=페이스북 페이지 Lo Vedo E Lo Voglio)

One out of every two college students believe job market conditions have worsened this year, while more than half of would-be jobseekers said they wanted to work for a large firm or a public enterprise, a survey showed Monday.In the survey conducted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), 52.6 percent of 3,461 students surveyed said job market conditions have deteriorated from a year earlier for fresh college graduates. (Yonhap)Only 2.6 percent answered that conditions have rather improved

South Korea's self-employed people in their 20s and 60s run a higher risk of defaulting on loans from financial institutions due to their increased debt burden amid a protracted business slump, a report said Monday.The country's financial authorities thus need to keep a close watch on the potential risk, which could come as a drag on the local financial sector, the Korea Institute of Finance said in the report on household debt.According to the report, the debt-to-income ratio for 20-somethings

다큐멘터리 잡지 내셔널지오그래픽이 24일 소개한 독수리가 눈길을 끌고 있다.　 하피 독수리 (사진=내셔널지오그래픽 페이스북)　남미산 하피 독수리는 날개 폭이 2미터에 강력한 부리와 발톱을 가져 세상에서 가장 센 맹금류에 속한다.　　이 독수리의 발톱은 곰 발톱만하고 다리는 사람 손목만큼 두껍다.　　하피라는 이름은 고대 그리스 로마 신화에 등장하는 여자 머리에 새의 날개와 발을 가진 잔혹한 괴물에서 따 온 것이다.　 하피 독수리 (사진=내셔널지오그래픽 페이스북)　하피 독수리는 파나마의 국조다.　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday proposed a constitutional revision in a surprise reversal of her earlier position, a move that observers say reflects her will to spearhead the growing debate on the highly divisive issue.During her parliamentary speech to outline budget plans for next year, Park said her government will institute a body to prepare for the revision with a view to achieving it within her term in office that ends in February 2018. (Yonhap)Park had previously opposed a

A South Korean married couple living in the Philippines have been missing for months, the foreign ministry here said Monday, adding that it is working in cooperation with local authorities to discover their whereabouts. The couple was last seen in April when they took a ship leaving from Samar Island located near the Philippines' southern island of Mindanao, according to the ministry. They are said to have lived in Mindanao for about one year. The Seoul government currently has a travel ban for

Peer-to-peer lending in South Korea grew at a fast pace in the third quarter of the year, as individuals with low credit ratings flocked to the burgeoning lending scheme and yield-hungry investors funneled more money into it, industry data showed Monday.According to the data compiled by industry tracker Crowd Institute, P2P lending in the country was tallied at 188 billion won ($166 million) in the third quarter of the year, sharply rising from 104 billion won in the second quarter and 49.6 bill

수년간 친딸을 성폭행한 미국 남성에게 1천503년 징역형이 선고됐다.23일(현지시간) 영국 일간 가디언은 미국 캘리포니아주의 프레즈노 고등법원이 4년간 친딸을 성폭행한 혐의로 기소된 르네 로페즈(41)에게 징역 1천503년을 선고했다고 보도했다. (프레즈노 경찰 제공 사진. 로스앤젤레스 타임스 캡처)로페즈는 2009년 5월부터 딸이 도망친 2013년 5월까지 일주일에 두 세 차례씩 딸을 성폭행한 혐의를 받고 있다.현지매체 프레즈노 비는 이번 판결에 대해 프레즈노 고등법원 역사상 가장 긴 징역형이라고 설명했다.재판장인 에드워드 사키시안 판사는 로페즈에 대해 "사회에 심각한 위험"이라고 지적했다.또한 로페즈가 참회하는 모습을 전혀 보이지 않았으며 오히려 딸이 자신을 곤경에 빠뜨렸다면서 비난했다고 중형 선고 이유를 설명했다.검찰도 "10대 딸의 삶을 망쳤고 딸이 마치 자신의 잘못인양 느끼게 했다"며 로페즈에 엄벌을 처해달라고 재판부에 요청했다.올해 23살이 로페즈의 딸은 "나는 당시 어리

Real estate-related loans take the lion's share of South Korean banks' lending to self-employed business owners, a report showed Monday, which experts say could pose a systemic threat to the financial system.Twelve local banks' lending to one-man operations came to 185.5 trillion won ($164 billion) as of end-June this year, up 7.8 trillion won from six months earlier and accounting for 18 percent of their total household loans, according to the report by credit appraiser Korea Ratings.Property a

The United States on Sunday dismissed recent talks between North Korean diplomats and former US government officials as a private "Track 2" meeting taking place without the involvement of the US government.North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-ryol and the North's UN Ambassador Jang Il-hun held the two days of talks with former US nuclear negotiators Robert Gallucci and Joseph DeTrani, and Asian affairs expert Leon Sigal in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur on Friday and Saturday. North Korean Vice