Thirty nine U.S. lawmakers have joined a wave of sympathy for South Korean people suffering the loss of hundreds of people in a ferry sinking last month, the nation's embassy here said Monday."If you share happiness, it multiplies by double, if you share sadness, it lessens by half. We go together," wrote Sen. Robert Menendez, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. His words were inscribed in a book kept at Capitol Hill last week, according to the embassy.Rep. Ed Royce, who chair

North Korea on Monday defended recent racist attacks on U.S. President Barack Obama by its citizens and officials, calling them "a proper reaction" to slander by the American leader.The North's Foreign Ministry said Obama's comments critical of North Korea during his recent trip to Seoul were "an unpardonable insult" to its people and their resentment at the U.S. is running high."The resentment expressed by individuals of (North Korea) at Obama recently was a proper reaction to him who malignant

Nine ancient Korean seals that were returned last month after being illegally transferred to the United States during the 1950-53 Korean War will be on display at a Seoul museum starting this week, the government said Monday.The Cultural Heritage Administration said it will hold a special exhibition of the seals at the National Palace Museum of Korea in central Seoul from May 13 to Aug. 3.  The nine are three national seals and one royal seal of the Korean Empire and five signets of the royal co

South Korea will remove nearly one third of government regulations on trade and foreign investment, and ease other restrictions that hamper investment, the government said Monday.Of the 62 regulations that currently apply to trade or foreign investment, 19 or 30.6 percent will be completely eliminated before the incumbent Park Geun-hye administration's five-year term ends in February 2018, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.The decision came at a public hearing chaired by Vi

LG Electronics Inc., South Korea's No. 2 tech giant, said Monday it plans to expand its tablet PC lineup to cover various sizes and also give better connectivity with smartphones.The company said it will add 7-inch, 8-inch and 10.1-inch sizes to its flagship G Pad, without elaborating on key features or the release date. The showcase will be held in June,  it said.LG had introduced its first G Pad in October last year in an 8.3-inch model.LG said the new models will be equipped with "Knock Code,

Samsung Group said Monday its daily management activities were on schedule despite the hospitalization of its de facto head, Lee Kun-hee, who received emergency treatment for a heart attack."We are not arranging any special meetings concerning management problems, as the chairman has not been directly involved in management affairs," said Lee June, Samsung's chief communications official. "We are continuing our usual daily tasks."Lee, the chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., was treated for myoc

South Korea and China plan to hold high-level security talks in Beijing later this month, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the matter said Monday, as Seoul seeks to persuade Beijing to do more in dissuading North Korea from conducting its fourth nuclear test. South Korea's Presidential Security Adviser Kim Jang-soo is scheduled to visit Beijing and hold talks with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, China's top foreign policymaker, in the fourth week of this month, the source said on the c

South Korea ranked 33rd in per-capita gross domestic product in 2013, with its global standing rising eight notches over the past five years, data showed Monday.According to the data by the International Monetary Fund, South Korea's per-capita nominal GDP came to $24,329 last year, which was the 33rd highest in the world. This is up from 34th in 2012 and 41st in 2008. Luxembourg topped the list with $110,423 last year, followed by Norway with $100,318, Qatar with $100,260 and Switzerland with $8

North Korea has called on the United States not to side with South Korea over the findings of a probe into three drones found crashed near the inter-Korean border.The North's army mission at the border village of Panmunjom on Sunday accused the U.S. of echoing South Korea's conclusion that North Korea is behind the rudimentary drones that were found in the South in recent weeks."If Washington pays heed only to what its stooges trumpet, it is bound to be accused of being a senile grandfather tryi

South Korea's telecom and industry authorities said Monday they plan to invest 50 billion won ($48.7 million) by 2019 into the Internet of Things (IoT) industry, seeking to tap deeper into a new source of profit in the country's technology realm.Under the plan, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will allocate 37 billion won over five years from next year to develop core technologies related to the IoT.The IoT refers to a computing conc

The U.S. government will continue efforts to return stolen artifacts from abroad although the process could be quite arduous, the chief of the Seoul regional office of the primary investigative arm for the U.S. customs authorities said."The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations has a commitment between the United States of America and partnering countries like South Korea to combat the illegal trade in stolen art and antiquities," HSI Attache Seoul Cho Taeku

Suzanne Scholte, a well-known U.S. activist on the North Korean human rights problem, has become a Republican candidate for November's congressional election, according to her campaign website.She will take on Democrat incumbent Gerry Connolly seeking a fourth term in the House to represent Virginia's 11th district where there are relatively many Korean-American residents. "This is time for all of us to come together to preserve what makes America the greatest nation on earth, our Constitution,

Lithuanians began voting Sunday to elect their president, with incumbent "Iron Lady" Dalia Grybauskaite an apparent shoo-in as fears in the EU Baltic state soar over a resurgent Russia.The karate black belt, nicknamed for her Thatcheresque resolve, is poised to win a second term as many here who remember Soviet times see her as a their best hope amid Europe's worst standoff with Moscow since the Cold War.A former EU budget chief, the 58-year-old Grybauskaite is likely to score over 50 percent of

Voting began Sunday in referendums called by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine to split from the rest of the ex-Soviet republic, polls the US slammed as "illegal" as the West fears they could spark civil war.The vote, carried out as two "referendums" in provinces where the insurgents hold more than a dozen towns, marks a serious deepening of the political crisis in Ukraine, which has pushed East-West relations to lows not seen since the end of the Cold War.Although a "yes" vote would likely

Protesters staged one of Vietnam's largest ever anti-China demonstrations Sunday, decrying Beijing's deployment of a deep-water drilling rig in contested waters as territorial tensions soar.Some 1,000 people, from war veterans to students, waved banners saying "China don't steal our oil" and "Silence is cowardly" -- a dig at Hanoi's handling of the dispute -- and sang patriotic songs in a park opposite the Chinese Embassy."This is the largest anti-Chinese demonstration I have ever seen in Hanoi,

The justice ministry said Sunday it will propose a law that would fine people up to 5 million won ($4,873) for failing to report child abuse.The law would also give a prosecutor the authority to keep track of a case through a committee made up of police, doctors, lawyers and welfare workers, the ministry said.The law, to be formally proposed on Monday, will fine people who know of but neglect to report suspected child abuse. "This is intended for not just closing the case by punishing the abuser

Supporters of Thailand's embattled government began streaming into western Bangkok for a show of force Saturday that follows Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's ouster and a renewed push by demonstrators to install an unelected premier.The gathering of the pro-government movement took place a day after anti-government protesters - who have been campaigning for six months to remove Yingluck from office - ramped up their efforts by laying siege to television stations, surrounding state offices, a

The search for victims of the Sewol ferry sinking has been put on hold due to unfavorable weather near Jindo island, authorities said Saturday.Officials in charge of finding victims and determining the cause of the tragic accident said high wind and wave alerts issued for the area are making it impossible to send divers to the sunken ship after two more bodies were recovered the previous day."Waves are rising to the point that they are wetting the deck of the barge that is being used as the stag

North Korea on Saturday warned it will respond mercilessly to all South Korean and U.S. provocations related to its recent artillery and missile firing exercises.The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said in an article picked up in Seoul that its military exercises were legitimate preparations to defend itself from outside aggression. It said any moves to challenge such rights can only be seen as moves to crush the country."Any such provocations will be dealt with in

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju attended a combat flight contest at an air force base in the western region of the country, the communist country's media said Saturday.The Korean Central News Agency report monitored in Seoul said the contest was held for commanding officers of North Korea's Air Force and Anti-Air Force of the Korean People's Army.Kim said the event, held at an undisclosed air field, was aimed at building organizational strength and personal initiative.He g