North Korea is set to open its first party congress in more than three decades on Friday, a venue expected to focus on bolstering the personality cult of the country's leader Kim Jong-un who has been in power for nearly five years.The congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) comes as North Korea was slapped with tougher sanctions by the U.N. Security Council in March over its nuclear test and long-range rocket launch early this year.North Korea is poised to open the party congress later in

North Korea may carry out a live fire exercise during the key party congress that kicks off Friday as part of its ongoing effort to ramp up tensions and get the people to rally behind its leader, an informed source said.The government insider said there is a chance that Pyongyang could show off an artillery attack against a mockup Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office, to participants who have converged on the capital city this week to take part in the critical Workers' Party of Korea

North Korea warned Friday that it will strengthen its nuclear deterrence capability as long as the United States maintains its current policy of hostility toward the communist country.In a statement released by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK), which handles inter-Korean relations, Pyongyang claimed that Washington provided the cause for triggering the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula.It is perfectly rational to counter nuclear weapons with nuclear weapons, th

North Korea is unlikely to chart a different course on its nuclear weapons program at its key party congress, a newspaper controlled by China's ruling Communist Party said Friday. The state-run Global Times newspaper, however, voiced cautious hope that North Korea may do "pragmatic analysis" about its policy of pursuing both nuclear advances and economic development. North Korea has been gearing up for its first party congress in 36 years, which started on Friday and is expected to display the N

A major state-run think tank in South Korea will likely lower its growth projection for the country as worsening market situations at home and abroad are clouding the outlook for Asia's fourth-largest economy, sources said Friday.As the Korea Development Institute (KDI) is to announce its growth projection for South Korea in mid-May, sources close to the matter said that the think tank could lower its growth forecast to the 2 percent range for this year. In its December outlook, it revised down

Rescuers are in a race against time to find survivors from a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake as the death toll from Ecuador's strongest earthquake in decades has risen above 400.    On Monday, teams from Ecuador and neighboring countries fanned out across the country's Pacific coastline to look for the dozens of people still missing.    In the port city of Manta, a group of about 50 rescuers working with sniffer dogs, hydraulic jacks and a drill managed to free eight people trapped for more th

Flooding in and around the US city of Houston has killed at least five people and prompted mass rescues, reports said.   With rain wreaking havoc in the Texas city -- the fourth most populous in the country -- Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster in nine counties.   A flash flood watch for Houston will remain in effect until Wednesday morning, with more rain expected Tuesday, the city's Office of Emergency Management warned.    Rain came down at rates as high as four inches an hour

Prosecutors said Tuesday they have launched an investigation into Booyoung Co., a mid-tier South Korean construction company, and its chief over alleged tax evasion.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the apartment builder is suspected of evading some billions of won in taxes.The probe started after the National Tax Service referred the company and its chief Lee Joong-keun to state prosecutors for an investigation after conducting a tax audit.Prosecutors said they will summon rel

Based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel “The Three Musketeers,” the musical rendition of the classic tale is returning to the Seoul stage. The story revolves around the adventures of D’Artagnan in his quest to become part of the elite three musketeers -- Athos, Porthos and Aramis -- in the backdrop of early 17th century France.The original Broadway production first opened in 1928 to rave reviews. “The Three Musketeers” musical finally made its local debut in 2009, where it ranked No. 1 in performance ti

The Literature Translation Institute Korea’s Translation Academy is recruiting new students for its 2016 semester, which begins this September.The academy offers two-year courses in the translation of Korean literary and cultural texts into English, French, German, Spanish and Russian. The programs feature comprehensive and in-depth training in literary translation, comprising some 9 to 15 hours of classes per week, as well as excursions that provide insight into Korean culture and history, talk

    Lawyers for mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011, called Friday for the state to be found guilty of "inhuman" treatment for holding him in isolation for almost five years.   "The crimes my client was accused of are irrelevant," Oystein Storrvik told the court on the fourth and final day of the 37-year-old's lawsuit against the Norwegian state.   "The person who is hated by everyone has only the law as his last chance to guarantee his fundamental rights

North Korea has yet to master ballistic missile technology that can allow a warhead to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere after flying through space, Seoul's top defense official said Friday, refuting Pyongyang's claims that it can build an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM).On Tuesday, Pyongyang claimed it has acquired the re-entry technology with the country also releasing photos of a ground-based simulation and what is described as the tested re-entry vehicle that had a mushroom shape.A

President Park Geun-hye pledged Friday to support the development of self-driving cars to ensure local carmakers won't lag behind their global competitors.Park said South Korea can compete with Google and other foreign rivals in developing driverless cars and eco-friendly vehicles, including electric cars, citing the technological prowess of local carmakers and information and technology companies.South Korea is the world's fifth-largest automobile producer and is home to Hyundai Motor Co. and i

South Korea and the United States will hold high-level talks in Seoul next week to coordinate their implementation of new sanctions on North Korea, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Friday.Amb. Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, and Daniel Fried, the State Department's coordinator for sanctions policy, will arrive in Seoul Monday for talks with Kim Hong-kyun, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, the ministry said in a press

Almost everyone is talking about “Descendants of the Sun,” the latest joint Korea-China television drama project.Fans have fallen head over heels into the love story between an Army captain played by Song Joong-ki and a doctor played by Song Hye-kyo in a faraway, natural disaster-hit country. Critics, meanwhile, predict that this blockbuster will boost KBS, a network broadcaster that has been lagging behind MBC, SBS and even cable channels such as tvN in dramas.A scene from “Descendants of the S

Behind the glory of hallyu dramas are the star-studded casts. After garnering attention abroad in Korean dramas -- mainly other Asian countries including China and Japan -- stars quickly jump into dramas and variety shows thereOverseas endorsements, and fan meetings follow, consolidating their positions, as well as the prominent status of hallyu.Starting with the unexpected success of the KBS2 TV drama series “Winter Sonata” which aired on Japanese satellite channel BS2 in 2003, the drama’s prot

Without drama, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won won his way back into the boardroom of the group’s holding firm SK Holdings on Friday, a key outcome of the “Super Friday” glut of shareholders meetings in Korea. More than 300 companies, including 10 SK companies, seven LG units and four Lotte affiliates, held their annual congress of shareholders on the day.As in previous years, shareholder debate or a vote battle to turn down a presented agenda item was a rare sight. SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won

As worldwide interest in Korean entertainment and content continues its global thrust, the city of Seoul is starting to see an influx in “hallyu-based” tourism, leading to the establishment of Korean drama-inspired tourist guides to assist die-hard fans in tracking down the filming locations of their favorite Korean dramas. “Not long ago, something strange happened on a cold winter day in China -- fried chicken and beer starting selling like hotcakes,” reads VisitSeoul’s Hallyu Tourist Guide. “T

The cast of “Spotlight” accept their best feature award during the 31st Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California, Sunday. (Yonhap-Reuters)The 31st Independent Film Spirit Awards provided a clear rebuke to the Oscars, bestowing awards on “Beasts of No Nation” costars Idris Elba and Abraham Attah and “Tangerine” star Mya Taylor, making her the first transgender actress to win at the annual awards.The newsroom drama “Spotlight” was the big winner at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, the d

The entrance to the Dolby Theatre is shown during preparations for the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, Wednesday. (Yonhap - Reuters)The Oscars has gone disco -- or at least embracing the gilded glamour of the 1970s.A fringe of gold and silver sequins dangle over the final stretch of the red carpet, and the stage for Sunday’s show was inspired by the glittery, glam styles of the disco era.Production designer Derek McLane said the ’70s were on his mind when he was creating the look f