North Korean on Monday blasted a former Korean-American detainee who spent two years in its prison for criticizing the country's ruling ideology.   The state-run Internet propaganda site Meari said Bae's speeches made at his recent book release events in South Korea and the United States defamed the country by calling the juche idea and Kim Il Sungism the pillars that support the repressive regime in power.    Both juche or self-reliance, and Kim Il Sungism, named after the founder of the countr

A large number of endangered porpoises has been discovered near the Taean Peninsula, a sign that the marine mammals are making a comeback off South Korea's western coast, the local park service said Monday.   According to the Korea National Park Service, some 100 Indo-Pacific finless porpoises have been sighted in protected waters.   It said the discovery of such a large number of porpoises is a sign of the stable and safe eco-system of the Taeanhaean National Park.    The mammals are listed on

South Korea and Cuba held their first foreign ministerial talks in Havana Sunday, breaking a decades-long absence of formal diplomatic exchanges between the two sides.   South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se arrived in the Cuban capital a day earlier to attend a summit of the Association of Caribbean States. But the focus of his two-day stay was widely expected to be on relations between South Korea and Cuba, which have yet to establish formal diplomatic ties. Yun is the first South Korean

Dividends payments by South Korean companies listed on the main stock market will exceed 21 trillion won (US$18 billion) this year as investors seek high-yielding assets away from low-yielding bank products, a brokerage report said Monday.   Local companies traded on the benchmark KOSPI market are likely to pay 21.1 trillion won in cash dividends for the 2016 fiscal year, up from 20.4 trillion won paid in the previous business year, according to a report from Samsung Securities Co.   The brokera

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday that Washington and Beijing "stand firmly" on North Korea's defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons, calling for the North to stop all activities that escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.    Kerry made the remarks at the opening of the two-day U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), which is the highest-level regular dialogue channel between the two countries.   U.S. and China have been at odds over China's aggressive military behavior i

The United States and China on Monday opened annual high-level talks amid tensions over China's aggressive island-building activities in the South China Sea as well as trade disputes between the world's two largest economies.    North Korea was also expected to be on the agenda for the two-day U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED). The talks are the highest-level regular dialogue channel between the two countries.   Representing the U.S. at the talks are Secretary of State John Kerry

President Park Geun-hye said Monday that South Korea will join forces with the international community to induce North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons development program and return to the negotiation table during a Memorial Day speech.   "North Korea must realize that the international community will roll out tougher sanctions as the regime clings to the development of nuke and missiles," Park said, adding the country will eventually fall into further isolation and self-destruction.   The

South Korean banks' loans to the country's three biggest shipbuilders and two major shipping lines jumped 4.8 trillion won (US$4 billion) in the past two and a half years as they borrowed more to continue operations, data by a private corporate firm showed Monday.    Bank loans extended to Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Samsung Heavy Industries Co. and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. climbed 4.5 trillion won to 50.54 trillion won at the end of April from 46.06 trillion won as of end-

A former South Korean prime minister who served late President Roh Moo-hyun said Monday that diplomats are not usually suitable for domestic politics, targeting the possible presidential bid by the incumbent United Nations secretary-general.   "The talents of diplomats are not suitable for local politics.Although diplomacy is also important, they don't fit to the politics where tensions are high," former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said. "I have seen many diplomats, but none of them

North Korea is moving to expand its second work-hard campaign launched this year as it pushes for more growth, state-run media reported Monday.   Pyongyang has kicked off its "200-day campaign of loyalty" this month as part of its five-year economic development plan, unveiled by at the rare ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) congress in early May.   The drive comes on the heels of a 70-day work-hard drive that began earlier this year ahead of the key party gathering that helped solidify North

South Korea's ruling and opposition parties remained at a stalemate a day before the deadline for the formal launching of the new National Assembly, political sources said Monday, casting concerns about the willingness of lawmakers to serve the people.   The ruling Saenuri Party and the Minjoo Party of Korea have been wrangling over the formation of committees and who will name the speaker after the main opposition took one more seat than the ruling party in the 300-seat unicameral parliament fo

Public opinion on North Korea worsened in the wake of that country's fourth nuclear test and long-range missile launch earlier this year, a nationwide poll showed Monday.   According to the National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC), a poll carried out on 1,000 adult South Koreans in mid March, showed 34.6 percent saying Seoul should maintain a high degree of vigilance towards the North and its provocations. The same survey showed 27.2 percent of the respondents viewing the reclusive neighbor

As we celebrate the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relationships between France and Korea, 2015 and 2016 have been very rich in high level meetings. Following the State Visit of President François Hollande last November, President Park Geun Hye is currently on a State Visit (the first in 16 years!) in France from June 1st to 4th. These meetings at the top are great impulses to strengthen the ties between both countries’ companies and economic institutions, especially regarding creative economie

　　진행자: 손지영, Paul Kerry1. 위안부 재단준비위원회 발족, 日 10억엔 논란 　기사요약: 일본군 위안부 피해자 지원 재단 설립을 위한 준비위원회가 지난 31일 공식 발족했다. 당일 김태현 준비위원장은 일본 정부가 재단에 출연하기로 한 10억 엔의 성격에 대해 ‘치유금이지 보상금은 아니라고 생각한다’고 밝혔다. 일본 측이 사과와 책임인정을 했기 때문에 10억 엔이 사실상 배상의 성격이 있다는 우리 정부 측 설명과 배치돼 논란을 빚고 있다. 　　아이튠즈(아이폰):https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 　팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638'Comfort women’ foundation preparation launches in controversy　[1] Preparations for a foundation to support

A visiting U.S. Republican Senator said Monday that the alliance between South Korea and the U.S. will remain firm regardless of who will win the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Seoul's foreign ministry said.   The remarks by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) were made at a luncheon between Lim Sung-nam, a South Korean vice foreign minister and a group of U.S. Republican senators in Seoul earlier in the day, the ministry said.   Sullivan, who leads the U.S. delegation, said that the U.S. Congres

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's newest expression of "great satisfaction" over a recent friendship game between the North Korean and Chinese men's basketball teams is drawing keen attention about his real intention among North Korea watchers here.   On Monday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, "Kim Jong-un expressed great satisfaction over the successful game they played with deep friendship, displaying admirable technique." The game refers to the match between t

South Korea plans to spend around 2.73 trillion won (US$2.29 billion) on its development assistance projects next year aimed at helping less developed countries in many areas, the foreign ministry said Monday.The amount is up 289.2 billion won from 2.44 trillion won set aside for the country's official development assistance (ODA) efforts for this year, according to the ministry.   The government earlier held an ODA committee and finalized its plan to push for a total of 1,295 projects next year

President Park Geun-hye and her Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni launched South Korea's aid program for Uganda on Monday in the latest sign of Seoul’s commitment to boosting development cooperation in Africa.   South Korea -- which has become the first former aid recipient to join the ranks of official donors in a half century -- has been sharing its development experience with many developing countries.   Park and Museveni attended the ceremony to kick off the program, called “Korea Aid”in M

Japan has put its military on alert as North Korea is showing signs of launching a ballistic missile, Japanese media reports showed Monday.   Citing a local government source, NHK reported that the Japanese government has ordered its military to be ready to intercept any ballistic missile to be fired by the North if it enters its territory.    Under the order, Japan's military will deploy Aegis destroyers equipped with high-performing radars and intercept capabilities along with ground-based int

Park holds talks with Museveni on trade and N. KoreaPresident Park Geun-hye met with her Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni on Sunday as South Korea is reaching out to Africa to boost business opportunities with the continent that has huge growth potential.   The summit -- the third such meeting between the two leaders -- came as Museveni has cited South Korea as a model for his country’s economic development.   South Korea has become a donor country from a key recipient of U.N. aid in half a c