A controversial bill empowering parliament to open hearings more often is not likely to be dealt with at this week's Cabinet meeting due to a lack of time for review ahead of President Park Geun-hye's overseas trip, officials said Sunday.Korea's presidential office on Friday called for a revision to the bill, passed on Thursday, on concerns that a possible abuse of the law and convocation of unnecessary hearings could hamper state affairs.The National Assembly could send the legislation to the g

Korea's exports have posted a 2.1-percent increase so far this month from a year earlier, raising hopes of an end to negative growth that lasted for more than a year, data showed Sunday.Outbound shipments totaled $24.8 billion from May 1-20, up 2.1 percent from the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS).It marks the first time in 2016 for South Korea's export volume to record an increase on-year in the first 20 days of a month.Korea, a major regional economy, suffere

South Korea plans to unveil a set of measures as early as this week to support local firms that suffer from business setbacks due to the shutdown of a joint industrial park in North Korea, a Seoul official said Sunday.The government is likely to soon announce supportive measures to help South Korean firms facing financial losses from Seoul's decision to close the Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North in February. Kaesong Industrial Complex (Yonhap)On Feb. 10, South Korea shut down the complex,

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is expected to refine his foreign policy now that he's clinched the nomination, a senior Korean-American Republican Party official said.Michelle Park Steel, vice chair of California's Orange County Board of Supervisors, made the remark, vowing to play a bridging role between her native South Korea and Trump amid concerns about the negative effects a Trump presidency could have on the alliance between the two countries.Steel, the first Korean-America

North Korea on Saturday proposed holding a working-level meeting with South Korea in late May or early June in preparation for military talks that can diffuse tension on the Korean Peninsula.Pyongyang's charm offensive toward Seoul came one day after it called on South Korea to immediately accept its latest proposal for inter-Korean dialogue made by the North's leader Kim Jong-un at the country's recently concluded ruling party congress."We propose to hold working-level contact for opening (the

Korea's 19th National Assembly held their last regular session on Thursday, passing some last-minute bills and paving the way for the newly-elected lawmakers whose term begins at end-May.Among the bills passed on Thursday was the so-called Shin Hae-chul law, named after a popular South Korean singer who suffered a sudden heart attack in 2014 and fell into a coma shortly after being treated for an infection of the peritoneum and intestines at a Seoul hospital.The law centers on protecting patient

Korean national judo team aims to collect at least two gold medals at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Games, sources at the Korea Judo Association (KJA) said Thursday.Korea, the world No. 3 in the Olympic judo medal rankings with 11 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze medals, will have 12 judokas -- seven men and five women --- in Brazil. This is the first time since the 2004 Athens Olympics that the country failed to send judokas in all weight divisions. In Rio, there will be no South Koreans competin

South Korea said Thursday it will hold an exhibition on unification next week, hoping that the event can help raise awareness about inter-Korean unification amid frayed Seoul-Pyongyang ties.The exhibition on unification will run from next Friday to next Sunday at Gwanghwamun Plaza and a park near the government complex and will involve 141 organizations including local governments, civic groups and media companies, according to the Ministry of Unification.The event will be the second of its kind

The finance director of Oxy Korea was summoned Thursday as the first among a number of foreign executives who will be questioned in relation to the production and sales of the toxic humidifier sterilizers that resulted in numerous deaths and illnesses here.Ulrich Hosterbach appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul to give testimony in the snowballing case that involves scores of deaths since 2011, including some pregnant women.Hosterbach has worked as the

세계 경제의 명실상부한 슈퍼파워로 등극한 중국은 미국을 중심으로 구축된 기존의 동아시아 질서 구도를 흔들면서 G2를 넘어 G1을 넘보고 있다.시진핑 주석의 ‘일대일로(一帶一路) 전략’은 중국의 이러한 자신감과 포부를 극명히 보여주고 있다. 세계 60여 개국을 아우르는 메가 경제권을 건설해 미국과 더불어 세계의 반을 중국의 영향력 아래에 두겠다는 것이다.반면 중국의 초고속 발전은 극심한 개인주의를 확산시켰고, 중국인들은 타인의 어려움에 관심조차 주지 않는다는 불명예를 얻게 됐다. ‘대륙의 기상’ 시리즈는 인터넷을 통해 중국뿐만 아니라 전 세계적으로 화제와 논란을 부르는 중국의 개인주의를 조명한다.가라루파는 사람 피부에 생긴 각질을 먹어 흔히 닥터피쉬로 불리며 한때 우리나라에서도 많은 인기를 누렸었던 것처럼 중국에서도 온천휴양지 등에서 쉽게 찾아볼 수 있다. 일반적으로 사람들은 발을 닥터피쉬가 있는 어항 등에 넣어 각질을 제거하도록 한다. 하지만, 중국의 한 여성이 발이 아닌 신체주요부

The leaders of Korea and Mongolia agreed Thursday to seek an increase in flights between the two nations and expand cooperation in the latter's infrastructure construction and overall economic development.President Park Geun-hye and her Mongolian counterpart, Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, signed three memorandums of understanding (MOUs) on strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and another on cooperation in the sports sector.One of the MOUs concerns joint efforts to "actively" discuss ways to inc

North Korea has actively launched a nonsmoking campaign and even set up research stations across the country to get people to stop smoking, according to North Korean media reports.In a report picked up in Seoul, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said non-smoking research stations have been established in provincial capitals and major cities and are in close touch with the Pyongyang-based Non-smoking Research Center.Their action programs include counseling for smokers and off

South Korean and U.S. officials gathered here Thursday to discuss cooperation in the cybersecurity sector as both countries are experiencing an increase in online trade.The seminar brought together about 100 government, business and academic participants from the two sides to discuss trends in cybersecurity in critical infrastructure sectors, such as finance and energy telecom.Under the New Frontier slogan, cybersecurity has emerged as a key area of cooperation between the allies, along with spa

Health warnings put on alcohol labels are scheduled to change for the first time in 21 years starting September to highlight the health risks to pregnant women and youths, and the government is thinking of further raising the severity of the warnings through follow-up revisions, officials said Thursday.A public health law amended in March, to take effect from Sept. 3, requires all alcoholic beverages to carry a label that warns of the increased chances of liver-related ailments and additional se

Korean government, ruling and opposition party officials are set to gather for a meeting later this week, political sources said Thursday, where they will discuss challenges facing the national economy and ways to improve people's quality of life.The meeting, slated for Friday, came after President Park Geun-hye agreed earlier this month to organize talks between the finance minister and top policymakers from major parties.She also vowed to hold consultative discussions with heads of political p

Switzerland has joined the United Nations-led efforts to impose toughened sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear test and other provocative actions earlier this year, a U.S.-based media outlet said Thursday.Radio Free Asia (RFA) said in a report posted on its website that the sanctions, which also included halting financial transactions related to the North, were enforced by the Swiss federal government as of 6 p.m. on Wednesday local time. The move is in tandem with the toughened United Natio

Korean artist Kim Hyun-jung opens an exhibition on Thursday in Berlin, the Korean Cultural Center in Germany said.The opening ceremony, attended by the artist herself, will take place at 6 p.m. local time in the center's gallery. One of the most promising young Korean artists, she is widely credited for pushing the boundaries of Korean art by presenting thought-provoking themes with prickly yet humorous wit and experimenting with new artistic techniques in her paintings. Last September she was t

Korea and Indonesia will bolster cooperation in sports as they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) this week following a summit between two countries. The Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism confirmed Thursday that it has signed the MOU with Indonesia's Ministry of Youth and Sports after President Park Geun-hye and her Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo held a summit at Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office. The two sides on Monday signed 11 MOUs in areas like infras

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn left Korea on Thursday to visit Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, his office said, in a move aimed at forging closer ties with his counterparts and finding new business opportunities for local companies.During his trip, Hwang will hold a meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, as well as the country's Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He will also hold talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to discuss ways to expand ties in energy, construction an

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on a factory to modernize the process of producing machines by the founding anniversary of the ruling party in October, the North's state media said Thursday.Kim's remarks were made while inspecting a machine manufacturing plant in North Pyongan Province. The visit marks the third time he made an on-site inspection after the country concluded its key party congress on May 9.Pyongyang used the four daylong event to help strengthen Kim's heavy-handed rule