WASHINGTON (AP) -- In Afghanistan's turbulent Helmand province, U.S. Marines are rekindling old relationships and identifying weaknesses in the Afghan forces that the Trump administration hopes to address with a new strategy and the targeted infusion of several thousand American forces.Returning to Afghanistan's south after five years, Marine Brig. Gen. Roger Turner already knows where he could use some additional U.S. troops. And while he agrees that the fight against the Taliban in Helmand is

South Korea's new government is reviewing details of a deal with the United States on the seat of the Combined Forces Command, government sources said Monday.But they stressed the liberal Moon Jae-in administration is not seeking to reverse the 2014 agreement itself to let the headquarters of the command stay at the Yongsan Base in central Seoul even after other US Forces Korea troops relocate to a refurbished base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of the capital.The 8th Army and most othe

CHEONAN -- A Japanese man on Monday confessed to damaging a epitaph at a national cemetery for Korean victims of forced labor under Japan's colonial rule, "to correct historical facts," police said.Shigeharu Oku, a 69-year-old former member of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, made the confession two days after he was arrested upon arriving at Incheon airport, west of Seoul, from Japan, on suspicion of damaging the epitaph for the victims at the Manghyang Cemetery in the city of Cheonan, south of S

South Korea's coast guard rescued a North Korean ship carrying eight crewmen in the southern side of the East Sea last week and plans to send them all back home, the Ministry of Unification said Monday.The ship was drifting astray near Ulleung Island in the East Sea due to an engine breakdown when the Coast Guard salvaged it and eight North Korean crew members aboard the ship at 12:54 p.m. on June 23, the ministry said. The island lies about halfway along South Korea's east coast.The ship is cur

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- According to Korean Ambassador to Kazakhstan Kim Dae-sik, the fact that Korea has the largest pavilion at the Astana International Exposition site is no coincidence. “The sheer size of the Korean pavilion at 1,800 square meters demonstrates the close friendship and trust between our two countries,” he told The Korea Herald in an exclusive interview at the venue on June 9. The expo, designed to spotlight Kazakhstan’s vision and plans for future energy and sustainable develop

Amid concerns and uncertainties over the bilateral alliance, the Korea America Friendship Society dispelled the skepticism and vindicated the two nation’s time-tested resolve to deter North Korea’s military threat at an annual reception on Wednesday. The Korea America Friendship Night at Grand Hyatt Seoul gathered some 600 military servicepersons, diplomats, university presidents, business leaders, journalists and their spouses.“Tonight, we organized this event to comfort and encourage all the e

Middle schooler Park Ah-reum has renewed her passion for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through the ASEAN School Tour Program in mid-June.As a first grader in Ansan, a growing multicultural city in Gyeonggi Province, she comes from a multicultural family, her mother being an ethnic Philippine and father a Korean.“I learned about various countries of ASEAN and now really want to go Vietnam to try original ‘pho’ rice noodles and Indonesia to wear the traditional national dress,” the 13

The embassies of Spanish-speaking countries hosted a Spanish Day celebration Saturday to promote their language and cultures in Korea. Sixteen diplomatic missions helped organize the event with Cervantes Institute and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. The participating embassies were Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominica Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Spain and Venezuela. “In a world where more than 6,000

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology showcased its academic excellence in front of foreign diplomats Friday in a bid to strengthen global partnerships.“KAIST is gearing up for another round of innovative initiatives in education, convergence research, technology commercialization, future strategies and globalization,” said KAIST President Shin Sung-chul. At the first Embassy Day at Grand Hyatt Seoul, the university presented some of its finest research, including the developmen

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Faced with a sweeping set of demands, Qatar insisted Friday it can indefinitely survive the economic and diplomatic steps its neighbors have taken to try to pressure it into compliance, even as a top Emirati official warned the tiny country to brace for a long-term economic squeeze.Given 10 days to make a decision, Qatar did not immediately render judgment on the specific concessions demanded of the tiny Persian Gulf nation, which include shuttering Al-Jazeera and cutting ties

WASHINGTON -- Top US senators who led the introduction of a resolution welcoming South Korean President Moon Jae-in's first official visit to the United States issued a separate statement Friday reiterating their calls for closer cooperation on North Korea and other issues.Sens. Ben Cardin (D-MD), John McCain (R-AZ), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) led the resolution together with 15 co-sponsors, welcoming Moon's visit, reaffirming the importance of the alliance and calling for further

North Korea once again urged South Korea to remove all sanctions against the communist country and stop the latter's joint military exercises with the United States as part of conditions to resume inter-Korean dialogue.The North, however, insisted its nuclear issue must stay off the dialogue table between the divided Koreas, despite the issue possibly being the largest reason the new Seoul government seeks to resume dialogue with the reclusive North.In what it called an "open questionnaire" addr

The National Theatre of Great Britain in London -- one of the United Kingdom’s most prominent, publicly funded performing arts venues -- is a seedbed of artistic expression and commercial innovation producing world-class plays.Established in 1963 as the National Theatre Company, the organization has thrust Britain’s cultural prowess onto the world stage with imaginative interpretation of classical and contemporary performances. Some of its finest productions have been played in London’s West End

Korean actress, singer and model Choi Jin-ri, better known by her stage name Sulli, was criticized online for posting a video clip on her social media account, which showed a chopped eel being burnt alive with a women saying “Please help me, please help me,” in the background. Following a hailstorm of criticism, Sulli deleted the clip and replaced it with a photo of a barbecued eel. With a provocative movie “Real” already revealing her sensitive body parts, Sulli has been gathering interests onl

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- As visitors walk through the glistening “Nur Alem” Kazakh pavilion in the center of the Astana International Exposition site, they are awestruck by the futuristic design of the spherical edifice, the largest of its kind in the world, built to showcase Kazakhstan’s vision and plans for sustainable energy. Standing 100 meters from the ground with an 80-meter diameter, the building illuminates the Central Asian country’s future energies -- water, kinetic, biomass, wind, solar

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- It was a snowy onset of winter in October 1937. The order came from Joseph Stalin to deport ethnic Koreans from Russia’s Far East to the barren steppes of Central Asia. Running out of time to gather their belongings, the Koreans picked up what little they could -- mostly vital rice seeds secured inside their pillows. The “Koryo-saram,” as they have been called, took with them the seeds of hope for their unknowable future. Many elderly and sick died on the trains used to car

Summer package at Sheraton Seoul D Cube CitySheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a summer package that includes a one-night stay in a Club Room, express check-in at the Club Lounge on the 38th floor overlooking the city, continental breakfast for two and happy hour coffee, tea and snacks. Guests also receive an eco bag with a teddy bear, skincare products and other goodies. The package starts from 290,000 won and runs until Aug. 31. For information and reservation, call (02) 2211-2100.Ja

Korean actress Lee Young-ae donated roughly $50,000 to Sri Lanka to help support flood relief in the country. Flooding was caused by a heavy monsoon in the latter half of May. The money was handed over to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Seoul on June 5 through the Korea Foundation for Persons with Disabilities, where Lee is an advisory chairperson.Lee Young-ae (Sri Lankan Embassy)The actress said she was “deeply saddened by the lost lives and homes from the severe flooding” and that she wanted to help

The Uzbek Embassy hosted a tourism promotion seminar in Seoul on June 5, introducing the country’s Silk Road wonders and other cultural riches that make it an exotic, eclectic destination, bar none. Tourism companies from Uzbekistan and Korea made presentations on the splendors of the doubly landlocked country in the heart of Eurasia, followed by a live performance of traditional Uzbek music and business-to-business meetings. The Central Asian country offers snippets of its ancient Silk Road glo

Every so often, Swiss citizens go to the polling stations to vote on issues relevant to their lives, ranging from national energy to local roads and everything in between. They often cast votes more conservatively than their elected officials would, believing firmly that nothing is free and pork barrel politics ultimately comes out of their pockets.In a prudent and wise decision on the country’s national energy, Swiss citizens voted to phase out nuclear power and switch to renewable sources in M