US National Security Advisor Mike Flynn on Sunday held a phone conversation with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin, expressing hope over the development of the Seoul-Washington alliance.South Korea's presidential office said Flynn suggested that the two countries maintain close ties on key security issues.Kim also congratulated US President Donald Trump for his inauguration and said South Korea wishes to keep thorough cooperation with the new Washington administration, especially on urge

A Seoul subway train caught fire earlier Sunday, leading to an evacuation of about 100 passengers. No casualties were reported.According to the fire authority, a train passing through Seoul's southern district of Jamsil caught fire around 6:30 a.m., which was extinguished in 30 minutes. The operation of the subway line was fully normalized at 7:50 a.m.An official from Seoul Metro, the line operator, said the fire is presumed to have been caused by a power failure. (Yonhap)Seoul Metro is expected

South Chungcheong Gov. Ahn Hee-jung on Sunday officially declared his ambition to run in the next presidential election, describing himself as the right figure to lead the next administration.This year's presidential election may come earlier than December as the Constitutional Court is currently reviewing the legitimacy of President Park Geun-hye's impeachment motion passed last year. If approved, the country would have 60 days to pick a new leader.Ahn, a member of the main opposition Democrati

A TV series about a goblin under the spell of eternal life posted a record-breaking viewership rating of 20.5 percent, data showed Sunday, becoming the first cable channel program to achieve over 20 percent.The last episode of the drama, which aired Saturday, surpassed the rating of 19.6 percent posted by another hit cable series, "Reply 1988," on Jan. 16, 2016, according to data compiled by media ratings company Nielsen Korea."Guardian" had posted a record-breaking viewership of 6.9 percent for

North Korea's state media issued a short report on the inauguration of US President Trump on Sunday but refrained from making significant comments."Donald Trump of the Republican Party was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States on Jan. 20," reported the Rodong Sinmun, a daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party. "The inauguration ceremony took place in Washington."The newspaper, however, did not deliver a separate commentary or statements on Trump. North Korean media outlets hav

South Korea's independent counsel looking into the influence-peddling scandal summoned two arrested key aides to President Park Geun-hye on Sunday over their alleged roles in the blacklisting of cultural figures critical of the government.Former Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun, who resigned from her post Saturday, and Kim Ki-choon, an ex-presidential chief of staff, appeared before the special investigators' office to be questioned over whether Park ordered them to make the blacklist.The independe

South Koreans took to the streets Saturday to demand scandal-hit President Park Geun-hye's resignation and the arrest of corporate leaders over bribery charges, marking the 13th straight weekly rally.Braving cold weather amid snow flurries, hundreds of thousands of protesters held a candlelight vigil in central Seoul to call on Park to immediately resign and the Constitutional Court to speed up its review over the legality of Park's impeachment.With some 2,300 civic groups in attendance, demonst

South Korea plans to sell 7.5 trillion won ($6.4 billion) worth of state bonds next month, the finance ministry said Friday.The government will issue 1.7 trillion won worth of bonds with a maturity of three years and 1.65 trillion won worth of five-year bonds. (Yonhap)It also plans to sell 1.95 trillion won worth of 10-year Treasurys and a combined 2.2 trillion won of bonds with a maturity of between 20 and 30 years.For March, it has a plan to issue a combined 8 trillion won worth of state bonds

North Korea is reportedly urging its people to memorize its leader Kim Jong-un's New Year's address by offering giveaways, a US broadcaster reported Friday."Local parties and labor organizations are pushing for various events, including contests to learn the address by heart as well as oratorical ones," Radio Free Asia said, citing a source in the North's Ryanggang Province. The North Korean authorities have ordered the organizations to complete the contests by Friday, and will give the winners

Special prosecutors said Friday they have summoned President Park Geun-hye's jailed friend as they speed up their investigation into a bribery case involving Samsung Group's de facto leader and possibly the impeached president. Lee Kyu-chul, spokesman for the independent counsel team, said it called in Choi Soon-sil to face questioning on Saturday morning as a bribery suspect. Choi has denied repeated summonses citing health issues, her own criminal trial and her obligation to testify at Park's

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday sent a congratulatory message to US President-elect Donald Trump for his inauguration, highlighting the importance of the Seoul-Washington alliance.Through the message, Hwang said South Korea wishes to bolster the already close partnership, adding Seoul and Washington have been building a strategic alliance based on shared values for the past 60 years, which contributed to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast A

LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo told the group's top executives that overhauling core businesses and finding next-generation drivers of growth are the top priority for the nation's second-largest conglomerate. Koo made the remarks at a meeting with LG's top executives on Thursday as the group marks its 70th anniversary this year, group officials said.  LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo (Yonhap file photo)Koo did not specify about how he will overhaul the group's core businesses, but the remarks came a

Time is of the essence in dealing with geopolitical and security challenges facing the Northeast Asian region, the outgoing top US envoy to South Korea said Friday, adding that the current situation warrants more efforts by Washington and Seoul to strengthen their alliance.Ambassador Mark Lippert noted that he remains optimistic about the future of the two allies, citing a strong foundation and mechanisms that will help them iron out any differences of opinions taking place under any administrat

The new chief of South Korea's largest flag carrier Korean Air said Friday that he will focus on continuing what has been working for his company rather than initiating changes."I have no plan to overturn what we have now just because I newly came into office. Instead, I plan to continue what we have been doing and continue to carry on what my predecessors have been doing," Cho Won-tae told reporters. Cho Won-tae, CEO of Korean Air (Hanjin Group)The 42-year-old took the top post at Korean Air la

South Korea is set to impose anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made aluminum plates for offset printing, the trade commission here said Friday, amid rising trade tensions between the two countries.After a preliminary examination, the Korea Trade Commission said it will recommend the finance ministry levy punitive duties of 5.73-10 percent on the Chinese products for underselling Korean products and causing damage to the South Korean market.The finance ministry is to determine whether to actually im

South Korea, the United States and Japan on Friday began a three-day naval exercise designed to counter North Korean missiles amid growing indications that Pyongyang is ready to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile in time for Donald Trump‘s inauguration as US president. According to the South Korean Navy, the joint maritime exercise involves three Aegis-equipped destroyers capable of detecting, tracking and intercepting ICBM. Seoul deployed its first Aegis destroyer, the Sejong the G

South Korean President Park Geun-hye once again came under fire over her suspected usage of an illegal phone under a borrowed name, after her former aide revealed it during her impeachment trial Thursday. Former presidential aide Jeong Ho-seong testified before the judges at the Constitutional Court that Park had an illegal phone which was opened under a borrowed name and admitted that he, too, had used an illegal device to avoid possible wiretapping.In South Korea, registering a phone with a bo

Small but fully equipped and furnished rooms will begin accommodating passengers at South Korea's Incheon International Airport, providing a private and comfortable place to rest at the bustling airport, the transportation ministry said Friday.The new capsule hotel opened Friday with 30 container-size rooms on each side of the arch-shaped main terminal of the airport, west of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The interior of a new capsule hotel introduced at

A Seoul court held a hearing Friday to decide whether to issue arrest warrants for an incumbent culture minister and a former presidential chief of staff over their suspected involvement in blacklisting thousands of artists deemed critical of the government. Special investigators looking into the massive scandal involving President Park Geun-hye have sought warrants for Minister Cho Yoon-sun and former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon on charges of abuse of authority and perjury. The hea

A lower court ordered Deutsche Bank on Friday to compensate investors for damage it caused by manipulating stock prices, in the nation's first-ever ruling on a class action suit.The Seoul Central District Court ordered the Germany-based financial services company to pay a total of 8.55 billion won ($7.28 million) to six plaintiffs who invested in local equity-linked securities products in 2007. (Deutsche Bank)An ELS is structured to link yields to the performance of underlying assets, such as in