South Korea's unification minister on Monday expressed a negative view about the United States' possible pre-emptive strike against North Korea, citing its influence on South Koreans' safety and security.Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo made the remarks amid reports that the US is reviewing "a full range of options" to the nuclear and missile threats North Korea poses to Washington and its allies.The minister said that the government cannot help taking into account repercussions of Washington'

China's top nuclear envoy arrived in Seoul on Monday to discuss the growing threats from North Korea's missile and nuclear capabilities. Wu Dawei landed at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, for a four- or five-day trip. Upon arrival, he didn't respond to reporters asking for comments, only saying, "Thank you." China’s top nuclear envoy Wu Dawei arrives at Incheon International Airport on Monday for a five-day visit to discuss North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. (Yonhap)He is

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, topped the list of auto sales in Peru, in February, aided by a sharp rise in demand for small passenger vehicles, industry data showed on Monday.According to the data compiled by the the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, Hyundai Motor sold a total of 2,348 units in the Latin American nation in February, followed by Japanese rival Toyota Corp.'s 2,253 units. (Yonhap)In October last year, Hyundai Motor also clinched the top slot in the Peruvia

South Korea on Monday announced the appointment of a new Marine Corps commander while delaying the regular reshuffling of other top military officers until after the May presidential election. Lt. Gen. Jun Jin-goo named to command South Korea's Marine Corps is shown in this photo provided by the unit. (Yonhap)Maj. Gen. Jun Jin-goo, currently deputy commander of the Marine Corps, has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and will assume command of the Marine Corps later this week, the d

FC Seoul will try to end their winless drought as four South Korean football clubs resume their Asian competition actions this week.Seoul are the defending champions of the top-flight K League Classic, but they are on the brink of elimination at the 2017 Asian Football Confederation Champions League. Seoul, led by head coach Hwang Sung-hong, have yet to collect a win after three matches in Group F, where they compete against Shanghai SIPG of China, Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan and Western Sydney

South Korea played down the possibility of a pre-emptive US attack on North Korea on Monday, saying it wants to settle North Korea's nuclear issue peacefully, and the US supports that position."There's no need to be worried much," Lee Duck-hang, spokesman at the Ministry of Unification, said on the prospect of any pre-emptive US attack on Pyongyang during a press briefing.  Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duck-hang (Yonhap)"The US has said it supports South Korea's policy on North Korea, and

The United Nations Children's Fund will reopen its office in Seoul this week to boost its partnership with South Korea over assistance for children, the foreign ministry here said Monday.The ceremony to mark the opening in central Seoul on Tuesday will be attended by Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Chong-ghee and UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Omar Abdi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. (Yonhap)Ahn will deliver a welcoming speech where he plans to commit the South Korean government's continuing

The South Korean military confirmed Monday the United States is sending a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to waters near the Korean Peninsula again due to concerns about North Korea's provocations.The Pacific Command, based in Hawaii, announced earlier that the Carl Vinson Strike Group is on its way to the western Pacific region from Singapore, a turnaround from its initial plan to make port calls in Australia.The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier (EPA-Yonhap)The strike group comprises the Nimit

The personal computer distribution ratio at South Korea's elementary and secondary schools has nearly doubled over the past decade, according to a report released Monday by the Ministry of Education.The ministry's "2016 school informatization white paper" said that the number of students per PC stood at 3.6 for elementary schools, 3.4 for middle schools and 3.1 for high schools. A decade earlier in 2006, the corresponding figures were 6.8, 6.1 and 5.6 students for elementary, middle and high sch

North Korea plans to hold its key parliamentary meeting this week amid attention over whether its leader Kim Jong-un will deliver a message targeting the United States, experts said Monday.The Supreme People's Assembly will hold the fifth session of the country's 13th assembly Tuesday, the first parliamentary meeting since Kim was elected the head of a new state body last year.North Korea's state media reported that deputies including ceremonial leader Kim Yong-nam made their bow to the statues

A Seoul court will hold a hearing this week to decide whether to issue a warrant to arrest a former presidential secretary in connection with a corruption scandal that led to the removal of former President Park Geun-hye from office, officials said Monday.The Seoul Central District Court will hold the hearing Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. to decide whether to arrest Woo Byung-woo, who served as senior presidential secretary for civil affairs from 2015 to 2016, they said.Woo Byung-woo (C), former senior

South Korea's tourism industry was valued at 73 trillion won ($64 billion) in 2015, accounting for 2.51 percent of the country's gross domestic demand that year, official data showed on Monday.According to the data compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, South Koreans spent some 25.4 trillion won in visiting attractions at home in 2015 and 17.3 trillion won on overseas trips. The government has been prodding people to take more trips over the past few years in a bid to help boos

South Korea's No. 2 tech giant LG Electronics Inc. said Monday it remained the No. 1 player in the global market for monitors with an aspect ratio of 21:9 last year.Citing the data compiled by industry tracker IDC, the company said its global market share among panel manufacturers was estimated at 67 percent in 2016. It marks the fourth-consecutive year for the South Korean company to lead the sector.Models pose with the LG UltraWide Monitor in this photo released by LG Electronics Inc. on April

Hancom Inc., a South Korean software maker, said Monday that Samsung Electronics Co.'s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, will come with its office application that's compatible with Microsoft Office files.The South Korean developer said the application will be on the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus that will be sold in the United States.Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S8 is displayed at a shop in Seoul on April 9, 2017. (Yonhap)The app, Hancom Office S, allows users to edit not only P

The National Pension Service, the largest holder of bonds sold by troubled Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., will decide this week on whether to accept a debt rescheduling for the shipyard, industry sources said Monday.The NPS holds about 30 percent, or 389 billion won ($342 million), out of 1.35 trillion won worth of corporate bonds issued by Daewoo Shipbuilding.(Yonhap)In particular, the NPS holds about 45 percent of 440 billion won worth of the bonds maturing on April 21. Unless t

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Monday the sales of its midsize Sonata sedan exceeded the 10,000 unit mark in March, helped by the face-lifted version hitting local dealerships and an improved powertrain that expands the car's customer base. The March tally marked the first time in 15 months that the sedan's monthly sales surpassed 10,000 units, the automaker said. The Sonata New Rise Turbo (Hyundai Motor)In March, Hyundai Motor unveiled the updated version of the sedan, the

South Korean actor Kim Woo-bin has finished his six-month-long tour of Asian countries to meet his overseas fans in Thailand, his agency said Monday.(Sidus HQ)Kim had a fan meeting at MCC Hall in Bangkok on Saturday on the last leg of his third Asian tour titled "Spotlight" that began in October in Seoul, Sidus HQ said. The tour also took him to Macao, Japan and Taiwan.He most recently appeared in the KBS TV soap series "Uncontrollably Fond" with actress Bae Suzy and the Korean action film "Mast

A 56-year-old man has been indicted on charges of attacking two journalists during a violent street rally against the Constitutional Court's decision to dismiss Park Geun-hye as president last month, prosecutors said Monday. supporters of ousted President Park Geun-hye attempt to cross over the barricades of police buses during a protest held against the Constitutional Court's decision to remove her from office on the same day. (Yonhap)The defendant, identified only by his last name Lee, is accu

St. Louis Cardinals closer Oh Seung-hwan has served up a home run for his second straight outing, as his shaky start to the 2017 season continues.Oh gave up a solo shot against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Sunday (local time) in the Cardinals' 8-0 loss.Oh Seung-hwan (Yonhap)This was Oh's first appearance since the season opener the previous Sunday. He hadn't been in a save situation with the Cardinals losing three in a row and then beating the Reds 10-4 on Saturday.Oh too

In the topsy-turvy start to the 2017 Korea Baseball Organization season, the third-year franchise KT Wiz have emerged as the unlikely leader of the pack.The Wiz, which had the league's worst record in each of the past two seasons, are sitting at 7-1 through Sunday, after extending their winning streak to four with a 3-0 victory over the Samsung Lions at home in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.Starter Ryan Feierabend threw a four-hit shutout, striking out 11 to improve to 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA this season