South Korea's rival political parties lashed out at the Japanese government Friday for releasing a public opinion poll backing Tokyo's claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.   On Thursday, Japan's Cabinet Office published a survey showing that 60.7 percent of all Japanese regard Dokdo as their territory historically and under international law.   It was the first survey of its kind by the Japanese government.    "We cannot help but be angry at the Japanese government for trying to

North Korea remained silent on South Korea's proposal for final talks to reopen a suspended joint industrial park for a fifth day on Friday, sparking speculation that Seoul might be forced to take "grave" measures.   The factory zone in the North Korean border city of Kaesong has remained shuttered since early April when Pyongyang withdrew all its workers amid heightened inter-Korean tensions. The Koreas have held six rounds of talks aimed at normalizing the complex, but to no avail. Seoul deliv

South Korean stocks closed 0.9 percent higher Tuesday, as investors kept a wary eye on the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary meeting in regards to the tapering of its stimulus, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.   The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 17.16 points to finish at 1,917.05. Trading volume was moderate at 362.4 million shares worth 3.54 trillion won (US$3.17 billion) with gainers outstripping decliners 483 to 305.   "We know that the

 Cambodia's opposition leader on Monday rejected the results of a weekend election showing a win for the long-time ruling party, raising fears of post-poll instability and setting the stage for a new showdown with Prime Minister Hun Sen.   The challenge by opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who returned from exile last week to campaign for his Cambodia National Rescue Party, comes despite his party's relative success in Sunday's polling, in which the opposition made its biggest gains in years.   Prov

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators gathered in Washington Monday for the first direct talks in three years as the United States urged them to make compromises to nail down a peace deal.   Israeli chief negotiator Tzipi Livni and her Palestinian counterpart Saeb Erakat were both seen arriving at the main State Department entrance late Monday to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry.   Kerry, who earlier named seasoned diplomat Martin Indyk as the US special envoy to the talks, was to host a

At least 35 people were injured, five of them seriously, in a head-on collision of two trains in western Switzerland late Monday, police said. One person had yet to be recovered from the wreckage.The crash happened near the station of Granges-pres-Marnand shortly before 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) on a regional line about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the capital, Bern. It came just days after 79 people were killed in a high-speed train derailment in Spain.   Photographs from the Swiss site showed

Samsung Group, the world's largest smartphone maker, is close to an agreement to acquire Novaled AG, a German maker of materials used to light up smartphone and television screens, said two people familiar with the transaction.          An agreement for the South Korean company to buy Novaled for more than $200 million may come as soon as this week, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Novaled is ased in Dresden, Germany.           The neg

 Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, declaring that it is not his place to judge them -- while also condemning the Vatican's reported gay lobby as a "serious problem".   The remarks to journalists as he flew back to Rome from a high-profile trip to Brazil appeared to be more conciliatory towards homosexuals than his predecessor Benedict XVI.   "If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?" the pope asked.   "The problem is not having this orientation, it is lob

South Korea's current account surplus narrowed in June from the previous month on smaller exports, but its combined surplus hit a record high in the first half, the central bank said Tuesday.   The current account surplus reached US$7.24 billion in June, down from a record surplus of $8.64 billion the previous month,according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The current account is thebroadest measure of cross-border trade.   The smaller surplus in June mainly came as exports of display panels, steel

South Korea's industrial output grew slightly in June from a month earlier despite tough economic conditions at home and abroad, a government report showed Tuesday.   According to the report by Statistics Korea, production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries expanded 0.4 percent last month from a month earlier.   The expansion marked a turnaround from the 0.1-percent on-month contraction the previous month.   The June output, however, still shrank 2.6 percent compared wi

 South Korean stocks closed 0.57 percent lower Monday as investors took a wait-and-see approach ahead of the policy-setting meeting of the United States Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) slated for this week, analysts said.The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar.   The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 10.92 points to close at 1,899.89. Trading volume was moderate at 331.6 million shares worth 4.08 trillion won (US$3.67 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 58

South Korea said Sunday it will extend a "final offer" for talks to North Korea to discuss thenormalization of a suspended inter-Korean industrial complex in the North's border town of Gaeseong.   The Gaeseong Industrial Complex has remained shuttered since early April as the North unilaterally withdrew its workers from South Korean companies there amid heightened tensions on the peninsula.   The two sides have held six rounds of negotiations to reopen the factory zone, but to no avail. Seoul ha

U.S. President Barack Obama proclaimed Saturday that the Korean War was a victory for his country and its ally South Korea, saying the sacrifice of American veterans will never be forgotten."Here today, we can say with confidence that this war was no tie. Korea was a victory," Obama said in a speech at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.He said about 50 million South Koreans are living in freedom in a vibrant democracy with one of the world's most dynamic ec

More than 1,000 detainees escaped from a prison near the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi in a massive jailbreak Saturday, officials said, as protesters stormed political party offices in Libya's main cities.   It wasn't immediately clear if the jailbreak at the al-Kweifiya prison came as part of the demonstrations. Protesters had massed across the country angry over the killing of an activist critical of the country's Muslim Brotherhood group.Gunmen outside of the prison fired into the air as in

A Seoul appellate court on Thursday commuted the sentence of an elder brother of former President Lee Myung-bak to one year and two months from two years on bribery charges.  Lee Sang-deuk, the former six-term lawmaker, was indicted on charges of receiving a total of 750 million won (US$654,165) in kickbacks from a local company and two troubled savings banks from 2007 to 2011.   Clearing the elder Lee of charges that he received 300 million in bribes from Kim Chan-kyong, the former chief of Mir

South Korean stocks closed 0.84 percent higher Monday, dispelling concerns over potential negative impacts from the Japanese upper house election on the local economy, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 8.94 points to finish at 1,880.35. Trading volume was moderate at 353.2 million shares worth 3.60 trillion won ($3.22 billion) with gainers outnumbering decliners 432 to 361. "The Abe coalition's win in t

서울중앙지검 '전두환 일가 미납추징금' 특별집행팀(팀장 김형준 부장검사)이 전두환 전대통령의 부인 이순자씨  명의의 30억 원짜리 개인연금 보험에 대해 압류 조치를 취한 것으로 알려졌다.    검찰이 전씨의 미납 추징금 환수를 위해 전담팀을 만든 이후 전씨 일가의  현금성 자산을 압류한 사실이 알려진 건 이번이 처음이다.    22일 금융계와 검찰 등에 따르면 특별집행팀은 이씨가 서울 서대문구 대현동에 있는 NH 농협은행 신촌지점에 30억원의 개인 연금 보험에 가입한 사실을 확인, 최근 법원으로부터 영장을 발부받아 압류한 것으로 알려졌다.    이씨는 이 연금 보험을 통해 매달 1천200만 원을 받았는데 검찰의 압류로 추가 지급이 정지된 상태이다.    이씨가 가입한 상품은 일정액을 맡겨두면 주기적으로 이자와 원금 일부를  지급하는 연금 보험 형태로 알려졌다. 따라서 이씨의 가입 시기에 따라 검찰이 압류한 돈의 규모는 달라진다.   검찰은 이씨가 연금보험에 넣은 30억원의 출처를 추

Prosecutors have seized an insurance product belonging to former President Chun Doo-hwan's wife as part of efforts to collect a massive fine he owes the state, sources at the prosecution said Monday.   The move is part of intensifying efforts by the prosecution to find concealed assets of the former president, who was ordered by the top court in 1997 to return to the state coffers 220 billion won (US$196.8 million) that he was found to have accumulated during his military rule from 1980 to 1988.

 포르쉐의 한국법인 설립을 앞두고 수입차업계 전체가 취업 전쟁으로 들썩이고 있다. 수입차 시장의 브랜드들의 빈익빈부익부 현상이 가중되고 있는 너나 할 것 없이 초절정 럭셔리 자동차의 대표 브랜드 포르쉐에 문을 두드리고 있는 양상이다. 초대사장으로 내정된 김근탁 전 한국GM사장은 역시 치열한 경쟁을 거쳤고 현재 새 조직 구성에 박차를 가하고 있는 것으로 알려졌다. 일반적으로 수입차는 새로운 법인이 설립되면 기존의 수입사 인원이 다수 이동해가는 것이 관례이지만 이번에는 대부분의 직원들이 외부에서 충원될 것이라는 것이 관계자들의 설명이다. 김사장은 직원들의 외국어와 국제적인 감각을 중요시하는데 그런 점에서 그의 친정인 한국GM의 관계자들을 우선 눈 여겨 보고 있다고 한다. 하지만 법인이 보다 신속하게 자리를 잡기 위해서는 현 수입사인 스투트가르트스포츠카의 인원을 완전히 배제하기는 힘들 것이라는 관측도 있다. 한편 스투트가르트스포츠카는 인원이동을 비롯해 포르쉐의 한국법인 설립 자체에 대한

The Metropolitan Police Department of Washington D.C. has filed for an arrest warrant for former Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Yoon Chang-jung, a local news agency reported Sunday.Yoon is alleged to have sexually harassed a Korean-American intern hired by the Korean embassy in the U.S. as support staff for President Park Geun-hye’s visit in May.“It appears that the police department filed for an arrest warrant and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is reviewing the request,” an official at Korea’s Ministry of