US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, calling him "a pretty smart cookie" in a television interview that aired Sunday.Trump's almost admiring remarks came amid soaring tensions with North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs, with an alarmed Washington looking to China for help in reining in Kim.Trump said he had "no idea" whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over th

President Donald Trump said in a television interview to be aired Sunday that he believes China’s president has been putting pressure on North Korea as it pursues its missile and nuclear weapons programs. In an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Trump said he won’t be happy if North Korea conducts a nuclear test and that he believes Chinese President Xi Jinping won’t be happy, either. Asked if that means military action, Trump responded: “I don’t know. I mean, we’ll see.” On Saturday, a Nort

The growth of coffee addicts is explosive, manifested in the rapid spread of coffee shops, big and small, across the nation. Latest data showed that Koreans consumed more than 25 billion cups of coffee last year, translating into a whopping 500 cups per person. The stakes couldn’t be higher for both franchise coffee chains and smaller self-owned businesses. They are now rushing to diversify themes, offer special brews and explore new concepts. 　 Daelim Warehouse Cafe in Seongsu-dong, Seoul (Park

Fintech startup Fin2B on Thursday announced that it has opened an accounts receivable discount platform, serving as a supply chain finance solution, and is moving beyond the domestic market to enter the Asian market. “Currently, our accounts receivable discount platform is in its pilot phase, working together with affiliates of large conglomerates in Korea,” said Fin2B’s CEO Park Sang-soon. “We are also planning to operate this platform in cooperation with Vietnamese companies in the second half

진행자: 임정요, Anita McKay　　1. 세금 체납 외국인, 비자 연장 어려워 진다　 　다음 달부터 지방세를 내지 않은 외국인은 체류 기간 연장을 위한 비자 발급이 어려워진다. 국내에 체류하는 외국인은 차량을 보유했거나 소득이 있으면 지방세를 낸다. 하지만, 세금을 내지 않아도 체류 비자 연장 등에 불이익이 없다 보니 일부 외국인은 이를 악용한다. 현재 국내 체류 외국인의 지방세 체납액은 100억 원이 넘는다고 한다.　　아이튠즈(아이폰): https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 　팟빵 (안드로이드): http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638　 　　　Korea to stop visa extension for foreign tax defaulters　　[1] Foreign residents who have unpaid local taxes will be deni

US troops in South Korea began installing the equipment for an advanced missile defense system at a site in a southeastern region of the country, facing fierce protests from local residents.The overnight, unannounced operation came just six days after US Forces Korea secured the land in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, from the South Korean government. A joint environmental survey required under the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement is not done yet, according to officials.(Yonhap)The allie

The startup Discoveryho recently released “FashionSShow,” a bi-directional mobile fashion shopping application. Following the initial release of the Android version in February, an iOS version of the app was released this month. CEO Lee Eun-ho said, “Currently, over two-thirds of the sales of online fashion and beauty shopping malls occur in the mobile environment, and this percentage is expected to continue increasing.”Unlike existing shopping platforms, FashionSShow features video product revi

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday the US is looking into the possibility of adding North Korea back to the list of states sponsors of terrorism as a way to bring pressure on the communist nation."We're reviewing all the status of North Korea both in terms of state sponsorship of terrorism as well as all the other ways in which we can bring pressure to bear on the regime in Pyongyang to reengage with us on a different footing than the past talks have been held. So yes, we're eval

A French artist who has spent three weeks sitting on 10 eggs hatched his first chick Tuesday.Abraham Poincheval -- who made headlines last month after spending a week entombed inside an egg-shaped rock -- has hardly slept since he stepped inside a glass vitrine in a Paris modern art museum to sit on the eggs on March 29.But late on Tuesday afternoon the first of the eggs began to hatch, forcing the artist to temporarily rise from his nest for fear of crushing the new-born.Up until then Poincheva

Optics startup DiYPRO on Monday announced that it is currently developing a functional window film that is capable of using natural light to illuminate much larger spaces inside rooms. The film redirects incoming sunlight onto indoor ceilings, reducing the need for artificial lighting and resulting in a significant reduction in electricity fees for lighting. DiYPRO CEO Kim Myung-joong explained, “The purpose of existing functional window films is to block light, but the product we are currently

North Korea’s deputy UN ambassador accused the United States on Monday of turning the Korean Peninsula into “the world’s biggest hotspot” and creating “a dangerous situation in which a thermonuclear war may break out at any moment.”Kim In-ryong told a news conference that “if the US dares opt for a military action,” North Korea “is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the US.” He said the Trump administration’s deployment of the Carl Vinson nuclear carrier task group to waters off the Ko

The reclusive regime of North Korea often surprises the South Korean media with a display of unusual posturing. This time, it's about an acrobatic pose by a photographer in the middle of a massive military parade held in Pyongyang. Scene-stealer (Yonhap)In a photograph from Saturday’s North Korean festival of “Day of Sun,” marking the 105th birthday of the state’s founding president Kim Il-sung, a man was spotted taking in the view of a missile-carrying tank with a camera in his hands. He could

US Vice President Mike Pence used a visit to the heavily militarized border between the two Koreas Monday to declare "all options are on the table" in dealing with Pyongyang, the day after the North's latest failed missile test.Pence's trip to the flashpoint frontier underscored Washington's shifting policy towards the isolated state after years of nuclear and missile tests carried out in defiance of the international community.US Vice President Mike Pence (center) talks with US Gen. Vincent Bro

Mike Pence arrived at the gateway to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas on Monday, an AFP correspondent reported, in a show of US resolve hours after North Korea failed in its attempt to test another missile.The US vice president flew by helicopter into Camp Bonifas, a US-led United Nations command post just a few hundred metres (yards) south of the DMZ. From there, he was expected to move to the truce village of Panmunjom that straddles one of the most heavily militarised borders on

The two men who picked up over 200 dolls from a claw machine establishment in Daejeon under two hours did it without foul play, according to the police. Daejeon Seobu Police on Sunday closed the case that had been suspected as theft, without pushing for criminal punishment.Within several hours on Feb. 5, the two men -- a 29-year-old surnamed Lee and his friend -- had emptied claw machines in Daejeon filled with dolls. Claw machines have become popular in Korea as a source of entertainment. Estab

The government will send an emergency message to people in Seoul and its satellite cities via mobile phone if severe fine dust is forecast in the region, the public security ministry said Sunday. "Once the message, called cell broadcast service, is issued, public agencies are obliged to follow the government's emergency steps to reduce fine dust in the air, including the introduction of the two-day rotation system for cars and shorter working hours at job and construction sites," the ministry sa

US Vice President Mike Pence arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a high-stakes three-day visit to reaffirm the robust security alliance and warn against North Korea's possible provocations, Seoul officials said.After touching down at a US air base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, Pence headed to a Seoul national cemetery in a symbolic gesture to highlight the alliance forged during the 1950-53 Korean War. His visit to South Korea, his first Asian trip since his inauguration in Jauna

South Korean pop culture businesses have been seriously hurt by China's retaliation against South Korea's deployment of a US anti-missile system, with more than 30 such cases reported over the past month alone, the culture ministry said Sunday. "A total of 31 damage cases were reported between March 16, when a damage report center was launched, and April 15," a ministry official said. The center is jointly being operated by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the Korea Film Council and the Public

Bangkok (ANN News Desk) -- Tensions between the United States and North Korea continues to threaten the uneasy peace that the region is accustomed to with several regional players raising alarms and taking precaution. Despite continued talks with China, Japan and South Korea, indications from Washington are that the United States are prepared to take unilateral action if North Korea continues its provocation.A carrier task force is now in the area after being diverted from Southeast Asia and Pre

South Korea is in the final phase of developing an indigenous low-tier missile defense system to better cope with North Korea's growing missile threats, a military official here said Sunday.All testing and evaluations of the M-SAM (medium-range surface-to-air missile) have been completed, and it now awaits a final process next month to determine its suitability for intended combat missions, the insider said on condition of anonymity."It is fair to say that we only have an administrative procedur