The bereaved families of the victims of April's deadly ferry sinking voted late Wednesday to reject a bipartisan deal that allows the ruling party to have a say in the choice of a special counsel to be tasked with uncovering the truth behind one of the country's deadliest maritime accidents.It is the second time the families have rejected a bipartisan deal on a special bill aimed at determining the truth behind the tragedy, dealing a blow to both the ruling and opposition parties.The 6,825-ton f

Four sitting lawmakers suspected of taking bribes have decided to not appear at court hearings Thursday, prompting prosecutors to mull forcibly detaining them for further questioning.A Seoul court was scheduled to hold hearings later in the day to review the legality of the arrests of the four -- Reps. Cho Hyun-ryong of the ruling Saenuri Party, and Kim Jae-yun, Shin Hak-yong and Shin Geh-ryeun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Off

US President Barack Obama demanded Wednesday the world take action against the "cancer" of jihadist extremism in Iraq, as Washington revealed it had failed in an operation to free US hostages in neighboring Syria.It came a day after the so-called "Islamic State," which has seized much of eastern Syria and northern Iraq, released a video showing a masked militant beheading US reporter James Foley, provoking worldwide revulsion and condemnation.As US jets continued to strike IS targets in Iraq, de

United Nations Security Council members are rejecting North Korea's request for a meeting to protest joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises.North Korea sent a letter to the council on July 21 requesting the meeting. British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant told reporters that China raised the letter at a meeting Wednesday and asked other members for their opinions. Lyall Grant said "there was no support for a council discussion on that issue." He said Britain, which holds the Security Council pre

The armed wing of Hamas warned foreign airlines against flying into Tel Aviv on Wednesday and declared truce talks in Cairo over as a six-week war with Israel spirals into further bloodshed.Israeli warplanes carried out dozens of air strikes across Gaza again on Wednesday in response to multiple rocket attacks on southern Israel, as nine days of calm exploded into bloodshed.Several thousand furious mourners poured onto the streets of Jabaliya refugee camp to bury the wife and infant son of the t

Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan said Wednesday he felt "ashamed" of his son's detention on drug-related charges, adding he had "failed to educate" his child.Jaycee Chan, who like his father is a singer and actor, was detained last week after police found more than 100 grams of cannabis at his home in Beijing, according to Chinese state-run media.The charges were a potential embarrassment for kung fu star Jackie Chan, who has a high profile in China where he was appointed as a government-backed

1.  프란치스코 교황 방한 　가톨릭의 수장인 프란치스코 교황이 한국을 다녀갔다. 신자, 비신자를 막론하고 대한민국 전체가 그에게 열광하고 뜨거운 환호를 보냈다.  이러한 열풍의 배경에는 권위의식을 버리고 사람들과 공감, 소통하는 리더십을 보여줬던 교황이 있다.　팟캐스트: https://itunes.apple.com/kr/podcast/koliaheleoldeu-paskaeseuteu/id686406253?mt=2 팟빵: http://www.podbbang.com/ch/6638　Pope stresses dialogue, openness　[1] Pope Francis on Sunday made his strongest appeal yet to China since becoming pope, saying he “earnestly” hopes for a dialogue with the countries which the Vatican has no diplomatic ties with.　*

South Korea's foreign ministry said Wednesday it has decided to provide an additional US$1 million in humanitarian aid to help Iraqi refugees amid escalating violence in the country.The humanitarian crisis has heightened in northern Iraq since Sunni Muslim insurgents from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized Iraq's second-biggest city of Mosul in June.The United States began to carry out air strikes on the Islamic extremist group on Aug. 8.Seoul's foreign ministry said it has d

Thirty-seven people, many of them foreigners staying in South Korea as English teachers, have been arrested and booked on charges of smuggling, trading and taking marijuana, police said Wednesday.Those arrested included a South Korean national with U.S. residence, surnamed Shin, as well as a Korean American, surnamed Kim, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Both were working as English teachers.They brought 2 kilograms of hemp into South Korea earlier this year through the U.S. mi

South Korea's leading businesses said Wednesday they will make early payments to their subcontractors for the Chuseok holidays next month, not a rare move but more highlighted this year because of a serious sap in domestic consumption.The country's top conglomerate, Samsung Group, said it will pay 1.8 trillion won to its suppliers earlier than scheduled, with 18 of its affiliates, including Samsung Electronics Co. and Samsung SDI Co., joining the move.Chuseok falls on Sept. 8 this year. The thre

Chinese tourists' spending in South Korea may exceed 30 trillion won (US$ 29 billion) six years from now on the back of a rapidly surging number of visitors from the neighboring country, a report said Wednesday.Spending by travelers from China is expected to reach 30.5 trillion won in 2020, nearly five times the 6.2 trillion won registered last year, according to the report by Hana Daetoo Securities Co.The figure is equivalent to 7.7 percent of the 398.2 trillion won forecast for that year's tot

Investigations are under way into more than a dozen newly-reported cases of harassment, and physical and sexual abuse at barracks around the country, the Army said Wednesday, after a spate of such incidents marred the image of the military and sparked public ire.The cases were detected during surveys of service members and inspections into units in the wake of the series of gruesome cases, including the death of an Army private first class, surnamed Yoon, after being hit by his senior comrades.

Jihadist group the Islamic State posted a video Tuesday showing the apparent execution of American journalist James Foley and threatened to kill a second reporter unless the United States halts air strikes in Iraq.The video released by the Islamist group showed a masked militant beheading a man resembling Foley, who has been missing since he was seized in Syria in November 2012. File picture taken September 29, 2011 shows US freelance reporter James Foley resting in a room at the airport of Sirt

South Korea's top messenger application operator Kakao Corp. said Wednesday it has started to allow small enterprises to open a business-only account via Kakao Talk, providing them a means to communicate with consumers more easily.Named "Yellow ID," the service gives users a second Kakao Talk ID for business purposes. Previously, the country's most used mobile messenger only allowed one account for each phone number.While Kakao already operates "Plus Friend," it said the new service is different

North Korea will host an international film festival in its capital next month, which the communist nation says is designed to promote exchanges and cooperation between world filmmakers.The 14th Pyongyang International Film Festival is scheduled to open on Sept. 17 for a weeklong run under the theme of "Independence, Peace and Friendship," according to the organizing committee.It consists of the Feature Film Competition, the Documentary and Short Film Competition, Special and Informative Screeni

Lotte Mart, an affiliate of retail giant Lotte, said Wednesday it is opening a supermarket in Indonesia, a move that comes as local retailers step up their overseas expansion amid flagging consumption on their home turf.The company is set to open a 1,300-square-meter supermarket Thursday on the ground floor of a hotel in Kemang, a residential area heavily populated by middle- and upper-class expatriates, Lotte Mart said in a press release.The supermarket, which is smaller than the discount chain

The National Assembly endorsed an art professor as the nation's culture minister Wednesday in the last step to forming President Park Geun-hye's new Cabinet.Kim Jong-deok, a professor of visual design at Seoul's Hongik University, was tapped by Park early this month after the previous nominee for the job, Chung Sung-keun, stepped down over allegations of drunken driving and other ethical lapses.The parliamentary education and culture committee adopted a report endorsing Kim after holding a confi

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf imposed a nighttime curfew from Wednesday and quarantined two affected neighbourhoods in a bid to stem the Ebola epidemic rampaging through West Africa."Commencing Wednesday, August 20 there will be a curfew from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am (2100 to 0600 GMT)," Sirleaf said in a radio address late Tuesday."All entertainment centres are to be closed. All video centres are to be closed at 6:00 pm," she ordered.The new quarantine areas include Monrovia's West Point s

Protesters hit the streets of the US town roiled by days of unrest over the killing of an unarmed black teen, hours after police shot dead a knife-wielding man just a few miles away.Demonstrators waved signs and chanted slogans as they strolled up and down West Florissant Boulevard in Ferguson, Missouri. The town, a suburb of St. Louis, has been shaken by racial unrest since a white police officer shot dead Michael Brown, 18, on August 9. Police have hurled tear gas canisters and fired rubber bu

A temporary ceasefire in Gaza has 'collapsed' after a Tuesday midnight deadline passed with no agreement to extend a truce and Israel and Hamas resumed hostilities, a senior Palestinian official said."The ceasefire has collapsed and Israel is responsible," said Azzam al-Ahmed, the head of a joint-Palestinian delegation in Cairo participating in indirect negotiations with Israel."We are leaving tomorrow, but we have not pulled out of negotiations," he told AFP, adding the Palestinians were waitin