South Korean lawmakers have failed to reach an agreement on reducing the maximum weekly working hours, leaving the matter up to the next administration.Members of the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee agreed that a proposed reduction to 52 hours from the current 68 hours would help improve working conditions and generate more jobs. But they failed to narrow their differences on some important details, such as weekend pay rates and a grace period to be granted to businesses.Ha T

The Sewol ferry was safely placed onto a semisubmersible vessel on Saturday morning, completing the trickiest part of the salvage and increasing the chance of a completion by early April, as scheduled.  "We completed loading the ferry onto the semisubmersible ship at 4:10 a.m.," Lee Cheol-jo, an official in charge of the operation from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said during a briefing. Loading the ferry onto the semisubmersible vessel was one of the most challenging stages of the salv

Salvage operators raised the sunken ferry Sewol to the target height in the sea Friday, with the ferry set to be moved onto another vessel later in the day, a major step toward bringing it back to land by early April. 　According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the salvage team began to carry the 6,825-ton ship connected to two barges at 4:55 p.m. to a semisubmersible ship some 3 kilometers away. 　“If we finish fixing the ferry to the semisubmersible ship, there will be no big risks (in

ANSAN, Gyeonggi Province – As the sunken ferry Sewol began to be seen above the water Thursday, South Koreans flocked to Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, home to hundreds of victims of the maritime disaster on April 16, 2014, to pay their respects.As the salvage comes right before the third anniversary of the Sewol's sinking, emotions ran high in the city, where many of the memories about the victims still remain intact.At the joint memorial altar set up in the city, South Koreans left flowers and lett

JINDO, South Jeolla Province -- Several hours after rusted parts of the sunken Sewol ferry’s structure finally emerged from the waters on Thursday, the mother of a victim still missing at sea wept aloud at the port nearest the wreckage on the island Jindo. “I really miss you, my son. I hope he gets out of the freezing water and meets me here,” the mother of Yang Seung-jin, a teacher at Danwon High School in Ansan, told The Korea Herald at the Paengmok port. “How handsome my son is! He was a good

After questioning ousted President Park Geun-hye, at the core of a corruption scandal that has rocked the country, the prosecution is expected to quicken its investigation into local conglomerates and ex-Presidential Secretary Woo Byung-woo. For now, the investigation team has not revealed details on how the remaining probe will go or who will be summoned. It is also keeping mum on whether Park will be arrested and which charges she additionally faces during the briefing Wednesday. Former Presid

South Korea ranked 10th out of 188 countries in terms of gender equality, the highest among Asian nations, the UN rankings for 2015 showed. According to the Gender Gap Index released by the United Nations Development Program on Tuesday, South Korea scored 0.067 in 2015, up 13 notches compared to a year earlier, mainly on the back of a decrease in maternal mortality ratio and adolescent birth rate. (123RF)The GGI evaluates gender disparity using the measurements – women’s reproductive health, wom

 “There is no Chinese embargo,” Maggi told reporters in Brasilia. “What we have are containers there that can't leave the port to local markets.”A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman in Beijing said China has taken “preventive and temporary” measures but gave no details. “We hope the Brazilian side can carry out a thorough investigation in an open and transparent way,” Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing.Chile followed suit, announcing the temporary suspension of Brazilian meats, said Angel

 “This is our long-awaited chance to finally get rid of Obamacare,” he said of repealing former President Barack Obama's landmark law, a GOP goal since its 2010 enactment. “We're going to do it.” Trump's closed-door meeting with House Republicans was coming as party leaders released 43 pages orth of changes to a bill whose prospects remain dicey. Their proposals were largely aimed at addressing dissent that their measure would leave many older people with higher costs.Included was an unusual app

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will skip a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels in April, but will travel to Russia and Italy the same month, a US official said Tuesday.Tillerson will be replaced by a lower-level official at the NATO meeting on April 5-6, a development that will likely fuel new concerns about US President Donald Trump's commitment to the alliance as he pushes for better ties with Moscow."Tom Shannon (the US Under Secretary of State) will represent the United States

The EU's remaining 27 member states will hold a special summit on April 29 to decide the political objectives for Brexit talks, president Donald Tusk said Tuesday.Tusk's announcement came a day after London said Prime Minister Theresa May would trigger the two-year process for Britain's departure on March 29."In view of what was announced in London yesterday, I would like to inform  you that I will call a European Council on Saturday the 29th of April to adopt the guidelines for the Brexit talks

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged on Tuesday to seal a EU-Japan trade deal as early as possible in order to make an important stand against protectionism.Abe met with EU Council President Donald Tusk as well as European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker at EU headquarters in Brussels."We shall try to aim for agreement in principle on the (EU-Japan trade deal) at the earliest possible date because it will give the world a symbol of free trade," Abe said as he entered the talks with Tus

The South Korean government scrapped a plan to put an ancient wall built in 1396 on the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cultural Heritage Foundation said Tuesday.The decision came after the International Council on Monuments and Sites, an advisory group to UNESCO, ruled earlier this month "not to inscribe" the wall onto the World Heritage list.The Seoul City Wall is an 18.6-kilometer-long wall surrounding Hanyang, the former capital of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and present-day c

South Korea's nuclear commission on Tuesday approved the restart of a reactor along the west coast that was shut down 10 months ago for maintenance.The Hanbit No. 2 reactor at the nuclear power plant in Yeonggwang, South Jeolla Province stopped operations on May 4, 2016, for routine inspections."After inspecting 87 categories, we have confirmed there is no problem related to safety," the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said.The commission found corrosion on the back of one of plates durin

When former president Park Geun-hye was proudly sworn into office as the nation’s first female leader, she would have never imagined this day would come – being questioned by the prosecution as a criminal suspect. It only took 47 seconds for ousted Park to get out of her black sedan, stand for photos and deliver her two-sentence message to the public before entering the prosecution’s office Tuesday.  Former President Park Geun-hye speaks to reporters after arriving at the Seoul Central District

Former President Park Geun-hye appeared before the prosecution’s office Tuesday to be grilled as a criminal suspect over the corruption scandal that led to her impeachment. Escorted by security guards and her lawyers, Park arrived at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in southern Seoul at 9:23 a.m. to undergo an interrogation expected to last past midnight. Former President Park Geun-hye (Screen captured from SBS)“I am sorry,” Park said before entering the building. “I will sincerely

A day before the questioning of former President Park Geun-hye, the public prosecutors’ office was in full swing Monday to prepare for the high-profile event. Security has been tightened around the office, media companies have set up camera ladders and a press line has been set up to mark the route Park will head to the building.Expelled from power on March 10 over a corruption scandal, the former leader will be read her rights before being questioned just like any ordinary criminal suspect. She

  

Following the monthslong street rallies that peacefully removed President Park Geun-hye from office, some politicians in South Korea say that the protesters should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for being a role model for other troubled democracies. 　Massive protests by citizens holding candles pushed the parliament to vote to impeach Park on Dec. 9 over a corruption scandal involving Park’s friend Choi Soon-sil. It was upheld by the Constitutional Court on March 10, which many hailed as

A US animal rights group called on the South Korean government on Thursday to provide immediate care for nine dogs that ousted President Park Geun-hye left behind when she moved out of the presidential palace. 　“Being left behind is frightening, confusing, and dangerous for dogs and other animals who depend on their human guardians for food, water, shelter, veterinary care, and all their other needs,” said PETA Asia Vice President of International Campaigns Jason Baker in a statement.　“There is