North Korea's state media claimed Saturday that the South Korean military's unmanned aerial vehicle violated its airspace this week, calling it a "grave military provocation."An official from the South Korean military dismissed the claim as "untrue," saying it carried out a "normal operation as planned."The North's official Korean Central News Agency reported that the South's surveillance plane, called Heron, flew over its western border area four times between 7:46 a.m. and 8:40 p.m. on Friday.

South Korean stocks are expected to continue to build up gains next week on the back of strong economic data, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 2,355.30 on Friday, up 2.9 percent from the previous week, renewing its all-time high.On Monday, South Korean shares breached the 2,300-point mark for the first time ever as foreign investors scooped up major tech stocks amid sound corporate earnings.The index continued to set fresh record highs this week, m

Preparing for North Korea's growing threat, the Pentagon will try to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile for the first time in a test next week. The goal is to more closely simulate a North Korean ICBM aimed at the US homeland, officials said Friday. The American interceptor has a spotty track record, succeeding in nine of 17 attempts against missiles of less-than-intercontinental range since 1999. The most recent test, in June 2014, was a success, but that followed three straight failu

President Moon Jae-in on Saturday expressed his wish to meet Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, soon to discuss how to more effectively communicate with people online, his office said.The president posted a message on his Facebook account in response to an email that Zuckerberg sent him last Sunday to congratulate him on his victory in the May 9 election.   Facebook founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (right) waves as he makes a commencement address at Harvard University in Cambridge,

TRIPOLI (AFP) -- At least 28 people were killed and nearly 130 wounded in fierce clashes in the Libyan capital Friday between forces loyal to the UN-backed unity government and rival militiamen, the health ministry said.Tripoli has been gripped by a power struggle between dozens of militias since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.Health ministry spokesman Anwar Frajallah gave a provisional toll of 28 dead and 128 wounded but could not say if they included an

President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, made a pre-inauguration proposal to the Russian ambassador to set up a secret, bug-proof communications line with the Kremlin, the Washington Post reported Friday evening.Kushner, then and now a close adviser to Trump, went so far as to suggest using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States to protect such a channel from being monitored, the Post said, quoting US officials briefed on intelligence reports.The Post story is yet another

Washington has recently finalized a four-point policy plan on North Korea that calls for applying “all available sanctions and pressure” to incite the country to change its course and ultimately resolve the nuclear standoff through dialogue, South Korean lawmakers said Thursday. Joseph Yun, special representative for North Korea policy at the US State Department, introduced the plan to a group of visiting lawmakers led by Rep. Kim Kwan-young of the minor opposition People’s Party. (Yonhap)The de

The Moon Jae-in government on Friday gave its first approval to a civic group’s proposal to reach out to North Korea for malaria control, heralding a turnaround in Seoul’s approach to humanitarian aid that has been increasingly politicized amid military tension. The Seoul-based Korean Sharing Movement submitted a request to the Unification Ministry early this month to make contact with North Korean officials to carry out preventive activities against malaria. The approval was made for the first

Foreign Minister nominee Kang Kyung-wha on Thursday called for humanitarian assistance to North Korea irrespective of the political situation, while stressing the need for stronger sanctions in the event of additional provocations. The former UN diplomat also said she is keen to meet with the victims of the Japanese military’s sexual enslavement during World War II, which has beleaguered relations between the two countries. 　“In fact, I reached out to one of them when I was here on vacation last

From maniac to smart cookie to madman, US President Donald Trump’s descriptions of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has varied extensively, sparking criticism that it may send misleading messages not only to Pyongyang, but to allies and friends. Trump called Kim a “madman with nuclear weapons” during a phone call with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte last month, according to a transcript of the conversation written by Manila and obtained Tuesday by The Washington Post. (Images from TNS)The d

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has lauded the latest test of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile as a “complete success,” approving its deployment for field combat, state media said Monday. In Sunday’s launch, the Pukguksong-2, also known as KN-15, flew about 500 kilometers before falling into the East Sea, reaching an altitude of 560 kilometers, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The same model was introduced through a previous successful test on Feb. 12, built on the technology for bu

Foreign Minister nominee Kang Kyung-wha said Sunday she is ready to help resolve North Korea’s nuclear issues by capitalizing on her yearslong experience at the UN, calling it a top priority. In her first press availability following President Moon Jae-in’s nomination earlier in the day, Kang said she felt a “heavy weight on her shoulders” due to various foreign policy challenges faced by Seoul.Foreign Minister nominee Kang Kyung-wha (Yonhap)“Though I’ve never dealt with it directly, the North K

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday expressed his hopes for a prompt return to the “normal orbit” of relations with South Korea which have been strained by disputes over a US missile shield, Seoul’s special envoy said.Xi delivered the message during his 40-minute meeting with Lee Hae-chan, a former prime minister and incumbent lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party who is visiting Beijing as President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy.  Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with South

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday Washington has no intention for a regime change or invasion of North Korea, urging it to abandon its nuclear program in return for regime security and an end to hostility, according to Seoul’s special envoys.Tillerson made the remarks during his meeting with Hong Seok-hyun, a former chairman of JoongAng Media Network who is visiting Washington as President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy. During the 40-minute talks, Tillerson expressed the country’s

With a growing number of former diplomats making their foray into politics, an incumbent senior ambassador has stoked internal debate after openly criticizing retirees’ comeback to the diplomatic service as political appointees, sources said Thursday. Kim Yong-ho, the ambassador to Belarus who has been serving at the Foreign Ministry since 1986, posted his view about the civil servants’ political neutrality on the agency’s intranet last Saturday. In it, he criticized the trend over the past deca

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is willing to engage North Korea, but emphasized the “right conditions” as a prerequisite, Seoul’s special envoy said. Hong Seok-hyun, a former chairman of JoongAng Media Network who also served as an ambassador to the US, met with Trump on his first day of a visit as President Moon Jae-in’s special envoy. During the 15-minute talk, the sides discussed what would be the first summit between the two leaders, slated for late June in Washington. They are

With a trade of phone calls and special envoys, President Moon Jae-in is kick-starting top-level diplomacy, bringing an end to a monthslong vacuum that sparked concerns about Seoul’s weakened voice on North Korea and other pressing foreign policy and security issues. Moon’s messengers to the US and Japan, former Chairman of JoongAng Media Network Hong Seok-hyun and senior Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Moon Hee-sang, respectively embarked on their trips early Wednesday.President Moon Jae-in

President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump are expected to hold their first summit next month in Washington, as they seek to coordinate North Korea policy following their respective leadership transitions, officials said Tuesday. A visiting delegation of White House officials in charge of Korea affairs met with a group of foreign affairs and security advisers for Moon, chaired by former Ambassador to Geneva Chung Eui-yong. The representatives, led by Matt Pottinger, senior directo

North Korea said Monday it had successfully tested a new type of a mid- and long-range missile capable of carrying a “large, heavy nuclear warhead” a day before, warning it could strike the US mainland. The Hwasong-12 flew 787 kilometers, reaching an altitude of 2,111.5 kilometers as planned, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Witnessing the launch, leader Kim Jong-un called it a “great success,” ordering additional development of “highly sophisticated, various nuclear weapons

President Moon Jae-in on Friday tapped Rep. Park Byeong-seug of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea as chief of his delegation to attend a forum in Beijing amid spats over a US missile shield, government and party officials said Friday. The five-term lawmaker will steer Seoul’s delegation for the Belt and Road Forum, slated to open in Beijing on May 14. The two-day event is designed to discuss Chinese President Xi Jinping’s initiative to build a new Silk Road, dubbed “One Belt, One Road,” which