President Moon Jae-in is expected to plead for bipartisan support in his first-ever state of the nation address Monday, asking the opposition-led parliament to lend its assistance to his new government and its reform policies, official sources said.The president is set to deliver his address at the National Assembly at 2 p.m., according to officials at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)It will mark the president's first trip to parliament since his inauguration

President Moon Jae-in appointed his new finance minister Kim Dong-yeon Friday, now filling two Cabinet seats with his own picks and leaving 17 more to go.Kim's appointment came only hours after a parliamentary committee issued a report on the outcome of its confirmation hearing for Kim.The new finance minister will be double-hatted as a deputy prime minister for economy. New finance minister Kim Dong-yeon (Yonhap)Kim, a former vice finance minister, is only the second new Cabinet member to be ap

A North Korean taekwondo demonstration team visiting South Korea for an international competition will have a separate performance in Seoul during its stay, officials said Friday.The North Korea-led International Taekwondo Federation will bring a demonstration team to South Korea for the World Taekwondo Federation World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul. The ITF's team is scheduled to perform during the event's opening and closing ceremonies on June 24 and 30 wi

French carmaker Renault S.A. is aiming to sell up to 5,000 units of its small Clio hatchback in South Korea this year after its launch in September, the local head of Renault Samsung Motors Corp. said Friday. Renault Samsung, an 80-percent-owned unit of Renault, originally planned to place the small hatchback in the domestic market in August but the launch date was delayed by a month due to difficulties in securing the vehicles. "The Clio is among the best-selling cars in Europe. At stake is to

President Moon Jae-in on Friday named three new vice ministers, including a former government official sacked by his ousted predecessor Park Geun-hye for his unwillingness to cooperate with Park's longtime friend who is now facing criminal charges for meddling in state affairs.Roh Tae-kang, a former official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, has not only been reinstated but appointed to serve as the second vice minister of the ministry, according to the presidential office Cheong

South Korean football club Jeju United said Friday they will appeal penalties handed down by the Asian Football Confederation following their on-field brawl against a Japanese team last month.The K League Classic club said the AFC suspended Cho Yong-hyung for six months with a fine of $20,000, Baek Dong-gyu for three months with a fine of $15,000, and Kweon Han-jin for two matches with a fine of $1,000 for their involvement in a brawl during the AFC Champions League (ACL) round of 16 second leg

South Korean stocks closed at a record high Friday as investors' sentiment was boosted by receding global uncertainties, analysts said. The Korean won fell against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index advanced 18.12 points, or 0.77 percent, to 2,381.69. Trade volume was high at 511 million shares worth 7.1 trillion won ($6.32 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 464 to 340.It marked the first time that the Kospi closed at 2,380 levels.The Kospi even hit 2,385.15 at

The number of foreign students learning the Korean language outside the Korean Peninsula swelled by over 50,000 from 2011-2016 to top 115,000, government data showed Friday.A total of 1,309 elementary and secondary schools in 27 foreign countries were operating Korean language courses as of 2016, up 88.3 percent from the 695 schools in 22 countries in 2011, according to Ministry of Education data analyzed and released by the Seoul-based Haneul Education Corp. (Yonhap)The number of students enrol

South Korea has no plan for changes to its agreement with the United States that will fundamentally change the ongoing deployment of the THAAD missile defense system here, a senior security advisor to South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday."Our government plans to deal with the THAAD deployment with a few principles while being fully aware of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," Chung Eui-yong, the head of the presidential National Security Office, told reporters."First of all, th

South Korea has no plan for changes to its agreement with the United States that will fundamentally change the ongoing deployment of the THAAD missile defense system here, a senior security advisor to South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday."Our government plans to deal with the THAAD deployment with a few principles while being fully aware of North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," Chung Eui-yong, the head of the presidential National Security Office, told reporters."First of all, th

South Korea's military said Friday it will wait for an inter-agency decision on the implementation of a controversial alliance deal on the THAAD missile intercept system.At issue is whether the Ministry of National Defense has abided by related rules and regulations, especially in connection with the environmental impact assessment of the site, which used to be a private golf course, in Seongju, some 300 km southeast of Seoul. A THAAD interceptor launcher is deployed at a former golf course in S

South Korean and Japanese parliamentary leaders met Friday and agreed on the need to develop bilateral ties in a future-oriented manner.Chung Sye-kyun, speaker of South Korea's National Assembly, held talks with leaders of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union on the last day of his three-day trip to Japan. South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a lunch meeting with Fukushiro Nukaga, chief of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union, in Tokyo on June 9, 2017, in th

Patients suffering from degenerative joint disease are two times more susceptible to suicidal impulses than healthy people, a survey showed Friday.Male osteoarthritis patients have stronger impulses to take their own lives, the poll on 8,271 people taken by professors at Korea University Medical Center said. The medical center collected the data between 2010 and 2012.  (Yonhap)Comparable numbers for female patients suffering from osteoarthritis was 1.5 times higher than ordinary people.Male oste

South Korean midfielder Lee Jae-sung is not a tactician, but as a player who actually performs on the pitch, he thinks a four-man defense suits the national team better than a back three system.South Korea, led by head coach Uli Stielike, were held to a scoreless draw by Iraq in their friendly match here Wednesday. The match was a tune-up for South Korea's crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Doha next Tuesday. South Korean midfielder Lee Jae-sung speaks to reporters at Emirates Clu

South Korea's military said Friday it has collected what is believed to be a North Korean drone.It was found in a mountainous area in Inje, Gangwon Province, close to the eastern border between the two Koreas, by a local resident, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). This file photo shows an unmanned flying object allegedly manufactured by North Korea found in a mountain in Gangwon Province in 2014. (Yonhap)Citing on-site investigation into the object, the JCS said its "size and shape"

FIFA President Gianni Infantino will visit South Korea for the final of the ongoing U-20 World Cup, local organizers here said Friday.The organizing committee, led by Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu, said Infantino will attend the final between England and Venezuela at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul, on Sunday. This will be Infantino's second trip to South Korea since he became the world football chief in February 2016. In this file photo

The South Korean baseball club KT Wiz on Friday signed former US minor league hitter Mel Rojas Jr.The Korea Baseball Organization team said Rojas agreed to a $400,000 deal for the rest of the season. (Yonhap)A third round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2010, Rojas doesn't have any major league experience. He has spent eight years in the minor leagues, with 46 home runs, 325 RBIs and 94 steals in 837 games.In 2017, Rojas, a switch hitter, had been playing for the Gwinnett Braves, the Tri

As base hits pile up, KT Wiz outfielder Oh Jeong-bok is growing into his role as the Korea Baseball Organization club's No. 2 hitter.Oh is working on a 15-game hitting streak, which began May 20.In nine of those games, Oh had at least two hits. Through Thursday's action, he's batting a robust .407 (55-for-135), though he doesn't have enough at-bats yet to qualify for the batting title. In this file photo taken May 10, 2017, Oh Jeong-bok of the KT Wiz watches his base hit against the Kia Tigers i

A senior US official is to visit South Korea next week to discuss a summit likely to be held later this month between the two allies, the foreign ministry said Friday.Thomas Shannon, under secretary of state for political affairs, will land in South Korea on Tuesday for a three-day run, according to the ministry.  (Yonhap)He is expected to discuss with high-ranking government officials here, including Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam, a summit being arranged between US President Donald Trump a

The National Assembly on Friday endorsed President Moon Jae-in's pick for deputy prime minister for economic affairs but failed to compromise on his choices for other key posts.Kim Dong-yeon, who was tapped to double as finance minister, was approved by the parliamentary strategy and finance committee, paving the way for his appointment. (Yonhap)A former civil servant and university president, the 60-year-old nominee went through a mandatory confirmation hearing Wednesday during which he was mai