South Korea urged North Korea on Wednesday to accept local aid groups' move to visit the North for inter-Korean exchanges as Pyongyang has rejected their offers, citing Seoul's support of fresh UN sanctions.North Korea on Monday spurned South Korean civic and religious groups' move to resume exchanges, dampening liberal President Moon Jae-in's efforts to spur civilian inter-Korean engagements.(Yonhap)"There is no change in the government's stance over the resumption of civilian exchanges with th

South Korea should play a more "active" and "leading" role as a stake holder in handling North Korea's nuclear problem, President Moon Jae-in's pick for foreign minister said Wednesday.Kang Kyung-wha told a confirmation hearing that she will "sternly" deal with any provocation by the North while getting actively involved in international efforts to rein in Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities."The North's nuclear issue should be addressed as a top priority for the sake of realiz

RAS AL KHAIMAH, United Arab Emirates -- South Korea's national football team are having trouble finding the quickest way to reach Qatar amid a diplomatic rift in the Gulf region, an official from the national football governing body here said Tuesday.South Korea, led by head coach Uli Stielike, will take on Qatar in Doha next Tuesday for the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Before the crucial World Cup qualifier, South Korea are set to face Iraq for a tune-up in the Unit

The number of South Koreans visiting the Philippines shrank following the imposition of martial law in the Southeast Asian country's southern region and the recent shooting in Manila, industry sources said Wednesday.Some 400 people have canceled their trips to the Philippines since May 25 at a Seoul-based travel agency Mode Tour, the company said.  This file photo taken on Jan. 27, 2017, shows the departure lounge of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, packed with tourists on the Lunar

South Korean officials said Monday that they have positively identified the remains of a person wearing a life jacket in the wreck of the doomed ferry that sank in 2014.They said DNA tests showed the remains recovered from the third floor of the ship on May 22 belonged to Lee young-sook, a housewife, raising to four the number of people whose remains have been positively identified. (Yonhap)Lee was aboard the Sewol ferry that sank off the country's southwestern coast near Jindo Island in April 2

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo on Monday indicated that a thorough and time-consuming on-site environmental survey of the country's THAAD site would be undertaken, which would delay the full deployment of the US missile defense system.Han cited President Moon Jae-in's call for "increased procedural justification" in connection with the joint survey with US Forces Korea of the former golf course in Seongju, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul."The Ministry of National Defense will revie

LONDON (AFP) -- The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Sunday for an attack by knife-wielding men who mowed down and stabbed revelers in London, killing seven people before being shot dead in a barrage of police gunfire.Saturday night’s rampage at a popular nightlife hub around London Bridge by three men wearing fake suicide vests was the third deadly terror attack in Britain in less than three months and came only days before a general election.“A detachment of fighters from Islamic Sta

BEIJING -- Chinese police believe the Chinese driver of a school bus held responsible for a fatal bus fire that killed 11 children and a teacher last month posed as a victim in an apparent attempt to claim damages, diplomatic sources said Monday.The Shandong provincial police agency shared their belief with the bereaved families of the victims on Sunday when they briefed them on the completion of their investigation into the cause of the incident. This provided photo shows the bus that was gutte

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is dismissing as “a load of nonsense” the idea that Russia has damaging information on President Donald Trump and denies having any relationship with him.“I never met with him. We have a lot of Americans who visit us,” Putin said in an interview with NBC’s “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly.” He added, “Do you think we’re gathering compromising information on all of them right now or something? Are you all -- have you all lost your senses over ther

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Donald Trump lashed out Sunday at London’s mayor Sadiq Khan, accusing him of downplaying the threat of terrorism a day after knife-wielding men mowed down and stabbed revelers in the British capital.London’s mayor swiftly shot down the US president’s remarks, made in a series of overnight tweets, as critics accused Trump of exploiting a terror attack for political gain -- and not for the first time.A spokesman said Khan “has more important things to do than respond to Donald

TOKYO (AP) -- US Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Monday that he hopes China will step forward to be a “real leader” on climate issues, while refuting criticism the United States is backing down.President Donald Trump‘s decision last week to pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement has sparked speculation he is creating a leadership void that China could fill.Perry, in Tokyo en route to a meeting of energy ministers in Beijing, said, “I hope China will step in and attempt to take the mantl

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Monday it has confirmed a case of highly pathogenic avian flu on the country's southern resort island of Jeju.The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said tests showed the virus that hit a poultry farm with seven chickens was confirmed to be the H5N8 subtype. Health authorities in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province quarantine a chicken farm on June 3, 2017, after a suspected case of avian influenza was reported. (Yonhap)Highly pathogenic avian infl

A South Korean civic group said Monday that it will delay shipments of aid supplies to North Korea and its plan to visit North Korea as Pyongyang took issue with UN sanctions against the North.The Korean Sharing Movement is preparing to send pesticide and medical supplies to fight Malaria to North Korea as the government has decided to flexibly resume inter-Korean exchanges.Kang Young-sik, the secretary-general of the group, said that Pyongyang took issue with the South Korean government's attit

Airbnb Inc. said Monday about 510,000 foreigners visited South Korea last year using its room-sharing platform in the latest sign of its growing popularity.The figure represents a 130-percent hike from 220,000 recorded in 2015, the website operator said. Separately, about 500,000 South Koreans also used Airbnb in traveling across the country last year. (123RF)Among foreigners, Chinese nationals accounted for the largest portion with 20.3 percent. The number is yet down from 46.8 percent recorded

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday ordered a thorough investigation of a case involving toxic humidifier sterilizers that are believed to have left dozens of people dead and harmed many others, the presidential office said.The order could lead to a reinvestigation of the case that started as early as 2008.Chemical substances used in a range of products from local and global manufacturers were found to cause lung problems, but only after they presumably affected thousands of consumers b

Kim Ki-jung, vice chief of the National Security Office, stepped down Monday amid allegations on his misconduct while teaching at a top Seoul university. Cheong Wa Dae cited his failing health due to overwork as the main reason behind his resignation, saying he is currently in a hospital. But there have been rumors that the political science professor at Yonsei University has been accused of sexual misbehavior over which some civic women’s rights groups have expressed opposition to his appointme

South Korean stocks traded nearly flat throughout the session to close slightly lower Monday as major blue chips traded in mixed terrain, analysts said. The Korean won rose against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 3.1 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,368.62. Trade volume was moderate at 322 million shares worth 5.1 trillion won ($4.56 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 469 to 358.Despite the overall sluggish trade, the KOSPI reached 2,376.83 at one point, s

Citigroup Inc., a New York-based global investment banking and financial services company, won't withdraw its operations from South Korea, Citibank Korea's chief said.Citibank Korea "is here to stay and continue investments as necessary to achieve sustainable growth in Korea," Chief Executive Park Jin-hei said Friday in a message to Citibank Korea employees.There has been market speculation that Citigroup was taking steps to exit from the country when Citibank Korea reduced the number

South Korea's diplomatic tensions with China may weigh heavily on their upcoming talks on extending the bilateral currency swap deal, South Korea's central bank said Monday.China has taken a series of economic retaliations against South Korea, including a ban on group tours to South Korea, in protest of the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system in South Korea.Some South Koreans are concerned that the diplomatic tensions could jeopardize the currency swap agreement, although Beijing

South Korea will fine-tune their preparation for a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier when they face Iraq in a friendly this week.South Korea, led by head coach Uli Stielike, will take on Iraq at the 5,200-capacity Emirates Club Stadium in Ras Al Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates, at 9 p.m. Wednesday (local time), or 2 a.m. Thursday in Seoul.This match is a tune-up for South Korea's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Doha on June 13. With three matches remaining in the final Asian quali