Today   Diplomatic Circuit

[Diplomatic circuit] UAE celebrates 48th National Day with positive outlook on bilateral ties

The UAE Embassy in Seoul celebrated the 48th National Day and noted that bilateral cooperation between the both countries has increased considerably in the last decade from a strategic partnership in 2009 to a special strategic partnership last year, a top Emirati diplomat in Seoul said.“With regard to the bilateral relations with the friendly Republic of Korea, the ties witnessed significant progress over the past decade. … As a result, the existing fields of cooperation have expan

Today   Diplomatic Circuit

[Diplomatic circuit] EU envoy urges Seoul to pass revision on personal information

South Korea’s parliament should promptly pass an amendment on personal information protection to comply with EU regulations, European Union’s top diplomat in Seoul urged last week. The revised Personal Information Protection Act is one of three bills on big data regulations pending at the National Assembly.In May 2018, the EU implemented the General Data Protection Regulation stipulating stricter oversight to protection personal information of EU residents, fining companies that fail

Today   Diplomatic Circuit

[Diplomatic circuit] Kuwait Investment authority, Citibank host forum for Korean firms

Kuwait’s state-run Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority and Citibank Korea jointly held the Korea-Kuwait Investment Forum last week to offer information for companies seeking to foray into the Middle East country.“Potential and current Korean companies there received critical information about the Kuwaiti market, regulations and laws, new business opportunities and successful case studies,” an official said. The forum was a part of KDIPA’s international roadshow a

Today   North Korea

US always open to talks with N. Korea: Esper

The United States is always open to talks with North Korea, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said, amid growing concern that the communist nation could restart testing of long-range missiles or nuclear weapons amid stalled talks with Washington.Esper made the remarks during an interview with Fox News aired Sunday (Washington time) when asked what the US would do if North Korea resumes nuclear testing, following a recent statement from the North's UN ambassador that denuclearization is off the negoti

Today   Defense

US flies spy plane over S. Korea's capital areas: aviation tracker

The United States flew a surveillance plane over South Korea's capital areas, an aviation tracker said Monday, amid heightened tensions in the wake of North Korea's announcement it conducted a "very important test" at its satellite launch site.The US RC-135W Rivet Joint was spotted flying over the Korean Peninsula at 31,000 feet, Aircraft Spots said on its Twitter account without specifying the exact time of the operation.The latest flight came after North Korea said it carried out &qu

Today   North Korea

Trump warns N. Korea could lose 'everything' with hostile acts

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could lose "everything" if he acts in a hostile manner, sending a clear warning to the regime to refrain from provocations such as nuclear and missile tests.Trump sent the tweet as the two countries have exchanged heated rhetoric over their stalled negotiations on dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.Earlier Sunday, North Korea said it had conducted an unexplained "very important te

Dec 8, 2019   Politics

[Newsmaker] Centrist third party on course to split

Minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, formed in February last year to challenge the bipartisan establishment, is on the verge of splitting.The party’s meeting for “nonpartisan initiative” has launched a committee to prepare for the formation of a new party with “a centrist reform agenda.”Heading the committee is Rep. Ha Tae-keung, a conservative politician who helped integrate factions supporting two former third-party presidential candidates, Ahn Cheol-soo and Yoo Se

Dec 8, 2019   Social affairs

Filipino Korean children celebrate 70th anniversary of S. Korea-Philippines ties

Filipino Korean children staged a musical Sunday commemorating the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations between South Korea and the Philippines.Performed bilingually in Korean and Tagalog, the musical was an adaptation of Korean folktale “Heungbu and Nolbu” dating back to the late Joseon era.  The show staged at CJ Azit Auditorium in Jongno, central Seoul, was directed by Cherish Maningat, a Filipina stage actress based in Korea, and choreographed by Park Eun-hee.“We ha

Dec 8, 2019   Social affairs

Korean Chinese still largest group of foreign residents in S. Korea

Korean Chinese make up the largest group of registered foreign residents in the country, especially in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, the latest official data showed Sunday.Meanwhile, in Daejeon and on Jeju Island, Chinese people without Korean ancestry accounted for the biggest number of registered residents.According to the Korea Immigration Service, of 1,274,775 registered foreigners here, which counts foreign residents on long-term visas, but not F-4 visa holders, Chinese nationals of Korean e

Dec 8, 2019   Politics

Speaker to put election, prosecution reform bills to vote this week

Hotly contested fast-tracked bills -- including election and prosecutorial reforms -- will be put to a vote during the parliament’s plenary session Monday and Tuesday.  However, as the main opposition Liberty Korea Party is expected to stage a filibuster to block voting on the bills, they are most likely to be put to a vote Wednesday, when the parliament convenes a special session.South Korea’s parliamentary law stipulates that bills blocked from being put to a vote via filibust

Dec 8, 2019   North Korea

North Korea intensifies pressure on US as it tries to exact concessions

Pyongyang announces conducting ‘very important test’ -- likely engine test for ICBM

Dec 8, 2019   Social affairs

[Newsmaker] Leader of drug-trafficking ring gets 9-year prison term in appeals trial

The Seoul High Court on Sunday sentenced the leader of South Korea's largest drug-trafficking syndicate to nine years in prison for distributing about 730,000 doses of methamphetamine smuggled from Taiwan.The 63-year-old leader, identified by his surname, Yoon, and an accomplice, surnamed Woo, 53, were charged with distributing 22 kilograms of methamphetamine. That amount was part of a total of 112 kg of methamphetamine smuggled by a Taiwanese crime ring in July and August last year. Woo was sen

Dec 8, 2019   North Korea

N. Korea says it has conducted 'very important test' at satellite launching site

North Korea said Sunday that it has conducted a "very important test" at its western satellite launching site, saying that the test's results will alter its "strategic position" going forward.The claim came days after news reports that the North's Sohae satellite launching station, also known as Donchang-ri site, had shown signs that could suggest the communist nation is preparing for a missile engine test.The site has been used to launch satellite-carrying long-range rockets

Dec 8, 2019   Foreign Affairs

Historical documents show Japan's role in sex slaves: Kyodo

TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's army during World War II asked the government to provide one sex slave for every 70 soldiers, according to historical documents reviewed by Kyodo News service that highlight the state role in the so-called "comfort women" system. The 23 documents were gathered by Japan's Cabinet Secretariat between April 2017 and March 2019, including 13 classified dispatches from the Japanese consulates in China to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo dating back to 1938, according to K