China's chief nuclear envoy, who arrived in Seoul on Sunday for talks with key South Korean officials on the North, said Beijing will faithfully carry out the upcoming U.N. resolution aimed at imposing stronger sanctions on Pyongyang.Wu Dawei held his first meeting with his South Korean counterpart Hwang Joon-kook Sunday afternoon before holding talks with Seoul's foreign minister a day later, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His visit is aimed at coordinating the countries' respons

North Korea Feb. 28, 2016

A light aircraft crashed at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul, sources said Sunday, killing two on board after losing communication shortly after takeoff.Firefighters said the plane crashed in a field within airport grounds around 6:32 p.m., killing the only two people aboard, including the pilot.Seoul Regional Office of Aviation said the cause of the crash has not been identified. The plane belongs to Halla Sky, a local pilot school.Other flights at the airport are operating as sched

Social Affairs Feb. 28, 2016

Unionists of Lotte Duty Free on Monday urged Finance Minister nominee Yoo Il-ho to extend the state license to continue operating its Jamsil store in southeast Seoul for another five years from the scheduled shutdown in June. Lotte lost the bid in November after the Korea Customs Service, a Finance Ministry affiliate, slashed the validity of the license to five years from the previous 10 years. Though the company promised job security for all 1,100 regular and temporary workers at the Jamsil sto

Industry Jan. 11, 2016

The South Korean government said Tuesday it repatriated three North Korean fishermen who were rescued in the East Sea this week."Our Coast Guard found a North Korean boat drifting in the East Sea and rescued three crew members there," the unification ministry said in a release."We handed them over to the North at around 6:50 p.m. today through the truce village of Panmunjeom, as they all expressed their wish to return home," it added. The boat, which departed from the North's port city of Wonsan

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2015

South Korea's No. 2 diplomats met with victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery Tuesday to seek their understanding over a controversial deal aimed at ending the two countries' dispute over the crime.On Monday, Seoul and Tokyo reached a breakthrough agreement that centers on Japan's admission of responsibility for the atrocity and plans to pay reparations to the victims.Some of the victims, who are euphemistically called "comfort women," immediately denounced the deal as a political collusion b

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2015

SYDNEY (AP) _ More than 100 houses were destroyed by a Christmas Day wildfire that tore through a stretch of coastline popular with tourists in southern Australia, forcing thousands to flee their homes, officials said Saturday.Cooler weather and light rain on Saturday eased the immediate threat from the blaze along Victoria state's scenic Great Ocean Road, but officials warned that it could continue burning for weeks.No one was killed or injured in the fire, said Victoria Emergency Management Co

World Dec. 26, 2015

BEIRUT (AP) _ One month before peace talks are scheduled to begin between the Syrian government and opposition rebel groups, a Syrian airstrike killed a top rebel commander in the outskirts Damascus, according to activist groups and the Syrian government. Zahran Allouch, the founder of the Saudi-backed Army of Islam rebel faction, was killed Friday by an airstrike on a meeting of rebel commanders near the Damascus suburb of Otaya, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Right

World Dec. 26, 2015

BEIJING (AP) _ China said Saturday it will not renew press credentials for a French journalist, effectively expelling her following a harsh media campaign against her for questioning the official line equating ethnic violence in the western Muslim region with global terrorism.Expecting the move, Ursula Gauthier, a long-time journalist for the French news magazine L'Obs, said late Friday night she was prepared to leave China.Once she departs on Dec. 31, she will be the first foreign journalist fo

World Dec. 26, 2015

Five mainstream banks in South Korea plan to shut down more than 100 branches next year amid the growing popularity of on-line banking services, industries sources said Saturday.Woori Bank, the No. 2 lender, is moving to close up to 40 of its 958 outlets across the country in 2016 as the financial company seeks to remove less profitable units."It could still change because we have not made a final decision, but about 30 to 40 outlets will be closed down," a bank official said. NH Nonghyup Bank,

Dec. 26, 2015

The Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is expected to start offering loans to foreign countries in the middle of next year, a Chinese state media outlet reported on Saturday.  The AIIB was formally established on Friday and its board of directors will hold its first meeting at an opening ceremony set for Jan. 16-18 next year, according to China's finance ministry.Citing Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei, the state-run China Daily said the AIIB is expected to grant its first

Dec. 26, 2015

TOKYO (AFP) - A Japanese court on Friday ordered camera maker Nikon to pay damages to a South Korean photographer whose Tokyo exhibition on Japanese wartime sex slaves was temporarily cancelled, the company said.The Tokyo District Court ordered Nikon to pay 1.1 million yen ($9,100) to Japan-based cameraman Ahn Sehong, a company spokesman told AFP.Ahn filed a lawsuit in 2012, demanding compensation of 14 million yen, after Nikon abruptly cancelled his event scheduled to be held at Nikon Salon in

Social Affairs Dec. 26, 2015