US demands $1 bil. for protecting South Korea

The United States has demanded South Korea pay $1 billion (1.12 trillion won) in annual defense costs sharing, as its final proposal after months of negotiations on the issue, according to officials, Wednesday. South Korea flatly rejected the demand, maintaining its position that it cannot pay more than one trillion won.

Controversial religious group uses K-pop boom for overseas recruiting

The local Christian community alleged Wednesday that a controversial religious group has been using the international K-pop boom to increase its members, urging believers to stay alert not to be duped by the “heretical” group.

Rodong Sinmun hits US for demanding Korea pay bigger share in USFK costs

North Korea is using a tug-of-war between the U.S. and South Korea over sharing costs for the presence of the 28,500 personnel of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) as leverage to strengthen its argument that the South should unite with the North to fight against foreign powers.North Korea's party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun on Wednesday published an editorial titled "the intention behind the demand to increase defense costs," where it said the U.S. is not treating the South as its ally. It said the U.S. is only pursuing its own interests while hampering the progress of peace talks between the two Koreas.

Lawmaker in hot seat over 'I love Japan' T-shirt

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker Keum Tae-sup is caught in a controversy for wearing an “I love Japan” T-shirt. The prosecutor-turned-lawmaker posted Tuesday a captured image of an exchange with an unknown person via Facebook chat. A netizen first sent him a message asking Keum whether he has Japanese ancestry using an ethnic slur, while showing a picture of him wearing a T-shirt with the phrase “I love Japan” on it.

Seoul Museum opens new wing

Seoul Museum in Buam-dong, north of downtown Seoul, opened a new wing celebrating its seventh anniversary and revealed masterpieces of Korean modern art from Kim Whan-ki and Lee U-fan at the inaugural exhibition.Ahn Byung-gwang, CEO of Union Pharmacy and owner of the museum, took on the challenge of a new career by curating the "Walking Man" exhibit with artworks from the museum's collection. Seoul Museum's collection is based on the CEO's private collection, which began some 36 years ago when Ahn was a 26-year-old salesman inspired by Lee Jung-seob's "Bull."

Pompeo upbeat about talks with North Korea

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the recent working-level denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang, raising hopes for “another good marker” to come shortly, Pompeo said on the sidelines of an annual economic forum in Switzerland, Tuesday (local time).“There remains an awful lot of work to do, but good things have happened already,” he said during the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Pernod Ricard Korea moving to axe jobs

Pernod Ricard Korea (PRK) is moving to cut more than half of its 220-member workforce, drawing strong protest from employees who vow to fight it to the last, according to the company union Wednesday.

SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus to disappoint investors on lackluster profits

SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus have been forecast to post substandard performances in the fourth quarter of 2018 amid falling profitability in the wireless communications business, according to industry analysts Wednesday.

Court to decide on arrest warrant for former Supreme Court chief

A Seoul court will hold a hearing Wednesday to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae over a massive power abuse scandal involving the country's top court. Yang, 71, is due to appear at the Seoul Central District Court for a 10:30 a.m. hearing. Prosecutors filed for his arrest warrant last Friday. The former top court chief from 2011-2017 stands accused of using or seeking to use trials as political leverage to lobby the office of then-President Park Geun-hye to get her approval for the establishment of a separate court of appeals, his pet project.

Fishing festival under fire for animal abuse

Several petitions have been posted on Cheong Wa Dae's website calling for the abolishment of fishing festivals or at least an improvement of the programs, which they labeled as mere “slaughter.” The main target is the Hwacheon Sancheoneo (trout) Ice Festival, which has become one of the most popular winter festivals drawing more than 1.5 million visitors every year.

Gov't to conduct artificial rain experiment to reduce fine dust

The government plans to try inducing artificial rain in the West Sea later this week as an experimental attempt to reduce fine dust that has become a major health threat here. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and the Ministry of Environment plan to carry out the joint experiment Friday, in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and China, as a large portion of fine dust is believed to come from the mainland.

Moon marks 67th birthday on Thursday

Cheong Wa Dae said Moon - born on Jan. 24, 1953, in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province - will have low-key celebrations with his family, like he did last year.

'Seoul's participation in Stockholm talks is big progress'

South Korea's participation in trilateral talks aimed at narrowing differences over North Korea's nuclear issues held last week in Stockholm, Sweden, was “big progress” in terms of advancing nuclear disarmament dialogue, a presidential adviser on foreign affairs and national security said.

Number of foreign tourists to Korea up 15% in 2018

The number of foreigners who arrived in South Korea jumped 15 percent in 2018 from a year earlier due to a base effect after visits by Chinese tourists plunged in 2017, the local tourism promotion agency in Seoul said Wednesday. A total of 15.34 million foreigners visited South Korea last year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).

China demands US drop Huawei extradition request with Canada

China on Tuesday demanded the U.S. drop a request that Canada extradite a top executive of the tech giant Huawei, shifting blame to Washington in a case that has severely damaged Beijing's relations with Ottawa. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Meng Wanzhou's case was out of the ordinary and Canada's extradition treaty with the U.S. infringed on the ``safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens.''

'Korea's rapid change poses great challenges to foreign firms'

Today's Korea presents a unique set of challenges to foreign firms, thanks to a changing business environment, so they should understand the market better if they want to prosper in one of the world's most-vibrant economies, says a noted lawyer who has long advised foreign firms. In a speech Wednesday, Hwang Ju-myung, chairman of HMP Law, first talked about Korea's history of compressed development and its side effects.

Korean traditional medicine: The Asian way of well-being [VIDEO]

Oriental medicine is always exotic and interesting to those from different cultures. In Seoul, there is a special area where you can smell the stinging aroma of herbs hanging in the air along your way - the Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Market.

Dumplings, pizza most popular ready-made foods in Korea: data

Around 60 percent of South Korean households purchased ready-made food over the past year, with dumplings and pizza being the most popular, data showed Wednesday. According to the findings by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the two dishes were the most popular ready-made food products, followed by instant noodles and gimbap, a rice roll in sheets of dried seaweed.

Sohn Hye-won pledges to donate lacquerware collection

Rep. Sohn Hye-won pledged to donate her entire collection of traditional lacquerware to the local government as part of a move to “prove” her innocence amid growing suspicions of her central role in speculative property investments in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province. The former Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker held a press conference in Mokpo and said “I will donate a collection of lacquerware made between the 17th and 21st centuries, which I collected to open a museum, to Mokpo City or South Jeolla Province.”

Korean-American educator links 'similar different' students over Pacific

Alice Lee, the principal at Richmond Street School, played a key role in making it happen. And the first visible outcome of her one-year endeavor was a group of Cheongwon Elementary School students visiting her school on a five-day exchange tour early this month.

Seoul denies report US blocking provision of Tamiflu to North Korea

South Korea's unification ministry dismissed a media report Wednesday that the United States has put the brakes on its planned provision of Tamiflu antiviral medication to North Korea. A local daily newspaper reported that the U.S. expressed reservations about Seoul's move to send 200,000 doses of Tamiflu to North Korea during their recent working group session on the North.

NongHyup zeroes in on digital

NongHyup Financial Group will aim to hire 1,000 data scientists to develop a “total data platform” by 2020, according to the holding company, Wednesday. The platform will be accessible for use by all its subsidiaries so they can provide distinct services tailored to customers' needs, it added. To this end, it will seek to build a center that will focus on researching and developing digital products and services with the group's strong pool of data scientists, engineers and bankers.

Korean worker in Indonesia found dead

A South Korean man working in Indonesia was found dead at his home earlier this week, apparently murdered, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday. The man in his 50s had participated in the construction of a plant in the southern region of Kalimantan. When discovered on Monday, his body was dotted with wounds.

'Bikini Climber' freezes to death

Taiwanese rescue teams were trying Tuesday to retrieve the body of a dead hiker who became famous on social media for taking selfies on top of mountain peaks dressed in a bikini. Gigi Wu -- dubbed the "Bikini Climber" by fans -- used a satellite phone on Saturday to tell friends she had fallen down a ravine in Taiwan's Yushan national park and badly injured herself.

Russia, Japan make no visible progress on territorial spat

The leaders of Russia and Japan acknowledged Tuesday that settling a decades-long territorial dispute poses a daunting challenge but vowed to continue negotiations. The Soviet Union took the four southernmost Kuril Islands during the final days of World War II. Japan asserts territorial rights to the islands, which it calls the Northern Territories, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty.

Singer Chris Brown released in Paris after rape complaint

U.S. singer Chris Brown and two other people were released Tuesday from police custody after a woman filed a rape complaint against them, the Paris prosecutor's office said. The Grammy-winning singer was detained Monday with two other suspects on potential charges of aggravated rape and drug infractions.