The Korean Embassy in Washington was found to have commissioned a U.S. lobbying firm named West Wing Writers to draft President Lee Myung-bak’s speeches during his visit to Washington last month.According to data disclosed under a U.S. law, the embassy paid about $46,500 (51.8 million won) to the firm to write Lee’s speeches to the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, during the welcoming ceremony at the White House, the state dinner and a luncheon hosted by the U.S. State Department.The

South Korea and Japan will hold a biennial joint naval exercise this weekend to promote military exchanges and friendship, the Navy here said Monday.The Navy and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force will hold their seventh annual Search and Rescue Exercise, or SAREX, this Saturday and Sunday. The exercise will be held off the east coast of Busan, some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The first SAREX was held in 1999.“The exercise is designed to develop the joint response between the Navy and th

The ruling Grand National Party on Monday renewed its resolve to vote on the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement with the key parliamentary plenary session scheduled for Thursday after weeks of political wrangling over the ratification bill.“The Korea-U.S. FTA is a matter of national interest and of paramount importance; we can no longer tolerate the opposition’s approach (to the FTA) out of partisan interests,” GNP spokesman Kim Ki-hyun said in a briefing after the party’s supreme council meeting M

Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Rep. Choi Kyung-hee of the ruling Grand National Party asked Koreans living in the U.S. to vote for GNP candidates in the general elections scheduled for April 11. It is against the law to urge voters to support a party in an election ahead of the official campaign period.The investigators have e-mailed those who attended a meeting of Koreans in Los Angeles in June to find out exactly what Choi said there. “We are still waiting for replies from them

Comparisons with Clarence Thomas began as soon as Herman Cain announced he was running for president as a Republican. Now, Cain is having his own Anita Hill moment.Two women reportedly accused Cain of sexual harassment when he ran the National Restaurant Association from 1996 to 1999. Apparently, the unidentified women were paid settlements, though association officials had not confirmed that. The New York Times reported that one woman received $35,000, which was a year’s salary.An attorney for

CAIRO ― The massive crowds of rebellious youths have long since left Tahrir Square, which is jammed again with honking cars and trucks stuck in endless gridlock.Egypt’s revolution is stuck in gridlock, too, trapped by a standoff between seculars and Islamists. The Egyptian military is worsening the tensions. As elections approach, the generals are trying to ensure they will continue their dominant role even after the voting.Why have things gone so wrong? I asked three leaders of the Tahrir revol

Following is an interview with Henry Kissinger, former U.S. secretary of state. He spoke with Global Viewpoint Network editor Nathan Gardels on Nov. 3. ― Ed.Nathan Gardels: Senior Chinese strategist Zheng Bijian has recently moved on from his doctrine of “peaceful rise” ― a defensive posture which he proposed as a way of saying China is not a threat to the world ― to a doctrine of global engagement: “expanding the convergence of interests to build a community of interests.”Do you see this conver

I’m on a trip to China this month, and it’s coinciding with some Middle Kingdom soul-searching about what Chinese people owe one another. In an age of “golden collar” workers made rich in the new economy, the Chinese are struggling to locate their social conscience. To move to the next level of development, the government needs to do the same. It’s an important sign that even as China’s leadership continues to censor the Internet, it’s allowing online safety valves to let off steam. The authorit

Korea’s Fair Trade Commission launched a probe into major footwear makers including Reebok, Ellesse and New Balance over ads allegedly exaggerating the shoes’ therapeutic benefits.According to the local press on Monday, the FTC has embarked on a comprehensive investigation of 11 shoemakers in Korea to check whether they put out exaggerated ads. “The FTC is currently collecting marketing, sales and product data from local shoemakers,” an industry source was quoted as saying. The crackdown comes a

GM Korea launched its sales of the Malibu, a midsize sedan of Chevrolet series, in the local market a week ago.Though the company is pinning hope on the Malibu for its goal to grab more than 10 percent of the Korean market, data showed that the sedan fell behind the similar sedans of major competitors in terms of fuel efficiency, engine performance and price competitiveness.According to each company’s data for sales at dealerships, the gasoline-fueled Malibu with an engine capacity of 2.0 liters

Despite low rates, time deposits at banks rise sharply in OctoberThe growing uncertainties in the global financial market has resulted in a sharp rise in Korea’s short-term capital seeking new investment channels, data showed on Monday. The increased liquidity, which is yet to be invested in appropriate vehicles, comes together with a ballooning of time deposits at major banks despite low interest rates. The twin growth of short-terms funds and outstanding term deposits underscores the dearth of