The Korea Herald

Gunman opens fire in Estonian ministry

Aug 11, 2011

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A gunman opened fire inside Estonia's Defense Ministry and tried to take hostages on Thursday, but he apparently was shot and killed by police who stormed the building, an official said.The attacker entered the ministry in downtown Tallinn at midday, threw a smoke bomb,
U.S. stocks rise on small but positive economic signs

Aug 11, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street's wildest week since 2008 continued with another 300-point move for the Dow on Thursday. This time, stocks shot up after investors saw small signs that the economy isn't headed into another recession.Fewer Americans joined the unemployment line last week and a techn
US stock futures fall again after another big drop

Aug 11, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. stock futures fell Thursday, following European markets lower and a day after another big drop on Wall Street.Worries have focused on the health of European banks, particularly those in France, this week. France's central bank said Thursday that the country's banks are solid an
10 killed as Syria army storms new towns

World NewsAug 11, 2011

DAMASCUS, (AFP) - Syrian forces killed at least 10 people Thursday, including seven as they stormed another two towns in pursuit of anti-regime protesters, defying Western calls for action after a "chilling" UN Security Council briefing. The killings occurred soon after columns of tanks
Afghan president will not seek third term

World NewsAug 11, 2011

KABUL, (AFP) - President Hamid Karzai, who has been the only leader in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion brought down the Taliban, will not seek a third term in office, his palace said Thursday.　“The constitution of Afghanistan does not allow anyone to run for the presidency for more than t
North Korea mulls family reunions for Korean-Americans

NationalAug 11, 2011

　North Korea says it is considering allowing Korean-Americans to be reunited with their separated families in the North.　A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday that the United States recently proposed discussing the issue through Red Cross and other channels.　The unidentified spokes
Four found dead in apparent group suicide

Social affairsAug 11, 2011

Two men and two women were found dead in a studio apartment in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, on Thursday in an apparent group suicide. The four people in their 20s seem to have inhaled toxic fumes after burning coal briquettes inside the room with all windows and doors sealed with plastic sh
Stocks strengthen for second day

Aug 11, 2011

The nation’s stock market saw gains for the second consecutive day amid emerging investor sentiment that the Korean economy is not critically exposed to external woes.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed by 11.2 points from a day before to close at 1,817.44 though the index plunged during t
Cyworld, Nate hacker used IP in China

Social affairsAug 11, 2011

A hacking attack last week on SK Communications, which resulted in the country’s largest-ever theft of personal information of 35 million Korean internet users, originated from China, police here said Thursday. The National Police Agency found that the unidentified hacker extracted the information f
Committee backpedals on savings banks compensation

PoliticsAug 11, 2011

While seeking a tie-up regarding the state investigation on the collapse of savings banks, rival parties disputed the range of the compensation for victims.It was reported Tuesday that the parliamentary committee on the savings banks decided to fully compensate all losses within the maximum range of
Hacking sparks debate over online real-name system

PoliticsAug 11, 2011

In the wake of the recent massive leaks of personal information from major portals, attention has been focused on whether or not to abolish the real-name system on the Internet.In a government-ruling party meeting held on Thursday at the National Assembly, the Ministry of Public Administration and S
N.K. says ‘firing’ noise was construction

DefenseAug 11, 2011

S. Korea says no need to respond to Pyongyang’s ‘hackneyed’ claimSouth Korea’s military on Thursday flatly rejected North Korea’s claim that the South mistook construction work blasting for coastal artillery near their tense maritime border the day before.North Korea accused the South of making up a
N. Korea‘s defense minister sidelined in hereditary succession process: official

North KoreaAug 11, 2011

North Korea’s defense chief Kim Yong-chun has been sidelined in the country’s ongoing hereditary succession process due to apparent tensions between his loyalists and supporters of the heir-apparent, Kim Jong-un, a senior South Korean ruling party official said Thursday.Kim, the minister of the Nort
Think tank says unification could cost $229 billion

PoliticsAug 11, 2011

The initial costs for the integration of South and North Korea could vary from 55 trillion won ($50 billion) to 249 trillion won ($229 billion) if the two neighbors are unified two decades from now, a South Korean state-run institute estimated Thursday.The costs are projected to cover the first year
U.S. sanctions Syrian bank for ties with N.K.

North KoreaAug 11, 2011

WASHINGTON ― The U.S. government announced Wednesday that it has imposed sanctions on a Syrian state-owned bank due to its involvement in North Korea’s proliferation activities.The Treasury Department said the Commercial Bank of Syria has provided financial services to North Korea’s Tanchon Commerci