NATO helicopters end 5-hour siege against armed suicide bombersKABUL (AFP) ― Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen attacked a top Kabul hotel, sparking a five-hour battle with Afghan commandos backed by a NATO helicopter in an assault that left at least 10 people dead Wednesday.Red tracer bullets arced through the night sky around the hilltop Inter-Continental Hotel, whose faded grandeur frequently p

Young South Koreans learn the best from computers and the Internet according to a survey of 15 year-olds in 19 countries, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Monday. The OECD, which groups 34 of the world’s most advanced economies, tested the digital literacy of students in 16 member countries as well as Colombia and the Chinese cities of Hong Kong and Macao as part o

Ministry seeks to hold nationwide academic tests onlineThick textbooks weighing on students’ shoulders may disappear in four years. The government seeks to convert all paper textbooks into digital versions by 2015, the Education Ministry said Wednesday.Using smartphones, tablet PCs and smart televisions, school students of all ages will be able to view the content of existing textbooks, ministry o

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs on Wednesday held a ceremony marking the ninth anniversary of a naval skirmish between the two Koreas, which resulted in several casualties on both sides.Some 2,000 people, including top military officials and members of the bereaved families, attended the ceremony at the Navy’s Second Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. Prime Minister Kim

The two Koreas held a rare meeting over a stalled joint tourism project at the North’s mountain resort, but little was discussed due to North Korean officials’ careless attitude, Seoul officials said Wednesday.Twelve government officials and company representatives from Seoul returned to the South Korean side, crossing the heavily fortified border Wednesday afternoon after holding brief talks with

One person died and several others are assumed injured after a landslide caused by rain that hit the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday.Scores of buildings were inundated by up to 170 millimeters of rain while traffic accidents have been reported in the center of the country. According to Seoul City authorities, a landslide took place near the Choansan Station construction site in Nowon-gu, northern Se

Demographic shift adds urgency to the need for reformThis is the third and last installment of a three-part series looking into problems in Korea’s tertiary education ― Ed. Earlier this month, professors at Sunghwa College received 136,000 won as their salary and a text message that the rest would be wired once the institution collected tuition fees from students. The college, where about 1,200 st

SK Innovation’s oil platform in operation at an offshore mining area in Vietnam. (SK Group)Local firms look for opportunities for old and new businesses abroadFaced with a fast saturating domestic market, local firms have increasingly been seeking growth in overseas markets.For some, such as Hyundai Motor Group, overseas expansion has been an extension of their main businesses.Others, such as SK