SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- The president's pick for chief auditor gave up his nomination on Wednesday after being pounded for a nine-digit salary that he received from a law firm and his role in a prosecution probe that had implicated the president.Chung Tong-ki, a former senior prosecutor, stepped down 12 days after President Lee Myung-bak named him on Dec. 31 to head the Board of Audit and Inspe

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates Tuesday called on North Korea to impose a moratorium on nuclear and missile testing to help revive international dialogue deadlocked for two years over the North's provocations.Speaking to reporters in Beijing after meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Gates also said that North Korea's missiles and nuclear weapons will pose a threat to the U.

CES dominated by new models of 3-D televisions, tablet PCs and upgraded smartphonesLAS VEGAS ― The world’s largest technology tradeshow bore witness to several major technology trends that can be summed up as: 3-D vision and “smart” devices.Top electronics firms showcased upgraded 3-D televisions that promised to become more comfortable living room features by becoming bigger, yet thinner, and mor

The South Korean legislature is expected to pass a bill next month that would lower the legal adult age from the current 20 to 19 to reflect rapid social changes and global trends, parliamentary and judicial officials said Wednesday.The bill, set to become effective as of July 1, 2013, will allow Koreans to engage in legally binding activities without parental consent when they reach 19 years of a

Concert promoter seeks to make gig-going cheaper, add style to Korean indie showsExpats often complain about the lack of bands that tour Korea, but one Californian has stepped up to change that.The Korean scene has often largely been limited to huge imports but little else. When smaller bands do come the price is usually inflated ― Kings of Convenience last year cost 77,000-88,000 won.Sean Maylone

Generals are still too attached to decorations, outfitsWithdrawing the plan to detach the star-studded plates from military generals’ sedans has prompted concerns over whether the top brass’ reform drive is eroding.At the beginning of this year, the Army leadership asked generals to remove the plates ― a longtime symbol of their pride and authority ― displaying its strong resolve to revamp the mil

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― NASA has spotted a tiny, rocky planet about the size of Earth doing a speedy orbit of a star outside our solar system, but its scorching temperatures are too hot for life, the space agency said Monday.The exoplanet, named Kepler-10b, is the smallest-ever planet discovered outside our solar system, and was located by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft.It is about 1.4 times the size of Eart

Jealous husband kills 3, then himselfA 74-year-old Italian man went on a shooting spree -- killing two neighbors, his wife and finally himself -- apparently motivated by jealousy. Carlo Trabona suspected his 72-year-old wife had been having an affair with one of the neighbors, who were brothers, and shot them both, the Telegraph reported Monday. The Telegraph quoted an Italian media outlet as repo

Koo scores brace as Korea trips Bahrain to open Asian CupKorean national team manager Cho Kwang-rae praised midfielder Koo Ja-cheol after watching his side’s 2-1 win over Bahrain in their Asian Cup group match Monday at the Al Gharafa Stadium in Doha, Qatar.The 22-year-old Jeju United player was the hero of the night. Koo not only scored a brace to claim the victory, but was instrumental throughou

The Czech Republic Embassy in Korea has set up a book of condolences in memory of former Czechoslovak Foreign Minister Jiri Dienstbier, who was a key player behind the establishment of diplomatic relations between Czechoslovakia and South Korea.Dienstbier was the first post-communist and democratic minister of foreign affairs of Czechoslovakia as well as the leading personality of the Czechoslovak