The age of legal adulthood is to be lowered from the current 20 to 19 under a revised civil law bill, officials said Wednesday.The bill, which was passed by the parliamentary Legislation and Judiciary Committee last month, is expected to be approved at a plenary session of the National Assembly next month, they said.When the revision takes effect in July 2013, young adults the age of 19 will be ab

General-level officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force are expected to equally share key decision-making posts at the Defense Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff by the end of next year, a government source said Wednesday.The move is aimed at enhancing interoperability among the three armed services and addressing the Army’s dominance in the military’s decision-making processes, which has lon

A ruling party lawmaker is planning to submit to parliament three revision bills this week that would offer more independence to the Marine Corps, which was merged into the Navy in 1973.The move comes as the need for the Marines’ independence from the Navy has been voiced following North Korea’s artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island in November that killed two marines and two civilians. Rep. Chung

The prosecution Wednesday requested an arrest warrant for former National Police Agency Commissioner-General Kang Hee-rak for receiving kickbacks from a contractor in exchange for influence-peddling. The investigators summoned former Korea Coast Guard head Lee Gil-bum on similar suspicions which allegedly involve several high-ranking police officials and politicians. According to officials at the

The price of regular unleaded gasoline topped 1,800 won ($1.5) per liter in all metropolitan cities and provinces nationwide as of Tuesday, the state-run Korea National Oil Corp. said Wednesday. It is the first time that such a phenomenon has been seen since August 2008. The average gasoline price per liter in North Jeolla province remained under 1,800 won until Tuesday when it marked 1800.64 won,

U.S.-based researchers have succeeded in developing blood platelets on a large scale using human embryonic stem cells, paving the way for the mass production of artificial blood.The research conducted by U.S. biotechnology firm Advanced Cell Technology and Korea’s Cha Medical Group’s U.S. unit reported the research in life sciences journal “Cell Research.“The development, which has been successful

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― A human rights group here on Tuesday urged U.S. President Barack Obama to press China to stop repatriating North Korean refugees.“We urgently request that during your meetings next week with President Hu Jintao ... that you request China to end its current policy of repatriating North Korean refugees back to North Korea,” Suzanne Scholte, chairwoman of the North Korea Fr

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on 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

North Korea reopened its Red Cross hotline with South Korea at their joint truce village Wednesday as promised, an official said, as the communist state continues to appeal for talks with Seoul in an apparent bid to draw much-needed assistance.Liaison officials of the two countries made their first contact in nearly eight months on the hotline installed at Panmunjeom, a Unification Ministry offici

LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday it aims to post $10 billion in global air conditioner sales in 2013, a goal that is forecast to propel the consumer electronics giant’s growth in the international market.“LG Electronics hopes to post $10 billion in global air conditioner sales in 2013,” said Nho Hwan-yong, head of the air conditioner business, in a press conference.The company also aims to sell