North Korea proposed joint inter-Korean cooperation in dealing with the naming dispute over the East Sea in which a South Korean organization responded positively, an official said Friday.   The North sent a notification on Wednesday that historians of the two Koreas join hands in coping with the naming dispute of the East Sea, a government official said.   Upon the request, the South's Northeast

Immigrants married to Koreans will be granted a new type of visa as early as September to better support their settlement here, officials at the Justice Ministry said Friday.The ministry is also seeking to ease rules on visa issuance for foreign businesspeople to attract more investment and create jobs.The ministry put on public notice a series of revision plans pertaining to the immigration law o

China’s chief nuclear envoy said Friday he plans to visit North Korea to coordinate efforts to revive six-party talks on the North, wrapping up a South Korean visit that coincided with a trip to Pyongyang by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.Speaking to Yonhap News Agency before departing for China, Wu Dawei, however, said he did not yet have a specific timetable for his visit to North Korea, the

Former President Roh Tae-woo had an acupuncture needle removed from his lung on Thursday, Seoul National University Hospital confirmed Friday. The hospital refused to elaborate on how or when the needle penetrated Roh’s lung, which caused the 78-year-old former state leader to check into the hospital two days earlier. “The 6.5 centimeter-long material had a small part of ‘handle’ which is used in

One out of four foreign workers under the employment permit system whose visa has expired has become an illegal sojourner, the government revealed Friday.Tougher regulations are expected but some experts said it was time to consider guaranteeing permanent residency for some skillful workers.According to the ministries of employment and labor and justice, the number of people whose E-9 visas expire

MOSCOW, (AFP) - The reclusive Russian maths genius who solved one of the world's most perplexing mysteries said in a rare interview Thursday that he began his training by figuring out how Jesus walked on water.Grigory Perelman shot to international fame by solving the seemingly intractable Poincare conjecture and then turning down the million-dollar prize awarded in the mathematics world's version

Despite a zeal for English proficiency among Koreans, their average TOEFL scores ranked 80th among 163 countries last year, down from 71st in 2009.According to data from the Educational Testing Services, which administers the English language test, Koreans’ scores averaged 81. In 2009 they had the same average score, but their standing came in 71st among 157 countries. The Netherlands topped the l

A Spanish family court has ordered a 25-year-old man to leave home and get a job, dismissing a suit he filed against his parents for “no allowance.”The plaintiff, whose name has not been revealed, sued his parents for cutting off his allowance of $587, according to the Think Spain.Judge Jose Luis Utrera said that despite the soaring unemployment in Spain he is still capable of finding a job, and t

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on Thursday proposed holding a summit meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said in Seoul following a three-day trip to the communist state."He specifically told us that he is prepared for a summit meeting directly with President Lee Myung-bak at any time to discuss any subject directly between the two heads of state,"

The Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee of the National Assembly passed the long-stalled Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement on Thursday as rival parties compromised to cut taxes for small livestock farms.The agreement will now be forwarded to the plenary session on Friday and, if approved, will take effect this July.During the panel session, government officials reported their preventive measures to sa