The Korea Herald

N. Korean man makes rare defection by land to S. Korea

Social affairsFeb 16, 2011

A North Korean man crossed the inter-Korean border and defected to South Korea, a military official said Wednesday. The man in his early 20s passed through the heavily armed border and was spotted by South Korean soldiers patrolling a frontline guard post at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Cheorwon County, some 120 kilometers northeast of Seoul, the official said. North Korean military guard post sta
N. Korean leader's 2nd son seen in Singapore: KBS

North KoreaFeb 16, 2011

Kim Jong-chol, the second son of Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-il, was seen at a concert by world-renowned guitarist Eric Clapton in Singapore, a South Korean broadcaster reported on Tuesday.Kim, dressed in black pants and a T-shirt, was accompanied by some 20 men and women at a concert hall in Singapore on Feb. 14, two days ahead of his father's birthday, according to Korea Broadcasting System (KBS).
Italy's Berlusconi indicted in prostitution probe

PoliticsFeb 16, 2011

MILAN (AP) _ His penchant for beautiful young women has cost him his wife, and now may cost Silvio Berlusconi what he cherishes most: power.The 74-year-old Italian premier was ordered Tuesday to stand trial on charges he paid a 17-year-old Moroccan girl for sex, and then used his influence to cover it up _ an offense that, if proven, could see him barred permanently from public office.Berlusconi h
N. K. unlikely to be affected by Egyptian revolution

North KoreaFeb 16, 2011

Information is so tightly controlled in North Korea that the reclusive communist state will not likely be affected immediately by the evolving social network service that has played a pivotal role in Egypt's popular revolution, an expert said Tuesday. But Andrei Lankov, a professor at Kookmin University in Seoul, did not preclude the possibility of South Korean pop culture penetrating deep into
N. Korean man makes rare defection by land to S. Korea

North KoreaFeb 16, 2011

A North Korean man crossed the inter-Korean border and defected to South Korea, a military official said Wednesday. The man in his early 20s passed through the heavily armed border and was spotted by South Korean soldiers patrolling a frontline guard post at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday in Cheorwon County, some 120 kilometers northeast of Seoul, the official said. A team of military and intelli
South Korea to restrict Christian missionaries in Islamic nations

PoliticsFeb 15, 2011

South Korea is to enact laws to discourage its people from engaging in illegal activities overseas, a move seen by Christian groups here as an attempt to curb missionary work.The South Korean government has been trying to deal with the growing dangers of Christians working as missionaries in Islamic nations, especially after a young missionary was kidnapped and killed by insurgents in Iraq in 2004
S. Korea, U.S. to hold further nuclear cooperation talks

PoliticsFeb 15, 2011

South Korea and the U.S. will hold a second round of talks over how to revise their decades-old nuclear cooperation pact, sources said Tuesday. Forged in 1974, the current Seoul-Washington peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement, which bans South Korea from reprocessing spent fuel from civilian nuclear plants, will expire in 2014.Robert Einhorn, the U.S. State Department’s special adviser for nonpr
S. Korea, U.S. to begin joint drills soon

PoliticsFeb 15, 2011

Seoul denies exercises are based on plan to deal with N.K. contingenciesSouth Korea and the U.S. will begin an 11-day joint military exercise from Feb. 28 to prepare against additional localized provocations by North Korea and other possible emergencies on the peninsula, officials said Tuesday.Along with the Key Resolve command post exercise, the two militaries will also stage the Foal Eagle field
Senator calls for transparency in N.K. aid delivery

North KoreaFeb 15, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― A senior U.S. senator Monday called on the Obama administration to secure transparency in the distribution of food aid to North Korea before any resumption of the aid, which was suspended years ago over the same issue, is made.“Any resumption of U.S. food aid to North Korea should be contingent on North Korea allowing access and accountability by monitors in accordance w
China supports N.K. power transition: KCNA

North KoreaFeb 15, 2011

A senior Chinese official has supported North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s plans to cede power to his youngest son, the North’s official news agency reported Tuesday.Meng Jianzhu, Chinese state councilor and public security minister, “warmly congratulated Kim Jong-il upon his reelection as general secretary of the WPK and Kim Jong-un upon his election as vice chairman of the Central Military Commis
Organ donations spread during second year since cardinal’s death

Social affairsFeb 15, 2011

As the nation marks the second anniversary of the death of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, which falls on Wednesday, a government agency said Tuesday that the number of organ donation pledges in South Korea exceeded the 100,000 mark for the second straight year, apparently influenced by a precedent set by the late cardinal.According to the Korean Network for Organ Sharing, a total of 124,300 South
Foreign minister concerned about Japanese textbooks

Foreign affairsFeb 15, 2011

TOKYO (Yonhap News) ― South Korea’s foreign minister voiced concern about possible negative effects that the upcoming outcome of Japan’s review of new middle school textbooks could have on relations between the two countries, according to an interview published Tuesday.Japanese school texts accused of glorifying the country’s wartime past have long been considered a thorn in relations between Seou
Tunisians vote with their feet and flee

InternationalFeb 15, 2011

Minister rejects Italy's offer to send police to help tackle waves of illegal migrationLAMPEDUSA, Italy (AP) ― A month after massive protests ousted Tunisia’s longtime dictator, waves of Tunisians are voting with their feet, fleeing the country’s political limbo by climbing into rickety boats and sailing across the Mediterranean to Europe.More than 5,000 illegal immigrants have recently washed up
Freed Korean ship reaches Kenya

PoliticsFeb 15, 2011

A South Korean fishing vessel released by Somali pirates arrived in Kenya on Tuesday, its crew walking on land for the first time since being kidnapped four months ago, according to news reports. Seoul’s Keummi 305 arrived at Kenya’s Port Mombasa about a week after it was freed on Feb. 9 under the escort of a Finnish warship belonging to a fleet of the European Union.All 43 crew members of the 241
State support increased for rough sleepers

Social affairsFeb 15, 2011

The government is strengthening measures for homeless people and rough sleepers to help them support themselves and earn a living. The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday announced a set of guidelines to help the rehabilitation of people who sleep on the streets and lodge at state-run shelters. The ministry will provide around-the-clock care and accommodation through 74 shelters nationwide,