President Lee Myung-bak is facing fierce opposition from members of his own Grand National Party over plans for the controversial Science Business Belt and a new hub airport for the southeast region. Since more than 16 million swing votes may come down to these location selections, some GNP members poised to run in next year’s general elections have openly denounced Lee’s plans, reflecting feuds w

Experts say resistance by N.K. military to father-son succession more likely than popular revoltIf there is one thing the ironfisted North Korean regime fears, it’s outside information ― and what that can do to its people. As the world is paying close attention to the antigovernment protests in Egypt, the reclusive North has so far not made any comments regarding the weeks-long situation in the No

   The Air Force said Wednesday that it is deploying satellite-guided joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) on its KF-16 fighter jets, enhancing the capability to neutralize long-range North Korean artillery.   The South Korean Air Force has been working with the U.S. military since 2008 to modify the KF-16's computer systems to carry the all-weather "smart" bombs guided by an internal navigation

US President Barack Obama has finally kicked his craving for the odd cigarette -- and his wife Michelle is "very proud" the former puffer-in-chief can look his kids in the eye and say he doesn't smoke.Obama's struggle to beat his addiction has been a subject of inordinate fascination for the US press, throughout his barnstorming 2008 campaign and in the first two years of his presidency. President

The coldest place on earth is not, as one might expect, in Antarctica or Siberia. Believe it or not, it is in southern England. Champneys health resort in Hertfordshire specializes in Cryotherapy, a medical therapy that uses extreme cold to treat everything from sports injuries and psoriasis, to depression and fatigue, according British tabloid the Daily Mail. One staff reporter bravely volunteere

A foreign resident asks a question during the annual town meeting at Seoul City Hall on Dec. 17. (Seoul City)About half of foreign spouses here consider themselves progressive and are willing to participate in political activities such as voting, a study showed Tuesday. For her master’s degree at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Ariun Shukertei surveyed 670 foreign-born people who have either

The two Koreas failed to narrow their differences at their working-level military talks Tuesday and will hold more talks Wednesday at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjeom, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said.The talks, where Col. Moon Sang-gyun and his North Korean counterpart Col. Ri Son-kwon represented each side, were aimed at coordinating details about the venue, date, agenda and level of r

The U.S. and South Korea are working closely together to coordinate policies on “tricky issues,” a visiting U.S. envoy for North Korean human rights said Tuesday, indicating the allies’ ongoing discussions over whether to send food aid to the impoverished state. Special envoy Robert King arrived here Sunday for talks with South Korea’s foreign and unification ministry officials as recent reports s

Lonely bachelors longing for a female companion can now simply log on and apply for a virtual wife. (captured from biwihotohaisi.com)The Indian website biwihotohaisi.com offers men the choice of a homemaker, a “control freak,” an ambitious banker and a woman obsessed with soap operas. Men subscribing to the service will receive automated telephone messages from the virtual woman at a chosen time.

President Lee Myung-bak named South Korea’s ambassador to Vietnam, Park Suk-hwan, the new first vice foreign minister Tuesday in a reshuffle that also replaced four other vice-ministerial posts and three presidential secretaries, a presidential spokesperson said.Park, 56, a career diplomat, entered foreign service in 1979 and has since worked mostly for Asian affairs. His previous overseas posts w

PARIS (AFP) ― Toddlers who have a diet high in processed foods may have a slightly lower IQ in later life, according to a British study described as the biggest research of its kind.The conclusion, published on Monday, comes from a long-term investigation into 14,000 people born in western England in 1991 and 1992 whose health and well-being were monitored at the ages of three, four, seven and eig

Not many people know about the Gulf Cooperation Council or what it stands for but everyone knows about its member states and their importance in the development of this nation.To shed light on various issues, the GCC is teaming up with leaders from both sides to participate in two-days of seminars.“The relations between the GCC and South Korea are wide and comprehensive and encompass all fields of