Conflicts over free school meals, college tuition fee cut escalateAn identity crisis is deepening at the Grand National Party, after reformists who emphasize greater welfare for the working class took control of the ruling conservative bloc. On one side, the party’s two new chiefs ― floor leader Rep. Hwang Woo-yea and top policymaker Rep. Lee Ju-young ― are championing a plan to slash college tuit

Ex-soldier claims indiscriminate dumping at U.S. baseAnother former U.S. soldier claimed seven years ago that his unit in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, dumped “every imaginable chemical” there in the 1960s, a U.S.-based Korean journalist said Monday.The comment further escalated public anxiety over toxic chemical contamination by U.S. troops here, who are alleged to have buried a considerable amount

President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday met with a senior Vatican official in charge of promoting dialogue with other religions and expressed his respect for such efforts, the presidential office said.French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican, arrived in Seoul on Monday for a five-day trip that includes a visit to the headquarters

Lawmakers and civic groups are calling for the revision of the Status of Forces Agreement with the U.S. to toughen regulations after possible environmental contamination here.They argue that with the “abstract, vaguely-worded terms” in the pact, the Seoul government cannot demand that the U.S. engage in environmental surveys or offer compensation for its troops’ environmental damage here.The two a

BEIJING/YANGZHOU (Yonhap News) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il visited an economic development zone and a discount store in the eastern city of Yangzhou on Monday in a trip apparently designed to study China's economic reform, a source said.After his two separate outings, Kim appeared to have dinner with former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, the source said."I understand there was a dinner comb

South Koreans who wish to send money to their families in North Korea will be required to get government approval in advance under a revised law, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Monday.All remittances between the South and North, including investments or aid to the North from an overseas corporation set up by a South Korean citizen, will require government approval, according to the revised law

Opposition parties accuse ruling party of copying their fee-cut policyThe ruling Grand National Party has come under fire for its new plan to drastically cut college tuition fees for low-income families. “We aim at lowering the college tuition fees at least by half for all low-income families,” said Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, the GNP floor leader, on Sunday.“Though we expect difficulties in securing the

Meeting comes as factional strife looms large, party licks post-election woundsThe meeting between President Lee Myung-bak and former Grand National Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye, scheduled for this week, is drawing keen attention as the rare talks are to come amid the party’s efforts for reform.The ruling party has been seeking measures to revamp itself and shore up public trust since its by-ele

Prosecutors to charge 23-year-old with attempted murderIn a first of its kind, four of the five Somali pirates captured after a daring naval raid on a South Korean freighter in the Arabian Sea will go on jury trial Monday, according to court officials.Arai Mahomed, 23, who is suspected of shooting Captain Seok Hae-kyun at point-blank range, and three others will be publicly tried at the Busan Dist