The three young Siberian tigers are expected to arrive here from Russia in the first half of this year, a diplomatic source said Thursday.“The two governments in Seoul and Moscow have decided to seek the delivery of tigers in the first half of this year. This is meaningful in that it is a symbol of friendship between the two countries,” the source said, refusing to be identified.The three tigers,

A South Korean man nearly cut off his finger and created a commotion in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul Thursday, protesting against Tokyo's renewed territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, police said.The 47-year-old man, identified only by his surname Choi, appeared from behind a building near the embassy with his left pinky almost severed and demanded the Japanese

Indonesia has signed an agreement to join South Korea’s project to develop a new fighter jet, officials at Seoul’s weapons acquisition agency said Wednesday.Under the agreement, Indonesia’s state-run defense research institute, “Balitbang,” will participate in the technology development process for the KF-X project, also known as the “Boramae” project. According to the deal, Balitbang will pay $10

A South Korean man received a suspended jail term Tuesday for retweeting messages from North Korea’s official website in the first such case since the communist state launched a cyber propaganda campaign.The Seoul Central District Court said it had handed the 55-year-old man identified only as Cho a two-year jail sentence, suspended for three years, for violating South Korea’s security law.The man

A group of 17 North Korean taekwondo performers will visit the United States from late next month through early June to present the Korean traditional martial art to an American audience, according to the Voice of America, a U.S.-funded radio broadcaster.It will be their second performance in the U.S. following one in 2007.According to the Taekwondo Times, an online media outlet, the U.S. Departme

A parliamentary panel on Tuesday debated South Korea’s free trade agreement with the European Union, which was unexpectedly voted down by a subcommittee Friday, stymieing Seoul’s move to expand trade with the world’s biggest economic bloc.Ruling and opposition parties received reports from vice ministers of agriculture, knowledge and economy on the government’s plans to minimize the damage to local industries and livestock farms.As the Seoul government appears reluctant to exempt livestock farms

The Seoul government is considering deploying a 2,300-ton frigate ― currently being built ― to Ulleung Island in apparent efforts to bolster its capabilities to defend the easternmost islets of Dokdo, news reports said Tuesday.“After the construction to expand the port on Ulleung Island is completed, (the government) is considering deploying the frigate,” said an anonymous government source cited

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Mongolia will hold talks in Seoul on Thursday to discuss ways to enhance bilateral military ties, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday.South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Mongolian counterpart Luvsanvandan Bold are also scheduled to discuss regional security issues including North Korean provocations such as the sinking of the corvette

Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said Tuesday that South Korea needs to make “meticulous and creative” preparations for a free trade pact with China by carefully studying the possible ramifications the deal may bring about on the local economy.“China is actively raising the need for a free trade agreement with South Korea,” Kim said during a Cabinet meeting. “There need to be meticulous and creative p

President Lee Myung-bak on Monday met with U.S. Senator Jim Webb, who chairs a senate subcommittee on the East Asian region, to discuss North Korean issues as well as the bilateral free trade agreement that is pending approval from their respective parliaments.Lee appreciated Webb’s efforts as chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific Affairs for early ratification of the Korea-U.S. FT