The Korea Herald

NIS detains N. Korean defector for assassination plot

Sept 16, 2011

South Korea’s spy agency has detained a North Korean defector for an alleged assassination attempt against a fellow defector acting as an anti-North Korean activist, an intelligence official said Friday.The suspect, identified by his last name Ahn in his 40s, was taken into custody for plotting to k
Nuclear envoys of two Koreas to hold talks in Beijing next week

Sept 16, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- The chief nuclear negotiators of South and North Korea will meet in Beijing next week, a senior Seoul diplomat said Friday, in the second high-level, inter-Korean contact in nearly two months amid cautious hopes that they were inching toward resuming the broader talks on
S. Korean religious leaders to meet Kim Jong-il next week

Sept 15, 2011

SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Yonhap) -- The heads of South Korea's seven largest religious orders are scheduled to travel to Pyongyang next week to hold a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, a rare suprapartisan move aimed at promoting a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations, sources said Thursday.Th
Russia could write off N.Korea's $11b debt: report

Sept 14, 2011

MOSCOW (AFP) -- Russia will most likely write off North Korea's Soviet-era 11 billion-dollar-debt to clear the way for closer economic cooperation, Izvestia newspaper said on Wednesday.Moscow and Pyongyang discussed closer energy cooperation and the outstanding debt when North Korea's secretive lead
Japan considers sending alleged N. Korean defectors to S. Korea

Sept 14, 2011

The Japanese government is considering transferring nine apparent North Korean defectors to South Korea, a day after they were found adrift aboard a boat off Japan's west coast, local media reported Wednesday. The nine North Koreans, including three children, have been questioned by Japanese authori
Maestro Chung in Pyongyang on music projects

Sept 13, 2011

BEIJING (Yonhap) -- A renowned South Korean orchestra conductor arrived in North Korea on Monday, the North's media reported, on a trip he said is aimed at promoting cultural exchanges between the two countries.The North's Korean Central News Agency reported the arrival of the conductor, Chung
S. Korean maestro leaves for Pyongyang on music projects

Sept 12, 2011

BEIJING (Yonhap News) – A renowned South Korean orchestra conductor headed to North Korea on Monday to discuss cultural exchanges between the two Koreas in what could be another sign of a thaw in inter-Korean relations.Chung Myung-whun, who leads the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and doubles as
Seoul urges Pyongyang to facilitate family reunions

Sept 12, 2011

South Korea said on Monday that it is making efforts to resolve the issue of reunions for family members separated six decades ago by the Korean War, urging North Korea to help facilitate them as well."The family reunions are an issue that must be resolved as a top priority, and the government is pu
Inter-Korean trade decreases 16 pct through July

Sept 12, 2011

Trade volume between South and North Korea reached $958 million in the first seven months of the year, down 16 percent from a year earlier, Seoul's customs office said Monday.According to data provided by the Korea Customs Service (KCS), the South's exports to the North came to $447 million in the J
Seoul to ask foreign countries this week not to invest in Mt. Kumgang

Sept 12, 2011

South Korea will formally ask foreign countries this week not to invest or engage in tourism activities at North Korea's Mount Kumgang resort, officials said Monday.Earlier, Seoul said it will use all diplomatic channels to prevent foreign companies from controlling operations at the resort, w
N.K. leader inspects DVD factory: report

Sept 10, 2011

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and his son, heir-apparent Kim Jong-un, have inspected a newly-built factory producing DVDs in Pyongyang, the North's state-run news agency said Saturday.While touring the Mokran Video Company, the leader praised the workers and technicians of the company and related
U.S. expert: North Korea may need more atomic tests

Sept 10, 2011
S. Korean missionary dies near Chinese border with N. Korea

Sept 9, 2011

A South Korean missionary died in the Chinese border city of Dandong last month after suddenly collapsing, a South Korean official said Friday.The 46-year-old missionary, identified by his family name Han, fell to the ground while foaming at the mouth as he waited for a taxi in the city‘s downtown a
Maestro Chung to visit N. Korea

Sept 9, 2011

Chung M.W.South Korean maestro Chung Myung-whun is likely to visit Pyongyang during the Chuseok holidays, the Unification Ministry here said Friday.Chung, music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and also Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF has asked the government to approve of his trip to Nor
N. Korean dropout rate falls in S. Korean schools

Sept 8, 2011

The dropout rate of North Korean defectors in South Korean schools has gradually declined over the last few years, an education institute said Thursday, a sign that efforts to help support North Korean students paid off.The dropout rate for North Korean students in primary, middle and high schools s