The Korea Herald

U.N. draft text on North Korea imposes mandatory cargo inspections

Feb 26, 2016

A U.N. draft resolution aimed at tightening sanctions on Pyongyang would require that countries take the unprecedented step of inspecting all cargo to and from North Korea, the United States Ambassador Samantha Power said Thursday.“For the first time in history, all cargo going in and out of the DPRK would be subjected to mandatory inspection,” Power told reporters after presenting the measure to the U.N. Security Council.The resolution drafted by the United States would also bar North Korean ve
RZD says new U.N. sanctions might halt joint project with N. Korea

Feb 25, 2016

Russian Railways (RZD) said Thursday that it might be forced to suspend its Rajin-Khasan trade logistics project with North Korea, depending on the passage of new U.N. sanctions against the communist North for the latter's recent nuclear test and a long-range missile launch. The state-run railway company said it first needed to see the actual contents of the proposed U.N. bill on fresh sanctions against Pyongyang. The company added its future actions will be in line with the Russian governme
Seoul trying to confirm Korean casualties in Turkey bombing: ministry

Feb 18, 2016

South Korea is trying to ascertain if there are any South Korean casualties in Wednesday's apparent terrorist attack in the Turkish capital of Ankara that left at least 28 people dead and more than 60 others injured, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.The ministry has been contacting Turkish police to gain related information and sent telephone messages to South Korean residents or tourists there, requesting caution."We are currently trying to find out if there is any damage to South Korean nati
Hong Kong activists face riot charges after holiday protest

Feb 12, 2016

Several dozen people appeared in a Hong Kong court Thursday to face rioting charges following a violent clash earlier this week between protesters and police sparked by a clampdown on holiday street food vendors.Hong Kong police and local media reports said 37 people were attending court in Kowloon, each facing one count of taking part in a riot, a rarely used charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.Defendants were given bail and their cases adjourned until April, the report
Korea to offer aid $12 mln to help Syria

Feb 5, 2016

South Korea will provide $12 million won worth of aid to help resolve the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Seoul officials said Friday.The decision was made at an international donors' conference in London that Lee Suk-joon, a lead officer for government policy coordination at the prime minister's office, is to attend. He left for the meeting on Wednesday.Seoul's pledge came as Syria has been affected by a civil war for the past five years, prompting a humanitarian crisis for millions of people dis
70 countries pledge joint efforts to prevent transfer of WMD

Jan 28, 2016

Officials from 70 countries around the world held an anti-WMD proliferation conference in Washington on Wednesday and agreed to work closely together to ensure that no weapons of mass destruction technology is transferred to North Korea, a diplomatic source said.North Korea was a key topic for the Mid-level Political Meeting of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), an international coalition aimed at stopping the spread of WMDs, related material and technology, as it came just we
Five middle-power nations to hold high-level talks

Jan 26, 2016

South Korea and four other middle-power countries will hold high-level talks later this week on ways to strengthen partnerships, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.South Korea launched the forum in 2013 with Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and Australia in a bid to play a bigger role in regional and global issues. The cross-regional caucus is dubbed "MIKTA" from the initials of the English names of the participating nations.The five sides plan to hold their second high-level meeting in the Australian c
U.S. strategic commander: Missile defense key to defending against N.K. threats

Jan 23, 2016

Ballistic missile defense is among key strategic deterrent capabilities necessary to cope with threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, the U.S. strategic commander said Friday. "Our missile defense efforts are also part of our strategic deterrent kitbag, if you will, and it's very important. We just look at what happened on the 5th of January, Kim Jong-un testing a nuclear weapon," Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, said during a discussion at the Cente
Senior U.S. diplomat to visit Korea next week

Jan 23, 2016

A senior U.S. diplomat will visit South Korea next week for talks on response to North Korea's nuclear test, the alliance between the two countries and global issues of concern, the State Department said Friday.Amb. Thomas Shannon, counselor of the State Department, will make the visit on Wednesday and Thursday, including a trip to the Demilitarized Zone on the border with North Korea and bilateral meetings with Korean officials on the "U.S.-Korea Alliance, our shared global priorities, and resp
Korea provides US$81.37 mln to six international financial bodies

Jan 19, 2016

South Korea provided a combined US$81.37 million to 10 trust funds created by six international financial organizations last year in a bid to expand its presence on the world stage, the financial ministry said Tuesday.The organizations, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asia Development Bank , are carrying out 98 projects worth $50 million based on South Korea's contributions, according to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.South Korea participates in four trust
Korea hails end to U.N.-led sanctions on Iran

Jan 17, 2016

South Korea said Sunday it will step up "reciprocal cooperation" with Iran as international sanctions on the country have been lifted in a follow-up to a nuclear deal.The government welcomed the announcement by the International Atomic Energy Agency that Tehran has complied with the agreement made half a year ago with the U.S. and five other global powers on its nuclear program.The move has effectively terminated international sanctions on Iran under a U.N. resolution and it will also require th
Maryland declares 'Korean American Day'

Jan 12, 2016

The U.S. state of Maryland has declared Jan. 13 as "Korean American Day" in recognition of contributions the Korean community has made to the state and the country.Gov. Larry Hogan and Korean-American First Lady Yumi Hogan declared the day in a ceremony at the Governor's Reception Room at the Maryland State House.In 2005, Congress designated Jan. 13 as Korean American Day in commemoration of the 1903 arrival of 102 Koreans in Hawaii in the first Korean emigration to the U.S. But Maryland is the
Police arrest man for smuggling migrant into Sweden by boat

Jan 10, 2016

Swedish police arrested a man early Sunday as he allegedly tried to smuggle a migrant into the country aboard a rubber dinghy, the first such case since Sweden imposed systematic ID checks, police said. "This is the first arrest in southern Sweden for suspected human trafficking since the ID checks were introduced" on January 4 for travellers arriving from Denmark, police spokeswoman Kim Hild said. A Norwegian sea rescue team had observed the dinghy leaving the Danish town of Helsingor an
French president, rocker honor 2015 attack victims

Jan 10, 2016

French President Francois Hollande and other dignitaries held a special ceremony Sunday to honor all those killed in Islamic extremist violence around Paris in 2015 - a year when the European way of life was targeted time and again with deadly consequences. At least one attacker is at large, and France's top security official acknowledged Sunday that authorities don't know his whereabouts. The country is under a state of emergency after attacks Nov. 13, and a police station was attacked Thu
China blames U.S., allies for N. Korea's nuclear test

Jan 8, 2016

A newspaper published by China's ruling Communist Party on Friday blamed what it calls a "hostile policy" by South Korea, the United States and Japan toward North Korea for the North's fourth nuclear test. In an editorial, the state-run Global Times newspaper appeared to defend North Korea's defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons, saying there will be "no hope" for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions unless South Korea, the U.S. and Japan change their policy toward the North. All eyes are on