The U.S. state of Virginia has revised the guidelines for history and social science education in line with a newly enacted law that requires textbooks to use the Korean name "East Sea" alongside the Japanese name "Sea of Japan" for the body of water between the two countries.  The Virginia Department of Education is collecting public opinions until Dec. 21 on the revised 2015 History and Social Science Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework that will serve as the guidelines for new textbook

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-Ahn left for Laos Sunday to discuss enhancing bilateral ties and South Korea's possible participation in constructing a power plant in the Southeast Asian country.  Hwang's trip to Laos is on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides.  The sides severed their relations in 1975 following Laos' communization. They re-established relations in 1995.  It marks the first time for a South Korean prime minster to m

 (Japanese police arrested a South Korean man for a suspected bombing in a public restroom at a Tokyo war shrine last month, local media reported Wednesday.  The 27-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname Chon, was caught on a security camera installed at the Yasukuni Shrine about 30 minutes before the incident on Nov. 23, police said.  He was arrested shortly after voluntarily returning to Tokyo by plane earlier in the day.  South Korean authorities said they are trying to figure out t

A newspaper published by China's ruling Communist Party on Wednesday criticized the South Korean Navy for firing warning shots at a Chinese patrol boat that violated the tense Yellow Sea border between Seoul and Pyongyang.   South Korea's military said its Navy fired warning shots at the Chinese patrol boat after broadcasting warnings through radio communication six times as the Chinese boat sailed about 2 kilometers into the South Korean waters on Tuesday afternoon.   The South Korean Navy had

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to expand their ties in various areas, including new growth industries such as health and halal foods, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with his UAE counterpart, Mohammed Mir Abdullah Al Raisi, in Dubai, and the two sides discussed a wide range of bilateral issues, including the recent expansion of cooperation to new areas such as health, halal foods, public safety, education and culture, the

South Korea seeks closer industrial and energy sector cooperation with Brazil and Peru as it moves to expand its presence in Latin America, the government said Tuesday.  The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said an official delegation visiting the two countries this week will engage in talks aimed at strengthening ties in such areas as nuclear power, industrial technology, trade promotion, power distribution and infrastructure building.  The team led by Deputy Trade Minister Woo Tae-hee wi

Dozens of right-wing Japanese historians have issued a joint statement accusing an American history textbook of containing factual errors about the country's wartime sexual slavery, a claim seen as in line with Tokyo's attempt to water down the atrocity.  The 50 scholars, including Osaka City University professor Eiji Yamashita, claimed in the December edition of Perspectives on History, a scholarly journal published by the American Historical Association, that the U.S. publisher McGraw-Hill's t

The Unification Ministry on Monday launched an online archive on German unification to raise public awareness of unification issues and help prepare for inter-Korean reunification.  The archive (http://germanunification.unikorea.go.kr) is a collection of 2,152 documents, reports and other material on the German unification, including 926 items transferred from the German government, according to the ministry.  "We hope the German unification archive will promote public interest and participation

President Park Geun-hye will send a senior ruling party lawmaker to Argentina's presidential inauguration ceremony this week, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.  Rep. Kim Jae-kyung, who heads the National Assembly's budget committee, plans to attend the event to be held in Buenos Aires on Thursday.  Kim, a three-term lawmaker, will deliver Park's will to "expand and deepen cooperation" between the two countries in meetings with top officials from the new administration of Mauricio Macri, said the

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for greater efforts to remove all nuclear weapons from the world.  "Now is the time to intensify our efforts to rid the world of these most destructive weapons," he said in a video message to a South Korea-U.N. joint conference on disarmament and non-proliferation issues.  The forum's agenda, which includes talks over North Korea's nuclear weapons program and the implications of the nuclear deal between Iran and global powers, addresses issues

　South Korea will offer a total of $3 million in aid to Greece, Serbia and Croatia to help them cope with the growing refugee crisis in the region, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.　The number of people fleeing to Europe from conflict-torn nations, such as Syria and Iraq, has reached 850,000 this year, according to the ministry. In 2012, that number was 330,000, while in 2013, it was 430,000. Last year, 620,000 refugees crossed the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.　South Korea will provide Gree

The United States was exercising its right to "freedom of navigation" when it sailed a warship near one of China's artificial islets in the South China Sea, a U.S. Navy spokesman said, calling it the "most basic right" of any navy in the world.In October, the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Lassen sailed through waters within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef, prompting strong protests from Beijing.China has claimed sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, causing tension with a handful of S

U.S. House Republican leaders introduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday that would strengthen requirements and qualifications for a program allowing citizens of dozens of countries to travel to the United States without visas.The legislation, authored by Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI), is aimed at tightening border security amid fears that the U.S. could fall victim to terrorism after last month's deadly shootings in Paris. Nationals of France and Belgium, which are among the 38 visa waiver countries

China's top envoy to Seoul on Thursday hailed the progress in bilateral ties, citing close cooperation in politics, the economy and people-to-people exchanges.  Amb. Qiu Guohong said the two countries have entered into an era of "three highs" marked by political trust, economic cooperation and cultural exchange.  "Looking back on the development of China-South Korea relations this year, there truly was a lot of success," he said in his congratulatory remarks at a forum held among state-run resea