Japanese imperial police committed torture and sexual violence against Korean school girls to quell pro-independence protests about a century ago when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule, a U.S. document showed.  The 27-page document, drawn up by the Commission on Relations with the Orient of Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, is yet another piece of evidence of the brutality Japan employed during its 1910-45 colonial rule.  The document, which is believed to have been writ

South Korea said Monday it will dispatch more than 40 search and rescue workers to the earthquake-hit Nepal amid reports that many victims are still under the rubble.  The first 10-member group from the Korea Disaster Relief Team will head to the Himalayan nation at around 9 p.m. on Monday, along with five government officials, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.  "Given the urgency of the search and rescue operation, we have decided to send part of the KDRT first," a ministry official to

The United States has updated its warning against traveling to North Korea, saying American citizens could face arrest and lengthy detention due to Pyongyang's inconsistent application of its criminal law.  U.S. citizens have often been detained in North Korea on charges of anti-state and other unspecified crimes. Widespread views are that the communist nation has used the detentions as bargaining chips in its negotiations with Washington.  It has often taken high-profile U.S. visits to Pyongyan

South Korea on Sunday pledged $1 million in aid for earthquake-stricken Nepal and said it may consider sending an emergency rescue squad.  The decision was reached after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Saturday devastated Nepal, leaving more than 1,800 people dead and thousands of others injured. One South Korean was hurt while building a local hydroelectric power plant in a region 70 kilometers north of Kathmandu, according to the foreign ministry, which added that the injury wasn't life-threaten

Russia has nearly halved South Korea's fishing quota in its territorial waters, blaming Seoul for its failure to invest in Russian seaports as promised earlier, the Seoul government said Sunday.  Under a fisheries agreement signed last week, South Korean fishing ships will be allowed to catch some 38,000 tons of fish in Russian waters this year, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.  The figure marks a 36.6 percent plunge from 59,948 tons in 2014. Such a cut came mostly from a 19,50

The widow of former President Kim Dae-jung hopes to visit North Korea next month, a trip that could help alleviate tension on the divided peninsula, her nonprofit organization said Sunday.  Lee Hee-ho, who was the first lady while Kim served in office from 1998 to 2003, is targeting late May for her visit and is awaiting a response from North Korea by late April or early May, according to Kim Sung-jae, an official at the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center.  "Upon receiving authorization from our governme

South Korea is considering offering emergency relief for earthquake-stricken Nepal, a foreign ministry official said Sunday.  The official told Yonhap News Agency the government is looking into the possibility of offering Nepal relief funds and sending a message of condolence.  "We will see in what areas relief efforts will be needed, and then decide how we will help (Nepal) based on what we can do the best," the official said. "As for sending an emergency response team, we'll have to see if the

President Park Geun-hye left for South Korea on Saturday, wrapping up a four-nation tour of South America meant to boost trade and economic cooperation.  Park's trip to Colombia, Peru, Chile and Brazil came as South Korea is pushing to expand economic cooperation with the region hailed by Seoul officials as a continent of opportunities.  South Korea has signed a set of memorandums of understanding with the four countries which, among other things, call for closer cooperation in the fields of tel

South Korea on Thursday offered a glimpse into what could help the world overcome the problem of water shortage, introducing its information technology-based management of water at the global water forum under way in this southeastern city.In a special session attended by some 1,300 people, the state-run Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-Water) unveiled its smart water management initiative, which utilizes the country's advanced information communication technology to help minimize water leakage."T

The South Korean government on Thursday strongly denied a foreign news report that it has formally asked to join a U.S.-led regional free trade pact, saying the country has not yet decided whether to take part in the multilateral trade deal.The reaction came shortly after the Washington Post, quoting an unidentified Korean official, reported that Seoul has officially clamored to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but that Washington told it to wait until the deal is agreed upon."The government

South Korea has pledged$300 million to the World Bank for its program to build critical infrastructure in developing countries and deal with their environmental and energy issues, the government said Thursday.The finance ministry said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached in Washington on Wednesday calls for the fund to be transferred in the next four years with the World Bank to provide matching sums of money. Seoul's contribution will come from its Economic Development Cooperation Fund

Dozens of British war veterans and their families will visit South Korea next week in a symbolic event, as many South Koreans still remember the international community's help in its fight against the invading communist North in the 1950s, the state veterans' service here said Thursday. Seoul's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has invited a total of 85 veterans, who took part in the 1950-53 war, and their families from Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand for a six-day trip starti

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong said Wednesday Seoul will continue to take a "stern" position on historical issues with Japan while trying to increase cooperation with the neighboring nation on other matters.Cho spoke to reporters upon arriving in Washington for a trilateral meeting set for Thursday with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki, where historical tensions between Seoul and Tokyo are expected to be discussed."We'v

The top U.S. envoy here Wednesday urged North Korea to show sincerity for its denuclearization prior to reviving the long-stalled multilateral nuclear disarmament talks."We have reiterated many times that we are willing to engage in talks with North Korea but the government in Pyongyang must demonstrate that they are ready to engage in authentic and credible negotiations that lead to denuclearization," Ambassador Mark Lippert said during a defense forum in Seoul. He was referring to the six-part

South Korean Ambassador to China Kim Jang-soo has presented his credentials to Chinese President Xi Jinping, China's foreign ministry said Wednesday. Kim, a former defense minister who headed the National Security Council at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, took up the post late last month. Kim and eight other new ambassadors presented their credentials to Xi on Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Xi told the ambassadors that China will step up friendly and practical coo