North Korea’s announcement of its willingness to revive an inter-Korean hotline was delivered by a man viewed as one of the regime’s key military negotiators. Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country of the DPRK, reads a statement on North Korea`s state-run broadcaster Korean Central Television on Wednesday. (Yonhap)On Wednesday, Ri Son-gwon, chairman of North Korea’s Committee for Peaceful Reunification, spoke on behalf of Kim Jong-un, saying North Ko

The World Health Organization’s latest decision to classify gaming addiction as an official mental health disorder this year has ignited an international controversy. 　The issue is gaining particular attention in South Korea -- home to a strong gaming industry and an avid gaming population -- which has long been caught between the responsibility to fight adolescent game addiction and the need to promote the country’s thriving gaming sector.　Last week, the WHO revealed plans to recognize “gaming

South Korea’s two minor parties are speeding up their merger process, following the People‘s Party’s all-member vote that favored the proposed merger with Bareun Party.In the four-day vote of confidence for Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo, who proposed the merger with the center-right Bareun Party, 74.6 percent voted for Ahn, while 25.6 percent opposed, the party’s election committee announced on Sunday. Ahn vowed to take the lead in creating a new party that would bring changes to South Korean politics.

Kim Jong-un expresses willingness to send delegation to PyeongChang Olympics

PYEONGTAEK  -- South Korea has seized and inspected a Panama-flagged ship suspected of selling oil to North Korea at sea in violation of U.N. sanctions, maritimeauthorities said.   The 5,100-ton KOTI is being held in the western port of Pyeongtaek-Dangjin, Gyeonggi Province. Security and customs officials held a meeting on Dec. 21 and decided not to allow the vessel to depart from the port, the local maritime office said.  File photo of Pyeongtaek Harbor (Yonhap)It is the second known vessel und

A North Korean nuclear scientist, who was caught in China while attempting to defect to South Korea, took his own life after he was forced to return home, a US broadcaster said Friday. According to Radio Free Asia, the defector who was a researcher at the physics center of the State Academy of Sciences in Pyongyang took poison in a state security cell while awaiting interrogation. (Yonhap)“He killed himself only a few hours after he was placed in solitary confinement at the State Security Depart

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Thursday concluded that the level of chemical substances found in sanitary pads sold here are not hazardous to the human body. The conclusion came after the ministry conducted toxicity tests on sanitary pads, tampons, panty liners and diapers sold in Korea to check for levels of 74 volatile organic compounds such as cholorobenzene and acetone.“After conducting reviews and toxicity tests on 74 VOCs found in sanitary pads, we’ve concluded that thei

Anticipation is rising over Samsung’s foldable smartphone, with concept images and videos of the so-called Galaxy X making the rounds every month. However, industry insiders are cautious about the high expectations, saying there are still many unaddressed technical challenges. A new concept video of the Galaxy X from US tech media outlet Tech Configuration caught attention Wednesday. It showed that the device’s 5-inch display can be used as a normal smartphone in the folded mode and as an 8-inch

SK chief presents 3,600 gas stations nationwide as platform for new adventure

South Korean police looking into the deadly fire that killed 29 people at a fitness center in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, are set to request an arrest warrant Tuesday morning for the building’s managers, who allegedly violated fire safety rules, according to a police official on Monday.Visitors pay their respects to the 29 victims of Thursday’s fire in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, at a memorial set up in Jecheon Gymnasium on Sunday. YonhapEarlier Monday, police raided the homes

Prosecutors will question former President Park Geun-hye this week in a detention center as part of their investigation into allegations that the presidential office during her term had received illicit money from the spy agency.Four officials from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office will visit the detention center on Tuesday to interrogate the ousted chief executive over suspicions that the National Intelligence Service had offered her office a total of 4 billion won ($3.7 million) b

The prosecution plans to visit former President Park Geun-hye in jail for questioning over alleged bribery involving the state spy agency, as she refused to appear before the prosecutors’ office for questioning Friday. In a document sent to the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday, Park said that she could not appear for questioning due to her frail health. Park, who is standing trial on corruption charges, has been in custody since March at the Seoul Detention Center. Park Geun-hye (Yo

Police officers are at risk of mental health problems, but often fail to receive support.

Official telecommunications partner prepares AI, NB-IoT techs to prevent any room for error

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is scheduled to visit Japan on Tuesday with the issues of North Korea and Japan’s wartime sexual slavery of Korean women likely to loom over the entire stay. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (Yonhap)The two-day visit will include a meeting with her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday. “During the meeting to be held on Tuesday, the two ministers will exchange views on issues of mutual concern, such as South Korea-Japan relations, Nor