Some described him as weird, others said he was smart, but none of the Connecticut gunman Adam Lanza’s acquaintances saw a potential killer in the 20-year-old.On Friday, Lanza opened fire at a U.S. elementary school and slaughtered 20 children and six adults before killing himself. He also murdered his mother by shooting her in the face before embarking upon the atrocious rampage.The tragic incident ― the second deadliest only to the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, which left 33 people dead ― lef

Former and current managers of two university baseball teams have been arrested in an admission scandal. Prosecutors said Wednesday that they have arrested former Lotte Giants manager Yang Seung-ho and current manager of the Yonsei University baseball team Jung Jin-ho to investigate charges of taking cash in return for admission. Less than two months ago, Yang was a high-profile manager of the pro baseball team. He resigned on Oct. 30 this year after Lotte failed to survive the playoff stage, th

His resignation may have been what former Italian President Silvio Berlusconi wanted, but the timing of Mario Monti’s resignation may cause his flamboyant evictor some problems.Berlusconi’s party agreed to pass the 2013 budget but withdrew its support for his government, effectively making Monti’s position untenable. His resignation means that an election must be held within 70 days ― likely in early February ― rather than in three months as previously scheduled. Berlusconi now has less time to

A 60-something man in a dark-brown checkered coat approached a Salvation Army officer manning a red kettle in Myeong-dong, a fashion and shopping district in Seoul on Sunday. The man put a white envelope in the red kettle, saying, “Please use it for the elderly in need.”He then took a taxi and disappeared.The Salvation Army Korea Territory later found a check of around 106 million won ($98,300) with a letter in the envelope while counting up donations. “My parents kept a sense of sharing, helped

Shares of top smartphone maker Samsung Electronics are getting ready to break the 1.5 million won mark as the Korean IT behemoth is gaining an edge in its ongoing global patent battle against Apple Inc.Samsung’s stocks were being traded at over 1.5 million won ($1,389) per share, up 1.62 percent from Friday, shortly after the market opening at 9:01 a.m. on Monday. The share price is setting a new record following foreign investors’ aggressive move to purchase the firm’s shares.Samsung Electronic

Olympic figure-skating champion Kim Yu-na made a successful comeback from a 19-month break on Saturday at the NRW Trophy in Dortmund, Germany, scoring 72.27 points, the season’s highest, in the short program. The season’s previous high in the event was 67.95 achieved by Mao Asada of Japan at the NHK Trophy last month. Kim’s flawless routine melted away worries here that she may fail to regain competitive form after such a long hiatus, as competition is notoriously tenser than practice, no matter

Korean-American John Huh, 22, was named the U.S. PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. The award is an inspiration for Korean golfers seeking to make their names on the U.S. Tour. The award sets a milestone for golfers of Asian heritage as well. Huh is the first Asian-American to be named the PGA Rookie of the Year since it was established in 1990. His award is especially memorable as he is the only rookie to make it to the tour championship. Huh qualified for the tour playoff as the only ro

Samsung’s heir-apparent Lee Jay-yong has taken the next crucial step toward inheriting the Samsung empire. His promotion to vice chairman of Samsung Electronics was widely expected, as the younger Lee has quickly gone through a number of high-ranking posts in recent years, including the position of president. Explaining the move, a Samsung press release said the junior Lee was “recognized for his leadership in building Samsung into one of the world’s most loved brands and creating shareholder va

A belated ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Shin-Gori nuclear power plant units 1 and 2 was held near the site, located in Gijang, Busan, on Tuesday. Despite the completion of unit 1 in February 2011 and unit 2 in July this year, the ceremony had been delayed due to opposition against operations by local citizens and safety concerns raised by a recent controversy over the usage of substandard parts in other nuclear reactors.The two newly built nuclear plants each with a capacity of 1 m

Lee Choon-sang, a long-time aide to presidential candidate Park Geun-hye, died on the campaign trail Sunday. The demise of the little-known politician seems to resonate across political spectrum amid the presidential election frenzy, creating a solemn moment of self-reflection for many politicians in the country. A vehicle carrying Lee and five other camp staffers hit a pole near Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, while heading for Chuncheon, a nearby city where Park was canvassing.The deceased had be

Four South Korean sailors who were captured by Somali pirates are returning to their families, ending nearly two miserable years under constant threats and fear of death.They were freed on Saturday after ransom talks between the Singapore-based owner of the MT Gemini and the pirates made a breakthrough. They are expected to arrive in Kenya on Monday on the South Korean navy vessel that operates in Somali waters as part of a multinational anti-piracy campaign. The four will go through a quick med

LG Electronics appointed, for the first time, a high school graduate CEO. The Seoul-based consumer electronics giant announced on Thursday the promotion of Jo Seong-jin, former executive vice president of the company’s home appliances department, to the position of president. Jo joined the company in its Gold Star days after graduating from Yongsan Technical High School in 1976. He volunteered to work in the washing machine planning department, which was formerly looked down on by employees at t

U.S. Republican Rep. Edward Randall Royce, known for his efforts to address Korean Peninsular issues, was tapped on Tuesday to chair the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.The nomination should be endorsed at the party’s plenary session slated for Wednesday. As the nomination is almost certain in the Republican-controlled House, Royce is to officially take over from Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on Jan. 3.“If selected as chairman, I will work against the administration’s most harmful foreign policies

Pyeonghwa Motors Corp. has been a symbol of reconciliation between the two Koreas since the Unification Church unveiled its ambitious joint venture with the communist North in 2000. Twelve years later, Tongil Group, the church’s colossal business empire, appears to be retreating from the partnership in favor of more lucrative, less risky sectors like retail and food. Park Sang-kwon, president of the Seoul-based auto company, is seeking to cancel its license for economic cooperation with North Ko

Samsung owner Lee Kun-hee and his wife Hong Ra-hee topped the lists of Korea’s wealthiest in terms of stock holdings.Lee ranked the richest on the list for men, while Hong was at the top for women. This was the first time the couple nabbed the No. 1 slot for both lists, according to Chaebul.com, a local website providing exclusive business information on conglomerates.As of last Friday, Lee’s stock portfolio was worth a combined 11.14 trillion won ($10.27 billion). The net value of his stocks ha