President Park Geun-hye will resume her official schedule early next week after a weeklong respite following her intense 12-day trip to Africa and France, her aides said Friday.Her schedule is expected to begin on Monday at the National Assembly as Park is determined to address one of her pressing tasks --setting the tone for smooth cooperation with the opposition-led legislature, which is critical for advancing her agenda for economic revitalization.The relations between Park and the opposition

South Korea will begin a series of guided tours of the country's UNESCO-listed world heritage for foreign residents this week, a state-run culture agency said Friday.On Saturday and Sunday the Korean Culture and Information Service will take U.S. military officials in Korea and their families to the east coast city of Gangneung for the "Gangneung Dano Festival."The festival is one of the biggest surviving cultural feasts to celebrate the day of Dano, May 5th in the Korean lunar calendar.The Dano

South Korea's crab catch has been more than halved so far this year, the government said Friday, an apparent result of a recent rise in the number of Chinese boats fishing illegally in South Korean waters.According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the country's catch of crab amounted to 575 tons in April, down 69 percent from the same month last year.Also in the first four months of the year, the country's crab catch plunged 68.5 percent on-year to 664 tons.The ministry largely attribute

North Korea offered to host an inter-Korean meeting to discuss ways to bring about reunification, the latest in the communist country's dialogue proposals to Seoul since a high-profile ruling party congress in early May."We propose opening a nationwide grand meeting for reunification on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of Korea's liberation, prompted by the ardent desire ... (in) improving the inter-Korean relations and accomplishing the cause of national reunification by the concerted effor

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun said Friday he will hold talks with political party representatives about the controversial hearings bill that was vetoed by the president late last month."We need to review the legal issues involved, and hold discussions with political parties," Chung said.Last month, the presidential office sent back a bill which, if made into law, would allow parliament to hold hearings on government policies more frequently. The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae and t

Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chairman of the minor opposition People's Party, said Friday he will take "all necessary steps" to deal with allegations that a lawmaker raised illegal political funds ahead of the April 13 polls."I was told that the issues raised are not true, but the party will take resolute actions once the ongoing investigation is concluded," Ahn said, touching on the unfolding scandal.  "We will also actively cooperate with the prosecutors' investigation. I hope the prosecutors will also c

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that the U.S. should not allow U.S. alliances in Asia to "atrophy" and the top U.S. foreign policy priority in the region should be to counter the threat of North Korea."In East Asia, our allies are desperate for a greater American role. Our top priority must be to counter the threat of a nuclear North Korea. And we must respond strategically to expansionist China's rise, including checking its territorial ambitions," Ryan said in a foreign policy repor

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday made official his endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, saying she is "so qualified" to succeed him."I know how hard this job can be. That's why I know Hillary will be so good at it. In fact, I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said in a video message.Obama said Clinton has "the courage, the compassion and the heart to get the job done.""I'm with her, I am fired up, and I can't wait t

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday he won't be distracted from his duties as U.N. chief "until the very last minute," amid heightened speculation he may be considering a run for president of South Korea.Ban, whose second five-year term as U.N. chief ends late this year, has long been talked about as a potential candidate for next year's presidential election in his home country. Even though he has refused to discuss such a possibility, he has never ruled out the possibility, either