A North Korean hacking group is suspected of launching cyberattacks against a South Korean cybersecurity service firm amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, state prosecutors said Tuesday.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said the group allegedly first hacked into the company, whose identity was withheld, in November and acquired its authentication certificate in the following months.The hacking group then infected a local academic institute website with programs carrying

Head of the newly-launched preparation committee for a foundation to be tasked with helping former comfort women said Tuesday that her focus will be placed on healing their scars and helping them recover their dignity.Kim Tae-hyun, an honorary professor at Sungshin Women's University, added that she and other members of the committee will be all ears to what they really want, believing that genuine communication starts with listening to what people want to say. "I feel a heavy burden from taking

Career diplomat Ri Su-yong, one of North Korea's highest-ranking officials, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday in a surprise visit to China that appears to signal the North's attempt to mend soured ties between the allies.A number of North Korean delegates led by Ri, vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party's Central Committee and the director of the party's International Department, arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport amid tight security.Shortly after arriving at the airport,

South Korea's ruling and opposition parties on Tuesday vowed to roll out safety measures for subway workers, adding they will make efforts to conduct a thorough probe and come up with effective preventive measures.On Saturday, a 19-year-old maintenance worker surnamed Kim died while on duty when he was hit by a subway train in Seoul. Police cited the negligence of the subway operator as the main cause of the accident.The incident drew backlash from the public on the working environment for emplo

North Korea launched a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile early Tuesday morning, but the launch ended in failure, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and military sources said. "North Korea attempted to launch an unidentified missile from Wonsan, Gangwon Province, at around 5:20 a.m., but it is presumed to have been unsuccessful," the JCS said in a brief text message.The military is studying the details of the launch and is maintaining a high level of combat preparedness, the JCS said.

Chung Jin-suk, the floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, on Tuesday said every effort must be made to eradicate tensions among different factions, adding senior members must join forces to get the party back on its feet after its defeat in last month's poll."All members should join forces to do away with factional infighting. Key officials of each faction must set an example," Chung said. The remark apparently refers to Kim Moo-sung, the party's former chairman, and Choi Kyung-hwan, the coun

South Korean mothers have their children start learning English before they turn five on average, an age some admit is probably too early, a survey showed Tuesday.Yoon's English School, a company that runs a chain of English language schools across the country, asked 466 members of an online mothers' community between May 25-29 and found that their children started learning English at an average age of 4.8. The survey said24.9 percent started at age 6, 21.7 percent at age 5 and 14.8 percent at a