The U.S. government will continue efforts to return stolen artifacts from abroad although the process could be quite arduous, the chief of the Seoul regional office of the primary investigative arm for the U.S. customs authorities said."The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations has a commitment between the United States of America and partnering countries like South Korea to combat the illegal trade in stolen art and antiquities," HSI Attache Seoul Cho Taeku

Suzanne Scholte, a well-known U.S. activist on the North Korean human rights problem, has become a Republican candidate for November's congressional election, according to her campaign website.She will take on Democrat incumbent Gerry Connolly seeking a fourth term in the House to represent Virginia's 11th district where there are relatively many Korean-American residents. "This is time for all of us to come together to preserve what makes America the greatest nation on earth, our Constitution,

Lithuanians began voting Sunday to elect their president, with incumbent "Iron Lady" Dalia Grybauskaite an apparent shoo-in as fears in the EU Baltic state soar over a resurgent Russia.The karate black belt, nicknamed for her Thatcheresque resolve, is poised to win a second term as many here who remember Soviet times see her as a their best hope amid Europe's worst standoff with Moscow since the Cold War.A former EU budget chief, the 58-year-old Grybauskaite is likely to score over 50 percent of

Voting began Sunday in referendums called by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine to split from the rest of the ex-Soviet republic, polls the US slammed as "illegal" as the West fears they could spark civil war.The vote, carried out as two "referendums" in provinces where the insurgents hold more than a dozen towns, marks a serious deepening of the political crisis in Ukraine, which has pushed East-West relations to lows not seen since the end of the Cold War.Although a "yes" vote would likely

Protesters staged one of Vietnam's largest ever anti-China demonstrations Sunday, decrying Beijing's deployment of a deep-water drilling rig in contested waters as territorial tensions soar.Some 1,000 people, from war veterans to students, waved banners saying "China don't steal our oil" and "Silence is cowardly" -- a dig at Hanoi's handling of the dispute -- and sang patriotic songs in a park opposite the Chinese Embassy."This is the largest anti-Chinese demonstration I have ever seen in Hanoi,

The justice ministry said Sunday it will propose a law that would fine people up to 5 million won ($4,873) for failing to report child abuse.The law would also give a prosecutor the authority to keep track of a case through a committee made up of police, doctors, lawyers and welfare workers, the ministry said.The law, to be formally proposed on Monday, will fine people who know of but neglect to report suspected child abuse. "This is intended for not just closing the case by punishing the abuser

Supporters of Thailand's embattled government began streaming into western Bangkok for a show of force Saturday that follows Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's ouster and a renewed push by demonstrators to install an unelected premier.The gathering of the pro-government movement took place a day after anti-government protesters - who have been campaigning for six months to remove Yingluck from office - ramped up their efforts by laying siege to television stations, surrounding state offices, a

The search for victims of the Sewol ferry sinking has been put on hold due to unfavorable weather near Jindo island, authorities said Saturday.Officials in charge of finding victims and determining the cause of the tragic accident said high wind and wave alerts issued for the area are making it impossible to send divers to the sunken ship after two more bodies were recovered the previous day."Waves are rising to the point that they are wetting the deck of the barge that is being used as the stag

North Korea on Saturday warned it will respond mercilessly to all South Korean and U.S. provocations related to its recent artillery and missile firing exercises.The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said in an article picked up in Seoul that its military exercises were legitimate preparations to defend itself from outside aggression. It said any moves to challenge such rights can only be seen as moves to crush the country."Any such provocations will be dealt with in

South Korea has entered the race to win the rights to host the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup along with four other countries, the global football governing body's website showed Saturday (Korea time).FIFA's home page said England, France, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as South Korea, submitted their letters of intent to host the games that are held every four years.FIFA said with the exception of South Africa, the other four countries have expressed a desire to host the U-20 Women's World

Funeral services for three Danwon High School students lost in the sinking of the Sewol ferry last month were held Saturday, as the official death toll stands at 274, with 30 still missing.The service for the students took place at two hospitals in Ansan, located 42 kilometers southwest of Seoul.Representatives of families who lost their loved ones said that over 462,000 people have visited various memorial altars since April 23. They added that 99,000 condolence messages have been received.The

After bombarding South Korea's female president with sexist invectives, North Korea's state news agency has fired off racist insults against President Barack Obama that U.S. officials condemn as "disgusting."North Korea is notorious for inflammatory, warlike rhetoric against its rivals South Korea and the U.S. but had rarely used racial slurs in its verbal attacks. Pyongyang's tone has grown angrier in recent weeks as it threatens to conduct a fourth nuclear test.In a lengthy May 2 dispatch rele

A ballistics expert called Thursday to testify by Oscar Pistorius' defense offered a different explanation to prosecutors for one of the wounds sustained by Reeva Steenkamp when she was shot and killed by the world-famous athlete last year.Wollie Wolmarans testified his reconstructions of the Feb. 14, 2013 shooting showed that the pattern of wood splinter marks around a gunshot wound on Steenkamp's right arm indicated that the arm was between six and 20 centimeters from a wood toilet door when i

A 50-year-old man has been arrested on charges of spreading a rumor online that a South Korea-U.S. military drill was responsible for last month's deadly ferry sinking off South Korea's southwest coast, police said Wednesday.The suspect, identified only by his family name Shin, disseminated the rumor that "the ferry Sewol sank because it deviated from its course due to the joint South Korea-U.S. exercise," according to the National Police Agency.Shin posted the claim on an online bulletin board