Outgoing President Lee Myung-bak said Sunday that he is proud that he had to opportunity to work for the great people of South Korea, as he ended his five-year term and arrived at his retirement home in southern Seoul."There were difficult times, but I was a happy worker," Lee told the roughly 1,300 people who greeted his arrival at his retirement home in Nonhyeon-dong after he left the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae for the last time as its executive chief."Thanks to you, I worked happily. I

PATTANI, Thailand (AP) – Police say suspected insurgents detonated two bombs that wounded 10 people and staged a series of minor attacks in nearly 30 spots in Thailand's violence-plagued south.Police Col. Tongsuk Jaranpong says the militants set off an improvised bomb in a garbage can in the city of Pattani on Saturday night. The explosion slightly wounded three police officers who had been called to inspect a suspicious item.Tongsuk says seven civilian security officers suffered minor injuries

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul.The attacks were a reminder that insurgents are still going on the offensive even as U.S. and other international forces draw down. All four attacks Sunday appeared to target Afghan forces, who have been suffering higher casualties this year. Afghan soldier

South Korean golfer Park In-bee captured the Honda LPGA Thailand with a near-flawless final round of play on Sunday, erasing a four-shot deficit for her first win of the season.Park shot a five-under 67 on Sunday at Siam Country Club's Pattaya Old Course for a four-round total of 12-under 276, beating Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand by one shot. Park mixed in six birdies with a bogey.Jutanugarn, 17, stood on the 18th tee with a two-stroke advantage over Park, 24, but committed a disastrous triple b

South Korea's teachers union on Sunday rejected the labor ministry's ultimatum that called for a rewriting of its bylaws that would prevent fired educators from staying on as members.The moves comes as Seoul said last week that the union must make changes to its rules and warned that failure to do so would result in the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) losing its rights as a formal labor union that can engage in legitimate negotiations with schools. Under current labor law only

박근혜 정부 장관내정자들에 대해 잇단 의혹이 제기되는 가운데 부실검증논란이 다시 한번 일고 있다. 이미 민주당은 김병관 국방장관 내정자, 황교안 법무장관 내정자를 부적격 판정을 내린 바 있으며 현오석 경제부총리 내정자도 각종 의혹에 휩싸였다. 현 후보자는 2005년 당시 25세였던 딸에게 10억을 호가하는 서울의 아파트를 증여하기 직전 은행권에서 수억 원의 담보대출을 받는 형식으로 증여세를 1억 여 원 가량 줄인 의혹을 받고 있다.또, 민주당 이언주 의원은 2011년 저축은행사태 당시 현 후보자가 자신과 부인의 명의로 된 2억 원 예금을 솔로몬저축은행과 경기솔로몬저축은행의 영업정지 전 인출한 사실을 문제삼고 있다. 이중국적 논란에 휩싸였던 김종훈 미래부장관 내정자에 대해서는 통합진보당 이석기 의원이 CIA에 깊이 관여된 사람이라며 장관직에 적격성을 의문하고 나섰다. 새로운 의혹이 제기 된 것은 아니지만, 정무수석지명자인 이정현 전 한나라당의원의 과거행보에 대해서도 논란이 일고 있다.

박근혜 정부에서 유독 성균관대 출신 인사들의 약진이 눈에 띈다.서강대학교 졸업생인 박 당선인이 발표한 내각과 청와대 인선 24명 중 성대 출신은 모두 6명으로, 서울대(7명) 다음으로 많았다.내각에선 정홍원 국무총리 후보자와 황교안 법무장관 내정자가 성균관대 법학과 졸업생이고, 비서실장을 비롯한 청와대 인사 4명이 전부 성균관대 출신이다. 비서실장 내정자인 허태열 전 한나라당 의원은 성대 법학과, 유민봉 국정기획수석 내정자는 성대 행정학과 출신이다.곽상도 민정수석 내정자는 성대 법학과를 이남기 홍보수석 내정자는 같은 대학 신문방송학과를 나왔다.나머지 11명 중에는 육군사관학교가 3명, 연세대학교가 2명이며, 이명박 정부에서 득세했던 고려대학교 출신은 단 1명만이 발탁됐다.(코리아헤럴드 최희석 기자)　<관련 영문 기사>Sungkyunkwan alumni gain grounds in Park government By Choi He-suk Graduates of Sungkyunkwan U

The head of South Korea's third largest conglomerate, SK Group, appealed a lower court ruling Tuesday that sentenced him to four years in jail for embezzling 46.5 billion won ($42.8 million) in company funds.Court officials said lawyers representing Chey Tae-won submitted a request for an appeal at 5 p.m. with the paperwork expected to be forwarded to the Seoul High Court in due time. The 53-year-old businessman was found guilty of embezzling the money from SK Group affiliates and funneling it i

BRUSSELS (AFP) – Mali urged the international community to stand by its side to drive out Islamist extremists from its territory as the United Nations, African Union and other global players met in Brussels on Tuesday."The threat concerns all civilized countries," Mali's Foreign Minister Tieman Coulibaly said as he arrived for talks to anchor long-term peace and stability once the military offensive against Islamist rebel forces is over."The entire world must gather around us to chase the jihadi

NEW DELHI (UPI) – Five men charged in the gang rape and death of a woman went on trial Tuesday in a fast-track Indian court where they could be sentenced to death.A sixth suspect in the reported New Delhi gang rape case will be tried separately as he has been declared a juvenile. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of three years at a reform institution.The trial of the five a New Delhi court is being conducted behind closed doors and its proceedings cannot be made public, NDTV television

North Korea will "ruthlessly strike" back if the United States launches preemptive attacks on its nuclear facilities, a media report from the isolated communist country said Tuesday.The report by the Minju Chosun, a newspaper published by the North's Cabinet, is the latest in a series of harsh rhetoric the country's state-run media has been unleashing in recent weeks amid signs that it would soon conduct another atomic test.“If the United States and warmongers attack and try to weaken us, such e

TOKYO (AFP) – A Chinese military frigate locked its weapon-targeting radar on a Japanese navy vessel on at least one occasion, Japan's defense minister said Tuesday, in an apparent upping of the stakes in a bitter territorial row."On Jan. 30, something like fire-control radar was directed at a Japan Self-Defense Maritime escort ship in the East China Sea. The defense ministry today confirmed radar for targeting was used," Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Tokyo.Onodera said a Japanese military

TOKYO (AFP) – The head of the Bank of Japan has offered to step down about three weeks before his term ends, reports said Tuesday, after the BoJ and Japan's new government butted heads on policy matters."I'd like to step down on March 19 when the terms of the two deputy BoJ governors end," Masaaki Shirakawa told reporters in Tokyo, according to Dow Jones Newswires.Japan's top central banker added that he hoped his successor would be sworn in at the same time as a new slate of deputy governors, s