South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo visited the boot camp of a front-line Army unit Saturday amid fierce criticism about alleged human rights abuse by a four-star general.Meeting with new conscripts at the 28th Division in Paju, near the inter-Korean border, Song pledged efforts to reform the military culture, according to his ministry."Treating troops on the sacred duty of national defense unfairly or giving them private instructions can't happen," the minister said. "(I) will try to e

TEHRAN -- South Korea's parliamentary leader has said North Korea should take cues from Iran and return to nuclear talks as he met with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran.National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun pointed out Iran has enjoyed positive effects, including economic growth, from the agreement on its nuclear program two years ago.Under the landmark accord with the P5+1 group of world powers -- the United States, Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany -- sanctions on Iran were lifted

MANILA -- South Korea's top diplomat arrived in the Philippines on Saturday to attend meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations where she will discuss measures with regional powers to curb growing threats from North Korea."This is my debut on a multilateral diplomatic platform," Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told reporters upon arriving at Ninoy Akino International Airport in Manila. "Having said that, we have arranged bilateral talks with as many countries as possible."She is to

BEIJING -- North Korea's top diplomat arrived in China on Saturday en route to the Philippines for a regional security conference, a source said, amid a looming vote that could tighten sanctions on Pyongyang for its missile and nuclear programs.Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and four other North Korean officials will take a connecting flight to Manila for the ASEAN Regional Forum, according to the source.North Korea's Foreing Minister Ri Yong-ho. (Yonhap)North Korea's official Korean Central News A

South Korea's construction balance surplus fell 22.8 percent in the first six months of this year from a year earlier, central bank data showed Saturday.The country's construction balance surplus reached $3.14 billion in the January-June period, compared with a surplus of $4.07 billion a year earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea.The half-year figure is the lowest since the second half of 2006, when the construction balance surplus came to $3.02 billion. (Yonhap)South

TAIPEI -- Taiwanese police have identified a burglary suspect, who recently stole cash from the ruling party's headquarters in Taipei, as a South Korean man and put him on their wanted list, a local news agency said Saturday.According to the Central News Agency, a special investigation team under the Criminal Investigation Bureau was tracking the South Korean suspect, known as Cho, after a security camera video showed that he sneaked into the eighth floor of the headquarters of the Democratic Pr

North Korea will disclose its stance on international pressure over its missile provocations at multiple meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a North Korean official said Saturday.The senior official who will accompany North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho during his visit to Manila made the remarks in a brief encounter with Yonhap News Agency at a hotel. Lee is to arrive here early on Sunday morning."We will make our stance clear when things are determined," he told Yonhap

South Korean companies face some 190 import tariff restrictions in 28 countries, with emerging markets accounting for over 70 percent of the barriers, a local trade promotion agency said Wednesday.As of June, Korean firms were involved in 154 antidumping and countervailing duty actions and 36 safeguard tariffs imposed by countries such as the US, Canada, India, China and Thailand, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said in a statement. A total of 135 import regulations were taken agains

Daewoo Shipbiulding & Marine Engineering Co., a major shipyard here, handed over a 1,400-ton diesel-electric submarine to the Indonesian Navy on Wednesday, becoming the first South Korean company to export a submarine. The company said it held a ceremony at its Okpo shipyard on Geoje Island off the southern coast to mark the event.The boat is the first of three submarines commissioned by the Southeast Asian country under a 2011 deal worth $1.1 billion, which is equivalent to selling some 730,000

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday vowed to upgrade his country's relations with Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations to the level of its ties with the world's most powerful countries."I am very happy to see that South Korea-Indonesia relations are expanding," Moon said, according to his top press secretary Yoon Young-chan. "I hope such cooperation will further expand to help strengthen (Indonesia's) defense capabilities."Moon's remarks came at a meeting with Indonesian Defen

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., South Korea's leading desalination plant builder, shifted to a net loss in the second quarter from a year earlier amid slowing global demand, the company said Wednesday.Doosan Heavy swung to a loss of 26.13 billion won ($23 million) in the April-June quarter from 130.74 billion won in the black a year earlier, the plant company said in a regulatory filing.  (Yonhap)Operating profit rose 17 percent to 305.94 billion won in the second quarter from 262.37

South Korean stocks closed higher Wednesday as foreign buyers scooped up large-cap tech and telecom shares, offsetting a massive selling spree by institutional investors. The Korean won fell against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index advanced 4.67 points, or 0.19 percent, to close at 2,427.63. Trade volume was low at 258 million shares worth 5.2 trillion won ($5 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 461 to 341.Foreign investors reversed a seven-day selling streak

South Korea and the United States are in close consultations over ways to deal with North Korea following its latest missile provocation, an official from the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday, dismissing criticism that President Moon Jae-in may be neglecting his job while on leave."I stress that there are almost daily discussions between South Korea and the United States," the official told reporters, while speaking on condition of anonymity.The remarks came in respo

Prosecutors said Wednesday they have launched an investigation into suspicions of accounting fraud at South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries Co., with its top executives already under probe for cost manipulation and slush funds.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office began its probe into KAI last month over allegations that some of its top officials manipulated expenses for development projects, including the making of a utility helicopter known as the Surion

The government's implementation of raising deposits on recyclable empty bottles caused more people to return them for money in the first half of the year, the Environment Ministry said Wednesday.According to the ministry, the rate of empty beer and soju bottles that consumers returned under a "money back for your empty bottles" scheme rose from an average of 30 percent last year to 47 percent in the January-June period.The ministry attributed the rise to a government measure, effective in Januar