North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s latest trip to China, the fourth of its kind, is likely a move designed for Kim to reach an accord with Pyongyang’s closest ally before holding the second US-North Korea summit.As North Korea has largely been relying on its bigger neighbor for economic and diplomatic support, experts say Monday’s trip is also viewed as a strategy for Pyongyang to raise its negotiating power in talks with the United States. While the North Korean leader’s itinerary usually comes

Seoul’s Defense Ministry is preparing to release a video clip to counter Tokyo’s accusation that a Korean Naval destroyer had locked its weapons-targeting radar onto a Japanese warplane last month, amid an escalating dispute over the incident.The move comes after Japan released footage filmed by its patrol aircraft in an effort to back its claim. The Ministry of National Defense has expressed regret over Japan’s disclosure of the footage, calling it “misleading.”  Ministry of National Defense sp

The police are trying to locate a former Finance Ministry official who made public accusations against the Moon administration, after he reportedly went missing Thursday, leaving behind a suicide note. According to the police, Shin Jae-min, a former official of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, sent text messages to his friend at around 7 a.m., expressing difficulties and giving signs that he was planning to take his own life. (Yonhap)Police raided Shin’s house following the friend’s report a

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo reiterated Tuesday that the transfer of wartime operational control would not lead to the withdrawal of the US forces stationed in the country, or the dissolution of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command. Responding to a question during a local TV show, Jeong reiterated that the planned transfer of OPCON would not affect the allies’ current combined defense posture, over which conservatives here have often raised concern. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (Yonhap)“

영화 ‘아이언맨’으로 한국 팬들에게 친숙한 헐리웃 스타 테렌스 하워드가 돌아오는 4월, 한국에서 연기와 노래 실력 등을 망라하는 오디션 프로그램을 열 예정이라고 밝혔다.캐나다 출신 한국계 아내 미라 박씨와 미군 부대 위문방문 등 일정을 소화하기 위해 처음으로 내한한 하워드는, 코리아헤럴드와의 단독 인터뷰에서 현재 프로그램 구성을 위한 준비작업중이라고 밝혔다. 테런스 하워드 (사진=조혜림 기자)현재 구상으로 해당 오디션은 먼저 온라인으로 예선이 진행되며, 온라인 예선을 통과한 이들에게 대면 오디션의 기회가 주어지게 된다. 우승자에게는 상금과 더불어 트레이닝과 미국 무대에 도전할 수 있는 기회가 주어진다.하워드는 그러나 현재 프로그램이 기획 단계에 있기 때문에 세부사항에 대해서는 말을 아꼈다.이와 같은 아이디어는 한국계인 그의 부인이 냈다고 한다. 그는 “TV를 보고 있는데 부인이 ‘여기에 나오는 배우들 중 절반은 한국 배우나 가수들이 보여주는 재능하고 비교도 안될 것 같다’고 언급했다

Inside today’s busy and crowded Seoul remain old trails of a massive stone wall that once encircled the city -- Hanyang Doseong, or simply the Seoul City Wall. Following the ridges of Bugaksan (Baekaksan), Naksan (Naktasan), Namsan (Mongmyeoksan) and Inwangsan, the four main mountains surrounding the center of Seoul, the trails from the Joseon era remain today for people to experience different views of the city.Map of Seoul City Wall (Seoul Metropolitan Government)Constructed by King Tae-jo in

Women’s rights groups in the Gyeongsang provinces on Tuesday condemned a provincial police agency for investigating 26 women on whether they had abortions.Members of the women’s rights groups, including the Gyeongnam Women’s United Association, said they held a meeting with officials at the South Gyeongsang Province Police Agency on Monday and delivered a letter of complaint.  (Yonhap)“We denounce the police for conducting investigations to track down women who may have had abortions, which is a

Lee Jae-jeong, the superintendent of Gyeonggi Province Office of Education, will propose a plan for South Korean students to visit the North at Wednesday’s railroad groundbreaking ceremony, the education office said Tuesday.According to the office, Lee will participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for a joint project to reconnect roads and railways across the border to be held at the Panmun Station in the North’s border town of Kaesong.  A unification flag (Yonhap)There, Lee will propose the p

The Drug Ministry has issued safety guidelines on the use of the flu medication Tamiflu, following the case of a teenager who fell to her death after complaining of hallucinations.　The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety distributed a letter explaining the possible side effects of Tamiflu to medical specialists and consumer organizations on Monday.  Tamiflu (Yonhap)According to the ministry, patients over 10 years old may show abnormal behavior under the influence of the medication, and there is al

Hong Joon-pyo, the firebrand conservative politician who is often compared to US President Donald Trump for his outspoken, hard-line rhetoric, is once again causing a stir, this time as a YouTuber. On Dec. 18, the former chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party launched a YouTube channel called TV Hongka-Cola, and announced his return to politics, saying he believes it is his last chance to “end the crazy wind of the liberals” and “to save the country.”(Captured from TV Hongka-cola Yo

The Seoul Global Center is recruiting Korean-language instructors to teach language classes for foreign residents here. To be eligible to apply, a level 2 certificate in Korean-language teaching and at least 700 hours of experience are necessary.  (Seoul Global Center)The application deadline is Dec. 25, and the short list will be posted Dec. 28. Short-listed candidates will have until Jan. 6 to submit their teaching demonstration videos.The Seoul Global Center, a multilingual support institute

Former South Chungcheong provincial Gov. An Hee-jung attended the first hearing of his appeal trial Friday to defend himself against charges that he sexually abused his secretary. The Seoul High Court began the first hearing for An, who was acquitted by the lower court in August. Former South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung appears at Seoul High Court on Friday. (Yonhap)Appearing in front of the Seoul High Court at 10 a.m., An said, “Sorry I do not have anything to say,” when asked if he d

Tens of thousands of taxi drivers across the nation flocked to Seoul on Thursday to protest tech giant Kakao’s launch of a carpooling app, causing inconvenience as the labor unions also began a 24-hour strike at 4 a.m. The venue in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, was filled with some 120,000 taxi drivers -- nearly half of all taxi drivers in the nation -- according to rally organizers. “Carpooling service is illegal. Revise the Transport Service Act!” chanted thousands of prote

John Linton has a list of titles that label him as “the first” in Korea. He was the first foreign national to pass Korea’s exam for medical practitioners in 1987, he was the first to introduce an ambulance vehicle here to treat patients while moving and he was the first to receive dual citizenship as an American and a Korean.Born to an American missionary family in the Jeolla provinces in South Korea, Linton has witnessed the ups and downs of Korean history and left his mark here and there -- ju

Part-time lecturers in Busan went on strike Tuesday, protesting their dismissals less than a month after a revision bill aimed at improving their treatment passed the National Assembly.In a press conference held in front of the university building, members of the Pusan National University branch of the Korean Irregular Professors’ Union denounced the university’s decision to dismiss part-time lecturers and announced a walkout.  (Yonhap)“The law amendment made (last month) to improve the poor tre