WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- South Korea and the United States on Monday signed a pact to strengthen cooperation on the environmental front as the world struggles to deal with climate change, pollution and ecological havoc.Seoul’s Ambassador to Washington Han Duck-soo and Robert Hormats, under secretary of state for economic, energy and agricultural affairs, signed the U.S.-Korea Environmental Cooperation Agreement in a ceremony in Washington.Under the pact, the two sides will work more closely t

Prosecutors investigating allegations surrounding SLS Group chairman Lee Kuk-chul may summon Rep. Lee Sang-deuk.According to reports, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is reviewing plans to summon Rep. Lee, who is President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother, in relation to the money his aide received from the businessman. The SLS Group chairman was indicted in early December on a number of charges including bribing government officials to keep the conglomerate afloat and to avoid a pros

The National Election Commission plans to prevent North Korean defectors from entering South Korean diplomatic missions in China during the overseas voting period for the general elections.The overseas voting period for the April 11 general elections runs from March 28 to April 2, and the ballots are open to overseas Koreans with Korean nationality, and absentees such as those studying or working abroad. According to reports, the National Election Commission is reviewing plans to collaborate wit

Leading parties are to add momentum to their preparations for the upcoming general elections by kicking off a candidate nomination committee as early as this week.They are also expected to carry out a major nominee reshuffle, in response to ongoing calls for reforms.The ruling Grand National Party’s emergency leadership council is to line up a nomination screening committee this week and to confirm its members as early as Wednesday, according to officials on Tuesday.The panel, in an attempt to f

HAVANA (AP) ― Amnesty International said Monday that three Cubans held without charge for 52 days following their arrest at a protest were released last week, hours after the human rights group named them as prisoners of conscience.The release of the three also came a day after a hunger-striking dissident died, prompting condemnation from island dissidents, rights watchers, the United States and other nations. Amnesty had planned to designate Wilman Villar, 31, a prisoner of conscience but he di

South Korea and the U.S. appear cautious about staging their annual springtime military exercise here as planned, as it could provoke North Korea, about which uncertainty has deepened since the death of Kim Jong-il last month. The North has routinely denounced the Key Resolve exercise as a “rehearsal” to topple its regime. Last year, it hardened its bellicose rhetoric against the allies, warning of a “ruthless” military response with its nuclear, missile deterrence capabilities. “We are coordina

President Lee Myung-bak on Friday tapped Chang Ho-jin, Seoul’s ambassador to Cambodia, as his secretary for diplomatic affairs.Chang has served in a variety of key diplomatic posts including those in the Foreign Ministry’s divisions handling North American issues and inter-Korean peace negotiations. He has served at the embassy in Cambodia since September 2010.Lee also appointed Kwon Ik-hwan, senior prosecutor in charge of financial and taxation cases at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ O

The government is seeking to reform the outside director system as criticism continues that outside directors have only acted as a rubber stamp, failing to serve their purpose of keeping corporate management in check.The Justice Ministry is in particular striving to find with ways to prevent outside directors from playing a “lobbyist” role and enhance their independence and professionalism. Critics have long pointed out that outsiders, many of whom formerly worked as high-level officials at the