An estimated 1,000 citizens gathered in front of the Japanese Embassy in downtown Seoul Wednesday, calling for the Japanese government’s apology and compensation for the wartime sex slaves during the Japanese colonial rules (1910-1945).The day was the 1,000th weekly Wednesday Protest, first held in 1992. Participants included five survivors of Japan’s sexual enslavement, activists, politicians, foreign residents and journalists. Protesters including Chung Mong-joon, former chairman of the ruling

De facto interim leader meets reformist members over reinvention of partyThe Grand National Party’s former chairwoman Park Geun-hye on Wednesday moved to prevent a possible split of the embattled ruling party, after two reformist lawmakers departed in a growing rift over whether to disband the GNP. Park, met reformist members and discussed what the party should do in order to win back the public’s confidence. “Rep. Park was willing to hear (from the reformers themselves) what the reformers think

Funeral held for officer killed in  crackdown on illegal Chinese fishingA ruling party lawmaker has submitted to the National Assembly a resolution urging the Beijing government to apologize for Monday’s killing of a Korea Coast Guard officer and promise to prevent a repeat of the incident, her office said on Wednesday.Rep. Chung Ok-nim of the Grand National Party proposed the resolution on Tuesday, which was signed by 20 other GNP lawmakers.It also calls on the Seoul government to bolster equip

While the main political parties struggled with internal feuds, a former right-wing lawmaker confirmed his plans to start a new party to embrace both conservatives and moderate liberals.Park Se-il, president of the non-profit think tank Hansun Foundation, pledged at a press conference Wednesday to organize a preparatory committee in January and to launch the party by late February.“We plan to register 200 or more candidates in the April general election,” he said.“At least 30 percent of the in-p

South Korea and Australia on Wednesday agreed to seek the establishment of a regular meeting of their foreign and defense ministers to bolster diplomatic and defense cooperation, Seoul officials said.Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith reached the agreement during their talks in Canberra. The talks came after President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Julia Gillard agreed to hold regular defense ministers’ talks last April.The “Two Plus Two” meeting will di

Young North Korean defectors recently completed shooting a short film in Seoul that aims to show young South Koreans that they are the same, said a film producer who helped them make the movie.Choi Ji-hoon, producer at With Culture, a culture marketing company, met the North Korean defectors in their late teens to early 20s at a film class for students at Durihana International School as part of the company’s volunteering work. The school opened in 2009 in southern Seoul for North Korean defecto

Expert says Pyongyang has yet to miniaturize warhead for missilesNorth Korea’s light water reactor is a safety concern because of the country’s lack of expertise in the area, according to U.S. scientist Siegfried Hecker, who first revealed the existence of North Korea’s uranium centrifuge facility to the world in November 2010.“My largest concern is going to be the safety of that reactor. The light water reactor has very different critical requirements from gas-graphite reactors. And North Korea

People from Singapore living in Korea helped entertain orphans at an annual charity event in Seoul. Staff from the Singapore Embassy and members of the Singapore Club Seoul made their third annual visit to Namsanwon orphanage on Dec. 3. “It was a fun yet heartwarming day as the embassy staff, Singaporean community, and children of the orphanage played some games together, including traditional Singapore games,” First Secretary of the Singapore Embassy Eugene Ng said. The Singaporean community ra