Hollywood star Tom Cruise, who is widely nicknamed “Mr. Nice Tom” by the local media for the friendly manners he has shown during his previous visits to Korea, said he loves his nickname and was excited to bring the fourth installment of his famous “Mission Impossible” series to the country.“I just want to say I love coming here and I love my nickname -- thank you,” the Hollywood star told reporters during a press conference held at Grand Hyatt Seoul Friday. “I didn’t know I had a nickname and i

DAPA to have open bidding process for surveillance dronesThe chief of the state weapons acquisition agency said that how many South Korean parts will be used and technology transfers are crucial factors in determining the winner of Seoul’s project to secure next-generation fighter jets.Defense Acquisition Program Administration Commissioner Noh Dae-lae also said Thursday that stealth is not a “prerequisite,” but part of the grading criteria, stressing that the project will proceed through an “op

Acquisition agency stresses it cannot purchase Global Hawk drones for 'exorbitant prices' offered by Washington South Korea’s weapons acquisition agency said on Thursday that it would carry out an open bidding process for its high-profile project to acquire surveillance drones.　Defense Acquisition Program Administration also said that it has told Washington that Seoul cannot purchase Global Hawk surveillance aircraft for the “exorbitant prices” it has offered.　Details regarding the bidding proce

NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar (AP) ― Looking to cement a foreign policy success and prod democratization in one of the world’s most isolated and authoritarian nations, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sought Thursday to test the willingness of Myanmar’s leaders to expand nascent reforms.On a historic visit here, Clinton said she was hopeful, but not yet convinced, that “flickers of progress” in the Southeast Asian country will burst into flames of change.Clinton, speaking to Myanmar’s Preside

Korea Forest Service maps out plans to establish AFoCO after landmark agreement with ASEANSouth Korea took an important step in nurturing global green growth by agreeing last month with ASEAN member states to form the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization, the Korea Forest Service said on Thursday.The agreement, signed at the ASEAN Summit in Bali, is expected to pave the way for international cooperative networks in the field of forest preservation. ASEAN leaders welcomed the agreement at the 14

SHANGHAI (AP) ― Chinese leaders are scrambling to shore up flagging economic growth as exports weaken, abruptly reversing course after they spent two years struggling to cool an overheated expansion and surging inflation.In the latest sign the world’s No. 2 economy is weakening faster than thought, a business index released Thursday showed manufacturing contracted for the first time in nearly three years. A day earlier, Beijing eased credit curbs in a bid to spur business activity.Struggling to

New channel jTCB’s drama “Padam Padam” represents Jung Woo-sung’s return to the domestic small screen after his embroilment in a scandal involving Seo Taiji’s ex-wife and “ATHENA: Goddess of War” co-star E Jiah. Less than a year has passed since paparazzi shot pictures of the couple together in Europe, followed by the explosive news that E Jiah and king of K-pop Seo Taiji were in the midst of a sticky divorce suit. Jung was lashed by rumors, and the couple later broke up. No beginner to the worl

Maj. Shin Kun-woo of the Air Force’s 122nd Fighter Squadron was named the Top Gun pilot for 2011, the Air Force announced Thursday.The Air Force has named a Top Gun pilot each year since 1979. The top pilot is selected based on their performance over a period of one year.The selection criteria include flight experience, level of professional knowledge, physical fitness and operational experience.The pilots are also judged on their performance in live-fire drills.According to the Air Force, Shin