The foreign ministry has decided to toughen up disciplinary measures against its diplomats overseas who conduct themselves without regard for good manners or moral standards, officials said Thursday. The move came after two senior diplomats were summoned home in the past month for behaving disorderly under the influence of alcohol in two separate incidents: one at a public dinner and one involving allegations of drunk driving. “Diplomats overseas must keep their dignity and prestige no matter wh

The curfew for U.S. military personnel here will be extended another two months, the U.S. Forces Korea chief said Tuesday, citing the need to assess the current operational environment.According to USFK Commander General James Thurman, the curfew, originally intended to last until the beginning of this month, will be extended to Jan. 6.The USFK said the move was a temporary force protection measure to ensure the continued mission readiness of the command.“I firmly believe that military disciplin

Former Navy officer denies all allegationsGerman prosecutors are investigating a Korean weapons broker for alleged corruption in a large-scale submarine acquisition deal with a German engine manufacturer, local and German media reported this week.They are looking into the possibility that broker Jeong Eui-seung used some of the commission he received from MTU, a subsidiary of the engine manufacturer Tognum, to bankroll some corrupt lobbying activities, the reports said.The 72-year-old former nav

The U.S. Defense Department plans to offer some $5.7 million to North Korea for a project to search for and excavate the remains of the U.S. war dead in the communist country, Washington-based Radio Free Asia reported on Thursday.Citing an email message from Pentagon’s publicity officer Carie Parker, it said that the money will be used to establish base camps for the work in North Pyongan Province and South Hamgyeong Province and also cover overhead expenses.Parker also said that the amount of m

Parties fail to send bill for plenary session The parliamentary ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement is unlikely for another week at least, after rival parties on Thursday failed to move the bill forward for a floor vote. A plenary session, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, was called off by the National Assembly speaker, amid a tense standoff between ruling and opposition lawmakers. “The FTA issue is so tangled up (to be handled today). Other than that, there are just a few agend

ATHENS (AP) ― Greece’s prime minister held firm early Wednesday to his shock decision to call for a referendum on a hard-fought European debt deal, despite anger from abroad, market turmoil across the world and dissent from within his own party.George Papandreou’s government still faced a battle for survival, with a vote of confidence scheduled for Friday and a grilling from frustrated European leaders expected later in the day ahead of the Group of 20 summit in the French Riviera.After a grueli

DOHA ― The third World Innovation Summit for Education, one of the largest international education forums, kicked off its three-day run in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday with more than 1,000 attending. The forum has attracted about 1,200 participants and 140 distinguished speakers from about 120 countries, including Colombia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, former U.K. prime minister Gordon Brown and Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales. They will discuss the future of education and global challenges.The a

The diplomatic community is up in arms over the death of Thitinart Satjipanon, spouse of Thai Ambassador Chaiyong Satjipanon, on Sept. 19 at Soonchunhyang University Hospital.A letter sent by Uzbekistan Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Vitali Fen to Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung-hwan condemned, in the harshest of language and tone, the treatment of the Thai ambassador’s wife by the hospital. “I would like to convey strong denunciation on