South Korea has signed a series of memorandums of understanding with Ethiopia to strengthen cooperation in the health sector, health ministry officials here said Friday.The agreement was made in Addis Ababa as South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Ethiopian counterpart Hailemariam Desaleg watched their representatives sign four MOUs in the health care sector and one MOU in the social welfare sector, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said. The MOUs call for, among other things, advancing

S.M. Entertainment, the country's largest talent agency, and a private institute will found an alternative international school for teenagers dreaming of becoming K-pop stars, the companies said Friday.S.M. signed a memorandum of understanding with Haneul Education Co. to open what is tentatively called the "K-pop international school" in Seoul's southern district of Gangnam, possibly early next year.Selected Korean and foreign K-pop star aspirants will learn major subjects taught in typical Kor

Diesel cars are being blamed as the main culprit of the chronic fine dust pollution in the country, but studies indicate that diesel construction equipment is also a big part of the problem, according to experts on Friday.A tally from the Ministry of Land, infrastructure and Transport showed South Korea had 450,482 registered construction equipment as of end-March, 67 percent of them forklifts and excavators. The majority, experts say, use diesel fuel for cost and efficiency reasons, releasing d

South Korea's government said Tuesday that it plans to sign an initial deal with Sri Lanka on the development of the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo and adjacent areas.Kang Ho-in, minister of land, infrastructure and transport, is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with his counterpart from Sri Lanka, Patali Champika Ranawaka, at a Seoul hotel later in the day, according to the ministry.The deal calls for, among other things, South Korea and Sri Lanka to primarily cooperate on projects to d

South Korea and Mongolia will boost their cooperation in football after leaders from both sides agreed to mutual football development programs, the sport's national governing body said Friday.The Korea Football Association said that its chief Chung Mong-gyu had a meeting with Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj and Mongolian Football Federation head Ganbaatar Amgalanbaata at a Seoul hotel on Thursday night and discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries in football."Personall

South Korea plans to increase the number of personnel working at international organizations to 100 next year, the Ministry of Personnel Management said Sunday, amid the country's stepped-up efforts to bolster its diplomatic profile on the global stage.The ministry said that it would expand a government system that allows public servants to take a leave of absence to serve at international organizations for three years and extend the period by two years if necessary.Currently, 85 public servants