NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set for a series of bilateral talks with other global leaders in New York on Tuesday, following his participation in the opening of the UN General Assembly.The new South Korean leader will begin the second day of his four-day visit here with a meeting with International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach, in which he is widely expected to call for stepping up of joint efforts between his country and the IOC to ensure a successful 2018 Winter Oly

A group of South Korean scientists have developed highly stable and cheap solar cells made out of flourine, a state-run institute said TuesdayThe team led by Kim Jin-young from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology developed the edged-selectively fluorine functionalized graphene nanoplatelets with structure of perovskite solar cells that can achieve a stability of 82 percent. (Yonhap)A perovskite solar cell is a type of cell which includes a perovskite structured compound, consi

The government plans to put together a set of lasting principles on North Korea policy by 2021, through consultations with civil society, that can survive through administrations regardless of their ideological differences, officials said Tuesday.Concluding the so-called "national pact on unification" is one of the goals of the administration of President Moon Jae-in in a nation in which conservatives and liberals are sharply divided on how to deal with North Korea.No time frame has been given s

South Korea is eyeing Saudi Arabia's first nuclear power plant project, hoping to export its nuclear technology following a 2009 deal with the United Arab Emirates, the government said Tuesday. Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude exporter, is set to announce a plan to build two nuclear reactors to reduce its reliance on oil, drawing keen attention from major nuclear power producers including South Korea, China, France and Russia. The Gulf nation held a presentation Monday on its nuclear ener

The price of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S8 without a mobile carrier contract in South Korea hovers far above that of the United States, a local consumer group said Tuesday.According to Green Consumer Network in Korea, the local sales price of the unlocked Galaxy S8 released earlier this year has been set at 1.02 million won ($908), which it claimed is higher than the official price tag of $780 set for US consumers including taxes. (Yonhap)Considering discounts provided to US consumers for

South Korean stocks finished almost flat Tuesday as investors attempted to lock in recent gains, analysts said. The Korean won lost ground against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index inched down 2.16 points, or 0.09 percent, to close at 2,416.05. Trade volume was slim at 248.4 million shares worth 5.2 trillion won ($4.3 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 409 to 366.Foreigners and institutions offloaded a net 143.6 billion won and 50.5 billion won worth of local

The South Korean government said Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with the African Development Bank on preparations for the institutions’ annual meeting to be held in a city of Busan next year.The memorandum addresses the sharing of role and cost for the 53rd annual meeting of the AfDB that is expected to draw more than 4,000 finance ministers, governors of central banks, heads of international organizations and business leaders from nearly 80 member states, according to

The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute said Tuesday that it promoted its SMART reactor for export to third countries at the ongoing assembly of the international nuclear watchdog in Vienna.The promotion was made as a subsidiary event at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency the previous day, with 22 Asian, African and Mideast countries attending, a KAERI official said. During the event, KAERI introduced Saudi Arabia's nuclear reactor project, in which it is taking part,

South Korea on Tuesday held an interagency meeting to discuss North Korea‘s dismal human rights situation for the first time since the Moon Jae-in administration took office in May, government officials said.Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung hosted the meeting to consult with director-generals from other ministries over the country’s policy on North Korea‘s rights records, according to Seoul’s unification ministry.“Given the government‘s North Korea policy and Pyongyang’s abject rights sit

South Korea's top diplomat is pushing to have bilateral talks with major countries, including the United States and Japan, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is in New York to accompany President Moon Jae-in, who will attend the annual gathering of representatives of UN member states, which starts Tuesday (local time)."A foreign ministerial meeting between South Korea and Japan will be held, the details of whic

The top army officers of South Korea, the United States and Japan exchanged their views on North Korea on Tuesday at a meeting held on the sidelines of the 10th Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference, South Korea's Army said.Gen. Kim Yong-woo, the South Korean Army chief of staff, met with his American and Japanese counterpart -- Gen. Mark A. Milley and Gen. Koji Yamazaki -- in Seoul."(They) assessed the security conditions on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's nuclear and missile provocati

South Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday apologized to the public after one of its officials was accused of selling personal information about North Korean defectors for money.The official is suspected of handing over data on 40 defectors for some 14 million won ($12,000) to South Korean brokers who helped refugees' escape, according to prosecutors. Brokers sought to recoup commission that they failed to receive from the defectors.In a separate case, an employee at the Korea Hana Foundation

NEW YORK -- The South Korea-United States alliance remains strong as ever despite differences on various issues, such as how to adjust the countries' free trade agreement to make it more balanced, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said."Many of you expressed concerns over the Korea-US alliance, but there is no need to worry. It is (strong) like iron and stone," the president said while meeting 200 South Korean residents and expatriates in New York on Monday.Moon arrived here earlier Monday for

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon instructed the prosecution Tuesday to investigate the 2016 death of a farmer left comatose after being hit by a police water cannon during a protest rally a year earlier.Lee also apologized for the death of Baek Nam-gi, saying the 68-year-old lost his life due to the "violent use" of police power and that the tragedy represents a "betrayal of the state's basic duties of protecting the lives of people." Tuesday was the first anniversary of Baek's passing."The government

South Korea is expected to review its plan for humanitarian assistance to North Korea via UN agencies, including the timing of its actual provision, this week, a government official said Tuesday.Defense Minister Song Young-moo said at a parliamentary session Monday that Seoul's provision of $8 million in aid to North Korea could be considerably delayed even if the government approves the plan Thursday.Seoul's unification ministry said that Song's remarks appeared misleading as there is no change