South Korea seeks to almost double the budget allotted to projects for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War next year as the resolution of the issue warrants urgency, government officials said Tuesday.The unification ministry said it has set aside 12 billion won ($10.7 million) for projects to support exchanges of dispersed families in next year's budget proposal, up 97 percent from this year.Among the money, the government seeks to allocate 8.4 billion won to prepare for possible reunio

North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday. The following is a chronology of the North's major missile provocations. A photo made available by the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the state news agency of North Korea, shows the North Korean inter-continental ballistic rocket Hwasong-14 being prepared before a test launch at an undisclosed location in North Korea, 04 July 2017. (KCNA)-- Aug. 31, 1998: North Korea fires off its first ballistic missile, the Unha-1, als

The head of South Korea's central bank on Monday lashed out at recent comments by a presidential aide that the low key rate is problematic. Officials "should be careful in making comments that could affect the financial markets," Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol said in a parliamentary session. It marked the second time this month that Lee has made a thinly veiled criticism against the presidential economic aide, who said in a recent interview with a newspaper that the low key rate is to

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged government officials to fight corruption both in the public and private sectors, noting efforts to build a fairer and more just nation began with efforts to protect people from all walks of life."In the past, the issue of corruption had mostly been addressed in the public sector, but I believe we must set up national anti-corruption measures in the private sector as well in the future," Moon said while meeting with officials from the Justice Ministry and the

North Korea has been conducting a large-scale campaign to sort out disgruntled citizens amid growing public fatigue over toughened international sanctions against the impoverished state, Seoul's spy agency said Monday.During a parliamentary briefing, the National Intelligence Service pointed out that the North's international isolation has further deepened as European and Latin American states have reduced diplomatic staff as part of the sanctions."As citizens' fatigue has increased amid toughen

Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday it agreed to join US 20th Century Fox and Japan-based Panasonic Corp. to expand the ecosystem for the High Dynamic Range 10 Plus technology.The South Korean tech giant said the companies agreed to establish an alliance for the HDR 10 Plus technology.The agreement is aimed at inducing more TV producers and movie productions to join the ecosystem for the new technology, Samsung said. (YonhapThe HDR technology allows screens to deliver vivid displays by optimizin

LPGA rookie phenom Park Sung-hyun has said she rode a “perfect” round to her second career victory in Canada.　Park shot a bogey-free round of seven-under 64 to win the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open on Sunday in Ottawa. At 13-under overall, Park defeated fellow South Korean Lee Mi-rim by two strokes.　The victory came a little over a month after Park’s monumental victory at the US Women‘s Open, the oldest major championship in women’s golf. Thanks to those two victories, Park now leads the money l

Thousands of veterinarians gathered Monday in Incheon, west of Seoul, to discuss ways to enhance the health of humans, animals and the environment around the world.In a speech opening the 33rd World Veterinary Congress earlier in the day, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said, "The congress will become an opportunity for mankind to strengthen measures to cope with livestock diseases that are affecting human health."Also attending the opening ceremony of the four-day congress were Agricult

South Korea on Monday issued a special warning on transactions with 20 Chinese, North Korean and other foreign entities and individuals that were put on the United States' sanctions list for helping finance the North's development of nuclear weapons.The companies and individuals under the latest transaction alert are those that were blacklisted by the US' past two sanctions lists adopted June 29 and Aug. 22 in connection with North Korea's development of weapons of mass destruction.They include

North Korea has replaced its top envoy to Uganda, Pyongyang's state media said Monday, as the African country cut its military and security cooperation with the North last year.North Korea appointed Jong Tong-hak as its ambassador to Uganda in accordance with a decision by the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, according to the Korean Central News Agency. This file photo, taken on May 30, 2016, shows major newspapers in Uganda reporting that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni pledged to

Constitutional Court Justice-nominee Lee You-jung struggled Monday to quell growing controversy over her ideological orientation, pledging to strictly maintain political neutrality if appointed.Since President Moon Jae-in nominated her earlier this month, conservative parties have taken issue with her backing for a liberal candidate in a 2011 Seoul mayoral election and her inclusion on the list of the ruling party's new recruits in the lead-up to the May presidential vote.The opposition parties

South Korean teen golf sensation Choi Hye-jin said Monday she'd like to win the top rookie award on the home tour next year.Once a hot-shot amateur, Choi turned professional last Thursday, a day after her 18th birthday. On Aug. 20, she won her last event as an amateur, the Bogner MBN Ladies Open on the Korea LPGA Tour. The victory made Choi the first amateur to win twice in one KLPGA season since 1999, and it came about a month after Choi made international headlines by finishing in second place

The top rookie in South Korean baseball this year on Monday made the provisional national team for an inaugural offseason tournament.The Korea Baseball Organization announced a 42-man roster for the Asia Professional Baseball Championship, which will take place from Nov. 16 to 19 in Tokyo. It will feature pros from South Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei under 24 -- born on or after Jan. 1, 1993 -- or those with less than three years of professional experience. Teams are each allowed three players

An environment for talks with North Korea will be created if Pyongyang stops additional provocations, South Korea's top diplomat said Monday, reaffirming Seoul's willingness to resume negotiations despite the communist country's continued push for advancing its missile and nuclear programs."What is more important than anything else is that the North should stop additional provocations to create an environment for talks. The US is sending such a signal, as are China and Russia,"Kang told reporter

North Korea is ready to bury the entirety of the United States under water if the country is invaded by Americans, the North's official newspaper said Monday as the country marks national Navy Day.Celebrating the 68th anniversary of the establishment of its navy on Monday, the Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, revisited the country's launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile in April last year, in an article titled "Only victory and glory would lie ahead fo