The United States on Thursday rejected a joint proposal from China and Russia that the US and South Korea suspend joint military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting nuclear and missile tests.(Yonhap)After summit talks in Moscow earlier this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin made the so-called "freeze-for-freeze" proposal in an effort to defuse escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.The North has previously made a similar proposal but the US ha

The United States should demand China shoulder the burden of making payments to North Korea in exchange for constraints on its nuclear program, top American experts have suggested.Victor Cha, a former White House director for Asia, and Jake Sullivan, who served as national security adviser to former Vice President Joe Biden, made the suggestion in a Washington Post opinion piece, saying the US should use the China card differently.Victor Cha (Yonhap)In the past, they said, China has left it to t

The UN Security Council failed to adopt a press statement condemning North Korea's test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile because of Russia's opposition, UN diplomats said Thursday.(Yonhap)When the Security Council met Wednesday to discuss the North's ICBM test, the US proposed a draft press statement strongly condemning the launch and pledging to take "significant measures" against the communist nation.The draft was circulated among the 15 council members, but was not adopted as R

North Korea on Thursday condemned South Korea and the United States' joint ballistic missile exercise, warning that it will not condone any move berating its latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.(Yonhap)The allies fired a barrage of missiles into the East Sea on Wednesday in a warning signal to Pyongyang, one day after the North claimed it had a successful ICBM test.The live-firing training was held on orders by Moon as he raised the need for demonstrating the allies' defense pos

A national security advisor to President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that the US appears to have come to a conclusion too hastily about North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile capability, adding that it will take more time for Pyongyang to perfect all the necessary technologies.Moon Chung-in (Yonhap)Moon Chung-in, a professor at Yonsei University, also said that this means that there is still time for the international community to resolve the North's missile and nuclear stalemate through

South Korea has decided to provide $100,000 in humanitarian aid to the Philippines to help the country better weather a militant siege in a southern city, the foreign ministry said Thursday.(Yonhap)The siege by a terrorist group in the southern city of Marawi and a subsequent battle with the Philippine government have continued for more than a month, causing about 300,000 residents in the city and the surrounding area to evacuate the region, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. South Ko

The government will work out measures to prevent further widening disparity between conglomerate-invested big-budget films and films from minor studios, officials said Friday.   Conglomerates such as CJ Group and Lotte Entertainment have come under fire for dominating screens using their own movie distribution and cinema chain units, marginalizing films from smaller companies or indie and art-house films.      The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism had a meeting with an advisory committee f

 The production company of the new Korean action thriller "Real" said Friday it has asked the police to investigate the leak of part of the film's scenes.   Cove Pictures said the previous day that part of the scenes featuring its lead actor Kim Soo-hyun and actress Choi Jin-ri were illegally filmed at a theater and leaked online, just one day after it was released in domestic theaters Wednesday.Actor Kim Soo-hyun plays a lead role in "Real." (Yonhap)   "We made a final decision to take legal me

   MUJU -- South Korea's Lee Ah-reum captured gold on the final day of the taekwondo world championships Friday.   Lee defeated Hatice Kubra Ilgun of Turkey 7-5 in the final of the women's under-57kg at the World Taekwondo Championships at Taekwondowon's T1 Arena in Muju, some 240 kilometers south of Seoul.   This was South Korea's tournament-leading fifth and final gold, and its 10th medal overall. The host also won a silver and four bronze medals here.South Korea's Lee Ah-reum after winning go

WASHINGTON -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump met Thursday for the first time since they both came into office earlier in the year.The two leaders were joined by their wives, Kim Jung-sook and Melania, respectively, for dinner at the White House.The welcome dinner, hosted by the US first couple, followed a brief reception. It marked only the second dinner hosted by the US president at the White House for a foreign leader, according to officials from South Korea's

Former US Congressman Mike Honda was awarded a state medal from South Korea's government Monday for his efforts to help improve Korea-US relations and heal the wounds of Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery.Honda, who served as a House member representing California from 2001 to 2017, received the Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit from South Korean Ambassador Ahn Ho-young in a ceremony at the ambassador's residence. Former Congressman Mike Honda (L) shakes hands

The minor opposition People's Party apologized Monday to President Moon Jae-in for "manipulated" pre-election allegations that his son received special treatment when applying for a job at a public organization in 2006.  Park Joo-sun, the party's interim leader, said that his party member was found to have manipulated the allegations surrounding Moon's son, Joon-yong, during the presidential campaign earlier this year.Park Joo-sun (Yonhap)"Our party member confessed to having directly manipulate

The justice ministry said Monday that a key South Korean suspect in meth smuggling was extradited from China.  The file photo, taken on May 23, 2017, shows methamphetamine confiscated by police. (Yonhap)A 59-year-old man, identified only by his surname Lee, was arrested by the Chinese authorities in April. He was set to arrive at Incheon International Airport from Qingdao later in the day, the ministry said in a statement. Lee has been accused of bringing in five kilograms of the illicit drug fr