Page 10 - South Korea

Fire at South Korea battery plant claims 16 lives, five individuals missing

Live TV footage showed firefighters spraying the damaged steel and concrete building

'Commerce ministry in talks with South Korea to upgrade existing FTA'

With talks to upgrade the existing free trade agreement (FTA) moving forward between India and Korea, the department of commerce is engaging with different ministries, including heavy industries, steel, and chemicals, to prepare the offer list, an official said. Preparation of the list is part of the negotiations, which are underway, for the upgrade of the existing FTA between the two countries, dubbed as comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA). The agreement was operationalised in January 2010. So far, 10 rounds of talks have been concluded. The official said both sides have exchanged the request list and "are working on the offer list" and for that the commerce ministry is holding discussions with different ministries, including steel, heavy industries, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals. India has sought greater market access for certain products such as steel, rice, and shrimp from South Korea with a view to boost exports of these goods, the official added. Ind

Russia-North Korea pact may dent China's influence, but its sway undeterred

Experts say China's leaders are likely fretting over potential loss of influence over North Korea after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the deal this week

Russian ambassador summoned in South Korea as tensions rise with North

South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the country's new defense pact with North Korea on Friday, as border tensions continued to rise with vague threats and brief, seemingly accidental incursions by North Korean troops. Earlier Friday, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a vague threat of retaliation after South Korean activists flew balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border, and South Korea's military said it had fired warning shots the previous day to repel North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the rivals' land border for the third time this month. That came two days after Moscow and Pyongyang reached a pact vowing mutual defense assistance if either is attacked, and a day after Seoul responded by saying it would consider providing arms to Ukraine to fight Russia's invasion. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to convey Seoul's stance on the deal ...

S Korea fires warning shots as North Korean soldiers make third incursion

South Korea's military said Friday that it had fired warnings shots the previous day to repel North Korean soldiers who temporarily crossed the rivals' land border for the third time this month. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said several North Korean soldiers while engaging in unspecified construction work on the northern side of the border briefly intruded the military demarcation line that bisects the countries at around 11 am Thursday. The South Korean military in response broadcasted a warning and fired warning shots, to which the North Korean soldiers retreated. The joint chiefs didn't immediately release more details. South Korea's military has said it believes the previous two border intrusions this month weren't intentional as the North Korean soldiers have retreated after the warning shots and the North has not returned fire. The South's military says it has been observing increased North Korean construction activity in frontline border areas since April, such as ...

S Korean group flies anti-N Korean propaganda leaflets across the border

A South Korea activists' group said Friday it again flew large balloons carrying anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets toward North Korea, adding to a campaign that aggravated animosities between the rivals and prompted a resumption of Cold War-style psychological warfare along their border. The South Korean civilian group, led by North Korean defector Park Sang-hak, said it floated 20 balloons attached with 3,00,000 propaganda leaflets, 5,000 USB sticks with South Korean pop songs and TV dramas, and 3,000 US dollar bills from the South Korean border town of Paju on Thursday night. Pyongyang resents such material and fears it could demoralise front-line troops and residents and eventually weaken leader Kim Jong Un's grip on power, analysts say. After previous leafletting by Park's group and other South Korean activists, North Korean launched more than 1,000 balloons that dropped tons of trash in South Korea, smashing roof tiles and windows and causing other property damage. In ...

Hyundai's IPO poised to boost already-buzzing Indian automakers' valuations

Local auto stocks have already added $70 billion in market value so far this year, rising nearly 40 per cent - over four times the advance in the country's equity benchmark

Russia and North Korea have vowed to aid each other if attacked: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new partnership deal that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is attacked, as both face escalating standoffs with the west. It was not clear what kind of assistance the deal, described as a comprehensive strategic partnership, would call for. Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years comes amid growing concerns over an arms arrangement in which the country provides Moscow with badly needed munitions for its war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program. Putin added that Russia would not rule out developing military-technical cooperation with North Korea the deal, according Russian state news agencies. Kim said that the agreement was of a peaceful and defensive nature, according to Ria Novosti. I have no doubt it will become a driving force accelerating the creation of a new ...

Vladimir Putin visits North Korea for first time in 24 years; key details

Putin's visit to North Korea has angered US as South Korea called the Western nation to discuss potential implications

South Korea docs who protested med school plan ordered to return to work

South Korean officials issued return-to-work orders for doctors participating in a one-day walkout on Tuesday as part of a protracted strike against government plans to boost medical school admissions, starting next year. Since February, more than 12,000 trainee doctors have remained on strike amid a deepening standoff with government officials, who want to grow the country's number of doctors by up to 10,000 by 2035. Many reject the plan, saying schools won't be able to handle the increased flow and that the quality of the country's medical services would suffer. About 4 per cent of the country's 36,000 private medical facilities, categorised as clinics, have told authorities they would participate in a one-day strike on Tuesday, according to South Korea's Health and Welfare Ministry. The strike came a day after hundreds of medical school professors at four major hospitals affiliated with Seoul National University entered an indefinite walkout, raising concerns about disruptions i

S Korean soldiers fire warning shots after N Korean troops' intrusion

South Korean soldiers on Tuesday fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who temporarily crossed the rivals' land border for the second time this month, South Korea's military said. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said around 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers, while engaging in unspecified construction work on the northern side of the border, briefly crossed the military demarcation line that bisects the countries as of 8:30 a.m. It said the North Korean soldiers retreated after the South broadcasts warnings and fired warning shots and the South's military didn't spot any suspicious activities after that. The South also fired warning shots on June 11 after another group of North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the MDL. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that Tuesday's incident occurred in a different area along the central frontline region. It said it doesn't believe the North Korean soldiers intruded the border intentionally and that the North did not return fire. The South

South Korea, US sound alarm over North Korea-Russia ties before Putin visit

Security Council resolutions, officials of South Korea and the United States warned on Friday

North Korea'a Kim hails Russia tie as Putin reportedly plans a visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed the country's expanding relationship with Russia on Wednesday, as reports suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon visit the country for his third meeting with Kim. Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Kim visited Russia last September for a meeting with Putin. The US, South Korea and their partners believe North Korea has supplied artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia to support its war in Ukraine in return for advanced military technologies and economic aid. Kim has been pushing to boost partnerships with Russia and China in a bid to strength his regional footing and launch a united front against the United States. During their September meeting at Russia's main space launch site, Kim invited the Russian president to visit North Korea at a convenient time, and Putin accepted. On Wednesday, Kim sent Putin a congratulatory message commemorati

S Korea oppn leader Lee indicted over funds transfer to North Korea

"I am not that foolish," Lee said last year, calling the charges against him "fiction" as a court denied a warrant for his arrest

Quake of 4.8 magnitude in South Korea cracks walls, leaves minor damage

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake cracked walls, spilled items from store shelves and and caused other minor damage in a fishing community in southwestern South Korea on Wednesday, but no injuries have been reported. The earthquake in Buan, which had an estimated depth of 8 kilometres, was the strongest detected in South Korea this year. The National Fire Agency said it so far confirmed eight minor cases of property damage in Buan and the nearby city of Iksan, including cracked walls at homes and a warehouse, at least two broken wall tiles and at least one broken window. It was also strong enough to knock items off store shelves. Jo Yoo-jin, an official at the North Joella province fire department, said officials received nearly 80 calls from area residents who felt the shaking. More than 200 other similar calls were placed by residents in other regions, including 38 in the central North Chungcheong provide and seven in the country's capital, Seoul, according to the National Fire ...

Samsung hires ex-Apple executive to lead new North America AI Center

The company made the announcement internally this week, around the same time Apple kicked off a much-anticipated expansion into AI

North & South Korea turn up loudspeakers to blare propaganda at each other

What began as South Korea's response to over 1,000 balloons filled with trash and manure sent by the North Korea has evolved into a battle of loudspeakers

S Korean troops fire warning shots after N Korean soldiers crossed border

South Korean soldiers fired warning shots after North Korean troops violated the land border earlier this week, South Korea's military said Tuesday. Some North Korean soldiers who were engaged in unspecified work on the northern side of the border briefly crossed the military demarcation line on Sunday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Those North Korean soldiers returned to their territory after South Korea's military fired warning shots and issued warning broadcasts, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It said North Korea had not conducted any other suspicious activities. The Koreas' mine-strewn land border is the world's most heavily armed border, with hundreds of thousands of combat troops facing each other. It's a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The border-crossing incident came amid rising tensions over North Korea's recent launches of trash-carrying balloons.

Seoul activists develop 'smart balloons' to send messages into North Korea

Built using 3D printers and components sourced online and sometimes equipped with GPS-tracking, these so-called "smart balloons" can cost up to $1,000 each

N Korea installing its own loudspeakers along the border, says S Korea

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff didn't immediately comment on the number of suspected North Korean speakers