Free Republic

(Reuters) - South Korea's manufacturing sector activity contracted for the third consecutive month in August albeit at a slower pace than July, a private survey showed on Monday, showing that growth momentum in Asia's fourth-largest economy remains elusive. The HSBC/Markit purchasing managers' index (PMI) on South Korea's manufacturing sector edged up to a seasonally adjusted 47.5 in August from a 10-month low of 47.2 in July, Markit Economics said in a statement. The index has remained below the 50-point mark separating expansion from contraction in manufacturing activity since June. The sub-index on new export orders fell to a seasonally adjusted...

The transcript of a pro-North lawmaker and his aides allegedly discussing treason is sending a shock wave throughout the nation. Recorded on May 13 and made public by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Friday, the transcript includes a plot to overthrow the government by attacking major infrastructure here in the event of an inter-Korean war. The people who appear in the transcript include Rep. Lee Seok-ki and other members of the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP), infamous for taking a pro-North Korea stance. They are also suspected of being part of a bigger organization that has connections with the...

(Reuters) - South Korea has launched a dispute at the World Trade Organization to complain about U.S. punitive tariffs on South Korean washing machines, the WTO said on Thursday. South Korea's complaint focuses on the way the United States measures "dumping" of imported goods, or selling at unfairly low prices. The United States has agreed to change its calculation methodology after a series of similar complaints from other trading partners.

Azerbaijan intends to purchase $3 billion modern weapons and military vehicles from South Korea Baku. Viktoria Dementyeva-APA. Azerbaijan intends to purchase modern weapons from South Korea, said a source in the South Korean parliament, APA reports quoting Hankook Ilbo publication. According to the source, the intention to purchase modern military vehicles was expressed during the visit of South Korean parliamentary delegation to Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani side has expressed wish to purchase from South Korea two submarine boats, mine vessel, transport ship, T-50 training planes, K-9 self-propelled artillery vehicle, drones worth $3 billion. These proposals have been given to the government...

K-pop presentation is still in a status where they are being tried out, like a pilot program, to see if this works with the market. On the Fourth of July near a pier in San Francisco, many people gathered to enjoy the crisp weather by the sea or find a good place to see the fireworks. To entertain them, street performers brought their gigs to the bay, with one of them dancing to Psy’s globally familiar tune, “Gangnam Style.” After the record-setting song, which became the first video to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube, celebrated its first birthday on...

Azerbaijan has reportedly expressed an interest in buying $3 billion worth of weaponry from South Korea, including several items for its nascent navy. That's according to a Korean newspaper report citing South Korean lawmakers and passed on by Azerbaijan news agency APA. Azerbaijan's shopping list reportedly includes two submarine boats, naval destroyers, transport ships, T-50 training planes, attack helicopters, K-9 self-propelled artillery vehicle, drones, and fire control systems. The Azerbaijanis reportedly made clear their intentions during a visit of South Korean parliamentarians to Baku in May. But the Korean story points out two reservations that Seoul has about such a...

The family of an American man stranded in a South Korean hospital is asking for donations to bring him home. Sean Jones, a young teacher from Oklahoma City, has been hospitalized since May with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes swelling in the brain. Jones' family wants him transferred to an American hospital for continued treatment, but Yonsei University Severance Hospital in Seoul reportedly refuses to release him until his bill of nearly $40,000 is paid. Friends and family have set up a Facebook page and a Giveforward.com account to raise money for medical costs. So far...

Senator John McCain, who ran for the U.S. presidency in 2008, said six-party talks are not likely with Pyongyang until “the North Korean regime shows meaningful steps towards denuclearization.” He said until denuclearization of the North was accomplished, “there should be no relaxation of pressure and no resumption of six-party negotiations.” President Park Geun-hye met with three U.S. lawmakers yesterday to exchange views on North Korean policy as relations between Seoul and Pyongyang begin to thaw. Park met with Arizona’s McCain, a Republican, and Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat representing Rhode Island, at the Blue House. Separately, Park also met with...

Harry S. Dent, author of “The Great Crash Ahead,” emphasizes Asian economies should be more aware of declining demographic trends triggered by a retirement wave of the baby boomers and people’s consumption than changes in monetary policies like the U.S. exit strategy of its quantitative easing (QE). In a telephone interview with the JoongAng Sunday on Friday, Dent said it is the right time to end the U.S. QE and warns the Japanese government of possible failure of Abenomics if the country relies on the measure for too long. The analyst is famous for his early forecasts on the Japanese...

Korean children and adolescents are the least satisfied with their lives in the OECD, despite increasing material comfort. Korea ranked fourth among OECD member countries in terms of youngsters' material happiness but last in terms of subjective happiness, according to research published Friday by the Social Development Institute at Yonsei University with the support of the Korea Pang Jong-hwan Foundation. This is fourth consecutive year Korea ranked bottom in the institute's annual happiness index. The material happiness index rankings of Austria and Spain are more or less on a par with their subjective happiness index rankings, but among Korean youngsters...

A growing number of educated young people are learning practical skills at vocational training centers, because they are often more useful than college diplomas for landing a job in an increasingly competitive environment. Others learn new skills even after they have found work because they believe that will ensure more stable employment. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday said 3,100 people completed various vocational training programs last year, and a record 52 percent of them were college graduates or college dropouts. The KCCI runs vocational training centers in Busan, Incheon, Gwangju, and Gyeonggi, Gangwon, North and South...

The South Jeolla Provincial Police Agency recently formed a team to investigate local crime syndicates working on - believe it or not - university campuses. The team was formed in response to tips to police that many student bodies of local colleges are now headed by crime syndicate members enrolled as students. Earlier this year, 18 members of student councils at two different two-year colleges in the coastal city of Suncheon were charged with embezzling about 400 million won ($358,000) of school money. The 18 suspects, who were elected by their fellow students, were in fact dispatched by local crime...

Mr. Lee, at 31, has hit the typical marriage age for a Korean man, especially for a conglomerate employee like himself. But Lee doesn’t have any intention of tying the knot. He’s happy as he is living with his pet dog named Camus. “My life is preoccupied with work,” Lee says, “and I just feel more comfortable when I’m with my dog. For the time being, I’m satisfied and don’t want to get married.” Lee is one of an emerging type known as “herbivore men,” which was first coined in Japan, referring to guys who are kind of interested in...

Family and friends of an Oklahoma City man, who is battling a rare disease in South Korea, are trying to raise money to cover his medical bills and bring him back home. In June, 2012, Sean Jones moved to Hwajung, South Korea, to teach English. Jones' brother Brandon told News 9 that Jones loves meeting new people and learning about other cultures. That's why he decided to become a full-time English teacher in South Korea. "He made a lot of friends. He just loves being around people," said Brandon Jones. "Sean is just one of those people that can actually...

It wasn’t long ago when Crayon Pop, the goofy five-member girl band, seemed like the hottest new act in K-pop. Now they seem all but toast after its members got too cute with Internet hate speech. The controversy began to build up in June, when Way, one of the Crayon Pop singers, tweeted ''You know you guys were 'nomu nomu’ (very very) awesome today, right? We’re jealous of all your fashion sense. To our nomu cute fans, thank you and thank you.’’ And in an earlier television appearance, Choa was called by another member ''jjeolttuki’’ after coming to the stage...

Korea’s financial authorities are considering drawing up contingency plans to cope with the negative impact of a possible financial crisis in emerging Asian countries, industry sources said on Wednesday. The move by the financial policymakers comes after news that India, Indonesia and Thailand have recently undergone a drop in their currency value and equity prices, which were reportedly affected by the U.S. exit strategy to retrieve its investment in emerging countries. The policymakers also appeared to be concerned over the possibility that foreign investors may dump Korean stocks in the coming weeks or months due to the possible crisis and...

South Korea is infamous as the world capital of cosmetic surgery. Studies have shown that approximately one in five women there have had some form of surgery, and many of the operations are unfamiliar to Western eyes.. Thanks to Reddit, we’ve just learned of a “new” surgery that seems to be gaining traction there, known as “Smile Lipt” or “Mouth Corner Surgery.” Performed at the South Korean AOne Plastic Surgery Clinic, this surgery involves cutting the corners of the mouth and re-stitching them to provide a upturned perma-smile. Yes, kinda like the Joker. Is this really new, though? Cosmetic surgeon...

WASHINGTON: Japan and South Korea's unprecedented joint participation in air force exercises over the state of Alaska shows that America's two staunchest Asian allies are willing to cooperate on security despite their political differences. Their aircraft have been flying the annual Red Flag Alaska training drills that end Friday, along with US and Australian forces. The exercise has included simulated combat maneuvers in which Korean fighter jets helped secure air space for military transport planes from Japan and other nations. In recent years, Seoul and Tokyo have taken tentative steps to improve security cooperation. They have exchanged observers during military...

SEOUL: There has been no sign of any Asian central bank selling out of South Korea's domestic bond markets, a South Korean finance ministry official told Reuters on Thursday, despite concerns the recent markets turmoil could lead to heavy selling. The official noted that the Malaysian and Thai central banks have bought modest amounts of South Korean treasury bonds recently, while declining to be named. He did not provide more details.

His Exc. Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Seoul, has called upon the Virgin Mary for help and addressed the "urgency of reconciliation" between North and South Korea, as the two nations prepare to restart family reunions. The Archbishop said that Mary is the "Mother of reconciliation" and that Catholics entrust her with the promotion of peace on the Korean peninsula, according to Fides News Agency. North Korea recently agreed to restart reunions of families that were separated during the 1950-1953 war, which will take place at a tourist resort in the North in September. South Korean president...