The US point man on North Korea, Stephen Biegun, could hold a secret meeting with North Korean officials when he travels to China later this week, a former South Korean unification minister said Wednesday.The State Department announced earlier that Biegun, US special representative for North Korea policy, will visit Beijing on Thursday and Friday "to discuss the need to maintain international unity on North Korea."The previously unannounced trip, which follows his visits to Seoul and T

North Korea Dec. 18, 2019

Three minor parties and one fringe group reached a deal over a contentious electoral reform bill on a parliamentary fast-track Wednesday in an effort to apply new rules for next year's general elections.But it is still uncertain whether the ruling Democratic Party will accept their agreement as it adamantly opposes the adoption of a new way of allotting proportional representation seats.The DP and its four rivals are seeking to produce a single deal over the adoption of a new proportional repres

Politics Dec. 18, 2019

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will hold his first one-one-one summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 15 months next week, when they visit China for an annual group meeting involving a Chinese leader, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday.The summit plan raises expectations for a possible breakthrough in efforts to end a monthslong trade fight between the two sides.The trade spat is attributable to deepened disputes over a historical issue.Abe earlier broke the news, sayin

Foreign Affairs Dec. 18, 2019

11월∼1월 뱀알 부화시기…배수관 통해 화장실·집안 이동"화장실에 들어갔더니 변기에서 새끼 코브라가 꿈틀대고 있었어요"인도네시아 곳곳에서 뱀 출몰 소동이 잇따르고 있다. 11월∼1월이 뱀알 부화 시기이고, 우기로 인해 축축한 곳을 따라 뱀의 이동이 자유롭기 때문이다. 18일 콤파스, 트리뷴뉴스 등 현지 매체에 따르면 지난 15일 자카르타 서부 큼방안의 여러 가정집에서 총 18마리의 새끼 코브라가 붙잡혔다.헤라라는 이름의 주민은 "남편이 화장실에 들어갔다 변기에서 뱀을 발견했다"며 "얼마 전에는 이웃 사람이 뱀이 자기 집 화장실에서 나와 침실로 기어들어 왔다고 했다"고 말했다.신고를 받고 출동한 소방대원들은 평균 20㎝ 길이의 새끼 코브라 18마리를 찾아냈다. 알을 낳은 어미 뱀은 찾아내지 못했다. 소방대장은 "새끼 뱀들이 본래 연못이었던 곳에서 부화해 배수관을 타고 여러 가정집 화장

한국어판 Dec. 18, 2019

K-pop boy band BTS will ring in the new year performing at the United States' most-watched New Year's Eve concert, the special program's organizer has said."Making 2020 right by ringing in the new year with BTS! Join us live from Times Square on New Year's Eve," the organizer of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2020" said on its Facebook page on Tuesday.  The special New Year's Eve program this year will air concerts from Times Square in New York a

Performance Dec. 18, 2019

In the first match of his retirement series, South Korean Go master Lee Se-dol defeated home-developed artificial intelligence program HanDol on Wednesday.Lee secured the victory after 92 stones thanks to an early blunder by HanDol, a program developed by South Korea's NHN Entertainment Corp.Lee announced his retirement from Go, or baduk in Korean, last month, saying he felt he could no longer beat AI programs. Lee famously defeated AlphaGo of Google's DeepMind in 2016 in one match of a five-mat

Culture Dec. 18, 2019

Prime minister nominee Chung Sye-kyun on Wednesday raised the need to revitalize economic momentum as the top priority in boosting the sagging economy.His remarks came as the South Korean economy is slowing down on faltering exports and sluggish domestic demand amid heightened external uncertainties."I think it is most important to set the stage to help economic agents do economic activities vibrantly," Chung told reporters when asked about the top priority for the economy. "Makin

Politics Dec. 18, 2019

South Korea and the United States began the last day of defense cost-sharing talks on Wednesday, but chances of a deal appear to be low as the two sides remain far apart over how much more Seoul should pay.Jeong Eun-bo, South Korea's chief negotiator, and his US counterpart, James DeHart, met in Seoul to continue the two-day talks on renewing the Special Measures Agreement, the cost-sharing deal.This week's negotiations will likely be the last round of talks before the current SMA expires on Dec

Foreign Affairs Dec. 18, 2019

뉴욕 브롱크스에서 발생…경찰, 현상금 걸고 공개수배 나서미국 뉴욕 브롱크스의 대로변에서 16세 소녀가 차량으로 납치되는 사건이 발생했다.함께 있던 소녀의 어머니가 온몸으로 저지에 나섰지만 딸을 구하지 못했다.17일(현지시간) 뉴욕타임스(NYT)를 비롯한 미 언론들에 따르면 사건은 16일 밤 11시 20분께 뉴욕 브롱크스의 '이글 애비뉴'와 156번가 도로변에서 발생했다.도로변에 설치된 CCTV에는 범행 당시의 상황이 비교적 생생히 담겼다. 어머니와 함께 인도를 걷고 있던 캐롤 산체스(16) 옆으로 차량 한대가 멈춰 섰다.곧바로 차량에서 두 명의 남성이 내려 느닷없이 산체스를 차량으로 끌고 들어갔다.산체스의 어머니는 딸을 구하기 위해 차량에 달려들어 저항했지만, 용의자들에 의해 바닥으로 내동댕이쳐졌다. 용의자들은 약 20여초 만에 산체스를 차량에 태우고 사라졌다.NYT는 차량에는 총 4명의 남성이 타고 있었고, 차량에 내려 산체스를 납치한 2명의 남성은 20대로 보인다고

한국어판 Dec. 18, 2019

뉴욕 타임스스퀘어 무대…국내 지상파 가요대전 중에선 MBC만 불참그룹 방탄소년단이 뉴욕 타임스 스퀘어 무대에서 미국의 2020년 새해를 연다.미국 ABC방송 신년 전야 특집 프로그램인 '딕 클락스 뉴 이어스 로킹 이브'(Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve)는 17일 SNS를 통해 방탄소년단 출연 사실을 알렸다.프로그램 SNS에 따르면 방탄소년단은 포스트 말론, 샘 헌트, 앨라니스 모리셋 등과 함께 뉴욕 타임스 스퀘어 무대에 선다. 프로그램은 뉴욕 현지시간 기준 31일 오후 8시부터 생방송된다. 매년 12월 31일 밤부터 1월 1일 새벽까지 생중계되는 특별방송으로, 미국 새해맞이를 상징하는 행사 중 하나다.올해는 타임스스퀘어와 뉴올리언스, 로스앤젤레스, 마이애미 등 4곳에서 진행된다. 방탄소년단은 지난 2017년 이 프로그램에 사전녹화를 통해 출연한 적이 있다한편, 방탄소년단의 새해 전야 해외 일정이 발표됨에 따라 지상파 3사의 연말 가요대전

한국어판 Dec. 18, 2019

WASHINGTON -- The United States Senate on Tuesday passed a defense bill containing a provision restricting the drawdown of American troops in South Korea.The Senate voted 86-8 in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, which authorizes $738 billion in funding for the Department of Defense.The bill will be sent to US President Donald Trump to be signed into law, which Trump said last week he will do "immediately." The new legislation prohibits the use of fu

Foreign Affairs Dec. 18, 2019

WASHINGTON -- The United States will not ease sanctions on North Korea short of the regime's complete and verifiable denuclearization, a senior aide to US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, following reports that China and Russia proposed the United Nations lift some sanctions on the North.Kellyanne Conway, senior counselor to Trump, did not comment directly on the draft UN resolution proposed by China and Russia on Monday.Instead, she told reporters the US position regarding sanctions has not

North Korea Dec. 18, 2019

South Korean left-hander Kim Kwang-hyun has signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, fulfilling his dream of pitching in the majors in his second crack.The Cardinals announced on Tuesday (local time) their signing of the 31-year-old pitcher and introduced him right away at a press conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The deal is reportedly worth $8 million for two years.In 2019, his 12th season with the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization, Kim went 17-6 with a 2.51 ERA and 180 strikeo

Baseball Dec. 18, 2019

WASHINGTON -- US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will visit Beijing later this week to discuss the need to maintain international unity on North Korea, the State Department said Tuesday.Biegun will be in the Chinese capital on Thursday and Friday following visits to Seoul and Tokyo, the department said in a brief statement.He will "meet with (Chinese) officials to discuss the need to maintain international unity on North Korea," it said, indicating the US official

North Korea Dec. 18, 2019

Hosts South Korea finished in second place at a women's East Asian football tournament on Tuesday following a 1-0 loss to Japan.Yuka Momiki converted an 88th-minute penalty, awarded after defender Shim Seo-yeon's handball violation in the box, and the Nadeshiko Japan held on to win the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship for the third time.The two sides fired blanks at one another for most of the tight, defensive affair at Busan Gudeok Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southe

Soccer Dec. 17, 2019