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All eyes are on North Korea after Kim Jong Il's death. But the real changes are taking place in the South
South Korean parliamentarian Kim Geun-Tae was a soft-spoken man dedicated to reunification of the Koreas
North Korea on the Verge of a New Era?
The Obama administration has a chance to use the death of Kim Jong Il to open a new chapter in its relationship with North Korea
Balancing the East, Upgrading the West
The United States' central challenge over the next several decades is to revitalize itself, while promoting a larger West and buttressing a complex balance in the East that can accommodate China's rising global status
Today, Islamic fundamentalists dream of acquiring a bomb. And with Osama bin Laden dead and al-Qaeda's relevance waning, how better to regain notoriety than to set off a nuclear weapon in some Western city?
Should United States Engage North Korea?
The United States has failed in its policies to punish, isolate, and otherwise push North Korea toward collapse. Perhaps it should try engagement instead
Remember his name. Park Won Soon is perhaps the first politician to win with an Occupy Wall Street platform
South Korea Suicide Rate Doubles in 10 Years
Suicide rates in South Korea more than doubled in a decade, according to figures from the government
North Korea's Rare Pledge to Abandon Nuclear Activities
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has won a rare pledge from North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. While on a state visit, Kim said North Korea was ready to abandon nuclear testing and allow a gas pipeline through its territory
Kim Jong-Il Pushes China for New Nuclear Talks
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is making another push to restart nuclear disarmament talks in the hopes of getting aid for his impoverished country
Seoul Blasts Pyongyang For Fabricating Shelling Incident
Just a day after South Korea fired warning shots on North Korea in response to its shell firing near the disputed border, Seoul blasted Pyongyang for faking up the incident
North Korea's plight is not news. Everyone knows that it is an anachronistic, totalitarian police state, and yet the spirit of 'never again' finds little purchase in the Western conscience. Indeed, with the exception of some heroic human rights organizations, the debate is defined almost entirely by what some call 'realism'
North Korea's stability is in question as the country tries to smoothly transition from the leadership of the late Kim Jong Il to that of his youngest son and chosen successor, Kim Jong Un
'Great Successor' Needs Unalloyed Support of Military
At present, it's unclear whether or not Kim Jong-un is the military's leader of choice
Playing With Fire on the Korean Peninsula
Why is the Obama Administration creating obstacles and throwing cold water on talks with North Korea, and why is it binding itself to right-wing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, whose politics just took a shellacking
Does Kim Need to Keep His Nukes to Avoid Gaddafi's Fate?
North Korea believes that by giving up its nuclear arms, Libya fatally compromised its national security
United States - South Korea Trade Deal Win-Win for Jobs and Economy
Congress approved the deal in a rare bipartisan achievement after negotiators overcame U.S. auto industry complaints that previous efforts at a deal failed to do enough to lift South Korea's barriers to U.S.-made cars
South Korea's Naval Base on Ulleung Island
South Korea hopes that the new base will help strengthen its territorial rights on Dokdo as the base would enable its ships to reach the islands quickly
North Korea Planned Assassination of South Korean Defense Minister
If media reports are to be believed, North Korea has plotted to kill South Korean defense minister Kim Kwan-Jin, who pledged to strongly respond to attacks from the communist state
Bombs Before Bread in North Korea
Is there any greater nuclear threat to the world than North Korea? With a dozen nuclear weapons and a vile record of proliferation, this rogue state and its lunatic leader can be relied upon for just one thing: making terrible trouble for its neighbors and everyone else
South Korea's School Tablets -- a Test for All
South Korea's announcement that it will ban all school paper textbooks and replace them with electronic tablets by 2014 should ring alarm bells in the United States, Europe and Latin America -- many of our children run the risk of being left even farther behind their digital-savvy Asian counterparts
Samsung Cites Study Showing No Link Between Factories and Worker Deaths
Samsung said a study it commissioned has found no connection between the deaths of six South Korean workers and chemicals at its semiconductor plants
The Kims: Like Grandfather, Like Son?
Kim Jong-un may be modeling himself afer North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung
North Korea More Dependent on China Than Ever
More than ever, North Korea will likely turn to China as its primary provider of food, money and material resources
Despite the predictions of many obituary writers, North Korea is still around. It was supposed to collapse with the Eastern European communist regimes, but it didn't. It was supposed to crumble during the great famine of the mid-1990s, but it didn't. Hard-line policies of the Bush administration were supposed to do the trick, but they didn't
A New Kind of Korea: Building Trust Between Seoul and Pyongyang
The Korean Peninsula remains volatile. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by North Korea, the modernization of conventional forces across the region, and nascent great-power rivalries highlight the endemic security dilemmas that plague this part of Asia.
Kim Jong Il's Visit to Russia: Just More Mixed Messages?
North Korea and Russia may be chummy, but South Korea and Japan remain suspicious of North Korea's motives.
North Korea Accuses South Korea of Plotting to Destroy Its Socialist System
North Korea has accused the South Korean government of plotting to destroy its socialist system
Far East and Middle East: A Study in Contrasts?
All seems placid in the Far East. There is, of course, the lunatic regime of North Korea. However ... China seems content with its political menu of stability, reassurance and an ever-growing economy. Japan has ceded its place as No. 2 in the world economy to China, and now seeks to reconcile its impressive industrial base. Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan push on in becoming more rich
In the wake of the sinking of the Cheonan - South Korea's corvette in March 2010 with the loss of 46 lives - and the dramatic, surprise revelations in November of a new and massive North Korean uranium enrichment centrifuge facility, international opinion was already beginning to worry about the intentions of the Kim Jong-il administration.
North Korea: The World's Problem Child
No other country presents so serious a problem for the world today, and no other problem seems as insoluble: Right now, North Korea's malign behavior could conceivably draw the United States into still another war. Most everyone considers North Korea mercurial, unpredictable. But in fact, its behavior usually follows a consistent pattern
South Korea: Prosperity and Anxiety
Every time I visit South Korea, I am struck by two things, vastly in contrast. The first is its prosperity and the people's very clear economic purpose to drive forward to an even better life. The second is its strategic and military insecurity, its acute sense of precariousness, its daily awareness that military power counts
Korean Rice Cake Soup: Traditional Winter Comfort Food
Latin American Leaders Could Have Learned From South Korea
North Korean Succession Plans Are Shrouded in Mystery
South Korea's school bullying has deadly consequences
It took two teenage suicide cases due to school bullying last year in South Korea for people to notice something was very wrong.
Freighter blast kills 3 in South Korea
A freighter carrying oil exploded off the South Korean port city of Incheon, killing three crew members, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Sunday.
S. Korea expresses sympathy to N. Korean people
The South Korean government expressed its sympathy to the people of North Korea following the death of Kim Jong Il, South Korea's unification minister said Tuesday.
S. Korea: Chinese fishermen kill coast guard member
A South Korean coast guard commando was stabbed to death and another injured Monday after they boarded a Chinese fishing vessel they suspected of fishing illegally in the Yellow Sea, the coast guard and a South Korean news agency said Monday.
South Korea boosts review of social media
South Korea plans to intensify the review of its social networking sites and smart phone applications to combat a surge in "illegal and harmful" information, government officials said.
South Korea rams through US trade deal
Despite scuffles and a tear gas attack in parliament, South Korea's governing party rammed through a free trade agreement between Seoul and Washington Tuesday after painstaking weeks of negotiations.
South Korea pulls plug on late-night adolescent online gamers
In its effort to curb game addiction among adolescents, South Korea pulled the plug this weekend on young gamers after midnight by blocking access to game websites, putting a hotly debated law into practice.
Lebanon stun South Korea to boost qualification hopes
Lebanon stunned traditional regional powerhouses South Korea 2-1 in Beirut on Tuesday to boost their hopes of qualifying for the last stage of Asia's 2014 World Cup qualifying.
South Korean students' 'year of hell' culminates with exams day
Most South Korean students consider their final year in high school "the year of hell." It is when all students are put to the ultimate test.
Seoul's new mayor vows to scale back on his predecessor's projects
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, whose recent landslide win against the ruling party sparked a public frenzy, vowed to invest heavily in city welfare and scale back on major projects put in place by his predecessor.
S. Korea to send $6.9 million in aid to the North
South Korean officials said Tuesday the country has approved $6.94 million in aid to be sent to its neighbor through the World Health Organization.
S. Korea to review sending aid to North
Signaling South Korea may be attempting to cool tensions with its neighbor, Seoul has vowed to actively review sending humanitarian aid to North Korea through third channels.
South Korea: World's next sailing giant?
South Korea isn't yet known for its sailing prowess, but that may all be about to change.
North Korean fishermen returned home, South Korea news agency says
South Korea has returned home four North Korean fishermen rescued from two sinking boats in the Yellow Sea near the maritime border, the semiofficial Yonhap News Agency reported.
Spokesman: South Korea rescues four North Koreans from sinking boats
The South Korean military rescued four North Koreans from two sinking boats in the west sea near the maritime border, a defense ministry spokesman said.
S. Korea proposes to send flood aid to North
South Korea has proposed sending aid to North Korea to assist with damages caused by torrential rain that hit the peninsula last week, the South's Ministry of Unification said.
Historic rains kill at least 51 in South Korea
Massive downpours in South Korea -- the heaviest rains in a century -- are blamed for 51 deaths, the country's Central Disaster Relief Agency reported Friday.
Cargo plane feared lost off South Korea
South Korea's Coast Guard says it has found parts of a missing Asiana Airlines cargo plane off the southern island of Jeju but has not located the aircraft itself.
Historic rains kill at least 35 in South Korea
Massive downpours in South Korea -- the heaviest rains in a century -- are blamed for 35 deaths, according to the country's Central Disaster Relief Agency.
North and South Korea: We'll try to resume 6-party talks
The chief nuclear envoys of North and South Korea agreed Friday to try to resume six-party talks as soon as possible, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said.
South Korea demands Tokyo withdraw ban on its airline
South Korea demanded Tokyo withdraw a ban that asks Japanese diplomats to refrain from flying with Korean Air to protest a test flight above islets in the sea east of Korea that Japan claims is its territory.
South Korea breaks ground on facility for North Korean defectors
South Korea is breaking new ground Thursday on a resettlement facility for North Korean defectors, reflecting the increasing number of people escaping food shortages and harsh living conditions of the hermit state.
South Korea's inflation exceeds government target
South Korea's inflation surpassed the government target range for six consecutive months, mounting pressure on the central bank's efforts to curb inflation without inhibiting domestic demand.
South Korean military apologizes for firing at commercial jet
The South Korean military apologized Monday for shooting at a commercial airplane carrying 119 passengers and crew.
Official: S. Korea fires at civilian jet thought to be North military
Two South Korean soldiers fired at a civilian airplane after mistaking it for an aircraft from North Korea, a South Korean military official said Saturday.
Report: S. Korea fires at civilian plane thought to be North's troops
The South Korean military fired at a civilian plane near the Yellow Sea border with North Korea, mistaking it for one of the North's military planes, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Saturday, citing a military source.
South Korea won't return 9 defectors from the North
South Korea's Unification Ministry on Friday rejected a demand from the North to repatriate nine of its citizens who defected to the South by boat over the weekend.
9 North Koreans defect to the South by boat
Nine North Koreans defected to the South by boat over the weekend, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday.
Tests begin into alleged U.S. chemical dumping in South Korea
South Korea launched an investigation Tuesday into reports of toxic chemicals being dumped at a former U.S. military base, the Defense Ministry said.
South Korea admits to secret meeting with North
South Korea admitted Thursday that it held a secret meeting with the North last month.
Two small bombs explode at Seoul railway, bus stations, police say
Investigators believe a single person is responsible for planting two small bombs at Seoul's main railway station and bus terminal, South Korean officials said Friday.
Military drill shatters silence on Korean peninsula
Heavy gunfire breaks the silence in this valley of South Korea. Stryker combat vehicles speed towards a distant target ... their machine guns focused on the enemy beyond.
South Korea will make second attempt to send North Koreans home
South Korea will attempt a second time to send a group of North Koreans back to the communist North on Monday, according to the Red Cross.
North Korea wants all of its citizens returned
North Korea has demanded that South Korea immediately return 31 North Koreans who accidentally crossed over into South Korean waters on a fishing boat -- even though the South says four of them have decided to defect.
South Korean government sites targeted in cyber attack
A cyber attack Friday morning hit 40 South Korean websites, including those of several government agencies and major banks, the country's internet security agency said.
Four North Korean fishermen defect to South
Four members of a group of 31 North Koreans who accidentally crossed over into South Korean waters on a fishing boat, have decided to defect to the South, despite Pyongyang's demands that they all be repatriated to the North, the South Korean Red Cross said.
Koreas talks stall after North delegation walks out
Talks between North and South Korea collapsed Wednesday after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on securing high-level military discussions during preparatory meetings held in the border area of Panmunjom.
South Korea agrees to humanitarian talks with North Korea
South Korea agreed in principal to hold humanitarian talks with North Korea, as the two sides resumed working-level military meetings Wednesday, South Korea's government said.
North and South Korea begin military talks
North and South Korea opened working-level military talks Tuesday at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea's Defense Ministry said, marking the first inter-Korean dialogue in months.
Koreas agree to hold military talks
North and South Korea have agreed to hold working-level military talks at the truce village of Panmunjom next week, the Ministry of Defense said Tuesday.
South Korea proposes preliminary talks with North Korea
South Korea proposed on Wednesday holding working-level talks with North Korea on February 11, the unification ministry said.
South Korea's foreign minister wants pirates tried in his country
South Korea's foreign minister said Tuesday he wants five Somali pirates captured alive during the rescue of a hijacked ship last week to be put on trial in South Korea.
South Korea struggles to control foot-and-mouth epidemic
About 134,000 South military personnel are involved in efforts to contain the country's worst ever foot-and-mouth outbreak, the agriculture ministry said Thursday.
Negotiations under way for high-level talks between North, South Korea
South Korea has accepted a North Korean proposal for high-level military talks and will propose working-level talks to pave the way, South Korea's defense ministry said Thursday.
South Korea to consider North's motivation before peace talks
South Korea said Thursday it will have to consider the North's motivation in calling for unconditional peace talks before agreeing to them.
U.S. envoy arrives in South Korea
The U.S. special envoy for North Korea arrived in South Korea Tuesday on a trip to the region to discuss next steps on the Korean Peninsula.
S. Korea's president calls island attack an opportunity for change
South Korea's president said Monday the country should respond to the attack on Yeonpyeong Island the same way the United States reacted to the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York -- by using the event as an opportunity to reflect on security and overhaul the country's defenses.
South Korea works to contain foot-and-mouth, bird flu
South Korea confirmed an outbreak of bird flu Friday as it struggles to contain foot-and-mouth disease, which has rapidly spread across the country.
South Korea works to contain foot and mouth disease outbreak
South Korea raised its foot-and-mouth disease alert to its highest level on Wednesday in an effort to contain the disease that has rapidly spread across the country.
South Koreans seek open communications
Koh JaeYoul may not work at a powerful South Korean media outlet, but the might of his 140 character tweets is considered one of this highly wired country's most influential.
S. Korea president says nation's survival depends on unity
In the face of North Korean threats, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak stepped up his nationalist push, urging countrymen in a radio address "to stand together, united as one."
Young Koreans head to military amid tensions
Weeks after North Korea's attack on Yeonpyeong Island, the mood is still tense on the streets of Seoul, especially following the largest ever winter live-fire drill and civil defense exercise.
Report: 3 Chinese fishermen released from detention in South Korea
Three Chinese fishermen were released Saturday after being detained in South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported.
South Korea says it will hold large land and air drills Thursday
Tensions rippled across the Korean peninsula as South Korea geared up for its largest land and air winter drills on Thursday, maneuvers choreographed in the shadow of its reclusive tough-talking communist neighbor.
S. Korea to hold large live-fire drills on Thursday
South Korea will hold its largest-ever winter live-fire drills Thursday in an area adjacent to North Korea, the South Korean Army said on Wednesday.
Korean tension: A look at the conflict
A disputed maritime border. Long-standing tensions. And Tuesday, a sharp escalation of hostilities. North and South Korea fired at each other for about an hour on an island that sits off a disputed border. The deadly skirmish raised fears of war between the two rival nations, once again spiking tension in the entire region.
Residents of South Korean island fleeing ahead of military drills
Amid South Korean plans to hold live-fire military drills this week and North Korean threats of retaliation, many residents of Yeonpyeong Island are evacuating, afraid of being caught in the middle.
South Korea orders residents to take shelter in anticipation of drills
While the United Nations' Security Council wrangled over growing tensions in the Korean peninsula, South Korea ordered thousands to find shelter in preparation for the South's planned live-fire military exercises, which could take place within hours, the military announced.
Chinese fisherman killed, two others missing in boat collision
A Chinese fishing boat and a South Korean Coast Guard vessel collided Saturday, killing one fisherman, South Korea's official news agency reported.
U.S., South Korea to be in close contact during exercises
The Obama administration and South Korea have established contingency communication plans in the event North Korea retaliates against the South for holding military exercises, a U.S. military official said Friday.
General: South Korea drill could cause 'chain reaction'
The U.S. military is concerned that South Korea's live-fire artillery exercises planned for coming days could spark an uncontrollable clash with the North, but the State Department said the exercises are not meant to be threatening or provocative.
South Korea announces new military drills
South Korea will conduct naval fire drills near a flashpoint with the North that resulted in the deaths of four people, military officials said Thursday.
South Korea conducts nationwide drill to defend against attack
South Korea conducted its largest-ever nationwide civil defense drill Wednesday afternoon to prepare the public for a potential military attack from North Korea after Pyongyang shelled a South Korean island less than a month ago.
South Korea to conduct naval drills
South Korea will conduct a new round of naval firing drills Monday -- but it is scheduled to steer clear of border islands, defense officials told the Yonhap News Agency.
Top diplomats from South Korea, Japan head to Washington for talks
South Korea's foreign minister headed Sunday to Washington, in preparation for much anticipated talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts about the tense situation in and around the Yellow Sea.
South Korea launches military exercises
The South Korean navy began live-fire exercises on the seas surrounding the Korean peninsula Monday in the midst of bristling tensions with the North, South Korean state media reported.
South Korea formally names new defense minister
Kim Kwan-jin was formally named South Korea's defense minister Saturday, the country's state media agency reported.
South Korean spy chief warns of more attacks by North
South Korea's spy chief said Wednesday that there is a high chance that North Korea will attack again following a strike last month that has led to renewed tensions on the peninsula, the Yonhap news agency reported.
U.S., Japan, South Korea to meet soon over crisis
Government ministers from the United States, Japan and South Korea will sit down in Washington early next month to grapple with the tensions in the Koreas, South Korea's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Tuesday.
South Korea warns of 'firm' response to future attacks
South Korea will "firmly" respond to future provocations from North Korea, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Monday, declaring that his nation "cannot remain patient" in the face of continued hostility from Pyongyang.
South Korea accidentally fires shell, military says
The South Korean military accidentally fired a shell during a land-based military exercise Sunday afternoon, a South Korean military spokesman told CNN.
U.S., S. Korea set to begin war exercises off Korean Peninsula
South Korea and the United States began assembling ships for joint war exercises Sunday off the west coast of the Korean peninsula in the Yellow Sea, a source at the South Korean Joint Chiefs told CNN.
Destruction on island at center of Korean barrage
A dog scavenges for food, the family pet now a stray. An old lady, who refuses to leave her home, rearranges the shattered bricks, as she tries to put her life back together.
South Korea nominates new defense minister
South Korea's government on Friday nominated Kim Kwan Jin as defense minister, a Blue House media official told CNN.
North Korea manufactured this crisis
Yesterday afternoon, the worst artillery attack since the end of the Korean War happened in the vicinity of Seoul. North Korea shelled Yeonpyeong Island, killing two civilians and two marines, and destroying a number of buildings there.
Seoul endures life under the gun
On the surface, Seoul, the capital of economic powerhouse South Korea, is one of the most impressive cities in East Asia: Sprawling and prosperous, hi-tech and self confident.
South Korea: Policy of engagement with North is a failure
South Korea has denounced a policy that called for a peaceful engagement with North Korea as a failure.
Report: N. Korean defectors reach 20,000 and counting
The number of North Koreans who have defected to South Korea has passed 20,000, the Yonhap news agency said Monday.
Finding harmony in South Korea
The gayageum is probably the best known of South Korea's traditional musical instruments.
Ten killed as fire rips through South Korean nursing home
An early-morning fire tore through a South Korean nursing home, killing ten people and injuring another seventeen, according to police.
South Korea's luxury cattle a source of national pride
As a butcher's daughter, I grew up eating the best meat.
South Korea fires warning shots at fishing boat
South Korea's navy fired warning shots to push a North Korean fishing boat back to its side of the Yellow Sea border Wednesday, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing military officials.
South Korea increases airport security
South Korea will step up security at Incheon International Airport following a plot uncovered last week to send bombs from Yemen to the United States.
Report: S. Korea to push North for regular family reunions
South Korea will push North Korea for monthly reunions of families separated by the Korean War nearly 60 years ago, the Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday.
South Korea to deploy largest force ever for G-20
South Korea will mobilize its largest security force ever in anticipation of widespread protests during the G-20 summit next month in Seoul, the Yonhap news agency said.
S. Korea report: Defectors from North near 20,000
The number of defectors from North Korea who have settled in South Korea will pass 20,000 as early as this month, the Yonhap news agency said.
Koreas will talk about regularly reuniting families separated by war
The two Koreas will meet in late October to discuss regularly reuniting families separated by the Korean War nearly 60 years ago, the Yonhap news agency in South Korea said.
North and South Korea reach deal to reunite families
North and South Korea reached agreement Friday on where to temporarily reunite families separated by the Korean War nearly 60 years ago, the Yonhap news agency said.
North and South Korea meet again for talks on reuniting families
North and South Korean representatives on Friday met for talks for a second time on reuniting families separated by the Korean War nearly 60 years ago.
Record rain leaves 2 missing, drives thousands from homes in S. Korea
Record rainfall that flooded roads, subway lines and buildings has left two fishermen missing in northeastern South Korea, the Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday.
Koreas agree on October family reunion, location still undecided
Representatives for North and South Korea agreed that October would be a good time to do another round of reunions for families separated by the Korean war, the South Korean Unification Ministry said Friday.
U.S. envoy arrives in South Korea
Stephen Bosworth, Washington's point man on North Korea, arrived in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday to discuss the resumption of the six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear program, South Korea's official Yonhap news agency reported.
U.S. and South Korea delay anti-submarine exercises
South Korea and the United States postponed joint anti-submarine military exercises due to an approaching tropical storm, U.S. Forces Korea said.
South Korea, U.S. to hold joint naval exercise
South Korea and the United States will conduct a joint anti-submarine warfare exercise starting Sunday, the U.S. military announced Friday.
Kim, Carter on missions around tense peninsula
A frenzy of diplomatic activity was underway around the tense Korean peninsula Thursday, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reportedly traveling through China, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter visiting Pyongyang, and the Chinese envoy to six-party denuclearization talks landing in Seoul.
U.S., South Korea to conduct anti-submarine warfare exercises
The United States and South Korean navies will begin a joint exercise off the western coast of the Korean peninsula in response to North Korea's alleged sinking of a South Korean warship last March.
North Korea vows 'merciless counterblow' to U.S., South Korea
North Korea said Sunday that it will "deal a merciless counterblow to the U.S. imperialists" and to South Korean "traitors," in response to word that the United States and South Korea will begin a joint military exercise on Monday.
South Korea: North Korea seized fishing boat
A South Korean fishing boat in the Sea of Japan and its seven crew members are being held by North Korea, according to reports in South Korea.
South Korea begins massive anti-submarine drills
In a move that is antagonizing North Korea and irking China, South Korea commenced a major naval exercise in the Yellow Sea Thursday, the largest since 46 South Korean sailors died in March in the sinking of a warship.
Top U.S. officials go to South Korea to send message to the North
The United States is going all out this week to show support for its key Asian ally, South Korea, in the wake of one of its war ships being sunk, as President Barack Obama dispatched the secretaries of State and Defense to the Korean peninsula.
South Korea: News & Videos about South Korea - CNN.com
Find stories, videos, and photos about South Korea from CNN.com.
South Korea to allow food aid to North for first time since Kim's death
The South Korean government on Friday approved the first shipment of food aid to North Korea since the death of dictator Kim Jong Il last month.
North Korea denies punishing citizens for not mourning enough
North Korea has angrily denied allegations that it punished some of its citizens for inadequately mourning the death of its late leader Kim Jong Il.
North Korea test-fires 3 short-range missiles, Seoul says
North Korea apparently test-launched three short-range missiles this week, the South Korean Defense Ministry said Friday, an indication that the reclusive state's military is operating normally after a leadership transition.
North Korea plans prisoner release to mark dead leaders' birthdays
North Korea said Tuesday that it would release an unspecified number of prisoners in February to mark the birthdays of the two dictators who ruled the reclusive nation for a total of more than 60 years.
U.S. diplomat: North Korea to be subject of talks 'in the near future'
Representatives of South Korea, Japan and the United States will meet "in the near future" to discuss North Korea, a U.S. State Department official told reporters Friday in Tokyo at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
South Korea 'open to dialogue' with North, minister says
South Korea is "open to dialogue" with the new North Korean leadership, despite harsh recent comments from Pyongyang, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan said Thursday.
Top U.S. diplomat in China to discuss North Korea
A top U.S. diplomat will arrive in Beijing on Tuesday at the start of a tour around Northeast Asia, which is still adapting to the change of leadership in North Korea following the death of Kim Jong Il last month.
North Korea editorial: 2012 will be important year
North Korea is urging its people to show allegiance to the death for new leader Kim Jong Un.
Kim Jong Un named 'supreme commander' in North Korea
Kim Jong Un has assumed "the supreme commandership" of the North Korean army, state media reported Saturday.
Top U.S. diplomat to visit North Korea's neighbors
A top U.S. diplomat will travel to three nations around North Korea early next year in the first such talks since longtime leader Kim Jong Il's death, the State Department announced Thursday.
North Korea dubs Kim Jong Un 'supreme commander'
North Korea continued to mourn its late leader Saturday while calling his successor son the "supreme commander," as the country faces a transition of power following Kim Jong Il's death one week ago.
North Korea says it will admit delegations from South
North Korea will admit delegations from the South that wish to visit Pyongyang to express their condolences following the death of the leader Kim Jong Il, according to a statement posted on a government website run by the North.
A nation ruled through anguish and terror
While North Korea's recently departed leader Kim Jong Il will probably be most remembered for his pompadour, jumpsuits and relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons, the world must never forget the legacy of anguish and terror he left for millions of his people.
Huntsman: Opportunity and risk in North Korea transition
Kim Jong Il's passing closes a sad and tragic chapter for the people of North Korea. His 17-year reign will be remembered as a dark period in their history characterized by great suffering and steady and dangerous provocations to the outside world.
North Korea mourns 'dear leader' as South Korea goes on alert
The leadership of North Korea appeared to pass to a third generation of the Kim family Monday after the weekend death of Kim Jong Il, who ruled the reclusive Stalinist state since 1994.
North Korea: Should we fear change?
North Korea's government was famously accused in 2002 by U.S. President George W. Bush of helping terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction, along with fellow "axis of evil" countries, Iran and Iraq.
Scary times for stocks: Be careful out there
Investors have been paying a lot of attention to one continent lately and giving the other six (well, I guess there's little that could happen in Antarctica to roil the markets ... penguins tend to be fiscally responsible) short shrift.
North Korean labor camps in Siberia
Kim Jong Il, the absolute dictator of North Korea, made a very rare trip outside the protection of his own borders this past August, albeit on a heavily armored private train. The reason for the trip was a meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev to talk about forming deeper trade and labor alliances between the two countries. This would all seem quite normal and boring if it weren't for the fact that a) nothing is ever normal when it comes to North Korea and, b) Vice happened to also be in the Amur region at the exact same time as Kim Jong Il. But we were there to track down a different kind of North Korean in Siberia: slaves.
North Korea threatens 'a sea of fire' upon South Korea
One day after South Korea staged exercises near Yeonpyeong Island marking the anniversary of North Korea's deadly shelling, the North's military threatened "a sea of fire" upon the South's presidential office, the South's Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday.
One year on, South Koreans reflect on North's deadly attack
The sense of security that South Koreans had enjoyed for almost 60 years was shattered one year ago, when the North launched an attack on the civilian island of Yeonpyeong, killing two marines and two civilians.
Lee, Medvedev to cooperate on gas pipeline venture
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev pledged to cooperate on a gas pipeline project that will run between the two nations through North Korea, according to Seoul's presidential office.
Regime change slows in North Korea as threat to region grows
The pace of North Korea's planned regime change from Kim Jong Il to his twenty-something son appears to have slowed at the moment, two senior U.S. military officials said Thursday.
Official: May be 'weeks and months' before North Korea responds on talks
A senior State Department official is tempering expectations on how quickly North Korea could respond to just-concluded discussions with the United States in Geneva, Switzerland.
U.S., North Korea to meet next week
An interagency team of U.S. officials, led by Ambassador Stephen Bosworth, will meet with a North Korean delegation next week in Geneva, Switzerland, the State Department said Thursday, as the Americans prepare to restart talks with the reclusive nation.
France to open North Korea office
France is to open an office in North Korea in the coming days to build cultural ties and help with aid efforts, the French Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
China calls for resumption of six-party talks
China is calling Monday for the resumption of six party talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament two days before planned inter-Korean talks. "We are happy to see that there have been some new, positive interactions between the parties concerned surrounding the restart of the six party talks," Foreign minister Yang Jiechi told a seminar in Beijing. "The parties must seize these opportunities."
WFP captures heartbreak of North Korean hunger
A four-year-old boy looks straight into the camera. His eyes are dull, his tiny legs crossed underneath him. Choi is an orphan, severely malnourished and too weak to stand.
WFP captures heartbreak of North Korean famine
A four-year-old boy looks straight into the camera. His eyes are dull, his tiny legs crossed underneath him. Choi is an orphan and severely malnourished and is too weak to stand.
Iranian official's trip to North Korea postponed
A visit to North Korea and China planned by Iran's parliament speaker was postponed Saturday, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
Report: Iran's parliament speaker to visit North Korea
Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani will visit North Korea on Sunday on a three-day trip, Iran's parliament news service said.
North Korea reiterates stance on six-party talks
North Korea has reiterated its willingness to resume six-party talks without preconditions, Chinese state media reported.
Russia: North Korea ready to return to nuclear talks
North Korea is ready to return to nuclear talks without preconditions after a two-hour meeting Wednesday between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, a Russian official said.
South Korean employees leave resort after North Korean threat
The last South Korean employees left Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea Tuesday morning as the struggle over the scenic mountain facility continued.
North Korean leader arrives in Russia
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il arrived in Russia on Saturday to meet with President Dmitry Medvedev, authorities said.
U.S. pledges flood aid to North Korea
The United States has pledged $900,000 of emergency aid to North Korea after devastating floods hit the reclusive state this month.
South Korea says shots fired from North Korea, fires back
South Korea fired back at North Korea on Wednesday after it said three shots from the North hit waters close to the maritime border.
Reports: Tropical storm kills 10 in North Korea, 4 in South Korea
Tropical Storm Muifa killed at least 10 people and damaged an estimated 2,400 acres of of farmland when it made landfall in North Korea, state-run news agency KCNA reported Tuesday.
North Korea calls for fresh six-party talks
North Korea reiterated its call Monday for a resumption of six-party talks without preconditions, its state-run news agency reported from Pyongyang.
U.S. labels North Korea talks 'constructive and businesslike'
The U.S. State Department described its first direct talks on nuclear issues with North Korea in three years as "constructive and businesslike," expressing hopes that they would lead to greater stability and continued discussions.
U.S. and North Korea to hold nuclear talks
A top North Korean diplomat will visit New York this week for "exploratory" talks on ways to resume stalled de-nuclearization negotiations, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday.
North Korea hands over body of South Korean man
North Korea has returned the body of a South Korean man after it washed up on its southwestern coast, according to South Korea's Red Cross.
North Korea agrees to hold talks with the South over resort assets
North Korea has agreed to hold property talks with South Korea, after it earlier threatened to seize all assets at a scenic mountain resort.
Letter alleges N. Korea bribed Pakistani generals for nuclear secrets
A purported 1998 letter from a North Korean military official suggests that North Korea obtained nuclear technology not just through a renegade Pakistani nuclear expert, but also by paying bribes to top Pakistani generals.
Rare inter-Korean meeting fails
A rare inter-Korean meeting ended prematurely Wednesday with no progress.
North Korea reportedly test-fires missiles
North Korea test-fired a short-range missile off its western coast in the middle of last week, according to Yonhap News Agency.
South Korea regrets the North cutting ties
South Korea said Tuesday it regrets North Korea's announcement that it will cut all ties with its neighbor.
Family of American detained in North Korea cheers his release
The family of an American citizen who was detained for several months in North Korea said Saturday it was ecstatic over news of his release and thanked the U.S. and North Korean governments for the roles they played in it.
U.S. envoy leaves North Korea after getting American released
A U.S. team led by envoy Robert King left North Korea on Saturday after winning the release of an American citizen who had been detained there, state media reported.
China acknowledges visit from North Korean leader
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has met in Beijing with Kim Jong Il, the reclusive leader of North Korea, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Thursday.
China keeps mum on North Korean leader's visit
Grainy photos of the reclusive North Korean leader in China appeared on local websites but the Chinese government Tuesday declined to confirm Kim Jong Il's visit to his nation's closest ally.
U.S. envoy going to North Korea to assess food shortage
A U.S. delegation will travel to North Korea on Tuesday for a four-day trip to assess the food situation in the reclusive nation.
U.N. report: North Korea continues banned weapons trade
A new unpublished U.N. report claims North Korea continues to trade banned weapons technology with several countries, including Iran.
Cell phone crackdown as North Korea prepares for leadership shift
Over the last decade, more news has been getting out from, and reaching into, North Korea via smuggled cell phones. These are mainly used in border areas where cell signals from neighboring countries are available.
Report: Torture, starvation rife in North Korea political prisons
Public executions, death by starvation and torture are common in North Korean political prisoner camps, according to testimony given to human rights group Amnesty International.
North Korea identifies detained American
North Korea has identified a detained American man, who was arrested last year for "committing a crime" against the reclusive nation, according to state-run media.
American detained in North Korea
An American man has been detained in North Korea, two State Department officials told CNN.
Calls for democracy fly into North Korea
It is impossible to know how many North Koreans know anything about the pro-democracy unrest sweeping through the Middle East and North Africa. A safe assumption has to be ... not many.
As North Korea threatens, U.S., South Korea to start drills
U.S.-South Korean joint military drills kick off Monday, one day after North Korea threatened to engulf Seoul in a "sea of flames." The annual exercises are taking place amid high tensions. North Korea shelled Yeongpyeong Island, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians, last November.
Structures built at second N. Korea launch site, U.S. official says
North Korea has completed the structures at a second missile launch site in the northwest part of the country, a U.S. official said Thursday.
The happiest place in North Korea
Spy agencies scouring nighttime satellite images of Pyongyang for clues about possible conflict could be forgiven for mistaking Kaeson Park for something dangerous.
Gates to North Korea: End belligerent acts
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Friday urged North Korea to end its belligerent acts and take concrete steps to meet expectations of the international community.
South Korea: Communication lines with North Korea reopened
The South Korean Ministry of Unification confirmed Wednesday that it has reopened communication channels with Pyongyang, North Korea, in the border area of Panmunjom.
North Korea asks South to 'open hearts,' resume several talks
South Korean officials tell CNN that they're reviewing a call for resumption of talks between Pyongyang and Seoul that was published by North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency Saturday.
Report: North Korea calls for more dialogue amid tensions
North Korea on Saturday urged better ties with South Korea, warning that a war in the peninsula would amount to a "nuclear holocaust," South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.
Young Koreans head to military amid tensions
Weeks after North Korea's attack on Yeonpyeong Island, the mood is still tense on the streets of Seoul, especially following the largest ever winter live-fire drill and civil defense exercise.
Report: S. Korean, Chinese defense ministers to meet next year
The South Korean defense minister will meet his Chinese counterpart next year amid growing tensions between the Koreas, Seoul state media said Sunday.
Official: North Korea targets South Korea in propaganda drive
North Korea is sending an onslaught of faxes to South Korea, blaming its neighbor for tensions over a disputed island, an official said Wednesday.
Three paths to war on the Korean Peninsula
For centuries the Korean sovereign state was known as Chosun, or land of the morning calm. But it has seldom seemed calm.
N. Korea offers no retaliation for drill, agrees to measures
North Korea did not retaliate as threatened Monday after a South Korean military exercise that it had warned could lead to war.
For South Koreans, fear of war looms large
A few months ago, most South Koreans would have laughed at a question that now looms large in their minds: "Will there be a second Korean War?"
U.N. Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Korean crisis
At Russia's urging, the U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Sunday morning aimed at defusing simmering tensions in the Korean peninsula.
In North Korea, New Mexico governor says situation is a 'tinderbox'
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said Saturday he is concerned about escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, where he is urging "maximum" restraint ahead of scheduled military exercises.
North Korea warns Seoul against military exercises near flashpoint
North Korea warned Friday it would launch a military strike against the South if Seoul goes ahead with live-fire drills near Yeonpyeong Island over the next five days, North Korea's state-run KCNA reported.
New Mexico governor goes to North Korea
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson says he hopes to "to bring down the temperature in the Korean peninsula" during his trip to North Korea.
North Korea campaigned for Eric Clapton performance, cable reveals
One of the diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks reveals that North Korean officials suggested the U.S. government make arrangements for rock icon Eric Clapton to perform in Pyongyang as a way of building "good will" between the countries.
South Korea: Artillery firing from North Korea stays on North's side
The South Korean military said it heard the sound of artillery fire coming from North Korea on Wednesday, but the shells landed on the North's side of the border in the Yellow Sea.
Washington ups pressure on China to act on North Korea
The head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday joined a chorus of American officials calling for China to take a leading role in defusing tension on the Korean peninsula, specifically using its influence with North Korea.
Trilateral meeting underscores alliance, sends message to North Korea
Monday's rare meeting at the State Department between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan had a three-part aim.
North Korea warned of 'severe consequences' for further attacks
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her South Korean and Japanese counterparts jointly condemned North Korea on Monday for recent attacks and nuclear arms proliferation that the three diplomats said threaten stability and peace in the Korean peninsula and, more broadly, the Far East.
South Korea's defense minister vows airstrikes if North Korea attacks
South Korea's new defense minister said his country would respond with airstrikes if North Korea attacks it again, South Korean state media reported Friday. It is some of the strongest rhetoric since the conflict broke out late last month.
WikiLeaks: Mongolia passed North Korea message to U.S.
North Korea attempted to reach out to the United States through Mongolia in 2009, suggesting that the Mongolians host disarmament talks between Washington and Pyongyang, American diplomats reported in a document obtained by the website WikiLeaks.
North Korea says it has thousands of nuclear centrifuges
North Korea claimed Tuesday that it is has "thousands of centrifuges" working to create nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
High-level officials to hold N. Korea meet
Government ministers from the United States, Japan and South Korea will meet in Washington in early December to discuss North Korea, South Korea's foreign affairs ministry said Tuesday.
WikiLeaks: China weary of North Korea behaving like 'spoiled child'
New documents posted on the websites of the Guardian and The New York Times suggest Chinese officials are losing patience with long-time ally North Korea. Senior figures in Beijing have even described the regime in the North as behaving like a "spoiled child."
U.S. and S. Korea navies send a message
The current large-scale U.S.-South Korean naval exercise off the west coast of Korea has multiple purposes. After last week's North Korean attack on a South Korean island, the most important is to send a message to Pyongyang that Washington and Seoul have the capability -- and the will -- to respond with devastating force to any further acts of aggression.
North Korea slams U.S. exercises with South
North Korea sharply criticized U.S. and South Korean military drills Sunday in a statement issued several hours after the exercises began.
South Korean military members protest in Seoul
Members of the South Korean military protested on the streets of the nation's capital Saturday, stating that they were angry that their country's government had not done enough to respond to recent shelling by North Korea.
China's support of North Korea grounded in centuries of conflict
Having just enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner, the American soldiers were told they would be home by Christmas as they launched their final offensive.
N. Korea: Exercises bring war 'closer'
North Korea warned Friday that planned U.S. and South Korean military exercises beginning this weekend bring the Korean Peninsula "closer to the brink of war," according to state news agency KCNA.
North Korea's military aging but sizable
It's a bit like train-spotting but rather more serious. On October 10, Korea-watchers pored over live televised coverage of a massive military parade in Pyongyang, held to mark the 65th anniversary of North Korea's ruling party. Just like the Soviet parades of yore, it was a chance to see what military hardware the North might be showing off.
Respond to North Korea with renewed talks
The skirmish between North and South Korea over Yeonpyeong, an island in the disputed zone between the two sides, has brought new danger to a standoff that has been escalating for more than two years.
Chinese premier urges restraint after N. Korea shelling
China on Thursday stood resolutely moderate following North Korea's shelling of a South Korean island, despite international pressure for Beijing to try to sway Pyongyang.
N. Korea warns of new attacks, S. Korea to boost rules of engagement
North Korea will launch additional attacks on South Korea if it continues "reckless military provocation," North Korean state media said Thursday.
Koreas on 'brink of war' because of Seoul, Pyongyang says
North Korea on Wednesday blamed South Korea for driving them "to the brink of war," a day after the North shelled a South Korean island and killed four people.
North Korea manufactured this crisis
Yesterday afternoon, the worst artillery attack since the end of the Korean War happened in the vicinity of Seoul. North Korea shelled Yeonpyeong Island, killing two civilians and two marines, and destroying a number of buildings there.
North Korea's dangerous delusions
North Korea's latest unprovoked military attack on South Korea -- the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island near the Northern Limit Line demarcating the Korean Peninsula's maritime boundary -- is a stark reminder that the Korean War never ended.
Why North Korea attack is not a crisis
Headlines and pundits once again declare that we have a crisis on our hands in the wake of discovering that North Korea is building a new nuclear reactor and a uranium enrichment plant.
World condemns deadly N. Korean artillery attack
Nations reacted swiftly Tuesday in condemning a North Korean artillery attack that South Korea said killed two marines and wounded 15 soldiers and civilians.
The Korean War never ended
The Korean War began 60 years ago on June 25, 1950, and it still hasn't ended. Fighting on the Korean Peninsula may have stopped with a cease-fire in July 1953, but North and South Korea have remained in a tense state of armed truce ever since, with open warfare just a hair-trigger away.
Explainer: Why are the two Koreas so hostile?
With fingers pointing to North Korea for the March 26 sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War falling on June 25, the flashpoint peninsula is in the global spotlight once more. Here is a look at the questions looming over the two Koreas.
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