The potential deployment of the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea should not affect China's pressure on North Korea because THAAD is aimed only at the North and reining in Pyongyang is in China's interest, the White House said Friday.Shortly after the North's long-range rocket launch in February, South Korea and the U.S. jointly announced they would begin official discussions on the possible placement of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in Sou

North Korea April 30, 2016

The U.S. will lose much of its leverage in Asia if it pulls troops out of South Korea, a U.S. congressman said Friday, criticizing Donald Trump's suggestion that the U.S. should end defense support for allies unless they pay more."If we pull out of the Pacific and we, you know, take our troops out of Korea and take our troops out of Japan, then we lose much of the leverage," Rep. Peter King (R-NY) said on CNN. "It certainly, you know, it weakens the leverage we have against China and it, in effe

Foreign Affairs April 30, 2016

The U.S. Treasury Department put South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan and Germany on its "monitoring list" for foreign exchange policies Friday, but none  was designed as a currency manipulator."Korea has a significant bilateral trade surplus with the United States and a material current account surplus," the epartment said in the Report on Foreign Exchange Policies of Major rading Partners of the United States."Treasury estimates that during the second half of 2015 through March 2016, the Korean a

Foreign Affairs April 30, 2016

The American-led U.N. command at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas has dismissed as unsubstantiated accusations from North Korea that U.S. troops tried to provoke its frontline troops with "disgusting acts." A North Korean military statement Friday warned U.S. soldiers to stop what it called "hooliganism" at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom or they'll meet a "dog's death any time and any place."It said U.S. troops pointed their fingers at North Korean soldiers and made s

North Korea April 30, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sales rose 5.4 percent at established U.S. McDonald's restaurants in the first quarter, marking the third straight increase as the world's biggest burger chain fights to stage a comeback.The Oak Brook, Illinois, company attributed strong sales to the introduction of its all-day breakfast menu last fall, as well as a new ``McPick 2'' value deal that replaced its long-running Dollar Menu.CEO Steve Easterbrook said Friday that he was pleased that the "turnaround is taking hold."McD

International April 22, 2016

A presidential official has sought a court injunction to ban the publication of a weekly magazine over its report that the official instructed a conservative civic activist to stage a rally in favor of the government, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.Sisa Journal reported that Huh Hyun-joon, an official handling communications with the public at the presidential office, sent a text message to Chu Sun-hee, secretary general of a conservative civic group, to hold a rally on Jan. 4 in support of South Kor

Social Affairs April 22, 2016

LONDON (AP) -- Most people send a card, call, or post on Facebook for someone's birthday, but President Barack Obama went the extra mile on Friday -- thousands of miles, actually --  to deliver 90th birthday greetings to Queen Elizabeth II over lunch at Windsor Castle.Britain's oldest and longest-serving monarch celebrated her birthday a day earlier, the same day Obama arrived in the evening for what likely is the final visit here of his presidency. So the two heads of state sat down for an only

Foreign Affairs April 22, 2016

BEIRUT (AP) -- At least 10 people were killed Friday when airstrikes hit several rebel-held neighborhoods in Syria's contested northern city of Aleppo and neighboring Idlib province, anti-government activists said. Aleppo, Syria's largest city and former commercial center, has seen sporadic clashes since the February 27 cease-fire, as government troops advanced, boxing in opposition-held areas from all sides except for a corridor from the northwestern edge of the town. The Britain-based Syrian O

Foreign Affairs April 22, 2016

The top Ecuadorian envoy in Seoul made a desperate appeal Friday for Koreans' financial support to help his country emerge from the devastation caused by last week's massive earthquake and ensuing aftershocks that claimed nearly 600 lives.During a press conference, Ecuadorian Ambassador Oscar Herrera Gilbert underscored the severity of material damages and human casualties, and the pressing need to secure relief supplies such as tents for more than 25,300 people displaced by the quakes."Your sup

Diplomatic Circuit April 22, 2016

근 10년간 한국에 거주해온 영국인 제시카 우드 (가명) 씨는 지난 2009년 영국인 남편과의 사이에서 첫딸을 낳았다. 아이는 첫돌을 넘긴지 얼마 되지않아 병원에서 뇌성마비 판정을 받았지만, 만 6세가 된 지금도 거주국인 한국에서는 법적으로 ‘장애인’이 아니다. 한국에서 태어나 자랐지만 부모가 모두 외국인이고, 본인도 한국국적 소지자가 아니기 때문이다.　우드 씨의 자녀는 법적으로 장애인이 아니기 때문에 늘상 휠체어를 사용함에도 장애인전용주차구역을 이용할 수 없다. 약 9개월에서 12개월에 한번씩 교체해야 하는 뇌성마비 아동용 발보조기 (약 50만원) 에 대한 지원도 받을 수 없다. 또한 장애인 아동을 위한 특수 학교에 아이를 등록시킬 때도, 자녀가 장애인임을 ‘증명’하기 위해 수십장의 서류를 제출해야 했다.　인권 전문가들은 단순히 부모가 외국인이기 때문에 국내에 거주하는 장애아동이 장애인 등록을 할 수 없다면, 지난 1990년 한국이 서명한 유엔아동권리협약에 위반된다고 지적했다. 　

한국어판 April 20, 2016