South Korea

23 October 2019; AFP: The heir to the Samsung empire returns to court this week for a retrial over a sprawling corruption scandal that could see him return to prison and deprive the world's largest smartphone and chip manufacturer of its top decision-maker.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the destruction of South Korean-made hotels and other tourist facilities at the North’s Diamond Mountain resort, apparently because Seoul won’t defy international sanctions and resume South Korean tours at the site.

Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday that Kim had visited the resort and described its facilities as “shabby” and lacking national character. The report said Kim criticized North Korea’s policies pushed under his late father as too dependent on the South.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean police said Saturday they beefed up security at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Seoul after a group of anti-American students used ladders to break into the compound.

They were protesting demands by the Trump administration that South Korea pay more to help cover the costs of keeping U.S. troops in the country.

Officials from three Seoul police stations didn’t immediately say whether they will seek to formally arrest any of the 19 university students who were detained Friday afternoon at the residence of Ambassador Harry Harris.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to surmount U.S.-led sanctions he says have inflicted “many hardships and trials” on his country, state media reported Wednesday, days after his country’s first nuclear negotiations with the U.S. in more than seven months fell apart.

SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Justice Minister Cho Kuk unexpectedly announced his resignation over a corruption scandal involving his family on Monday, after "kindling" the reform of the prosecution office that has been viewed as an agency of excessive power.

"I was a mere 'wood to kindle a fire' for the prosecution reform. My role as the kindle wood came to an end here," Cho said in a statement.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea’s prime minister plans to visit Japan next week in what would be the highest-level trip since Japan imposed export curbs in a deepening trade and diplomatic row, officials said on Sunday.

Lee Nak-yon, whose trip is scheduled for Oct. 22-24, will attend Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement ceremony, Lee’s office said in a statement.

SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's trade ministry said Thursday that its director general-level official will hold trade talks with his Japanese counterpart this week in Switzerland over Japan's export curbs on South Korea, which caused trade spat and led Seoul to file a complaint against Tokyo with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The meeting between the director general-level trade officials from the two countries will be held in Geneva Friday (Switzerland time), according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

SEOUL, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's chief nuclear envoy will visit Washington this week for talks over the Korean Peninsula affairs, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.

Lee Do-hoon, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, will make a four-day visit to Washington from Monday to meet with Stephen Biegun, U.S. special representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) affairs.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics said Friday it has ended the production of smartphones in its last factory in China.

Production at the factory in southern China’s Huizhou ended last month, the company said in an email Friday.

It said it made “the difficult decision to cease operations of Samsung Electronics Huizhou” in order “to enhance efficiency” in its manufacturing.

Samsung’s market share in China has dwindled to near insignificance as competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi got the upper hand.

SEOUL, Oct 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least six people were killed and several others missing after Typhoon Mitag lashed South Korea with heavy rain and strong winds, authorities said Thursday.

The storm hit southern parts of the country on Wednesday night, prompting flood warnings and triggering landslides in affected areas.

A woman in her 70s died after she was swept away by strong winds in the southeastern city of Pohang while another woman was killed after heavy rain caused her house to collapse as she slept, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.