Civilian was pulled to surface unconscious after beginning his first dive to look for bodies on wreck of Sewol A civilian diver has died while helping to search for bodies on the sunken Sewol ferry in South Korea. The 53-year-old had been pulled to the surface unconcscious by fellow divers after losing communication about five minutes after he began what was his first dive on the wreck, government...
Thresholds for investment in Australian farms and rural businesses to be a fraction of $1bn figure for general investment National party MPs have been told the newly negotiated free trade deal with Japan will contain the same farmland investment thresholds as Australia negotiated with South Korea. Internal government briefing material seen by Guardian Australia suggests the Abbott government has told...
'My heart breaks to think about how you must feel,' says Park Geun-hye as death toll reaches 244 and 58 remain missing The South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, has told families of those missing in a sunken ferry that her heart breaks knowing what they are going through. Park met with some 50 relatives in Paengmok port on Jindo, an island near where the ferry sank on 16 April with 476 people aboard,...
Sewol ferry tragedy has led to questions in a society that put rapid economic growth before safety concerns South Korea has a history of disasters, from building collapses to plane crashes. But the slow sinking of a passenger ferry last month has become its Hurricane Katrina moment , a failed test of capability in a country obsessed with progress and success. After decades of development, South Korea...
Smart grid has come to mean many things, but in South Korea it's a platform for completely rethinking the electricity grid There is a lot of discussion of "smart grid" these days. I sometimes feel it is one of those phrases that people use for whatever suits their purposes without much substance behind it. But talking with technical staff and leadership at Korean utilities companies, I found...
As North Korea opens its doors to more tourists, NK News asks whether it's ethical to contribute to the coffers of a regime that commits grave human rights abuses Poll: Would you travel to North Korea? While debate about the appropriateness of tourism in North Korea has swirled for many years, it has become increasingly prominent of late. Increasing tourist numbers have meant increasing attention...
South Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology is best university under the age of 50 for third year in a row. Find out which universities have made the list Get the data Get the 2013 rankings The third annual Times Higher Education 100 under 50 rankings - a look at the world's top 100 universities under 50 years of age - shows four of the top five spots occupied by East Asian institutions,...
After UN report criticising Pyongyang, North accuses Seoul of infringing democratic rights and freedoms. DailyNK reports North Korea has announced the publication of a white paper criticising the human rights situation in South Korea, condemning the Park Geun Hye administration as puppets under the rule of an American colony. In a piece published by the official newspaper Rodong Sinmun on 30 April...
South Korean president Park Geun-hye apologises to the families of the victims of the ferry disaster. A memorial service is held in Ansan, south of Seoul, where most of the students came from. Divers search the wreckage of the sunken ferry for the nearly 100 passengers who are still missing Continue reading... ...
Children of the rich and powerful get the best work. Ordinary students have no aspirations for their future - the state decides their fate, writes North Korean defector Mina Yoon Capitalism in North Korea: Meet Mr X, a private entrepreneur Every week, NK News asks a North Korean your questions, giving you the chance to learn more about the country we know so little about. This week Matthew M asks:...
Capitalism is not meant to exist in the communist country, but since the early 2000s private enterprises have been quietly booming writes Andrei Lankov Bribery and birthright: how to get a job in North Korea I would like to introduce you to Mr X, a successful North Korean businessman. Of course, the vast majority of newspaper readers worldwide assume that in an allegedly Stalinist country (like North...
Park Geun-Hye, whose PM resigned over sinking, says government should have fixed 'long-running evils' that caused it South Korea's president has apologised for her government's failure to prevent a ferry disaster that left some 300 people dead or missing. Two days after her prime minister resigned over the tragedy, Park Geun-Hye voiced profound regret at the systemic and regulatory failings that contributed...
Regime tells South it will conduct military exercises near sea boundary as tensions simmer over possible fourth nuclear test North Korea has notified the South that it plans a live-fire drill near the countries' disputed western sea boundary, a possible indication of rising frustration in Pyongyang as it unsuccessfully pushes for outside aid. The South Korean defence ministry said military officials...
The South Korean coastguard releases video of the early stage of the ferry rescue showing the captain and crew being hauled to safety. The ship is already listing, as the crew make their way, using ropes, to the lifeboat. Speaking to reporters on Monday, a senior coastguard defends their actions, saying that did not know who they were rescuing. Investigators seize material relating to the ferry accident...
Captain is seen leaping on to rescue boat in video released as divers continue search for victims Footage of the captain and crew being hauled to safety from the sinking ferry Sewol was released on Monday as South Korean investigators expanded their inquiries into the rescue operation. Continue reading... ...
Pyongyang hits out at Park Geun-hye's relationship with 'pimp' Obama and says it is ready for full-scale nuclear war North Korea has launched a personal attack on the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, calling her a "crafty prostitute" in thrall to her "pimp" Barack Obama, as it said it was ready for "full-scale nuclear war". In an unusually strongly worded diatribe...
Chung Hung-won, the prime minister of South Korea, resigns in apology for the government's handling of a ferry disaster in which 300 people died, are still missing or presumed dead. Speaking to press on Sunday, Chung apologises for the lack of accident prevention and an inital response which has been widely criticised Continue reading... ...
Chung Hong-won steps down amid rising anger over claims by relatives that government did not do enough to help loved ones South Korea's prime minister has resigned over the government's handling of a ferry sinking that has left more than 300 people dead or missing and resulted in widespread shame, fury and finger-pointing, blaming "deep-rooted evils" in society for the tragedy. South Korean...
Chung Hong-won says he must go for the sake of the government amid heavy criticism of response to Sewol sinking The South Korean prime minister, Chung Hong-won, has offered his resignation after criticism of the government's response to the 16 April ferry disaster. The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional holiday island of Jeju. More than 300 people,...
Death on Everest, a ferry disaster in South Korea, Anzac Day in Australia and growing tension in Ukraine the best photography in news, culture and sport from around the world this week Continue reading... ...