Korea // Current

Korean cosmetic surgery addict injects cooking oil into face

48-year-old Hang Mioku had her first plastic surgery operation twenty years ago. She has since had countless mor procedures down,... more

nazbags
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6 days ago

N. Korea threatens to turn South into 'debris'

North Korea's military warned Tuesday it would attack South Korea and turn it into "debris," in Pyongyang's latest response to what it says are confrontational activities by Seoul against the country.

The threat comes a day after military officers from the two Koreas held brief talks at the heavily fortified border, their second official contact since the North broke off inter-Korean relations in February.

The North threatened to cut off all ties if the "confrontational racket" continues, citing a South Korean general's recent threats to launch a pre-emptive strike against its nuclear sites and the refusal of civic activists in the South to heed Pyongyang's demands to cease distribution of propaganda leaflets critical of its leadership.

"The puppet authorities had better remember that the advanced pre-emptive strike of our own style will reduce everything opposed to the nation and reunification to debris, not just setting them on fire," the North's military said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Tensions
Relations between the two Koreas have been tense since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's administration took office earlier this year pledging to get tough with Pyongyang.

Earlier this month, Gen. Kim Tae-young, chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a parliamentary committee that his military was prepared to attack suspected nuclear sites in North Korea if the communist country attempts to use its atomic weapons on the South.

North Korea has demanded that South Korea stop activists from sending balloons carrying leaflets critical of the communist regime across the border, saying the flyers violate a 2004 inter-Korean accord banning propaganda warfare.

The South Korean government has stopped official propaganda but says it cannot prohibit activists from sending the leaflets, citing freedom of speech.

Leaflets floated over border to North
Defying Pyongyang's demands, South Korean activists on Monday sent helium balloons carrying 100,000 leaflets to the North. Some noted Kim's reported health troubles and called for the North Korean people to rise up against the authoritarian leader.

The North said it also was offended by recent comments by South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee about leader Kim Jong Il's health.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27413846/ North Korea's military warned Tuesday it would attack South Korea and turn it into "debris," in Pyongyang's... more

dissimulator
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21 days ago

Nuclear disarmament: the big picture

Hey, maybe if we take a comprehensive look at global nuclear arms we might stand a better chance of avoiding the spread... more

urlspotter
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25 days ago

Six dead in South Korea fish knife frenzy

A 31 year old man in South Korea went on an arson and stabbing rampage in Seoul, killing six and wounding seven others. The man... more

nazbags
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29 days ago

South Korean star found dead

An actress has committed suicide in South Korea; her body was found by police at her apartment.

rwylie
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1 month ago

The Lost & Found

This is the trailer for a documentary on a rehabilitation facility called "Nanoom", which deals with Korean... more

jeffjohns
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1 month ago

North Korean videogame arcade

Photos from an amusement arcade in Pyongyang, capital of North Korea. Top-whack technology!

kierand
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3 responses

1 month ago

Cho Rejected By Koreans

Margaret Cho recent was chosen "Korean of the Year," but her relationship with the Korean community has not always been... more

chapinyoung
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10 responses

1 month ago

The Chaser

Another fine thriller from South Korea that should give Hollywood a run for its money. In fact, do I hear the whisperings of a... more

zaza
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1 month ago

Kim's companion: A key player in North Korea?

SEOUL, South Korea - Kim Jong Il's companion and former secretary is emerging as a key player in the communist nation after... more

starr111
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2 months ago

SKorea says Kim Jong-Il on the road to recovery from stroke

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea's Kim Jong Il is on the road to recovery from a stroke and still in control of his... more

ivxx
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2 months ago

Kim Jong Il dead since 2003

Some leaders you just can't get rid of even if they die.

jujulian
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2 months ago

Where is Kim Jong Il?

The Korean media is rife with speculation over the health of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, who has not been seen in public for... more

rwylie
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10 responses

2 months ago

Margaret Cho's Parents

Meet comedian Margaret Cho's cute Korean parents.

chapinyoung
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13 responses

3 months ago

The amazing pictures of an artist dangling horizontally out of a skyscraper

Dangling horizontally out of a skyscraper, this hovering figure looks set to fall to his doom. But this 'jumper'... more

bcass22
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3 months ago

South Korea takes action on suicides

South Korea has the seventh highest suicide rate in the world.

mako2424
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3 months ago

Thousands of Buddhist monks and followers hold a rally in central Seoul

Tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and followers from around the country flocked to central Seoul to protest what they call the administration's discrimination against one of the country's largest religion.

Considered the largest protest by Buddhists in decades, the rally saw more than 200,000 Buddhists from almost all orders - Jogye, Cheontae, Taego and Gwaneum - take to the streets from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. They marched to Jogye Temple located in Jongno, the de facto headquarters of Korean Buddhism, following the rally.

They demanded an official apology to Buddhist from the President; reprimands for public officials involved in religious discrimination, including National Police Agency Commissioner General Eo Cheong-soo; and legislation to ward off such discrimination. President Lee is a minister at a Seoul church.

They also demanded the removal of members of the People's Association against Mad Cow Disease hiding in a Buddhist temple from a wanted list.

``Unless the government meets our requests in a sincere manner, we will hold additional rallies in other parts of the country in cooperation with civic groups and religious organizations,'' the protesters said in a statement.

None of the protesters wore masks or held candles, and instead sang Buddhist hymns with putting their hands together under numerous flapping banners containing messages condemning the government's alleged bias toward Christianity.

They urged the administration to stop discriminating against their religion.

``Our Buddhists have served as a `buttress' in promoting inter-faith harmony,'' the statement said. ``But several instances of discrimination against Buddhism have occurred since President Lee took office in February. In addition, the President snubbed it. This has apparently violated the Constitution, which bans any form of religious discrimination and impedance to social unity.''

The dispute erupted after police officers searched the car of the Ven. Jigwan, the chief executive of the country's largest Buddhist order, Jogye, in their search for anti-U.S. beef protest organizers taking shelter at a downtown temple.

Following the incident, Buddhists cited dozens of examples of anti-Buddhist discrimination. For instance, a transportation data system provided by the government in June omitted locations of Buddhist temples. Maps of Cheonggye Stream, a body of water reopened while President Lee was mayor of Seoul, also excluded temples.

Meanwhile, Seoul City government decided to impose a fine on rally organizers as they went ahead with the protest without permission. A Jogye Temple worker refuted the allegation, saying ``we sent an official note to the office on Aug. 17 to request approval.'' He added the city government has never restricted the holding of a religious event.

Tens of thousands of Buddhist monks and followers from around the country flocked to central Seoul to protest what they call the... more