Topic: Seoul

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10 amazing stories about the Olympics

As the 2012 Olympics play out in London, David Wallechinsky’s latest book The Complete Book of the Olympics, 2012 Edition, provides some great finds about past Games.
15 biggest moments for women in the Olympics

Since 1900, when women first began competing in the Olympic Games, there have been many unforgettable moments.
Blast-off: 6 recent missile advances

Missiles have been prominent in the news with India’s successful test, North Korea’s failed one, and much talk of missile defense systems in Europe and the Persian Gulf. Here are six recent noteworthy missile-technology advances.
What sanctions? Top five countries buying oil from Iran.

Iran is the third-largest exporter of crude oil in the world, behind Saudi Arabia and Russia. Its economy relies heavily on oil exports. According to tallies from June 2011, here is a list of the top 5 importers of Iranian oil.
Kim Jong-il's death: 4 questions about 'dear successor' Kim Jong-un

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Focus One man's escape from Camp 14 and North Korea

Only one prisoner born in North Korea's gulag is known to have escaped to tell his story. A Q&A with Blaine Harden, the journalist who wrote about Shin Dong-hyuk.
Decoder Wire North Korea missile launches: Pyongyang toying with foes? (+video)

That's one explanation for Day 3 of provocation from North Korea, which again fired short-range missiles or rockets into the ocean. So far, the medium-range North Korea missiles that caused a flap in April are nowhere to be seen.
Why did North Korea launch 6 missiles in 3 days?

The launches may be more an effort to get attention and test weaponry rather than actually provoke the region, following the end of the joint South Korea-US military exercises last month.
North Korea pops off another projectile into the Pacific

It's not clear if North Korea fired a short-range missile or an artillery round. The isolated regime also launched three missiles on Saturday, causing no damage.
North Korea fires three short-range missiles. Why? (+video)

The firing of three short-range missiles Saturday by North Korea could be to improve their accuracy. Or it could be atmospherics as a period of tentative diplomacy begins.
Japan's 'secret' trip to North Korea disrupts united stance against Pyongyang

Japan's visit to North Korea comes after broad regional agreement that Pyongyang should not be offered talks unless it displays a genuine commitment to denuclearization.
Japanese politicians scramble to distance themselves from 'comfort women' comments

The influential mayor of Osaka outraged China and South Korea by saying World War II sex slaves were necessary, prompting fresh doubts about Japan's willingness to acknowledge wartime aggression.
Why Taiwan refused Philippines' apology for slain fisherman as insincere

Taiwan recalled its top diplomat in Manila and announced that it was no longer accepting applications for Filipino workers, after the Philippine Coast Guard killed a fisherman last week.
The Real North Korea

Are North Korea’s leaders insanely ideological – or merely pragmatic?
No backtracking on World War II apologies, Japan PM says

Shinzo Abe ruled out speculation that his government might water down Japan's official apologies for aggression and the use of sex slaves during World War II. What's behind the shift in tone?
Opinion: Obama and South Korea's President Park must agree on North Korea policy

As President Obama meets today with South Korea's President Park Geun-hye, how closely they agree on policy toward North Korea and whether they establish a good working relationship will be key to dealing with an increasingly dangerous new leadership in Pyongyang.
Opinion: Thinking through options on North Korea

As history shows, new nuclear states such as North Korea usually probe the limits of their power and test how other international actors respond. But consider this: Once escalation starts, it can be extremely difficult to control.
All eyes on Kim Jong-un after North Korea gives 15 years' hard labor to US citizen

North Korea says US citizen Kenneth Bae was conspiring to overthrow the regime. But analysts say the North is likely to use him as a new bargaining chip.
Global News Blog As South Korea and US end military drills, how will North Korea react?

Many Korea watchers speculated that once joint military drills ended, so would increased tensions with North Korea. But at least one analyst says this might be the moment the North lashes out again.
Stir It Up! Cookbook review: How to Boil an Egg (+video)

At first glance, 'How to Boil an Egg' by Rose Carrarini seems simple, but the cookbook is packed with sophisticated and unusual recipes. It's also beautifully illustrated by award-winning botanical artist Fiona Strickland.
Terrorism & Security Seoul pulls workers out of North Korea factory complex, ending cooperative experiment

The last tangible thread of cooperation between Pyongyang and Seoul was cut today, with South Korea announcing it would pull the remaining workers from a sprawling factory complex in the North.
Is Japan's Shinzo Abe finally acting on his true nationalist colors?

Japan's prime minister appears to be stepping up his campaign to reinterpret Japan's wartime history, aggravating China and South Korea at a time when the region should be uniting to deal with North Korea.
US military chief in Beijing warns of North Korea 'miscalculation'

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Dempsey is in China looking for help on North Korea. Though Beijing indicated it was 'working on' it, there are a number of reasons why China might be reluctant to push the North too hard.
Nuclear North Korea entreats Mongolia for help in feeding its people

Kim Jong-un, the young leader in Pyongyang, finds that destabilizing East Asia can help build quite an appetite.
Opinion: Talks with North Korea? Better to apply financial pressure (+video)

South Korea and the US must be skeptical about future talks, not least because North Korea has no incentive to change. However, the North is vulnerable to financial pressure, as seen when the US once sanctioned an Asian bank that handled North Korean money.
Terrorism & Security North Korea prepared to restart talks, raising hope for eased tensions

Some say that while Pyongyang's preconditions are unrealistic, its statement provides a noteworthy change in recent tone.
New N. Korea threats against South, U.S.

N. Korea issued new threats after protesters in Seoul burned effigies of the North's leaders. N. Korea threatened retaliatory measures against S. Korea and "unspecified military countermeasures" unless the U.S. stops conducting military drills nearby.
Time for a preemptive strike against North Korea? Some say yes.

A University of Texas professor argues for a strike against North Korea in a New York Times op-ed. Some US military planners are sympathetic to the idea, while others accuse him of being a warmonger.
Decoder Wire Why hasn't North Korea fired its Musudan missile yet?

Satellite imagery has detected the movement of several Musudan missiles toward the east coast of North Korea, and a test is widely expected. But April 15 is not likely to be the day. Here's why.
North Korea's Kim Jong-un celebrates missile-free holiday (+video)

Officials in South Korea, the United States, and Japan say that intelligence indicates North Korea, which tested a nuclear device in February, is ready to test a medium-range missile.