S. Korean Parliament Brawls Over Media Bill

(NEWSER) - A melee erupted in South Korea’s parliament today as opposition MPs attempted to break into a closed committee chamber, the BBC reports. Members of the ruling party had barricaded the door as they began the process of ratifying a controversial free trade agreement with the US. Opposition lawmakers used construction tools to pry open the door, only to encounter security guards who sprayed them with fire extinguishers. More»

Activists say it's about warm feet, not politics

(NEWSER) - Another sign of just how bad things have gotten in North Korea: Activists in the South sent balloons skyward today carrying a hot black-market item: warm socks. Members of North Korea Peace tell AFP it's not about politics. "All we want is that people in the North wear warm socks over their frozen feet," says a spokeswoman. More»

Pyongyang would have advantage in early days of conflict with South Korea

(NEWSER) - North Korea’s offensive-minded military strategy is in some ways superior to South Korea’s defensive-minded one, and would give it an edge in the early days of an all-out war, a Korean-based think tank concludes in a new report. With 1.2 million military personnel and a record number of tanks, warships, and artillery, “the depressing reality is it would not be entirely wrong to say North Korea’s military strength is stronger,” the Korean Economic Research Institute’s report says. More»

Pyongyang will have 'no dealings' with Seoul: statement

(NEWSER) - The passing of Kim Jong Il won't change anything in North Korea, the country announced today in quite the blustery manner. "We declare solemnly and confidently that the foolish politicians around the world, including the puppet group in South Korea, should not expect any change from us," officials said in a statement, the BBC reports. The North "will have no dealings" with South Korea president Lee Myung-bak's "group of traitors forever." More»

It hopes to revive old pact calling for big investments

(NEWSER) - One thing hasn't changed in the dynamic of the two Koreas: The North wants its richer neighbor to pump in much-needed cash in the form of investments, reports the New York Times . The head of North Korea's parliament today pressed the issue when speaking with Lee Hee-ho, the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who paid a visit to offer her condolences. The two nations actually had a deal in place a few years ago for such investments, but it got scotched by the South in 2008 over the North's nuclear program. More»