South Korea's defence minister said Thursday that North Korea has completed preparations for another nuclear test, and would also test-launch long-range missiles sometime in the future.

"Many prepara

A North Korean soldier defected to the South on Saturday through the heavily militarised border, telling Seoul military personnel that he had shot dead two officers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

"

South Korea and the United States have reached an agreement on extending the range of Seoul's ballistic missiles to counter the threat from North Korea, local media reported on Saturday citing unnamed

Two South Korean workers were killed and 12 others injured on Saturday when the bridge they were building in the northern city of Paju collapsed, according to media reports.

A 55 metre long (181.5 fe

More than 30 Chinese fishermen were missing after two boats sank Tuesday when a strong typhoon hit South Korea, coastguard officers said.

A total of 31 crew members were aboard the boats which went d

The South Korean and US military on Monday began an annual major joint exercise to test defences against North Korea, a drill denounced by Pyongyang which vowed to strengthen its nuclear deterrent.

M

Fire officials in the South Korean capital say a large blaze at a construction site near a 600-year-old palace has killed at least four workers and injured about 20.

South Korea on Monday announced that it has secured exclusive rights to explore and develop a deep sea mine in the resource-rich Indian Ocean that can produce over USD 300 million worth of minerals li

North Korea's women's football team refused to take the field for more than an hour on Wednesday in protest at an embarrassing mix-up of their national flag on day one of the London Olympics.

The tea

London Olympic organisers apologised on Thursday after a mix-up over North Korea's flag prompted its women's football team to walk off the pitch in an embarrassing start to the Games.

The North Korea