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The vice-principal of a South Korean high school who accompanied hundreds of pupils on a ferry that capsized has committed suicide, police said on Friday, as hopes faded of finding any of the 268 missing alive. The Sewol, carrying 475 passengers and crew, capsized on Wednesday on a journey from the port of Incheon to the southern holiday island of Jeju. Kang Min-gyu, 52, had been missing since Thursday. He appeared to have hanged himself with his belt from a tree outside a gym in the port city of Jindo where relatives of the people missing on the ship, mostly...

Jindo, South Korea (CNN) -- There were 46 lifeboats on the sunken South Korean ferry -- but only one was deployed, CNN affiliate YTN reported Thursday. CNN has not been able to independently confirm the report. If true, the report will add to the anger and desperation of families still waiting for word on the fate of 287 missing passengers. Video acquired by another affiliate JTBC showed at least 12 of the white survival capsules still attached to the ferry even as it was keeled over in the water. The survival capsules hold lifeboats.... At one point or another, the...

Shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday, passenger Kim Sung-Mook was eating breakfast in the ship's main hall when he felt a tilt, he told CNN affiliate YTN. At first, "we thought it was because of the tide," he said. The waves had been smooth until the ship suddenly leaned, witnesses said. The ship tilted further, and an announcement blared through loudspeakers warning passengers that moving would be dangerous. Then, he heard a loud bang from inside the ship. Kim said he thought a crane on board had toppled over. When seawater started gushing into the ferry, passengers began to scramble.

Military dive teams worked the dark, cold waters of the Yellow Sea on Wednesday night in a desperate effort to find nearly 300 people who remained missing after the ferry they were taking to a South Korean island resort sank with breathtaking speed. -excerpt- The bulk of those aboard were students and teachers from Seoul's Ansan Danwon High School heading to a four-day trip to Jeju, a resort island considered the Hawaii of Korea. More than 300 students and more than a dozen teachers from the school were on board, according to officials.

SEOUL—South Korea said almost 300 people remain missing after a passenger ferry sank early Wednesday near the country's southwest coast. Rescue services raced to find survivors from the ship, which quickly rolled over and may have trapped passengers inside. Two bodies have been recovered from the site. Officials said the cause of the disaster hadn't been determined.

It has just been reported that a Korean cruise ship with 450 aboard has sunk. Only 190 are reported to have been saved- many high schoolers aboard.

Kim Ji-gwan has a succinct explanation for why he, his father, and two brothers all chose to go to jail rather than be drafted into the South Korean armed forces. “It is very simple,” says Mr. Kim, chatting in a coffee shop in the city’s posh Kangnam district. “Jesus commanded all his followers to love your neighbor.” In the past, the US and many other countries accepted religious beliefs as grounds for opting out of military service. Not so South Korea, where men still serve a minimum of 21 months in the military. The UN Human Rights Council reports that...

(Reuters) - South Korea on Monday kicked off the process to buy four in-flight refuelling tanker aircraft, in a deal seen to be worth around 1.4 trillion won ($1.31 billion), with planemakers Boeing and Airbus expected to compete, sources said. The purchase is part of South Korea's attempts to bolster its air defence in the face of rising tension in Northeast Asia over the maritime interests of neighbours such as Japan and China, as well as against an unpredictable North Korea. The purchase will be made through a competitive bid process and bids will be accepted by June 30, arms...

Residents of a south Korean Border Town have taken shelter after the North began firing on them.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino has approved a payment plan to acquire 12 Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50 light combat aircraft, a local media outlet said, Friday. The nation’s lone airplane manufacturer also confirmed the report. KAI has teamed up with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to sell the aircraft through a government-to-government program, estimated at $420 million (451 billion won). According to the report by the Star, the Philippines’ defense department is seeking to complete negotiations with KAI within the week. “We have sights on finalizing the contract by the end of March,”...

Kim Yuna waves to crowds while wearing her rosary ring in New York City, May 4, 2010. Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images for Time Inc. Washington D.C., Feb 16, 2014 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Catholic Olympian and international skating superstar Kim Yuna is a role model not only of dedication and athleticism but also an example of how to live the faith publicly, a fan says.   Seminarian for the Archdiocese of Detroit and blog writer Evan Pham told CNA on Feb. 11 that he was struck by Kim's simple act of praying on ice during the 2010...

SUWON, South Korea, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- In a landmark ruling, a district court Monday sentenced a left-wing lawmaker to 12 years in prison for plotting an armed rebellion against the South Korean government in case of an inter-Korean war. Rep. Lee Seok-ki, affiliated with the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP), was found guilty of conspiring with members of a clandestine organization to topple the Seoul government if a war with North Korea broke out. The Suwon District Court in Suwon, south of Seoul, also stripped the 52-year-old legislator of his civic rights, such as suffrage, for 10 years...

More Israeli-made Spike missiles with the maximum range of 25 km will be installed in maritime helicopters ready for deployment next year. Several Spike missiles are already installed on vehicles defending the northwesternmost islands. But the new lot will be mounted on Wildcat maritime choppers to be purchased over the next two years, an official with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Friday. "We've recently struck a deal with the Israeli manufacturer of the missile." The Spike missile is allegedly capable of hitting a window-size target 25 km away guided by infrared. An officer said the missile can hit the...

The U.S. is sending an additional Army combat force of 800 soldiers to South Korea with tanks and armored troop carriers. A brief Pentagon announcement said the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment from the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, will deploy to two locations in South Korea on Feb. 1....

The F-15K Slam Eagle of the Republic of Korea Air Force is currently considered the most advanced fighter in Northeast Asia when compared to its Chinese and Japanese counterparts, the Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao reports. After Beijing established its air defense identification zone on Nov. 23, tensions between China, Japan and South Korea have heightened over the disputed East China Sea. There are disputes between China and Japan over the Diaoyutai (called the Diaoyu in China, the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyutai in Taiwan), between China and South Korea over Socotra Rock (called Ieodo in South Korea and...

North Korea has sent a fax to South Korea threatening to “strike mercilessly without notice” after protests against the secretive regime. The message warned that North Korea would strike if “the provocation against our highest dignity is to be repeated in the downtown of Seoul.” The fax addresses protests earlier this week in which conservative protesters rallied in Seoul, burning effigies of the country’s leaders as well as its flag during an anti-North Korean rally on the second death anniversary of former leader Kim Jong Il. …

By Kang Seung-woo and Joint Press Corps BAGHDAD ― Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a $1.1 billion (1.1 trillion won) contract to sell 24 FA-50 light attack aircraft to Iraq, Thursday, the most lucrative defense export deal by local players. In Baghdad, KAI CEO Ha Sung-yong and Iraqi Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki signed the deal. The Korean defense contractor is set to deliver the jets between October 2015 and October 2016. In addition, the two sides are on the verge of reaching another agreement including pilot training and logistical support with an estimated value of $1 billion. “The contract is...

By Kim Tae-gyu Korea plans to build three more Aegis destroyers to double the total number to six at a time when the country faces multiple challenges including the North Korean threats and lingering territorial disputes with both Japan and China. A military source who is familiar with the issue said Sunday the decision to augment the Navy would be made during a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) meeting slated for Dec. 22. “The Navy requested three additional Aegis ships a year ago and the JCS was poised to discuss the issue at last month’s meeting,” said the source who...

Korea will purchase four in-flight refueling tankers from 2017, the nation’s arms procurement agency said Wednesday. The decision comes amid the growing importance of improved airborne operations due to China’s self-declared controversial Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the military decision-making committee, chaired by Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, decided to import four aerial refueling tankers. It usually takes two to three years before finalizing the delivery of four aircraft. “We intend to give public notice of a bid in January 2014 and select a final bidder within the same year after going through...

South Korea will obtain 40 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters under its F-X III requirement. A report by state news agency Yonhap quotes the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying that Seoul will obtain 40 F-35s starting in 2018, with an option to buy 20 more aircraft. The deal will be conducted through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales mechanism. "The F-35A will be used as a strategic weapon to gain a competitive edge and defeat the enemy in the early stage of war," Yonhap quotes the JCS as saying. "The South Korean military will also use the aircraft...