By Simon Hradecky, created Monday, Mar 21st 2016 15:55Z, last updated Tuesday, Mar 27th 2018 17:28Z A China Southern Airbus A319-100, registration B-6039 performing flight CZ-8444 from Cheongju (South Korea) to Dalian (China) with 90 people on board, was taxiing for departure in reduced visibility and had been instructed to hold short of runway 24R at taxiway A3 about 730 meters/2400 feet down the runway.



A Korean Airlines Boeing 737-800, registration HL7786 performing flight KE-1958 from Jeju to Cheongju (South Korea) with 137 people on board, had just touched down on runway 24R when the A319 went past the hold short line. The Boeing crew recognized the danger, pulled their aircraft to the very left edge of the runway managing to avoid the A319 by about 10 meters and rolled out without further incident returning the aircraft onto the runway center line.



South Korea's Ministry of Transport initiated an investigation into the serious incident stating, that the Boeing 737-800 even went beyond the left edge of the runway in order to avoid a collision. The minimum distance between the aircraft were 10 meters (wing tip of B738 to nose of A319). At the time runway 24L was not available for any operation (including taxi). The A319 had been instructed to hold short of the runway however did not comply with the instruction, the reasons are being investigated.



On Apr 1st 2016 the French BEA identified the A319 as B-6039 and reported, South Korea's ARAIB rated the occurrence a serious incident and is investigating.



On Apr 13th 2016 China's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) confirmed the occurrence stating that the minimum distance between wing tip of the Boeing and the nose of the A319 had been only 3 meters. China Southern initially did not report essential information and tried to avoid answering all the key questions to explain the occurrence, it also turned out the cockpit voice recorder was deleted. Only after further querying the airline came up with an explanation of the events stating the crew misunderstood an ATC instruction. The CAAC added, that there had been 21 occurrences of runway incursions in the recent 15 months in China, 4 of which were caused by China Southern (editorial note: none of which came into public knowledge following a drastic change of CAAC policy in about 2011 stopping public disclosure of occurrences and even removing information up to 2011 still present on their website up to 2015).



On Mar 27th 2018 South Korea's ARAIB released their final report in Korean concluding the probable cause of the serious incident was:



The crew of China Southern Airlines B-6039 mistook the clearance "Runway 24R, taxi via B3" as clearance to enter the runway at B3 and proceed to the take off position while the clearance actually meant: taxi to runway 24R via B3, hold short of runway 24R. The aircraft thus entered the runway without clearance while HL7786 was just landing on the runway.



Contributing factors were:



- Ground Control did not issue a hold short, holding point or end point in the taxi instruction to B-6039



- China Southern Airlines' training of ground control procedures and ground control procedures' language was insufficient



The ARAIB reported 3 meters of the Boeing 737-800's right hand wing tip would have hit the cockpit area of the A319, had the B738 crew not corrected about 6 meters to their left permitting their right hand wing tip to pass the cockpit of the A319 by 3 meters.



The ARAIB reported the A319 commander (37, ATPL, 11,032 hours total, 9,473 hours on type) occupied the right hand seat and held an ICAO English language rating E-4, the captain under supervision while undergoing line training (31, ATPL, 6,870 hours total, 6,620 hours on type) held an ICAO English language rating E-5 and occupied the left hand seat. A third pilot (28, CPL, 2,190 hours total, 1,900 hours on type), ICAO language rating E-4, occupied the observer's seat as a safety pilot.



The A319 was in contact with ground control and had been cleared "Runway 24R, taxi via B3, Altimeter 29.87" which did not include a clearance to enter the runway and should have resulted in the A319 stopping short of runway 24R at taxiway B3 at the hold short line. The crew however understood the instruction as clearance to enter runway 24R at B3 and backtrack the runway to taxi to the takeoff position. While still on ground control the aircraft thus passed the hold short line.



About 25 seconds after the A319 went across the hold short line the B738 touched down 2200 feet down runway 24R.



3 seconds later the A319 reached the right runway edge and crossed the runway edge beginning to turn to the left to backtrack the runway towards the takeoff position.



11 seconds after the B738 had touched down and about 4100 feet down the runway the crew sighted the A319 and, at a speed of 96.5 knots over ground, initiated an evasive maneouver turning to the left. The minimum distance between the A319's nose and the B738's wing tip was 3 meters/10 feet.



In the analysis portion of the report (not in the factual section) the ARAIB reported that the A319 crew after seeing the lights of the B738 stopped their aircraft, the nose of the A319 was 15 meters inside the runway edge at that point.



Following the occurrence ground control instructed the A319 to contact tower. The crew of the B738 explained the close encounter to tower, then turned around backtracking runway 24R to taxiway B3 and vacated the runway to the apron. The A319 reported on tower, backtracked runway 24R, lined up for departure and departed.



The ARAIB analysed that the two aircraft were on different frequencies, the controllers could not provide information about the other traffic on the other frequency. Unknown to the B738 crew the A319 taxied onto the runway as result of misunderstanding their clearance. When the B738 crew got sight of the A319 they used brakes and rudder to turn left, managed to steer the aircraft 6 meters to the left before passing the A319 thus missing the A319 by 3 meters. Had the B738 not turned left the right hand wing tip of the B738 and the nose of the A319 would have collided.



The ARAIB analysed that visibility was close to landing minimum due to fog. The tower controller thus was unable to see the A319 while it taxied towards the runway and crossed the hold short line. Equally, the ground controller was relying on position reports by the crews and could not see the A319 as it crossed the hold short line and taxied onto the runway. Ground controllers and tower controllers are responsible for the safe operation of the runway and therefore need to exchange information. If the aircraft are not visible due to weather or are not displayed on radar, their positions must be communicated before handing the aircraft over to the next controller.



The ground controller told the investigation that he had issued the taxi clearance, observed the A319 begin the taxi and turn into taxiway B3. He subsequently observed the B738 touch down, then announced the presence of the A319 at B3 to the tower controller and handed the A319 off to tower. The ground controller believed the A319 had not entered the runway, however, at that time the A319 had stopped already on the runway. The ARAIB annotated the aircraft had been handed off to tower without precise position information.



The ARAIB analysed that pilots should be trained thorougly in airport signs, markings and lightings. They should also be familiar with the phraseology of communication with ATC, in particular the necessity to obtain a specific clearance to enter a runway for crossing or lining up. They should also be trained in the procedures of ground control. The investigation found that the training materials of the airline did provide such information to the flight crew, it appeared however the training was insufficient. After initial training the crew was referred to self training, in particular ground control procedures. The crew should have obtained a specific clearance to enter the runway while approaching the hold short line of the runway marked with the hold short line as well as wig-wag lights, however, continued onto the runway without verifying their clearance to enter the runway. Given, that the crew held a language proficiency rating of at least E-4 there should have been no issue understanding the phraseology of ground control procedures.



The captain of the A319 was also responsible to be aware of their current position at any time. Should the captain become unsure of his position, he should contact air traffic control and apply the relevant ICAO procedures.



The ARAIB analysed that according to ICAO the phrases for issuing a taxi clearance were: "Runway (number), taxi via (route as necessary)" or "Runway (number), taxi via (route as necessary), (hold short instructions as necessary)". It is possible to issue that taxi instruction with or without the hold short instructions, as this ground based control term does not include any clearance to enter a runway. However, also according to ICAO recommendations, the hold short instructions are more clearly understood by flight crews.



There is no taxiway parallel to the runway, aircraft therefore need to enter the runway at taxiway A3 or B3 and backtrack the runway to the threshold for departure respective backtrack the runway to vacate the runway via taxiway A3 or B3 after landing.



In this scenario it is possible that two aircraft are on the runway at the same time, one backtracking for departure while the other is backtracking to vacate the runway. Misunderstandings appear possible therefore. It would thus be safer to issue taxi instructions with hold instructions such as "Runway 24R, taxi via B3, hold short runway 24R at B3".



The ARAIB analysed the crew resource management within the A319 cockpit. All pilots understood the clearance as "taxi to runway 24R", which further evolved into a "taxi down runway 24R". However, the phrase "Runway 24R, taxi via B3" should not be arbitrarily interpreted, the instruction clearly does not include a clearance to enter the runway. Either pilot in the cockpit should have recognized that they were not cleared to enter the runway and prevented crossing the hold short line. As such, the crew resource management within the cockpit broke down.



Metars:

RKTU 181500Z 09001KT 1600 BR FEW000 SCT200 05/05 Q1012 NOSIG=

RKTU 181415Z 05001KT 2400 BR FEW000 FEW200 05/05 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181400Z 08001KT 3200 BR FEW000 FEW200 06/06 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181300Z 22002KT 3200 BR FEW000 SCT200 07/07 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181247Z 22003KT 4000 BR NSC 07/07 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181200Z 01001KT 4800 BR NSC 08/08 Q1011 NOSIG=

RKTU 181100Z 15001KT 8000 FEW030 SCT200 09/08 Q1010 NOSIG=

RKTU 181000Z 31001KT 6000 FEW030 SCT200 12/10 Q1009 NOSIG=

RKTU 180900Z 33001KT 6000 FEW030 14/10 Q1009 NOSIG=

RKTU 180835Z 14001KT 4800 BR FEW020 BKN030 14/10 Q1009 NOSIG=



The scenario at taxiway B3 (Graphics: ARAIB):





Movement pathes of both aircraft (Graphics: ARAIB):





Excerpt of Aerodrome Chart Cheongju (Graphics: AIP South Korea):







</s>SEOUL, March 28 (UPI) -- South Korea received the first of its F-35A stealth fighter jets to scale up the country's defense capabilities against threats from North Korea.

At a rollout ceremony Wednesday, South Korea and the United States unveiled the aircraft at the Lockheed Martin's assembly line in Texas.

Seoul purchased forty of the fifth-generation warplanes in 2014, in a $7 billion deal.

The F-35A is South Korea's first fighter jet capable of evading radar detection, and is expected to play a critical role in the country's Kill Chain system. The Kill Chain program aims to launch pre-emptive strikes on North Korea upon detecting an imminent missile attack.

The warplane is capable of infiltrating North Korea's elaborate air defense network to target missile launch sites and factories as well as Kim Jong Un's residence, Chosun Ilbo reported.

With the maximum speed of Mach 1.8, and a flight range of 2,220 km, the jet can carry up to eight tons of missiles and precision guided bombs. It can also disturb radar signals from North Korea by collecting frequency information.

The F-35A jet will be used to train South Korean pilots and maintenance staff at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona before it is delivered to Cheongju Air Base in South Korea in the first half of 2019.

The rest of the jets will be delivered over the next three to four years, by 2021.</s>SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States and South Korea agreed to revise a trade pact sharply criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump, Seoul said on Monday, with U.S. automakers winning improved market access and Korean steelmakers hit with quotas but avoiding hefty tariffs.

The planned changes in the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) were seen as limited, leaving South Korea’s key passenger car exports untouched and helping soothe fears that Trump’s tough approach could start a spiraling global trade war.

In April, Trump told Reuters he would either renegotiate or terminate what he called a “horrible” trade deal that has doubled the U.S. goods trade deficit with South Korea since 2012.

Asian shares steadied on Monday, stemming last week’s hefty losses after Trump’s action on steel and aluminum, and his plans to slap tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese goods.

The agreement means South Korea will be forced to cut its steel exports to the U.S. by 30 percent of the past three years’ average, in exchange for becoming the first U.S. ally to receive an indefinite exemption on steel tariffs imposed by Trump.

“We had heated discussions,” South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong said at a media briefing in Seoul. “The latest agreement removed two uncertainties,” he said, referring to steel tariff exemptions and KORUS renegotiation.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office in Washington did not respond on Monday morning to requests for comment on the announcements in Seoul. But White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNBC television, “It looks like we’re going to have a very, very good result” from the negotiations with South Korea.

Last week, Trump temporarily excluded six trade partners, including Canada, Mexico and the European Union from import duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, which came into effect on Friday.

South Korea has received a quota of about 2.68 million tonnes of steel exports, or 70 percent of the annual average Korean steel exports to the United States between 2015-2017, which will be exempt from the new tariffs, the ministry said in a statement.

South Korea is not allowed to export steel products exceeding that quota to the U.S. market, a ministry official said.

“This leaves a bad precedent of exchanging steel tariffs - which is a breach of international trade law - for a legitimate free trade agreement, in negotiations,” said Wonmog Choi, professor of law at Ewha Womans University.

South Korea is the third-largest steel exporter to the United States and the world’s top importer of Chinese steel, leading to concerns it was a conduit for China’s excess capacity.

Trump was elected in 2016 after promising to punish what he saw as unfair trade practices by other countries, particularly China.

While Trump was adamant the KORUS deal needed renegotiating, the trade spat risked undermining relations between Seoul and Washington at a crucial time, as Washington and Seoul work closely to try to contain a nuclear-armed North Korea.

“We are at a time when U.S.-South Korea cooperation is needed more than ever ahead of the inter-Korean summit and the summit between North Korea and the United States,” said a senior official at South Korea’s presidential Blue House, who was not authorized to speak to media.

South Korean officials said that while the deal agreed was the best they could hope for, further pressure on trade was likely under Trump’s presidency.

Shares in South Korean steelmakers rallied on Monday, with Dongbu Steel leading gains as tariff exemptions were confirmed.

U.S. shares also climbed on Monday after steep falls last week as fears of a U.S.-China trade war eased on news that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were negotiating to resolve difference with their Chinese counterparts.

As part of the KORUS revision, the countries agreed to extend U.S. tariffs on Korean pickup trucks by 20 years until 2041.

No South Korean automakers currently export pickup trucks to the United States, but Hyundai Motor said last year it planned to launch a model there to catch up with a shift away from sedans.

Hyundai said on Monday it was “too early to elaborate on the details such as the estimated timing of the model release and production location”. Its shares fell 1.3 percent.

Under KORUS revisions, U.S. automakers will be able to bring into South Korea 50,000 vehicles per automaker per year that meet U.S. safety standards, not necessarily Korean standards, up from 25,000 vehicles previously.

Kim said no automakers previously exceeded the 25,000-vehicle threshold. Ford Motor Co and General Motors each shipped fewer than 10,000 vehicles last year.

“I don’t see a high chance of automakers expanding U.S. imports,” he said.</s>SOUTH KOREA may send global YouTube star Psy to perform in Pyongyang in April as part of an art troupe set to perform in the North Korean capital ahead of a landmark inter-Korean summit.

The performer behind 2012’s “Gangnam Style” has yet to be confirmed for the 160 member line-up, who will conduct a joint performance on April 3 according to South Korea’s news agency Yonhap. The setlist performed will include songs well known to North Koreans.

“We have formally proposed to the North to add Psy to the line-up,” said a South Korean official as quoted by Seoul TV station MBC.

AFP reported that North Korean authorities are concerned abut letting Psy perform, however, because of his provocative performance style and inclusion of Korean swearwords in his lyrics.

SEE ALSO: Male South Korean stars are neglecting their military duties

Psy’s “Gangnam Style” been viewed more than 3 billion times on YouTube, making it one of the most viral videos ever posted to the video streaming website.

Another artist set to perform in Pyongyang is Korean pop superstar Cho Yong-pil, whose song “The Café in the Winter” is said to have been late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s favourite song and who previously performed in there in 2005.

Lee Sun-hee, whose hit song “To J” was performed by North Korean musicians last month in the South, will also join the art troupe.</s>SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States and South Korea agreed to revise a trade pact sharply criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump, Seoul said on Monday, with U.S. automakers winning improved market access and Korean steelmakers hit with quotas but avoiding hefty tariffs.

The planned changes in the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) were seen as limited, leaving South Korea's key passenger car exports untouched and helping soothe fears that Trump's tough approach could start a spiraling global trade war.

In April, Trump told Reuters he would either renegotiate or terminate what he called a "horrible" trade deal that has doubled the U.S. goods trade deficit with South Korea since 2012.

Asian shares steadied on Monday, stemming last week's hefty losses after Trump's action on steel and aluminum, and his plans to slap tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese goods.

The agreement means South Korea will be forced to cut its steel exports to the U.S. by 30 percent of the past three years' average, in exchange for becoming the first U.S. ally to receive an indefinite exemption on steel tariffs imposed by Trump.

"We had heated discussions," South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong said at a media briefing in Seoul. "The latest agreement removed two uncertainties," he said, referring to steel tariff exemptions and KORUS renegotiation.

The U.S. Trade Representative's office in Washington did not respond on Monday morning to requests for comment on the announcements in Seoul. But White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNBC television, "It looks like we're going to have a very, very good result" from the negotiations with South Korea.

Last week, Trump temporarily excluded six trade partners, including Canada, Mexico and the European Union from import duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, which came into effect on Friday.

South Korea has received a quota of about 2.68 million tonnes of steel exports, or 70 percent of the annual average Korean steel exports to the United States between 2015-2017, which will be exempt from the new tariffs, the ministry said in a statement.

South Korea is not allowed to export steel products exceeding that quota to the U.S. market, a ministry official said.

"This leaves a bad precedent of exchanging steel tariffs - which is a breach of international trade law - for a legitimate free trade agreement, in negotiations," said Wonmog Choi, professor of law at Ewha Womans University.

South Korea is the third-largest steel exporter to the United States and the world's top importer of Chinese steel, leading to concerns it was a conduit for China's excess capacity.

Trump was elected in 2016 after promising to punish what he saw as unfair trade practices by other countries, particularly China.

While Trump was adamant the KORUS deal needed renegotiating, the trade spat risked undermining relations between Seoul and Washington at a crucial time, as Washington and Seoul work closely to try to contain a nuclear-armed North Korea.

"We are at a time when U.S.-South Korea cooperation is needed more than ever ahead of the inter-Korean summit and the summit between North Korea and the United States," said a senior official at South Korea's presidential Blue House, who was not authorized to speak to media.

South Korean officials said that while the deal agreed was the best they could hope for, further pressure on trade was likely under Trump's presidency.

Shares in South Korean steelmakers rallied on Monday, with Dongbu Steel leading gains as tariff exemptions were confirmed.

U.S. shares also climbed on Monday after steep falls last week as fears of a U.S.-China trade war eased on news that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were negotiating to resolve difference with their Chinese counterparts.

As part of the KORUS revision, the countries agreed to extend U.S. tariffs on Korean pickup trucks by 20 years until 2041.

No South Korean automakers currently export pickup trucks to the United States, but Hyundai Motor said last year it planned to launch a model there to catch up with a shift away from sedans.

Hyundai said on Monday it was "too early to elaborate on the details such as the estimated timing of the model release and production location". Its shares fell 1.3 percent.

Under KORUS revisions, U.S. automakers will be able to bring into South Korea 50,000 vehicles per automaker per year that meet U.S. safety standards, not necessarily Korean standards, up from 25,000 vehicles previously.

Kim said no automakers previously exceeded the 25,000-vehicle threshold. Ford Motor Co and General Motors each shipped fewer than 10,000 vehicles last year.

"I don't see a high chance of automakers expanding U.S. imports," he said.</s>SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States and South Korea agreed to revise a trade pact sharply criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump, Seoul said on Monday, with U.S. automakers winning improved market access and Korean steelmakers hit with quotas but avoiding hefty tariffs.

The planned changes in the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) were seen as limited, leaving South Korea’s key passenger car exports untouched and helping soothe fears that Trump’s tough approach could start a spiraling global trade war.

In April, Trump told Reuters he would either renegotiate or terminate what he called a “horrible” trade deal that has doubled the U.S. goods trade deficit with South Korea since 2012.

Asian shares steadied on Monday, stemming last week’s hefty losses after Trump’s action on steel and aluminum, and his plans to slap tariffs on up to $60 billion in Chinese goods.

The agreement means South Korea will be forced to cut its steel exports to the U.S. by 30 percent of the past three years’ average, in exchange for becoming the first U.S. ally to receive an indefinite exemption on steel tariffs imposed by Trump.

“We had heated discussions,” South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong said at a media briefing in Seoul. “The latest agreement removed two uncertainties,” he said, referring to steel tariff exemptions and KORUS renegotiation.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office in Washington did not respond on Monday morning to requests for comment on the announcements in Seoul. But White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNBC television, “It looks like we’re going to have a very, very good result” from the negotiations with South Korea.

Last week, Trump temporarily excluded six trade partners, including Canada, Mexico and the European Union from import duties of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, which came into effect on Friday.

South Korea has received a quota of about 2.68 million tonnes of steel exports, or 70 percent of the annual average Korean steel exports to the United States between 2015-2017, which will be exempt from the new tariffs, the ministry said in a statement.

South Korea is not allowed to export steel products exceeding that quota to the U.S. market, a ministry official said.

“This leaves a bad precedent of exchanging steel tariffs - which is a breach of international trade law - for a legitimate free trade agreement, in negotiations,” said Wonmog Choi, professor of law at Ewha Womans University.

South Korea is the third-largest steel exporter to the United States and the world’s top importer of Chinese steel, leading to concerns it was a conduit for China’s excess capacity.

Trump was elected in 2016 after promising to punish what he saw as unfair trade practices by other countries, particularly China.

While Trump was adamant the KORUS deal needed renegotiating, the trade spat risked undermining relations between Seoul and Washington at a crucial time, as Washington and Seoul work closely to try to contain a nuclear-armed North Korea.

“We are at a time when U.S.-South Korea cooperation is needed more than ever ahead of the inter-Korean summit and the summit between North Korea and the United States,” said a senior official at South Korea’s presidential Blue House, who was not authorized to speak to media.

South Korean officials said that while the deal agreed was the best they could hope for, further pressure on trade was likely under Trump’s presidency.

Shares in South Korean steelmakers rallied on Monday, with Dongbu Steel leading gains as tariff exemptions were confirmed.

U.S. shares also climbed on Monday after steep falls last week as fears of a U.S.-China trade war eased on news that U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were negotiating to resolve difference with their Chinese counterparts.

As part of the KORUS revision, the countries agreed to extend U.S. tariffs on Korean pickup trucks by 20 years until 2041.

No South Korean automakers currently export pickup trucks to the United States, but Hyundai Motor said last year it planned to launch a model there to catch up with a shift away from sedans.

Hyundai said on Monday it was “too early to elaborate on the details such as the estimated timing of the model release and production location”. Its shares fell 1.3 percent.

Under KORUS revisions, U.S. automakers will be able to bring into South Korea 50,000 vehicles per automaker per year that meet U.S. safety standards, not necessarily Korean standards, up from 25,000 vehicles previously.

Kim said no automakers previously exceeded the 25,000-vehicle threshold. Ford Motor Co and General Motors each shipped fewer than 10,000 vehicles last year.

“I don’t see a high chance of automakers expanding U.S. imports,” he said.</s>A Lotte Mart is seen closed in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, March 5, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Stringer/File Photo

South Korean food and retail companies are leaving China for Vietnam amid tougher business conditions in the world's most populous market, and strained bilateral relations to go with it.

The Chinese government has retaliated against South Korea after Seoul, despite stringent objections from Beijing, deployed an advanced U.S. missile defense system to protect the country against North Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported.

For nearly a year, China-South Korea relations have been tense with Beijing angry about the deployment of the U.S.-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in Korea. China claims THAAD’s powerful radar can penetrate deep into its territory.

For much of 2017, South Korea’s tourism, cosmetics and entertainment industries have taken the brunt of a Chinese political backlash against Seoul. In October, the two nations agreed to normalize relations, Reuters reported.

Lotte Group was the biggest victim of Beijing's wrath due to the fact it had signed a deal with the South Korean government to provide land on what was previously a golf course for the U.S. missile defense system.

Lotte has been negotiating the sale of its hypermarket chain in China after suffering major losses. Most of its 99 Lotte Mart discount stores in China have been closed for more than an a year, and Lotte Group has suffered about 1.2 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in lost sales as Chinese authorities tightened safety and sanitary inspections and consumers boycotted them.

Lotte said it aims to raise the number of Lotte Mart outlets in Vietnam to 87 by the end of 2020 from the current 13.

The South Korean conglomerate has also expressed an interest in making fresh investments in Vietnam's agriculture, manufacturing and construction sectors.

Hwang Kag Gyu, vice chairman of Lotte, said the company wants to start a cocoa farm and build a factory to supply components to electronics giant Samsung in Vietnam during a recent meeting with the prime minister in Hanoi.

Other South Korean firms, including EMart, an affiliate of Shinsegae Group, food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group, and food manufacturer CJ Cheiljedang Corp, also have plans to expand in Vietnam.

CJ Cheiljedang has invested 70 billion won in the construction of a Ho Chi Minh City-based food processing factory, which will be completed in July. After coming into operation, the factory will produce Korean dumplings and other frozen food.

"We expect a growing number of South Korean businesses will expand investment in Vietnam, the land of opportunity," Yonhap quoted an industry source as saying. "Vietnam's economy has been expanding by more than six percent every year, it is a young consumer market whose average age is 30 and hallyu (Korean wave) is gaining popularity."

On March 23, Vietnam and South Korea agreed to seek to boost their bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2020, or 50 percent more than last year’s total, during President Moon Jae-in's official visit to Hanoi.

The visit was part of South Korea's 'New Southern Policy,' which aims to elevate South Korea's relations with ASEAN to the same level as its relations with the U.S., Japan, China and the E.U.

"Vietnam is our largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, and a core partner country for our New Southern Policy," Reuters quoted Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom as saying.

South Korea is also Vietnam's biggest foreign investor, with its firms investing more than $50 billion in Vietnam between 1988 and 2016.</s>South Korea on Wednesday returned more remains of Chinese soldiers killed in the 1950 to 1953 Korean War.

The transfer ceremony was held at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, west of the capital Seoul, to hand over the remains of 20 Chinese volunteer soldiers killed in the war.

During the ceremony, South Korean troops handed over the coffins to Chinese soldiers, which carried them, covered by China’s national flag, into an airplane.

It marked the fifth transfer ceremony.

Since 2014, South Korea has transferred the remains of 589 Chinese volunteer soldiers killed in the Korean War, including 20 more this year.

Every year, China and South Korea have consulted on the handover of the Chinese soldiers’ remains found in South Korea.

The transfer has been usually made days before Tomb-sweeping Day, the Chinese holiday for commemorating the dead, in early April.

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo said at the ceremony that the handover of the remains of Chinese soldiers will become an important foothold for the future-oriented development of the South Korea-China relations.

According to Song, it symbolises friendly cooperation and trust between the two countries.

The minster said the transfer was a good example for people of South Korea and China being a heartfelt, genuine neighbour and friend.

It was the first time that South Korea’s defense chief attended the handover ceremony.

The Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) fought alongside the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea army in the Korean War against the South Korean army and U.S.-led UN forces between 1950 and 1953.

Almost 200,000 CPV soldiers have been confirmed to have been killed in the war, with most of them buried on the Korean Peninsula.</s>In this July 31, 2013, photo, South Korean actor Jo Min-ki poses during an event to promote his TV drama in Seoul, South Korea. | AP

SEOUL: A veteran South Korean actor who was under investigation for alleged sexual abuse of his students was found dead Friday.

Police and fire officials confirmed that Jo Min-ki, 53, was found dead in Seoul Friday afternoon.

Yonhap News agency said the death is being treated as a suicide, but police would not confirm that.

Police were investigating multiple claims that Jo sexually abused his students when he was a professor at Cheongju University in central South Korea.

Jo initially insisted on his innocence but reportedly later apologized. He resigned from teaching following the allegations.

Police were to question him next week but the case will be dropped because of his death.

Jo is among dozens of men in positions of power who have recently been accused of sexual misdeeds by women. The #MeToo movement has spread widely in South Korea since January, when a female prosecutor publicly spoke out about alleged workplace mistreatment after she reported being groped by a senior male prosecutor at a funeral in 2010. A flurry of other allegations followed across arts, entertainment, cinema and politics.

South Korea's suicide rate is among the highest in the world.</s>A South Korean man narrowly avoided jail for deliberately making himself fat to dodge compulsory military service.

The 21-year-old, who wasn't named, packed on about 65lbs in just six months after graduating high school so he would be unfit to serve.

Standing five feet nine inches, the man ballooned from 187lbs in February 2016 to more than 250lbs when he had his second physical examination in July.

His plan worked as his 36.1 body mass index was too high for the military and he was given a less demanding public service position.

However, police later found he gained the weight deliberately and he was arrested and found guilty on Sunday, according to the Korea Times.

The Cheongju District Court give him a suspended sentence instead of the up to five year maximum prison term for draft dodging.

Fleeing, causing self-injury, or otherwise cheating to avoid the two-year military service requirement is illegal under South Korean law.

All men aged 18 to 35 have to complete the service, with the only exemptions being for Olympic medalists or gold medal winners at the Asian Games.

Conscientious or religious objection is not recognised, leading to at least 400 people being imprisoned every year for refusing on those grounds.

Conscripts receive as little as £106 a month plus a pair of sneakers, which the government budget in some years hasn't been able to afford.

Trainees start with a grueling five-week basic training course where bullying is rife and they are subjected to gas drills.

The requirement was introduced in 1957, four years after the Korean war, so the population would be ready to defend against North Korean invasion.
The South Korean Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board issues its final report on the March 2016 near-collision between a China Southern Airbus A319 and a Korean Air Boeing 737-800 on a runway in Cheongju, South Korea. The Board reports the Airbus crew misunderstood the full meaning of the specific ground control runway instruction.