SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Go master Lee Se-dol, who retired from professional Go competition last week after gaining worldwide fame in 2016 as the only human to defeat the artificial intelligence (AI) Go player AlphaGo, said his retirement was primarily motivated by the invincibility of AI Go programs. "With the debut of AI in Go games, I've realized that I'm not at the top even if I become the number one through frantic efforts," said Lee. "Even if I become the number one, there is an entity that cannot be defeated," he said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul on Monday. AlphaGo, built by Google's DeepMind Technologies, won four of its five matches against Lee in March 2016, but Lee's sole win in Game 4 remains the only time a human has beaten the AI player. Reflecting on the historic Game 4 on March 13, 2016, Lee attributed his win to a bug in the AlphaGo program. In the game, Lee's unexpected move at white 78 developed a white wedge be

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(ATTN: UPDATES with police probe; ADDS photo) SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korean celebrity Goo Ha-ra, a former member of popular K-pop girl group Kara, was found dead at her home, police said Sunday. The 28-year-old was found dead around 6 p.m., police said. Police said a probe is under way to determine the exact cause of death. In May, Goo was treated at a hospital after being found unconscious at her home by her manager. entropy@yna.co.kr

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SEOUL, Nov. 26 (Yonhap) -- The Navy said Tuesday it has suspended the operation of AW-159 naval helicopters after one of them made an emergency landing due to signs of a malfunction. On Saturday, the shipborne, anti-submarine chopper, named Wildcat, made "a preventive landing" during patrol operations after a slight vibration of unidentified cause was detected. "As a preemptive measure, the Navy instructed that the type of the helicopter be grounded as of 7:05 p.m. on Saturday and has carried out an investigation into the exact cause of the problems along with its manufacturer," the Navy said in a statement, adding that no casualties were reported from the incident. Since 2017, South Korea has brought in eight AW-159 choppers, manufactured by Leonardo Helicopters of Italy, to better cope with threats posed by North Korea's submarines. graceoh@yna.co.kr

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PARIS, Nov. 20 (Yonhap) -- Globally acclaimed superstars BTS and other high-flying K-pop stars will not be exempted from mandatory military service under the government's new guidelines on conscription waivers, the culture minister has said. Since early this year, a government task force has been working to revamp the guidelines to raise fairness in military conscription, and the final result is due for announcement this week. The government has been facing rising calls to allow BTS a military service waiver, which is often given to global award-winning athletes and classical musicians, in recognition of the septet's role in promoting the national image of Korea across the world. "In the case of BTS, I personally wish I could allow exemptions for them under certain standards, but the Military Manpower Administration and the Ministry of National Defense (in charge of conscription) are inclined to downsize the overall scope (of exemption)," Culture Minister Park Yang-woo sa

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SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. reconnaissance plane flew above the Korean Peninsula over the weekend, an aviation tracker said Sunday, in an apparent sign of beefed-up surveillance of North Korea following its recent test-firing of a multiple rocket launcher. The U.S. Air Force's U-2S plane was spotted flying at an altitude of around 15,240 meters over the Seoul metropolitan area, northern Gangwon Province and central Chungcheong Province on Saturday, according to Aircraft Spots. The plane, nicknamed the Dragon Lady, is known to have carried out a surveillance mission over areas surrounding the heavily fortified inter-Korean border with an aim to monitor North Korea's front-line military activities. Before the North's test-firing of what it calls a super-large multiple rocket launcher Thursday, the U.S. military operated several surveillance planes over the peninsula. The U.S.' monitoring efforts came as Pyongyang has been ratcheting up tensions through a coastal artil

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(ATTN: ADDS more details in last 10 paras) By Oh Seok-min SEOUL, Nov. 14 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. military chief vowed Thursday to use "the full range of U.S. military capabilities" to defend South Korea as the allies held annual talks between their Joint Chiefs of Staff chairmen, the two sides said. U.S. JCS Chairman Gen. Mark Milley "reiterated the United States' firm and unwavering commitments to the Republic of Korea and its continued commitment to providing extended deterrence," a joint statement said after the 44th Military Committee Meeting (MCM) between Milley and his South Korean counterpart, Gen. Park Han-ki. "He affirmed that the U.S. remains prepared to respond to any attack on the Korean Peninsula, using the full range of U.S. military capabilities," the statement said. During the meeting, the two sides received updates on the security situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region, and discussed measures to strengthen their defense posture, they said, a

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SEOUL/GUNSAN, Dec. 2 (Yonhap) -- A pilot from a United States Air force unit in the South Korean city of Gunsan sustained injuries while landing an F-16 fighter jet at the unit's air base Monday. The pilot from the 8th Fighter Wing suffered minor injuries while trying to get out of the fighter on the runway at around 3:30 p.m., according to military sources. The pilot was sent to a hospital, although the exact reason the pilot tried to exit the cockpit and the overall condition F-16 at the time of the landing remain unclear. No crash or explosion were reported at the base on South Korea's west coast, 270 kilometers south of Seoul. Following the incident, the head of the 8th Fighter Wing temporarily halted all military and civilian flight operations from Gunsan. Investigators are currently looking into the exact cause of the mishap. pbr@yna.co.kr

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SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea was to launch a new frigate on Monday featuring advanced sonar and power systems to boost anti-submarine capabilities in coastal operations, the Navy said. The launch ceremony for the 2,800-ton FFG-II Seoul will take place later in the day at Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.'s shipyard in the southeastern port city of Ulsan, according to the Navy. It is the third frigate being built under the project to secure a second batch of such vessels to replace the Navy's aging frigates and patrol combat corvettes. The 122-meter-long ship is equipped with guided missiles and guns and can carry a helicopter for marine operations, the Navy said. The latest version, in particular, boasts of advanced anti-submarine patrol and combat capabilities, as it employs an advanced sonar system as well as a hybrid propulsion system that reduces the level of noise the vessel makes underwater, it added. It will be delivered to the military in early 2021 aft

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SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- Korean Air said Sunday no one was hurt after one of its jets collided with an Air Namibia plane while it was waiting to move on the taxiway after landing at Frankfurt Airport. The accident occurred Saturday at 6:20 p.m. (local time), affecting the horizontal stabilizer on its Boeing 777 jet and the wingtip of the Air Namibia jet, though the exact damage has yet to be determined, according to the carrier and local sources. Korean Air said no passengers were injured as the Air Namibia jet was "moving at low speed on the ground." The accident caused a 21-hour delay in the damaged plane's return flight from Frankfurt to Seoul. Korean Air said it offered hotel accommodations and transportation for the passengers. julesyi@yna.co.kr

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SEOUL, Nov. 22 (Yonhap) -- The Grammy Awards, one of the major American pop music award events, have become fodder for criticism after K-pop band BTS was shut out of the nominations for the 2020 Grammys. Many eyes had been on BTS' possible nomination when the American Recording Academy announced the 2020 list of nominees Wednesday following the septet's unprecedented feats in the American music scene this year. With its latest album, "Map of the Soul: Persona," BTS topped the Billboard 200 album chart, becoming the first musicians to top the chart three times within the time period of one year since legendary British band the Beatles. BTS' unprecedented performance in the mainstream American music scene wasn't recognized by the 2020 Grammy nominations, triggering criticisms within the American music industry over the Grammys' unwillingness to recognize artists from other cultures. Forbes magazine zeroed in on the Grammys' "antiquated" quality and "voting bias" in an

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