China, South Korea push for North Korea talks

BEIJING - China's president welcomed his South Korean counterpart on Thursday as an "old friend of China" and agreed to make a push for new talks with North Korea on Thursday as two of Asia's newest leaders met for the first time.

Park Geun-hye, one of Asia's few women leaders, took office in Seoul in February amid war threats by North Korea, while China's Xi Jinping was appointed in November and has sought to rein in the North's nuclear weapons program, backing tougher economic sanctions against Beijing's traditional ally.

"The two leaders shared a common view on denuclearizing North Korea, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and resolving issues through dialogue and negotiations," Park's office said in a statement after they met.

China backed North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War with late leader Mao Zedong's eldest son dying in the conflict with the South. The 60th anniversary of the end of the war is July 27.

Beijing is the main economic and diplomatic lifeline for the impoverished and isolated state, whose three nuclear weapons tests since 2006 have threatened Asia's security.

China has boosted sanctions on its ally, which this year conducted a nuclear test in defiance of international criticism. It has also closed access for North Korean banks in China.

Xi was appointed Communist Party chairman, China's most powerful position, last November and named president in March.

In April, he told an international forum in southern China that no country "should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain".

While Xi did not name North Korea, his comment came amid the highest tension on the peninsula in years, with daily threats from Pyongyang to attack South Korea and the United States.

Xinhua, China's state news agency, appeared to criticize Pyongyang ahead of the visit, saying that "hard-earned trust among concerned parties has been evaporating following unfortunate incidents one after another" since 2009.

In 2009, the North walked out of denuclearization talks brokered by China, carried out its second nuclear test and in 2010 was accused of sinking a South Korean naval vessel and shelling a South Korean island.

ASIAN ECONOMIC POWERHOUSES

China, Asia's largest economy, consumes 15 percent of South Korean exports in annual trade worth $215 billion. North Korea's puny economy trades just $6 billion with China.

Park, 61, was accompanied by a hefty economic delegation from South Korea's huge industrial conglomerates, including the world's largest electronics company, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, and Hyundai Motor Co. .

The two countries' central banks extended a currency swap for 64 trillion Korean won ($55.44 billion) or 360 billion yuan, as part of a defense against financial market instability.

Unlike a military delegation sent by North Korea last month that featured aged generals bedecked with medals, Park appeared to get an enthusiastic welcome from her hosts.

"Park Geun-hye visits China" was the most searched financial and economic topic on Weibo, China's version of Twitter.

In response to an interview with Park by state broadcaster CCTV, one microblogger, Christumn, said: "I am already her fan".

By contrast, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is derided on some Chinese social media sites as "Fatty Kim".

Stylish and mild mannered, Park arrived with self-taught Mandarin skills, and received a warm welcome from state media for a trip she described as "a journey to deepen the mind and trust" between the two countries.

"The visit, which comes months after both countries saw leadership change, is expected to open a new chapter in bilateral relations," Xinhua said.

Park is to deliver an address at Tsinghua University, Xi's alma mater, on Saturday and visit the ancient capital of Xi'an, the site of major South Korean investment, including a $7 billion chip complex by Samsung Electronics.

Park, whose mother was killed by a North Korean-backed assassin, got a guarded welcome from ethnic Koreans in China.

"I feel thankful for South Korea. Its economy has grown to become one of Asia's four dragons and expanded in China... But on the other hand we want North Korea to live well," said Li Jung-ae, 49, who has a PhD in finance from Tsinghua University. ($ = 1154.5000 Korean won)

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Box Office Report: 'Man of Steel' Sails Past $150 Million in North America

Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan's Man of Steel zoomed past the $150 million mark in its fifth day of release at the domestic box office, enjoying robust weekday business.

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The Superman tentpole, from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, scored the top June debut of all time, grossing $116.1 million. Including $12 million earned last Thursday night from special Walmart screenings, the pic ended Sunday with a total $128.7 million under its belt.

Man of Steel, based on the marquee D.C. Comics superhero, took in another $12.6 million on Monday and $11.5 million on Tuesday, pushing its North American total to $$152.8 million. Overseas, the movie -- starring British actor Henry Cavill in the title role -- opened just north of $70 million last weekend.

Directed by Snyder and produced by Nolan, Man of Steel should cross $200 million domestically on Saturday.

The $225 million tentpole is a sizeable victory for Warners and Legendary. The movie also stars Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane.

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Superman isn't the only superhero celebrating.

Also on Tuesday, Disney and Marvel Studios' Iron Man 3 jumped the $400 million mark at the domestic box office as its blockbuster run comes to an end. Shane Black's threequel was already the No. 1 film of the year. Oz the Great and Powerful is currently No. 2 with $234.2 million, followed by Fast and Furious 6 with $222 million.

Globally, Iron Man 3 is the No. 5 top grossing film of all time with $1.2 billion, including $802.9 million in international ticket sales.

Returning Robert Downey Jr. in the title role, Iron Man 3 is the sixth Disney film to cross $1 billion and the second-highest grossing Disney film after Marvel's The Avengers ($1.5 billion).

Iron Man 3 has outpaced Avengers in many territories -- including China, Hong Kong, Korea and Russia -- indicating that it has played more like a sequel to Avengers than to Iron Man 2.

 

Kris Jenner Explains (and Defends) Kim Kardashian's Baby Name North West

Kim Kardashian, left, and Kris Jenner in Dubai last year.

Kris Jenner says there's a perfectly good explanation for why her daughter Kim Kardashian named her newborn North West.

Kim gave birth to her first child, a girl, with boyfriend Kanye West on June 15.

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When asked point-blank on Tuesday's The View by co-host Barbara Walters, "I mean it's funny, but do you want your child named North West?" Jenner replied: "I love the name North. I'm pro-North, absolutely."

Jenner went on to reveal the explanation Kim had given her about the unusual moniker.

"The way she explained it to me was North means 'highest power,' and she says that North is [Kim and Kanye's] highest point together," Jenner said. "And I thought that was really sweet."

When the name was revealed, many people in Hollywood and elsewhere took to the Internet to mock the name.

"I lost my office pool. I had Ratings Spike Kardashian-West," Jason Biggs joked on Twitter, while Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan quipped: "What a ridiculous name, said Wayne Dwop."

But, as Jenner argued, "You don't walk around calling somebody, 'Hi, North West.' You know, it's just North."

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Some reports have claimed that Kim and Kanye plan to call the baby "Nori," but Jenner demurred when asked if they already have a nickname, saying she didn't know what they had decided. But she did confirm that the baby has no middle name.

Quipped Walters: "And they can go, you know, if they have other children, South West, East West. … Whatever they want, it's OK with us. They're an adorable couple."

Jenner's own talk show, Kris, begins a six-week trial run July 15 on five or more Fox stations.

"So many women give up in life when they get a little bit older," she said in a recent cover story for The Hollywood Reporter. "I want to be a positive influence. I want to come from a really good place. Some people are just lost, and maybe I can be an inspiration."

Of the attention -- and criticism -- paid to her famous clan, she added: "We've created businesses and a workplace. It's so funny that somebody can criticize a show like ours, and yet we employ hundreds of people. And it's been such a great learning experience for all of my kids. It's the best education I could offer them."

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