Most Popular
-
1
Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
-
2
Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot
-
3
K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again
-
4
35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
-
5
Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
-
6
Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
-
7
[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
-
8
N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
-
9
Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years
-
10
S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
-
FM Yun defends China summit diplomacy in parliamentary session
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se struggled Thursday to assure opposition lawmakers that President Park Geun-hye's recent trip to China was fruitful in drumming up Beijing's support for Seoul's approach toward Pyongyang.In an annual parliamentary audit of the ministry's work, the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy claimed the Park administration is overstating the results of her visit last week to attend China's World War II anniversary event.Rep. Won Hye-young asked the minister if
PoliticsSept. 10, 2015
-
Collective action needed to handle evolving trans-national threats: UN official
Collective global action is needed to fight the latest trans-national types of conflicts, including those caused by North Korea's proliferation of nuclear weapons, a U.N. official said Thursday."When it comes to trans-national threats, it would be illusory to believe that weakened states ... even strong states would be able to deal with transnational threats alone," Edmond Mulet, assistant secretary general for peacekeeping operations, said during the Seoul Defense Dialogue in central Seoul.Seou
InternationalSept. 10, 2015
-
Household loan growth quickens in Aug.
Growth in South Korean banks' household lending gathered pace in August from the previous month on robust property trade and a seasonal increase in demand for holiday spending, central bank data showed Thursday.Outstanding household loans extended by local lenders totaled 609.6 trillion won ($508.8 billion) as of the end of last month, increasing 7.8 trillion won from July, according to the Bank of Korea.The monthly gain is slightly bigger than a 7.3 trillion won gain in July but still smaller t
Sept. 10, 2015
-
M&A activity in S. Korea surges in H1
Mergers and acquisitions in South Korea jumped on-year in the first half as conglomerates consolidated affiliates to streamline their operations, the antitrust watchdog said Thursday.The value of reported M&As reached 127.7 trillion won ($107.2 billion) in the January-June period, up from 88.1 trillion won the year before, the Fair Trade Commission said in a report. The number of merger cases also surged to 313 from 286 over the cited period."There was a rush of M&As and intra-group consolidatio
Sept. 10, 2015
-
[Editorial] English names
What should be considered first in naming an institution ― especially a government organization ― may be how well the name helps ordinary people understand its function easily and clearly. It is better if the name is simple and easy to comprehend.These guidelines need to be taken into more careful consideration in choosing the English names of Korean institutions.To our regret, it has to be admitted that Koreans are largely insensitive to and inept at using accurate English terminology. In this
EditorialSept. 10, 2015
-
[Editorial] Women outnumber men
Recent government data confirmed a demographic change Korea had long been expecting to see this year: women outnumbering men. The number of women in Korea stood at 25,715,304 in June, 492 more than the male population. This was the first time women have outnumbered men since the government began compiling related data in 1960.The trend is forecast to continue as the gap between men’s and women’s life expectancies is getting larger and the preference for sons has receded in Korean society. The ge
EditorialSept. 10, 2015
-
Park calls for int'l cooperation on logistics network across Eurasia
President Park Geun-hye called Thursday for cooperation among the United States, China and Russia in building a logistics network across Eurasian countries, an ambitious project that could further boost trade in the region.South Korea is pushing for the "Eurasia Initiative" to bind Eurasian nations closely together by linking roads and railways that run from South Korea to Europe via North Korea, Russia and China.China is also seeking to build an overland and a maritime logistics network linked
InternationalSept. 10, 2015
-
LG Electronics rolls out space-efficient projector
South Korea's No. 2 tech giant, LG Electronics Inc., said Thursday it has rolled out a projector that sports improved space efficiency and can be used anywhere throughout the home.The latest projector requires a distance of only 38 centimeters to display a 254cm screen on the wall, reducing the required space by a tenth compared to previous models, the company said."Requiring only a short distance, it can be used anywhere, including living rooms and bedrooms without any interruptions from pets o
TechnologySept. 10, 2015
-
NK may launch long-range missile around its anniversary: Seoul
The Defense Ministry said Thursday that North Korea may launch a long-range missile on the occasion of a key anniversary next month as the North is seen as having completed the upgrade of a missile launch facility. Speculation is rampant that North Korea is expected to launch a long-range missile around Oct. 10, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party.The ministry said in a report to the National Assembly that there is a possibility that the North could fire a missile to comme
North KoreaSept. 10, 2015
-
Chanel withdraws cosmetics shops from Incheon Airport
French fashion powerhouse Chanel has withdrawn its cosmetics and fragrances shops from the duty-free stores at the Incheon International Airport after negotiations over the store space fell through, its local branch office said Thursday. Chanel Korea had negotiated with Lotte Duty Free and Hotel Shilla, South Korea's top two duty-free operators, to renew its contract for cosmetic sales at the nation's main gateway, but failed to reach an agreement. It closed three cosmetic shops within the duty-
IndustrySept. 10, 2015
-
Samsung takes on Apple Pencil on Twitter
Samsung Electronics Co.'s British Twitter account released a comment on Apple Inc.'s latest gadget -- the Apple Pencil, which was released on Wednesday in the U.S. along with more of its latest devices.Shortly after the announcement of the new pen by Apple, Samsung Mobile UK posted "Ummm…S-Pen #SoundsFamiliar," on its Twitter account.U.S. tech giant Apple showcased the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, as well as the 12.9-inch iPad tablet PC in a San Francisco event on Wednesday. Along with these devic
TechnologySept. 10, 2015
-
Top court orders retrial for CJ head on corruption charges
The nation's top court Thursday returned to a lower court a ruling that convicted the chairman of food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group of corporate crimes. Lee Jay-hyun, who was indicted in 2013 on suspicions of misappropriating some 160 billion won ($130 million) in company assets to offshore slush funds and dodging taxes in the process, was sentenced to three years in jail and fined 25.2 billion won by the Seoul High Court.While upholding the lower court's ruling on the embezzlement an
IndustrySept. 10, 2015
-
Lin's ‘Rice’ pays visual homage to Asia’s staple grain
Bringing his visually breathtaking and poetically poignant contemporary dance piece “Rice” in front of Seoul audiences for the first time, renowned choreographer Lin Hwai-min will be introducing a whole new way for the audience to conceptualize the significance of even a simple grain of rice. Having been deemed by some critics as “Asia’s most important choreographer,” Lin is no stranger to intertwining the element of rice into his performances.Born and raised in Taiwan, Lin’s parents grew up in
PerformanceSept. 10, 2015
-
Int'l slow movement fest month ahead of opening
An international festival promoting healthy eating and an environment-friendly lifestyle is ready for its kick-off slated for next month, its organizer said Thursday.Under the theme "Good Food, Good Life," the Namyangju Slow Life International Festival will be held for 10 days starting Oct. 8 in the city located about 30 kilometers east of Seoul, bring together participants from around 40 countries.The organizer said the slow lifestyle aims at improving the quality of life by adopting traditiona
InternationalSept. 10, 2015
-
N. Korea's provocations top 60 times over past 5 years
North Korea has intensified its provocations both on the ground and on sea since last year, with its provocative acts reaching more than 60 over the past five years, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.North Korea committed a total of 64 cases of provocation between 2010 and 2015, including eight cases of border trespassing and five artillery provocations, the ministry said in a report to the parliamentary defense committee.The ministry said that the North began to resume intrusions a
North KoreaSept. 10, 2015
-
Apple unveils latest iPhone, bigger iPad, revamped TV box
Apple is taking a small step with its latest iPhone while trying to make a bigger leap in other key markets with its largest iPad yet and a long-awaited overhaul of its online video box for TVs.The trend-setting company unveiled its newest twists on technology Wednesday in San Francisco before the usual packed house that turned out for a glimpse at a product line that Apple is counting on to retain its faithful disciples and win new converts.As expected, Apple’s next iPhone is making relatively
TechnologySept. 10, 2015
-
Philips interested in buying Coway: sources
Dutch electronics giant Philips has expressed interest in taking over a stake in Coway Co., South Korea's top water purification maker which has been put on the selling block, industry sources said Thursday.Last month, Seoul-based private equity fund MBK Partners Ltd.picked Goldman Sachs as a lead manager of the sale of its stake in Coway, estimated at 3 trillion won ($ 2.52 billion).MBK Partners acquired a 30.9 percent stake in Woongjin Coway Co. in 2013 from the then cash-strapped Woongjin Gro
IndustrySept. 10, 2015
-
Smartphone market growth to slow in 2016: data
The global shipment of smartphones is anticipated to suffer a setback in 2016, industry data showed Thursday, with Chinese handset makers expected to further cement their foothold in the mid- to low-end smartphone segment.According to the data compiled by industry tracker TrendForce, the combined sales of smartphones for next year are estimated at 1.34 billion units, up 5.8 percent from 2015. The market is estimated to grow 8.3 percent this year.TrendForce said this year "marks the end of the sm
TechnologySept. 10, 2015
-
Trump says he's against deal with N. Korea
U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump said Wednesday he is against a deal with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program. Trump made the brief comment when asked what he thinks about Pyongyang's nuclear weapons as he left a Washington rally opposing the landmark deal that the U.S. and five world powers reached with Iran to curb the Middle East nation's nuclear program."I would be essentially be against the deal," he said of a deal with Pyongyang without elaborating.Trump also blas
North KoreaSept. 10, 2015
-
Hyundai Motor workers vote for strike
Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, have voted in favor of a strike, lending support to their leaders in wage negotiations with management down the road, labor officials said ThursdayIn a yes-or-no vote asking some 48,000 unionists whether to go on strike, 77.9 percent gave the green light, according to the union. The vote was held at Hyundai Motor plants across the country on Wednesday. The two sides failed to narrow differences on the labor union's demands rela
IndustrySept. 10, 2015