Most Popular
-
1
Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
-
2
Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
-
3
Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot
-
4
K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again
-
5
35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
-
6
Slew of top K-pop stars ready to return from military
-
7
S. Korea, US clinch 2026-30 defense cost-sharing deal in pre-election push
-
8
[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
-
9
N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
-
10
Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years
-
N. Korea publishes 4 major newspapers in color
North Korea has published four major newspapers in color on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's colonial rule, a move seen as strengthening the personality cult for the North's leader.The North's Rodong Sinmun, the communist party's official newspaper, and three other papers have been published in full color since Liberation Day, which fell on Saturday, according to an analysis by Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday, based on footage aired by the North's Korean Ce
North KoreaAug. 19, 2015
-
Won falls 2.2 pct on U.S., China jitters
The real value of the Korean won against key foreign currencies dropped 2.2 percent on-month in July, data showed Wednesday, providing exporters with breathing room to boost their overseas sales that had taken a hit from a strong won.The won's real effective exchange rate reached 112.42 last month, dropping from 114.95 in June and marking the third straight month of decline, according to the data by the Bank for International Settlement's effective exchange rate indices covering 61 economies.REE
Aug. 19, 2015
-
S. Korea monitoring reported purge of senior N. Korean official
South Korea said Wednesday it is closely monitoring the whereabouts of a ranking North Korean official dealing with inter-Korean affairs amid a local media report that he might have been purged.Won Tong-yon, the vice head of the United Front Department of the Workers' Party, is believed to have been purged and forced to undergo "revolutionary education," a kind of punishment handed down to North Korean officials who commit wrongdoing, under which they must perform hard labor, according to a medi
North KoreaAug. 19, 2015
-
Samsung, MIT find way to make batteries with 'indefinite' lifetime
The U.S.-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Samsung Group said Wednesday they have found a way to make batteries with an "indefinite" lifetime by replacing an existing liquid substance with a solid material.MIT and Samsung discovered that one of the three basic components of batteries, the electrolyte, could help extend the batteries' lifetime indefinitely, in theory, if it is changed to a solid state from the current liquid form.MIT said the findings will become a "game changer" fo
IndustryAug. 19, 2015
-
SK Group striving to soothe public after chairman's prison release
SK Group, South Korea's No. 3 conglomerate, is scurrying to extend its support for the socially vulnerable and social enterprises, industry sources said Wednesday, amid the public's rising anger over the release of its chairman from prison.Chairman Chey Tae-won had been serving a prison sentence since 2013 for embezzlement, but he was freed last week in a special presidential pardon marking Liberation Day.While the government claims the pardon will help vitalize the sagging local economy, public
IndustryAug. 19, 2015
-
Lotte's fast food unit undergoes tax probe
South Korea's tax authorities have conducted a monthlong tax probe into the fast food chain arm of Lotte Group, which is embroiled in a family feud over control of the sprawling retail giant, sources said Wednesday.Investigators from the National Tax Service inspected the main office of Lotteria in Seoul between July 7 and Aug. 11, according to the sources.It is the first tax probe into Lotteria since 2011 and comes after the service carried out an audit into Daehong Communications, the advertis
Aug. 19, 2015
-
S. Korea to host foreign diplomats for training
South Korea will host a group of diplomats from developing nations to help strengthen their diplomatic skills and improve their understanding of South Korea, organizers said Wednesday.The Sejong Institute, a private security think tank near Seoul, said it will run the 72-day program starting Aug. 24 with the participation of one diplomat each from 22 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.The Partnership Program for Diplomats will be held at the Korea International Cooperation Agency, the c
PoliticsAug. 19, 2015
-
Biz groups expand capital spending in H1
South Korean conglomerates have stepped up their capital spending in the first half of the year, data showed Wednesday, moving in line with government efforts to stimulate the country's slowing growth. The combined spending by 266 affiliates under the top 30 local business groups came to 38.78 trillion won ($32.7 billion) during the January-June period, up 31.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by corporate researcher CEO Score. Expenditures in equipment and facilities
Aug. 19, 2015
-
Retailers, food firms target solo diners with instant meals
South Korean retailers and food manufacturers are expanding their ready-to-eat meal products to cater to the country's rapidly growing single households who opt to eat in, partly to save time and money, market watchers said Wednesday.Retailers and food makers, in turn, are swiftly moving to increase their market share in the so-called "home meal replacement" segment, which includes products ranging from ready-to-eat loach soup to instant rice topped with Mapo Tofu. CJ Cheiljedang Corp., one of t
Aug. 19, 2015
-
Producer prices fall for 12th month in July
Producer prices in South Korea declined for the 12th straight month in July, tracking a fall in global oil prices, data showed Wednesday.The producer price index, a measure of future consumer inflation, reached 101.43 in July, down 4 percent from the previous year, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea .It slipped 0.3 percent from a month earlier.Prices of coal and petroleum products plummeted 31 percent from a year ago, the biggest on-year fall since 33.5 percent in April.Uti
Aug. 19, 2015
-
Park's 'prudent' reaction to Abe statement offers hope for better Korea-Japan ties: U.S. experts
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's war anniversary statement and South Korean President Park Geun-hye's prudent reaction to it offer hopes that the long-frayed relations between the two neighbors could improve, U.S. experts said Tuesday."The good news here is that the Korean president seems to agree that Prime Minister Abe is in a much better place on matters of mutual concern than he has been. And she also seems to agree that the Abe statement contains enough to warrant further open doors, no
PoliticsAug. 19, 2015
-
Prospects for Korea-Japan relations brighter after Abe statement: U.S. experts
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's war anniversary statement and South Korean President Park Geun-hye's prudent reaction to it offer hopes that the long-frayed relations between the two neighbors could improve, U.S. experts said Tuesday."The good news here is that the Korean president seems to agree that Prime Minister Abe is in a much better place on matters of mutual concern than he has been. And she also seems to agree that the Abe statement contains enough to warrant further open doors, no
InternationalAug. 19, 2015
-
Shinhan’s retirement asset platform gains traction
Shinhan Bank’s retirement wealth management platform is getting a lot of positive response from those planning their finances in an aging society.“The key point was to break down the cash flow into simple indices so customers can figure out their asset situation at a single glance,” said an official of the bank.“Before starting to plan the details, it is crucial to enable customers to predict their average income and expenses.”In April last year, the top bank kicked off Shinhan Future Planning,
Aug. 19, 2015
-
Hyundai Motor pushes record H2 hiring plan
Despite the slowdown in its key automotive business, Hyundai Motor Group, the nation’s second-largest conglomerate, will create more than 10,000 new jobs this year -- the largest annual recruitment plan in its history -- in response to the worsening youth unemployment. The group originally had a plan to hire 9,500 workers this year. “The company expects to push for the largest hiring plan this year with the support of the wage peak system,” a group official said. Last Thursday, the automo
Latest NewsAug. 18, 2015
-
Bangkok police say man with backpack is bomber
Thai police said Tuesday investigators believe a man seen in security video wearing a yellow T-shirt and carrying a backpack set off the explosion at a central Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people and injured more than 100.“The yellow shirt guy is not just the suspect. He is the bomber,” Police Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri, a police spokesman, told The Associated Press. This Aug. 17, 2015, image, released by Royal Thai Police spokesman Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri shows a man wearing a yellow T-sh
World NewsAug. 18, 2015
-
More Korean men taking parental leave: survey
For Kim Ji-hwan, a 30-something office worker, punishing work hours and a heavy workload allowed him barely any time see his kids back home. Kim felt that he was growing apart from his kids, which led him to consider taking paternity leave, despite concerns over financial problems and his reputation at the office. “But I knew that this moment when I can be with my children will never come back,” he said. (123rf)Kim is one of some 2,200 fathers who have chosen to take paternity leave in Korea thi
Social AffairsAug. 18, 2015
-
Korean Air’s credit rating downgraded
Local ratings firms have downgraded their credit assessment on Korean Air, citing the flag carrier’s worsening business environment due to stiff competition and the financial burden of its huge investment plans. Both Korea Ratings and NICE Investors Service said Monday they had lowered the credit ratings of Korean Air to “BBB+” from “A-.” “Despite the company’s effort to improve its financial structure, there will be limitations on enhancing financial stability in the mid- and long-term basis in
IndustryAug. 18, 2015
-
[SUPER RICH] Lee Maeng-hee’s death brings Samsung family together
The “pan-Samsung founding family” gathered at the memorial altar of the late honorary chairman of CJ Group, Lee Maeng-hee, who died last week of lung cancer in China. It was a rare scene of public togetherness for the media-reclusive Lee clan, who have been reported to be rather distant from each other. Some business insiders suggest that the funeral of the eldest of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull’s offspring could be an icebreaker for the family, which runs some of the country’s largest busine
IndustryAug. 18, 2015
-
Will Korean dramas break away from ‘live-shoot’ system?
Though making a TV series is considered a laborious endeavor in most parts of the world, the shooting of Korean dramas in particular has gained notoriety for hectic filming schedules, harsh conditions and last-minute script changes.The currently running JTBC series “Last” is an exception, going the preshooting route -- still a rare practice in the production of TV dramas in Korea. Actors from the series have admitted they could not be happier with their new work environment. “The environment is
TelevisionAug. 18, 2015
-
Two top MCs set out to discover Korea’s forgotten ‘Sugarmen’
Rediscovering old songs, talking about music, and recreating old songs into new versions -- at first glance, the format of JTBC’s new entertainment program “2U Project -- Searching for Sugarman” seems familiar. But according to the chief producer Yun Hyun-joon, it’s something different.“The idea for the program began with the documentary ‘Searching for Sugar Man,’” he said at a press conference Tuesday, referring to the 2012 film about Rodriguez, a singer who faded into obscurity in the U.S. but
TelevisionAug. 18, 2015