Naver Map starts providing natural disaster information

Naver Corp.'s mobile map application has begun providing real-time service on natural disaster information starting this week, the company said Sunday. Naver Map now provides information about earthquakes, typhoons, heavy snow and rain downpours affecting South Korea on its app based on sources from the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and other weather authorities, according to the company. In detail, users can check information about earthquakes with a magnitude of 3.5 or higher

CompaniesSept. 15, 2024

Only 12 pct of unsafe food imports taken off market for disposal: report

Only about 12 percent of food imports determined to be unsafe have actually been taken off the market, a lawmaker said Sunday, citing related government data. According to the data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, an average of 12.5 percent of 141 import food items that had been ordered to be recalled since 2022 have actually been removed from the local market. Rep. Seo Mi-hwa of the main opposition Democratic Party said some of the recalled food items had a collection rate of over 80

ConsumerSept. 15, 2024

High jumper Woo Sang-hyeok finishes 3rd in Diamond League Final title defense

South Korean high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok has finished third in the Diamond League Final, coming up short in his title defense at the prestigious athletics competition in Belgium. Woo ranked third among six high jumpers after clearing 2.25 meters at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on Saturday (local time). Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy won the title at 2.34m, followed by Oleh Doroshchuk of Ukraine at 2.31m. The Diamond League Final is an exclusive-field event, open only to the best-performing athle

More SportsSept. 15, 2024

Homebound traffic expected to be heaviest Sunday

Homebound traffic on expressways is expected to be heaviest Sunday, the second day of the extended Chuseok holiday, according to the expressway operator. As of 9 a.m., travel time from Seoul to the southeastern city of Busan is estimated at 7 hours and 30 minutes, 7 hours to the southeastern city of Ulsan, 6 hours and 40 minutes to the southwestern city of Mokpo, and 6 hours and 30 minutes to the southeastern city of Daegu, according to the Korea Expressway Corp. Travel times to Seoul are estima

Social AffairsSept. 15, 2024

[Weekender] Goodbye Gyeongbokgung, hello hair salon

Twenty-eight-year-old Janell Ng from New Zealand, who is visiting Korea with her family, knows her priority. Their first stop is a hair salon in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where each family member hopes to experience a trendy Korean-style makeover. "It's our first time visiting Korea. We are here for a week, and the first thing on the itinerary is to get our hair done at a Korean hair salon," she said while having her hair permed at Suin Style Hair and Spa in Samseongdong, southern Seoul. The

weekenderSept. 14, 2024

Medical fees during Chuseok holidays to go up by as much as 50 percent

Hospital and pharmacy fees from Saturday to Wednesday will cost patients 30 to 50 percent more, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday. The extra cost is mostly due to the existing system of adding 30 to 50 percent more for medical services received during Saturdays, night times and holidays. But the ministry will also allow additional surcharges for the smaller hospitals, clinics, oriental and dental hospitals and pharmacies that stay open during the Chuseok holidays. Specifically,

Social AffairsSept. 14, 2024

[Korea Quiz] Chuseok

Chuseok, one of Korea’s two main traditional holidays, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar. This year, it falls on Sept. 17, with the day before and the day after also designated as official public holidays. Chuseok is also known by other names, including “Hangawi (한가위).” A native Korean term, “Hangawi” combines two words: "han" (한), meaning “big,” and "gawi" (가위), meaning “middle or center.&rd

Hashtag KoreaSept. 14, 2024

Top Gyeonggi Province spots for gazing at full moon on Chuseok

Ranging from hanbok to food and games, the traditions of Chuseok are what make this major Korean holiday more special. Another distinctive Chuseok tradition is celebrating the mid-autumn full moon, during which people come together and pray for a plentiful year. Just in time for Chuseok, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization has unveiled the province’s top spots for gazing at the moon. Gapyeong Starlight Garden, formerly known as Hwaak Tunnel Ssamji Park, is Gyeonggi Province's highest place

TravelSept. 14, 2024

[What to Play] Timeless songs to share with family on long Chuseok drives

With Chuseok beginning this weekend, long hours of driving in heavy traffic to visit family in people's hometowns await. Here are some timeless songs to listen to in the car that bridge generation gaps between parents and children. Lee Moon-sae’s “Sunset Glow” Released in 1988, this ballad by Lee Moon-sae, a Korean pop icon since his debut in 1978, remains a favorite. The song's enduring appeal is evident as it was also covered by legendary K-pop boy group Big Bang

weekenderSept. 14, 2024

Long Chuseok holiday perfect for exploring hometown attractions

Whether you are heading home to reunite with family or plan on traveling domestically, Chuseok -- celebrated on Aug. 15 of the lunar calendar, and falling on Tuesday Sept. 17 this year, with the holiday break running Monday through Wednesday -- is a great time to explore different cities and counties in South Korea. Avoid the last day of Chuseok holiday, however, when millions of South Koreans travel back to cities, especially the capital of Seoul. For those who will be staying in the southweste

TravelSept. 14, 2024

Over half of Koreans plan to spend same on Chuseok gifts as last year: KCCI survey

Most South Koreans showed positive sentiments about spending more on Chuseok gifts this year, despite the ongoing inflation and economic challenges, a recent survey found. According to the survey conducted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the nation’s largest business lobby, more than half of respondents, or 56.2 percent, planned to spend a similar amount on Chuseok gifts as they did last year, while 29.1 percent said they would increase their spending. The survey polled 1,00

IndustrySept. 14, 2024

N. Korea pledges deeper ties with Russia as security chief visits

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to deepen ties with Russia as he held talks with visiting security chief Sergei Shoigu, state media reported Saturday. Western powers have accused cash-strapped North Korea of selling ammunition to Russia in defiance of sanctions over the more than 30-month war in Ukraine. North Korea has recently bolstered military ties with Russia, with President Vladimir Putin making a rare visit to Pyongyang in June, where he signed a mutual defence agreement with Kim.

North KoreaSept. 14, 2024

Traffic heavy on expressways on 1st day of Chuseok holiday

Traffic was backing up heavily on many expressways across the country Saturday and is expected to ease at around 8 p.m., on the first day of the Chuseok holiday. Chuseok, which falls on Tuesday this year, is the Korean autumn harvest celebration during which people head to their hometowns to get together with family members and relatives and visit their ancestors' graves. The Chuseok break runs for five days from Saturday to Wednesday. According to the Korea Expressway Corp., major highways

Social AffairsSept. 14, 2024

OpenAI's stunning $150 bln valuation hinges on upending corporate structure, sources say

OpenAI's new financing round is expected to come in the form of convertible notes, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, who said its $150 billion valuation will be contingent on whether the ChatGPT-maker can upend its corporate structure and remove a profit cap for investors. The details of the conditions of the $6.5 billion funding, which have not been previously reported, show how far OpenAI, the most valuable AI startup in the world, has come from a research-based no

World NewsSept. 14, 2024

China retail sales, industrial production slow in August

BEIJING -- Chinese retail sales and industrial production growth slowed in August, official data showed Saturday, as leaders in Beijing seek paths to achieve growth targets despite consumers' reluctance to spend. More than a year and a half since abolishing strict Covid-19 measures that had dampened activity, the world's second-largest economy has yet to achieve a highly anticipated post-pandemic recovery. A prolonged debt crisis in China's vast property sector, continued deflatio

World NewsSept. 14, 2024

China new home prices fall at fastest pace in over 9 years in August

BEIJING - China's new home prices fell at the fastest pace in more than nine years in August, official data showed on Saturday, as supportive measures failed to spur a meaningful recovery in the property sector. New home prices were down 5.3 percent from a year earlier, the fastest pace since May 2015, compared with a 4.9 percent slide in July, according to Reuters calculations based on National Bureau of Statistics data. In monthly terms, new home prices fell for the fourteenth straight mo

World NewsSept. 14, 2024

Vietnam typhoon death toll rises to 233 as more bodies found in areas hit by landslides and floods

HANOI, Vietnam — The death toll in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam climbed to 233 on Friday as rescue workers recovered more bodies from areas hit by landslides and flash floods, state media reported. Flood waters from the swollen Red River in the capital of Hanoi were beginning to recede, but many neighborhoods remained inundated and farther north, experts were predicting it could still be days before any relief is in sight. Typhoon Yagi made landfall Saturday, setting off heavy

World NewsSept. 14, 2024

Nat'l badminton body rejects embezzlement allegations, threatens legal action

The beleaguered national governing body of badminton has pushed back against the embezzlement allegations recently raised by the sports ministry, threatening to take legal action in response. The Badminton Korea Association released a statement late Friday, three days after the ministry of culture, sports and tourism announced interim results of its probe into the badminton body's administration. The ministry launched the investigation last month after An Se-young, the women's single

Social AffairsSept. 14, 2024

Ambulance transport time rises 22% amid doctor shortage at hospital ERs: report

The number of emergency patient transports to hospitals that took more than an hour increased by 22 percent this year compared with the previous year, a National Fire Agency report showed Saturday, amid the protracted doctor walkout. According to the report submitted to Rep. Chai Hyun-il of the main opposition Democratic Party, the number of such cases from March to August came to 13,940 this year, up 22 percent from 11,426 cases tallied during the same period last year. In Seoul, 1,166 cases

Social AffairsSept. 14, 2024

Trump says he'll be able to solve 'most' problems related to N. Korea, Iran via 'phone calls'

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday he will be able to solve "most of the problems" related to North Korea and Iran through "phone calls" and possibly in-person talks, as he commented on Pyongyang's rare disclosure of a nuclear facility and Tehran's supply of missiles to Russia. Trump highlighted his foreign policy chops during a press conference as various polls have shown the former president and his Democratic rival, Kamala

PoliticsSept. 14, 2024