KBS the only broadcaster to record over 30% viewership in 2011: report

The Korea Communications Commission said Thursday that the Korea Broadcasting Station, or KBS, was the only broadcaster in the nation to record over 30 percent viewership in 2011.According to the commission, KBS came in first place, grabbing about 36 percent of total viewers, followed by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corp., and its affiliates with 18.4 percent. The Seoul Broadcasting Station, or SBS, and CJ E&M came in at 11.2 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively.But the newly-opened cable television

IndustryJuly 5, 2012

Athletes’ deaths in workouts prompt new guidelines

CHICAGO (AP) ― The most dangerous time for amateur athletes may not be during the heat of the game or even in rigorous practices. A total of 21 college football players have collapsed and died during conditioning workouts since 2000 - many on the first few days, when even the fittest players are often pushed too hard.There’s little regulation of these sessions, and coaches “just run willy-nilly” trying to make men out of boys, said athletic trainer Douglas Casa. “A lot of them are not focused on

TechnologyJuly 5, 2012

Early full-term babies may face later school woes

CHICAGO (AP) ― Even for infants born full-term, a little more time in the womb may matter.The extra time results in more brain development, and a study suggests perhaps better scores on academic tests, too.Full-term is generally between 37 weeks and 41 weeks; newborns born before 37 weeks are called premature and are known to face increased chances for health and developmental problems.The children in the study were all full-term, and the vast majority did fine on third-grade math and reading te

TechnologyJuly 5, 2012

Seoul shares end flat ahead of ECB meeting, Samsung earnings

South Korean stocks closed nearly flat on Thursday as investors refrained from trading ahead of the European Central Bank (ECB) policy rate meeting and Samsung Electronics' guidance release, analysts said. The local currency gained against the greenback.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 1.04 points, or 0.06 percent, to 1,875.49. Trading volume was moderate at 318.4 milli

July 5, 2012

Living alone ups death risk from 45 to 80

 An study of stable outpatients at risk of or with coronary disease found those ages 45-80 who lived alone had an increased risk of death, U.S. researchers say.Dr. Jacob A. Udell of Brigham and Women‘s Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues examined whether living alone was associated with increased mortality and cardiovascular risk in a global study involving 44,573 people --

TechnologyJuly 5, 2012

Volkswagen to pay $5.6b for rest of Porsche after 7-year saga

Volkswagen AG agreed to buy the 50.1 percent stake in Porsche SE’s automotive business that it doesn’t already own for 4.46 billion euros ($5.6 billion), ending a seven-year takeover saga that divided two of Germany’s most powerful families. VW was able to proceed with the transaction after reaching an agreement with German tax authorities, it said in an emailed statement late yesterday. The cash

MobilityJuly 5, 2012

Seabirds studied for clues to human aging

Canadian researchers say they're studying diving seabirds in Hudson Bay to better understand the aging process.Brunnich's guillemots reach their 30s and then die quickly and suddenly, showing few signs of aging prior to death.The guillemots, which look similar to penguins, expend substantial energy when diving. Researchers say their high metabolism and frequent dives should produce oxidative stres

TechnologyJuly 5, 2012

Seoul shares open lower ahead of ECB meeting

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Thursday as investors stepped to the sidelines ahead of the European Central Bank's policy rate meeting, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 2.97 points, or 0.16 percent, to 1,871.48 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Major blue chips lost grounds with Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electronics falling 1.06 percent

July 5, 2012

Seoul pushes for drinking ban in parks

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Thursday it is pushing to ban drinking in public parks starting next year to enhance public health and reduce disturbances. The municipal government said it submitted to the land ministry last month a proposal of revising relevant law to prohibit drinkingin the city's 2,000-odd parks.Smoking is not allowed in public parks according to law, but no similar rule

TechnologyJuly 5, 2012

Refined petroleum products lead S. Korea's H1 exports

Refined petroleum products led South Korea's exports in the first half of this year thanks to higher prices, accounting for 9.9 percent of all outbound shipments, a report showed Thursday.The report by the Korea Petroleum Association (KPA) said exports of petroleum products totaled $27.28 billion in the January-June period, up, 11.5 percent from a year earlier."The gain is mainly due to a steep ri

July 5, 2012

Lotte Shopping picked as prime Hi-mart bidder

Lotte Shopping Co., the flagship affiliate of retail-oriented conglomerate Lotte Group, said Wednesday that it has been picked as the preferred bidder for the purchase of electronics appliance retailer Hi-mart Co.“Lotte was tapped because private equity firm MBK Partners Ltd. opted not to bid for Hi-mart,” a company representative said. He added results related to the purchase negotiations will be announced in the near future, indicating that the deal is close to being sealed.Independent market

IndustryJuly 4, 2012

Import car sales surge 20% in first half

BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Audi top the listThe nation’s import car industry saw its vehicle sales reach an all-time high during the first half of the year, posting a monthly average of 10,373 units.Their sales came to 62,239 units in the first half, up 20.5 percent over the same period last year, the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association said Wednesday.For sales in June, import car brands reported an 18 percent year-on-year growth with sales of 10,578 units, though they inc

IndustryJuly 4, 2012