Hannah Metcalfe, 34, who is 11 weeks pregnant in England, avoids all the electronic devices like iPads or mobile phones because those gadgets allegedly make her sick.Metcalfe says she feels headaches and stomach cramps whenever she is exposed to electromagnetic waves, which make her fearful about the health of her unborn baby.“I need to avoid Wi-Fi as much as I can,” said Metcalfe. “It makes me ill and I have to consider what it could be doing to the baby.”Metcalfe believes that her miscarriage

TechnologyJune 13, 2012

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday following Wall Street's overnight rally caused by speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve will announce new stimulus measures to bolster growth, analysts said.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.20 percent, or 3.63 points, to 1,858.37 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Market bellwether Samsung Electronics gained 0.16 percent, with top

June 13, 2012

South Korea's jobless rate decelerated in May mainly due to more positions created in the service sector, a government report showed Wednesday.The jobless rate stood at 3.1 percent last month, down slightly from 3.2 percent a year earlier, according to the report by Statistics Korea. Last month's tally also represents a drop from the 3.5 percent reached in April.Job creation accelerated with a tot

June 13, 2012

A ring of companies and individuals were caught for illegal trading of some 1.4 trillion won in foreign exchange over the past five years, the Korea Customs Service said Tuesday. About 130 clothing and trading firms were involved in the largest ever case of illegal foreign exchange trading to be exposed by the KCS. The Seoul Main Customs Office of the KCS said eight people including 45-year-old ringleader surnamed Lee have been booked without detention on charges of violating the foreign exchang

June 12, 2012

Most South Korean exporters are upbeat about the benefits of the free trade pact with the United States that went into effect more than three months ago, a poll showed Tuesday.The survey on 400 local exporting companies by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry showed 72.6 percent of all respondents saying the free trade agreement has exerted positive influence on their business, with just 2.9 percent expressing negative views. The remaining 24.5 percent said they were not certain about the

June 12, 2012

Group to see production  capacity grow by 26%  in next few weeksHyundai Motor Group is speeding up its mid-term project to overtake General Motors in vehicle sales in China by expanding its manufacturing capacity.Though Volkswagen maintains the No. 1 position in the Chinese market, the sales gap between GM and Hyundai Motor-Kia Motors has narrowed.Last year, GM ranked second with vehicle sales of 1.32 million units and Hyundai-Kia ranked third with 1.17 million units. Volkswagen saw its 2011 sal

IndustryJune 12, 2012

HONG KONG (Yonhap News) ― LG Chem Ltd., South Korea’s top chemical maker, will likely benefit from China’s recent interest rate cut, as the move will boost the country’s petrochemical market, a report said Tuesday. According to the Daishin Securities report, improving petrochemical market recovery expectations triggered by the decrease in interest rates will strengthen LG Chem’s business in China.“China’s interest rate cut will contribute to a gradual recovery of the petrochemical market,” Jonat

June 12, 2012

Some foreign investment banks have forecast South Korea’s central bank will lower its key interest rate in the near future to help stimulate growth, a report showed Tuesday.The report by the Korea Center for International Finance said a number of leading IBs have predicted the Bank of Korea will move to lower rates to offset economic slowdown concerns brought on by persistent eurozone woes and sluggish growth in the United States and China.The predictions come after the BOK froze the seven-day r

June 12, 2012

South Korean stocks fell 0.66 percent Tuesday after investors expressed disappointment over Spain’s bailout plans and concerns mounted over upcoming Greek elections, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index lost 12.30 points to 1,854.74. Trading volume was light at 404 million shares worth 5.59 trillion won ($4.77 billion), with losers outpacing gainers 441 to 361.“The market backtracked as investors expressed concerns that th

June 12, 2012

South Korean manufacturers’ capacity to repay debt deteriorated in 2011 due to sluggish economic growth and increases in borrowing costs, the central bank said Tuesday.The ratio of a manufacturer’s operating cash flow to short-term borrowing and interest reached 53.8 percent last year, down sharply from 66.1 percent reached in the previous year, according to a survey of 7,404 manufacturers conducted by the Bank of Korea .The ratio measures a company’s ability to service short-term debt with cash

June 12, 2012

The government opened Foreign Investment Week 2012 on Tuesday to promote foreign investment into Korea and strengthen its investment network with foreign companies. The Knowledge Economy Ministry and the state-run Korea Investment-Trade Promotion Agency organized the three-day international convention.The annual event, the largest of its kind, includes a pre-opening network dinner and a series of break-out forums on multiple sectors, including green energy, ICT market, cultural content, venture

June 12, 2012