The Korea Herald

Hana Financial entitled to acquire KEB

Financial regulators endorsed the deal between Hana Financial Group and Lone Star Funds to trade shares of Korea Exchange Bank.Hana Financial has been allowed to take over KEB, which has been owned by the U.S.-based fund since 2003, the Financial Services Commission said Friday.The FSC ultimately did not accept the opinion among a group of lawmakers and the KEB union that Lone Star was ineligible to own the bank and the merger deal is invalid.There have been continuous speculations that Lone Sta

Jan. 27, 2012

Twitter able to now selectively block tweets

Twitter said Thursday that it now has the ability to block tweets from appearing in a specific country if legally required to do so."As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression," Twitter said in a blog post."So

TechnologyJan. 27, 2012

Apple’s iPad leads surge in tablet shipments, research firm says

Tablet-computer shipments more than doubled in the fourth quarter, reflecting demand for Apple Inc.’s iPad and Amazon (AMZN).com Inc.’s new Kindle Fire, according to market-research firm Strategy Analytics. Global tablet shipments rose to a record 26.8 million units in the last three months of 2011,

TechnologyJan. 27, 2012

Home births in U.S. rise to highest level on record, health study shows

Home births rose 29 percent from 2004 to 2009, to almost three quarters of a percent of all U.S. live deliveries, the highest level since 1989, according to health authorities. They were most common among non-Hispanic white women, where about 1 in 90 births are at home, according to a report from th

TechnologyJan. 27, 2012

Samsung Electronics reports 17 pct rise in Q4 net

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest maker of computer memory chips, said Friday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose 17 percent from a year earlier, fueled by strong sales of smartphones. (Yonhap News)Net profit amounted to 4 trillion won (US$3.56 billion) i

IndustryJan. 27, 2012

Samsung Electronics reports 17 pct rise in Q4 net

First 'cloaking' of a 3D object announced

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they have "cloaked" a three-dimensional object, making it invisible from all angles for the first time.The process uses a shell of what are known as plasmonic materials that create a "photo negative" of the object being cloaked, effectively cancel

TechnologyJan. 27, 2012

First 'cloaking' of a 3D object announced

‘KARI, NASA discuss moon satellite launch’

Korea could launch a satellite to orbit the moon in collaboration with the U.S.’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration.A Korean daily reported Thursday that the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and NASA are discussing a collaborative lunar exploration project.According to the report, KARI and NASA held two rounds of talks with government officials in attendance last year, and plan to sign an agreement in March or April. The report quoted NASA’s Belgacem Jaroux as saying that the two o

TechnologyJan. 26, 2012

Bank loan delinquency ratio eases to two-year low in Dec.

Korean banks’ loan delinquency rate fell to its lowest level in two years in December, thanks to a massive settlement of sour loans last month, the country’s financial watchdog said Thursday.The overall delinquency rate of bank loans to companies and households reached 0.89 percent as of the end of December, down 0.54 percentage point from the previous month, according to the Financial Supervisory Service. The rate is measured based on loans that are overdue for more than one day.The December fi

Jan. 26, 2012

NEXON to merge with mobile affiliate

NEXON, the country’s top game company, said Thursday it will merge with its affiliate NEXON Mobile in a bid to strengthen its mobile platform.The two firms signed an agreement for the merger on Thursday and it is expected to be completed by April, according to NEXON officials.NEXON Mobile, established in September 2001, is known for launching several popular games such as MapleStory and KartRider Rush.“The measure was put in place to focus on the growth of the mobile business with NEXON’s intell

IndustryJan. 26, 2012

Ruling imminent on Lone Star’s eligibility to own bank: FSC

Financial regulators are close to ruling on Lone Star Funds’ eligibility as the biggest shareholder of Korea Exchange Bank.“Inspectors have been in the last-minute review on the issue as to whether Lone Star has been a non-financial investor (which is banned from owning a local bank),” Financial Services Commission chairman Kim Seok-dong told reporters Thursday.But Kim said the FSC has yet to decide whether to announce its stance on the U.S.-based equity fund at the panel discussion, slated for

Jan. 26, 2012

Business sentiment for Feb. remains negative: poll

Korea’s business sentiment for February edged up slightly but remained in negative territory due to the deepening European debt woes and concerns over the sluggish domestic economy, a poll showed Thursday.The monthly business survey index for the upcoming month came in at 91, up 2.7 points from the 88.3 forecast for January, according to the survey by the Federation of Korean Industries, the lobbying group for the country’s large businesses.The latest number stood below the break-even 100 mark f

Jan. 26, 2012

Chaebol scions slammed for running coffee shops, import businesses

Hotel Shilla announces plan to pull out from the high-end market after Lee ciriticizedFounders of Korea’s major enterprises devoted their lives to building a manufacturing powerhouse of the world’s best ships, cars and electronics, but their grandchildren are more interested in selling pastries and importing luxury items. A slew of chaebol offspring have jumped into bakeries or coffee shops, possibly driving out small, individually owned stores. The number of bakeries run by self-employed indivi

IndustryJan. 26, 2012

Chaebol scions slammed for running coffee shops, import businesses

Forward head posture

Not commonly found in manual laborers, the forward head posture may occur in individuals who stay in the same posture for long periods of time while working.If muscle contraction and relaxation are repeated, this may prevent the occurrence of the condition. In individuals who maintain the same posture for extended periods of time, however, it may occur because of persistent muscle tension.Occupational groups at increased risk of developing forward head posture are draft designers, designers and

TechnologyJan. 26, 2012

Pot-based prescription drug looks for FDA approval

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― A quarter-century after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first prescription drugs based on the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, additional medicines derived from or inspired by the cannabis plant itself could soon be making their way to pharmacy shelves, according to drug companies, small biotech firms and university scientists.A British company, GW Pharma, is in advanced clinical trials for the world’s first pharmaceutical developed from raw mari

TechnologyJan. 26, 2012

Too many tests? Routine checkups getting second look

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Recent headlines offered a fresh example of how the health care system subjects people to too many medical tests ― this time research showing millions of older women don’t need their bones checked for osteoporosis nearly so often.Chances are you’ve heard that many expert groups say cancer screening is overused, too, from mammograms given too early or too often to prostate cancer tests that may not save lives. It’s not just cancer. Now some of the nuts-and-bolts tests given duri

TechnologyJan. 26, 2012

Too many tests? Routine checkups getting second look

Getting back into routine after Seollal

Doctors recommend exercise, sufficient sleep and vitaminsAfter four days off for Seollal, getting back into your normal routine can be a challenge. Long drives, lots of cooking and family gatherings can make the holiday less than restful, leaving you dreading a return to work. “The holiday life cycle is quite different from your ordinary routine. It wears you out. You need to make effort to regain energy,” said Dr. Kang Hee-chul of Yonsei Severance Hospital. Here are five ways to help you ease

TechnologyJan. 26, 2012

Hynix Semiconductor retains CEO Kwon

Hynix Semiconductor decided Thursday to have CEO Kwon Oh-chul and vice president Park Sung-wook continue their positions in a board members’ meeting. Kwon has led the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker since 2010. His three-year term will expire in March next year. SK Telecom, which acquired Hynix last year, appears to have considered Kwon’s expertise in the semiconductor industry, industry sources say. Kwon was the former chairman of Hynix-Numonyx Semiconductor Ltd. in China, former chief

IndustryJan. 26, 2012

Korean investors shunned foreign equities last year: data

Korean investors cut back their holdings of foreign equities last year primarily due to the angst over global uncertainties stemming from the eurozone debt crisis, data showed Thursday. The value of foreign stocks traded by local investors totaled $2.92 billion in 2011, down 49.2 percent from the $5.75 billion tallied in the previous year, according to the data by the Korea Securities Depository. The 2011 figure is lower than the $3.3 billion and $3.1 billion tallied in 2008 and 2009, respective

Jan. 26, 2012

Korea feared to log current account deficit in Jan.

Korea’s current account balance is feared to swing into the red in January due to a large deficit in trade and service accounts stemming from high oil prices and a strong local currency, data showed Thursday. The country’s imports jumped 19.8 percent on-year to $32.03 billion in the first 20 days of January, while exports rose 5.9 percent to $29.1 billion, bringing its trade deficit to $2.93 billion, according to the data by the Korea Customs Service.If exports fail to outweigh imports by around

Jan. 26, 2012

Makgeolli exports surge on strong demand in Japan

Korea’s exports of makgeolli jumped in 2011 mostly thanks to spiking demand for the nation’s traditional rice wine from Japan, customs data showed Thursday.According to the data by the Korea Customs Service, makgeolli exports totaled $52.76 million last year, up 176.3 percent from a year earlier.That marked a 12-fold rise from the $4.42 million tallied at the end of 2008 and was the first time makgeolli exports exceeded $50 million.The increase stemmed mostly from Japan where demand for makgeoll

IndustryJan. 26, 2012

Makgeolli exports surge on strong demand in Japan