Korean movies attracted more than 100 million people to box offices for the second straight year in 2013, official data showed Saturday.According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), which monitors ticket sales in the country, audience numbers hit the vaunted mark as of Friday this year. It said the numbers translate into an average Korean seeing at least two locally made movies this year. South Korea has a population of 50 million.It added that the figure is significant because the 100 million m

Film Oct. 5, 2013

South Korean stocks are expected to trade in negative terrain next week, weighed down by uncertainties arising from a prolonged political impasse in the United States, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slid 0.74 percent this week from the previous week, closing at 1,996.98.The main index moved in a tight range, putting shares directionless since Washington declared a partial halt to its government operations as of Oct. 1 (Seoul time) after the Republicans and

Oct. 5, 2013

LYON (AFP) -- One of China's most wanted crime bosses, Chuanbo Lu, has been arrested in South Korea and handed over to the Beijing authorities, international police agency Interpol announced on Monday.Lu's arrest is a "severe blow" to a "significant international organised crime network," said Jong-Gil Kim, head of the Seoul police's international crime investigation unit.Lu was wanted for attempted murder and for being one of the main leaders of a major crime syndicate involved in extortion, dr

World News Sept. 23, 2013

A Seoul court ordered state prosecutors Monday to indict two figures from the state intelligence agency for their alleged involvement in a high-profile election meddling scandal.The scandal centers on allegations that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) launched an online smear campaign to sway public opinion in favor of President Park Geun-hye, the then ruling party candidate, ahead of last year's presidential election.Then NIS chief Won Sei-hoon was indicted in June on charges of interferi

Social Affairs Sept. 23, 2013

NEW YORK CITY (AFP) -- Miss New York Nina Davuluri is the new Miss America, but a barrage of racist tweets quickly greeted the crowning of the first winner of Indian descent.The 24-year-old aspiring physician beat contestants from 49 other states, the US capital city's District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to win the coveted crown in Atlantic City, New Jersey late Sunday.In second place was Miss California Crystal Lee, who earned a $25,000 scholarship.But racist slurs abounded

World Sept. 16, 2013

BRUSSELS (AFP) -- The European Union's 28 foreign ministers are to hold emergency talks Wednesday to review the bloc's relations with Egypt, an EU diplomat told AFP.A decision to convene the emergency meeting at around noon in Brussels was agreed by senior diplomats holding a preparatory round of talks Monday on the spiralling bloodshed in Egypt, said the diplomat, who asked not to beidentified.

World Aug. 19, 2013

Unionists at Hyundai Motor Co. decided Monday to go on a partial strike this week after negotiations with the management stalled on wage hikes and welfare benefits.Union leaders said there will be a four-hour strike on Tuesday and Wednesday. The workers will return in full on Thursday when labor-management negotiations are scheduled. Unionists will decidewhat to do depending on how the negotiation round proceeds, the leaders said.Over 70 percent of the unionists at Hyundai Motor, the country's l

Industry Aug. 19, 2013

The prosecution on Monday sought to add two years to the prison term of the convicted chairman of SK Group in an appeals trial, accusing him of "deriding" the justice system.Chey Tae-won, 53, is currently serving a four-year prison term from January for embezzling company money to make personal investments in stock futures and options in 2008, but the prosecution is requesting a six-year term.Chey, who inherited the country's third-largest conglomerate from his father, allegedly misappropriated

National July 29, 2013

VATICAN CITY (AFP) -- Pope Francis, fresh from a trip to Brazil, said on Monday he did not judge homosexuals but condemned the gay lobby as a "serious problem".He also said women should be given a bigger role in the Church, but refused to consider their ordination, saying the "door is closed" on the issue.Referring to homosexuals, the pope told journalists on the plane back to Rome: "The problem is not having this orientation, it is lobbying. That's the most serious problem I think.""If someone

World July 29, 2013

North Korea on Wednesday proposed talks with Seoul next week on resuming a joint tour program to Mount Geumgang and reunions of separated families, the Unification Ministry said.South Korea accepted the proposal for family meetings but effectively refused talks on the tourism project, according to the ministry. The inter-Korean tour program was halted in 2008 after a South Korean tourist was shot dead by a North Korean soldier at the scenic mountain resort. Family reunions have been on hold sinc

North Korea July 10, 2013

The Busan Prosecution searched and seized the headquarters of Hyundai Heavy Industries on Wednesday over allegations that it was involved in the corruption scandal of nuclear reactors.Having raided upon the HHI head office in Ulsan in late afternoon, authorities confiscated account books, computer files, and documents related to nuclear facility components.The company is currently suspected of having offered cash bribes to high officials of the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Corporation, in exchang

National July 10, 2013

South Korean President Park Geun-hye expressed strong regret Wednesday over a slip of the tongue that a local TV anchor made about Chinese victims in the recent Asiana Airlines plane crash in San Francisco.While delivering breaking news on the jet cash, the Channel A cable TV anchor said Sunday that it was a relief from the South Korean perspective that the two fatal victims in the accident turned out to be Chinese, not South Koreans.The TV station has since apologized for the remark. "With one

National July 10, 2013

Prosecutors investigating CJ Group may have secured a key piece of evidence that the conglomerate's chief allegedly purchased artwork with the use of borrowed names, informed sources said Saturday.Lee Jae-hyun, chairman of the local food and entertainment conglomerate, is accused of stashing secret funds worth hundreds of millions of dollars via deals involving expensive art pieces and evading taxes in the process, sources said.Dozens of the group's executives have purchased up to 300 famous wor

Social Affairs June 22, 2013

페이스북의 시스템 오류로 인해 사용자의 이메일이나 주소, 전화번호 등 개인 정보가 다른 사용자들에게 유출되었다고 밝혔다.페이스북 회사 측은 해당 오류가 "사소한 기술적 오류"이지만 "개인정보 다운로드" 기능과 관련이 있었다고 블로그에 밝혔다.페이스북은 사용자들이 친구찾기를 위해서 스스로 업로드한 개인정보를 사용해왔다. 이번 오류로 인해 이 정보가 사용자와 관련 있는 다른 사용자에게도 공개가 된 것이다.고로, 친구를 찾기 위해서 어느 사용자가 그 친구의 추정 주소나 번호 등을 입력했을 경우에는 이 부정확한 정보가 그 상대방의 신상 정보로 뜨게 된 것이다.페이스북 측은 이 문제를 수정했으며 영향을 받은 일부 사용자들에게는 이메일로 공지를 하고 있다고 밝혔다.아울러 이번 오류가 고의적으로 유포된 것이라는 증거는 없으며 아직 관련 민원은 들어온 바 없다고 말했다.<관련 영문 기사>Bug exposes contacts of some on FacebookFacebook says a bug in

한국어판 June 22, 2013

(AP) -- Facebook says a bug in its system led to users' contact information -- such as email addresses or phone numbers -- to be accessed by other users who either had some contact information about that person or some connection to them.The social media company said in a blog post that the cause of the bug is ``pretty technical'' but that the problem is tied to its ``Download Your Information'' tool.The company uses the information that users upload to better tailor the friend suggestions it is

Industry June 22, 2013