South Korea's health authorities said Monday that high blood pressure and diabetes are among the most common diseases affecting South Korean adults.The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said one out of every four people aged 30 or older suffered from high blood pressure as of last year, while one out of every 10 people had diabetes.The findings are based on a survey of 3,840 households across the country in 2012, according to the KCDC.Diseases caused by high blood pressure

Social Affairs Nov. 4, 2013

U.S.-based LG Electronics Inc.'s high-end smartphone, the LG G2, was included on a list of the top 10 electronic devices by a U.S. magazine, according to the magazine's website Monday.Selected from among the thousands of electronics tested in the past year, the ten standout products were chosen because each pushes technology or performance to new heights, Consumer Reports said."The LG G2 has a stunning 5.2-inch display and a battery that doesn't know when to quit. The power and volume button clu

Industry Nov. 4, 2013

The government and the ruling party agreed Monday to retroactively apply a proposed tax cut on home purchases as part of efforts to encourage transactions in the sluggish property market, a ruling party lawmaker said.The proposal, announced by the government on Aug. 28, calls for lowering the acquisition tax rate on houses valued at less than 600 million won ($565,000) to 1 percent from the current 2 percent. The tax levied on homes valued at between 600 million won and 900 million won would rem

Nov. 4, 2013

South Korea's top credit appraisers are found to be granting inflated ratings for bonds issued by local firms, data showed Monday, sparking concern for their trustworthiness.Three local appraisers -- Korea Ratings Co., NICE Investors Service Co. and Korea Investors Service Co. -- have granted top ratings of between "AAA" and "A" on 78.9 percent of corporate bonds floated here as of Friday, market data showed.Korea Investors Service has given such investment grades on 82.6 percent of bonds evalua

Nov. 4, 2013

South Korea's household debt problems are feared to worsen as the Federal Reserve's possible stimulus tapering is likely to spur foreign capital outflows, raising market rates, a report showed Monday.If the U.S. central bank begins to taper its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases, foreign capital is likely to exit from the Korean market, raising concerns that subsequent rises in market rates would worsen household debt problems, Jeong Young-sik, an economist at the Samsung Economic Research In

Nov. 4, 2013

State prosecutors questioned several executives of telecom giant KT Corp. as part of their ongoing corruption probe into the company's chairman, prosecution officials said Monday. Chairman Lee Suk-chae, who tendered his resignation Sunday, is under suspicion of inflicting huge losses to KT, the country's top fixed-line operator and No. 2 mobile carrier, through poor investments and dubious business deals, they said.The executives, including the firm's official handling employee welfare only iden

Social Affairs Nov. 4, 2013

South Korean stocks opened lower Monday as investors sat on the sidelines amid weak growth momentum on the main bourse, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved down 14.91 points, or 0.73 percent, to 2,024.51 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Shares lost ground across the board, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics falling 0.2 percent and leading steelmaker POSCO moving down 0.32 percent. Top chipmaker SK hynix lost 0.3 percent.Builders also traded lower,

Nov. 4, 2013

The gunman charged in the deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport lay bloodied and handcuffed on the floor of Terminal 3 after being gunned down by police, but he replied to critical questions that helped authorities lock down the scene.Paul Ciancia, 23, was hauled away moments later on a stretcher and later heavily sedated for medical reasons, but not before he told investigators he had acted alone when he opened fire in the terminal, a law enforcement official who has been briefed

World News Nov. 4, 2013

South Korean President Park Geun-hye watched French fans of Korean TV dramas sing and dance to the tunes of theme songs of popular series in the heart of Paris on Sunday as she sought to promote Korean culture on the first full day of her visit to France.The Korean "Drama Party" was meaningful because the French fan club of Korean dramas, named "Bonjour Coree," organized the event voluntarily, officials said. It shows that not only Korean pop music, known was K-pop, but also dramas are gaining p

Foreign Affairs Nov. 4, 2013

Egypt's deposed Islamist president was brought from the secret location of his four-month detention to face trial Monday on charges of incitement of violence and murder. It was Mohammed Morsi's first public appearance since his ouster in a coup on July 3.If convicted, Morsi _ Egypt's first freely elected president _ could face the death penalty.Since his ouster, Morsi has been held at a secret military location. He was flown Monday to the venue of his trial _ a police academy in an eastern Cairo

World News Nov. 4, 2013

South Korea's finance minister Friday voiced his opposition to the idea that increasing the salaries of workers could boost overall economic conditions, apparently objecting to a similar policy being undertaken by Japan.Japan has provided tax incentives for companies whose spending on salaries expanded -- a policy intended to raise income levels and boost domestic demand and economic recovery. Seen as successful in bolstering its slumping economy, the country is reportedly considering expanding

Nov. 1, 2013