Arthur C. Danto, a provocative and influential philosopher and critic who championed Andy Warhol and other avant-garde artists and upended the study of art history by declaring that the history of art was over, has died. He was 89.Danto, art critic for The Nation magazine from 1984 to 2009 and a professor emeritus at Columbia University, died of heart failure Friday at his Manhattan apartment, daughter Ginger Danto said Sunday.An academically trained philosopher, Danto became as central to debat

People Oct. 28, 2013

Sales at South Korea's major discount outlet chains dropped from a year earlier last month while sales at department stores continued to grow, the government said Monday.Combined sales of the three major discount outlet chains here dropped 5.3 percent on-year in September, posting a on-year drop for the third consecutive month since July, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.The ministry attributed the drop partly to a radiation scare sparked by the nuclear accident at Japan's

Oct. 28, 2013

South Korean consumer sentiment rose to the highest level in 17 months in October, aided by optimism that the local economy is showing signs of improvement, the central bank said Monday.The consumer sentiment index (CSI) came in at 106 for October, up from 102 tallied in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The index is a gauge of consumers' overall economic outlook, living conditions and future spending.The October data marked the highest level since an identical 106 posted

Oct. 28, 2013

Direct financing by South Korean companies soared 23 percent in September from a month earlier, as large firms opted to raise funds through bond sales on the back of lower borrowing costs, the financial regulator said Monday. Local companies raised a combined 10.8 trillion won ($10.1 billion) via selling stocks and bonds last month, compared with 8.8 trillion won the previous month, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). The on-month rise came as large companies increased bond sal

Industry Oct. 28, 2013

North Korea's efforts to earn hard currency have suffered a setback not only due to U.N.sanctions but also from the financial crisis of Chongryon, a group of pro-Pyongyang residents in Japan, a Washington Post column said Sunday.As a result, the status and influence of Chongryon, or the General Association of Korean residents in Japan, has markedly decreased in the communist nation, said Max Fisher, the Post's foreign affairs blogger."The hermit kingdom has a number of ways to bring in cold, har

North Korea Oct. 28, 2013

The imbroglio over the tapping of Angela Merkel's phone deepened Sunday, after a U.S. denial that President Barack Obama was personally informed for years of electronic surveillance against the German chancellor.As a sense of betrayal spread in European capitals about spying activities conducted against world leaders and ordinary citizens, German media reports said tapping of Merkel's phone may have begun as early as 2002.Bild am Sonntag newspaper quoted U.S. intelligence sources as saying that

World News Oct. 28, 2013

South Korean stocks reverted to negative territory Monday after starting the session a little higher, as worries about Chinese economic policy dented investor sentiment, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched down 1.4 points, or 0.07 percent, to 2,032.99 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Chemical companies and shipbuilders led the drop in the main index, with LG Chem and Hyundai Heavy Industries both dipping more than 2 percent each. Analysts forecast tha

Oct. 28, 2013

The way this season has been going for Serena Williams, there was only one fitting way for it to end. Williams capped a career year in style Sunday, earning her 11th title of 2013 by coming from behind to beat Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 for her second straight WTA Championships crown.Williams became the eighth woman to win 11 or more titles in a year and the first since Martina Hingis had 12 in 1997. She is also the first to repeat as champion at the season-ending WTA Championships since Justine Henin

More Sports Oct. 28, 2013

Colombia's main leftist rebel group on Sunday released a former U.S. Army private who the guerrillas seized in June after he refused to heed local officials' warnings and wandered into rebel-held territory.Kevin Scott Sutay, who is in his late 20s, was quietly turned over to Cuban and Norwegian officials along with the International Committee of the Red Cross in the same southeastern region where he had disappeared four months earlier.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry immediately thanked Colomb

World News Oct. 28, 2013

The candidate backed by Georgia's billionaire prime minister easily won Sunday's presidential election in this U.S.-aligned former Soviet republic, exit polls indicated. His closest rival quickly conceded defeat. With the convincing victory by former university rector Giorgi Margvelashvili in what for Georgia was an unusually calm and predictable election, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has cemented his control. Although he may now make more progress in decreasing tensions with Russia, Ivani

World News Oct. 28, 2013

삼성전자가 스마트 안경의 국내 디자인 특허를 등록했다.25일 특허청 특허정보넷 키프리스(KIPRIS)에 따르면 삼성전자는 지난 3월 ‘스포츠용 안경’이라는 이름의 스마트 안경 디자인 특허를 출원해 이달 초 등록이 완료됐다. 등록번호는 3007115210000번이다.현재 스마트 안경은 구글이 ‘구글글라스’라는 이름으로 내놓은 것이 사실상 거의 유일하다.삼성전자의 이 스마트 안경이 출시되면 갤럭시 스마트폰과 연동해 전화를 받거나 내비게이션 등 기능을 활용할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.다만 아직 디자인 특허만 출원 중인 상태이므로 삼성전자가 실제로 스마트 안경을 개발하고 있는지는 확인되지 않고 있다.삼성전자는 최근 스마트 손목시계 갤럭시 기어를 내놓는 등 앞서 입는 컴퓨터(wearable computer) 분야에 진출한 바 있다. (연합뉴스) <관련 영문 기사>Samsung patents smart glassesSamsung has registered a patent for smart gl

한국어판 Oct. 25, 2013