Around 15 convenience stores were newly opened in South Korea everyday on average last year, a ruling lawmaker said Tuesday, urging the fair trade watchdog to seek measures to avoid excessive competition in the market.According to the data compiled by Rep. Yoo Ui-dong of the Saenuri Party, 5,508 convenience stores were newly established in 2015 alone, casting concerns over a potential oversupply of such shops in the domestic market.Yoo said while the numbers may seem to reflect the boom in the i

Industry Oct. 11, 2016

때와 장소에 어울리는 복장은 삶을 살아가는데 있어 중요한 요소다. 하지만 아래와 같이 아주 예외적인 경우, 옷을 아예 걸치지 않는 것이 더 적절할 때도 있다.　(사진=유튜브)　바디페인팅 축제 World Bodypainting Festival (오스트리아)　 　 (사진=유튜브)　오스트리아 아름다운 호숫가에서 펼쳐지는 바디페인팅 축제엔 40여개 국가에서 3만명이 넘는 사람들이 참여한다. 　　버닝맨 Burning Man (미국, 네바다)　  (사진=유튜브)　　미국 네바다 주 사막 한가운데 블랙록 시티에서 해마다 열리는 버닝맨 축제 참가자들은 탈의상태로 자유를 추구하곤 한다. 축제에 처음으로 참가하는 사람은 입장 시 엉덩이 볼기를 맞기도 한다. 　　벗은 자들의 경주 Running of the Nudes (스페인, 팜플로나)　　 (사진=유튜브)　스페인 팜플로나는 거리에 황소가 질주하는 산 페르민 축제로 유명하다. 이 산 페르민이 열리기 이틀 전쯤 동물 애호가들은 속옷만 걸친 채 反투우 집회를

한국어판 Oct. 11, 2016

The amount of mobile payments rose 53.3 percent in the second quarter from a quarter earlier, central bank data showed Tuesday, as a growing number of South Koreans are using smartphones for transactions.The daily average of mobile payments came to 20.7 billion won ($18 million) in the April-June period, up 7.2 billion won from the previous quarter, according to the data from the Bank of Korea.Mobile payments allow users to preregister their credit or debit cards and make transactions simply by

Oct. 11, 2016

Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday it has started mass production of a new mobile processor for wearable gadgets, based on its latest 14-nanometer process technology. The new mobile processor, or application processor, features higher performance and lower electricity consumption, Samsung said in a statement. Mobile processors power entry-level smartphones, smartwatches and other smart devices. With the new processor, named the Exynos 7270, Samsung "introduces the benefits of this cutting-edge

Technology Oct. 11, 2016

South Korean lawmakers are poised to grill CEOs of four tobacco companies operating in the country over their suspected tax evasion during a parliamentary audit this week, industry sources said Tuesday.South Korea's sole tobacco maker KT&G, Philip Morris Korea, British American Tobacco Korea and Japan Tobacco Inc. are suspected of dodging taxes on huge profits from a tobacco price hike last year.According to the sources, the National Assembly's safety and administration committee has summoned th

Industry Oct. 11, 2016

The elder brother of Lotte Group's chairman has sued the embattled businessman on suspicions of accounting irregularities related to a key unit, his aides said Tuesday, adding woes to the ongoing investigation into the retail giant. Shin Dong-joo, the former vice president of Tokyo-based Lotte Holdings, filed a complaint with South Korean prosecutors on Sept. 30, claiming Lotte chairman Shin Dong-bin and two other officials were involved in cooking the accounting books of Lotte Shopping Co., SDJ

Industry Oct. 11, 2016

직장인들 사이 사회공유망서비스(SNS)에서 폭발적 인기를 누리는 양경수 작가의 작품은 매일 업데이트 되고 있다. 　　페이스북에서 ‘약치기 그림’이라는 페이지를 운영하고 있는 그는 일반 직장인들의 공감을 사는 그림을 우회 없이 적나라하게 표현해 속 시원한 ‘사이다’라는 평가를 받고 있다. 　　‘약치기’라는 표현은 지루한 일상에 ‘약을 쳐’ 답답함을 후련하게 풀어준다는 의미다.　　최근 한 매체와의 인터뷰에서 양 작가는 ‘영혼 없이 웃고있는 직장인’의 ‘간지러운 부분’이 어디일까 고민하며 소재를 발굴한다고 밝힌 바 있다. 　　　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　

한국어판 Oct. 11, 2016

The United States is working with South Korea to deploy the THAAD missile defense system as early as possible to defend the Asian ally and American troops there from North Korean missile threats, the White House said Monday.The White House said in a posting at its "We the People" online petition website that Washington and Seoul decided to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery in the South because of "North Korea's continued provocations and refusal to engage in serious negotiatio

Defense Oct. 11, 2016

South Korea will spend a total of 500 billion won ($450 million) in the coming five years to foster the robot industry as a new growth engine for Asia's fourth-largest economy, the trade ministry here said Tuesday."The robot industry has emerged as a new technology frontier that will give a fresh boost to the manufacturing sector," Trade Minister Joo Hyung-hwan said in a meeting with businessmen in Daejeon. "The government will fully support the businesses' investment into research and developme

Technology Oct. 11, 2016

US President Barack Obama has again blacklisted North Korea for human trafficking, extending a symbolic ban on provisions of US funding to the communist nation for another year.Obama designated the North, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Russia, Syria and others as countries failing to meet the minimum standards under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, according to a "presidential determination" posted at the Federal Register on Monday.US President Barack Obama (Yonhap)The designation bans

North Korea Oct. 11, 2016

Disruptions of GPS, believed to be conducted by North Korea, have affected a total of over 2,100 planes since 2010, a lawmaker claimed Tuesday.A total of 2,143 planes have reported damage from Pyongyang-caused GPS disruptions in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016, Rep. Jeong Yong-ki of the ruling Saenuri Party said, citing a report from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The report said 14 planes were affected by Pyongyang's GPS jamming in August 2010, 106 planes in March 2011 and 1,016 i

North Korea Oct. 11, 2016