The new wireless earbuds from Apple Inc., AirPods, have been getting a skeptical reception from some industry watchers and users in South Korea, mainly because of their relatively short battery life and high price.Unveiling the new iPhone last week, Apple showed that it had ditched the ubiquitous headphone jack for the smartphone. While Apple described the removal of the 100-year-old audio jack as "courageous," some critics raised questions about the sound quality of wireless earbuds. The AirPod

Technology Sept. 12, 2016

South Korean shares traded 1.82 percent lower late Monday morning as investors dumped large-cap shares, spooked by heightened economic woes and growing geopolitical risk following North Korea's nuclear test.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dipped 39.19 points to 1,998.68 as of 11:20 a.m.Key events are ahead this week with possible US rate hike at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting.  North Korea ramped up regional tensions last week by conducting its fifth nuc

Sept. 12, 2016

South Korea's exports retreated 3.6 percent in the first 10 days of September from a year earlier, the latest customs data showed Monday, clouding a sustainable recovery in outbound shipments down the road.Outbound shipments totaled $13.5 billion from Sept. 1-10, down from $14 billion tallied over the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service.Exports of semiconductors fell 5.2 percent on-year, and those of cars plunged 30.8 percent over the 10-day period, offsetting a 19 perc

Industry Sept. 12, 2016

The mass recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones over a battery problem has not largely affected foreign consumer loyalty to Samsung Electronics Co.'s brand, separate online surveys by Internet news websites showed Monday.According to an online survey of 11,621 Internet users by a US technology news website, Android Police, 39 percent said the recall "hasn't affected my trust or perception of Samsung's brand."The survey began on Sept. 4.Another 36 percent responded that they are "actually more t

Technology Sept. 12, 2016

South Korea's home transactions gained 4.3 percent from a year earlier last month, government data showed Monday, amid growing concerns over mounting household debt.The number of home transactions came to 98,130 in August, up from 94,110 tallied over the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The total number of transactions has been on a steady rise since February when it dropped to 59,000, following tightened bank loan guidelines aimed at cooling

Sept. 12, 2016

The South Korean government on Monday said a local company's water purifiers were found to have mechanical defects in cooling components that tainted water with powdered nickel and possibly cause serious health risks to users.Bits of nickel were discovered in dispensed water in three ice maker/water purifier models manufactured and sold by Coway Co., the country's leading water purifier maker, between April 2014 and December 2015, with the number of users involved estimated at about 87,000.The p

Industry Sept. 12, 2016

South Korea's direct investment in China has dropped for the past decade due to increased labor costs and reduced incentives for foreign firms there, a report showed on Monday.According to the report compiled by the Federation of Korean Industries, the largest business lobby with the top 600 firms in South Korea under its wings, the country's direct investment in China, the world's No. 2 economy, reached $2.85 billion last year, a sharp drop from its peak at $5.44 billion in 2007.The number of n

Sept. 12, 2016

South Korea's exports of information and communication technology products fell at the slowest pace in 10 months in August on brisk outbound shipments of semiconductors and personal computers, government data showed Monday.ICT exports reached $14.13 billion last month, down 2.1 from $14.43 billion a year ago, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.The August figure extended its losing streak to 10 straight months starting in October last year, but also marke

Technology Sept. 12, 2016

Foreign currency deposits held by banks in South Korea rose from a month earlier in August on a sharp rise in US dollar deposits by individual investors and exporters, central bank data showed Monday.Outstanding foreign currency deposits held by local residents came to US$67.34 billion as of end-August, up $1.11 billion from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea.Foreign deposits include those held by foreigners who have stayed in South Korea for more than six months, a

Sept. 12, 2016

South Korea's current account balance in the transport sector hit $1 billion in deficit this year up to July as demand shrank and exports lulled, according to the Bank of Korea on Monday.South Korea made $15.23 billion from transport activities in the January-July period, but payments in the sector amounted to $16.24 billion, the central bank's tally showed.The deficit is the first for the measured period since the Bank of Korea began compiling the data in January 2006, and the largest in the de

Industry Sept. 12, 2016

Employees of Kelti Group, a Taiwanese cosmetics distributor and personal health care provider, are set to visit South Korea this week on an incentive tour program, the state-run tourism organization said Monday. About 6,400 employees of Kelti Group's Chinese branch will arrive in the southwestern port of Yeosu in two groups on Tuesday and Sunday aboard a 14,000-ton cruise ship as part of the group's incentive program, the Korea Tourism Organization said.Departing from Shanghai, the travelers wil

Sept. 12, 2016

South Korea's housing penetration rate has well exceeded 100 percent, but there are over 300,000 households who live in makeshift or abnormal arrangements, three times more than five years ago, national statistics showed Monday.Numbers provided by Statistics Korea said that as of November last year, 11,409 households lived in abodes with plastic roofs or made of planks. Another 30,131 households lived in motels and other types of accommodations. Statistics showed 322,591 households lived in temp

Sept. 12, 2016

South Korean golfer Kim In-kyung has captured a Ladies European Tour event in Germany.Kim won the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters at Golf Club Hubbelrath in Dusseldorf, Germany, on Sunday (local time), at 17-under 271. After shooting a bogey-free round of 63 in the final round, Kim defeated Belen Mozo of Spain by five strokes and cashed in 75,000 euros ($84,270).Kim, a three-time winner on the U.S. LPGA Tour, now also has three wins on the LTE. She also won the ISPS Handa Ladies European Mast

Golf Sept. 12, 2016