South Korea said Tuesday that more information is needed to analyze whether control of North Korea's intelligence agency has changed following the latest overhaul of its cabinet organization.The Ministry of State Security, Pyongyang's intelligence agency, was previously placed under the control of the powerful National Defense Commission before the country's parliament replaced the NDC with a newly created state apparatus named the State Affairs Commission in late June.The NDC previously had thr

North Korea Aug. 16, 2016

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday called for a "reasonable" solution to improving South Korea's controversial electricity rate system, which critics say excessively overcharges users.His remarks came amid mounting concerns among households here that their electricity bills will soar as they increasingly rely on air conditioners to cope with the heat wave."As electricity rates for households are something closely related to people's day-to-day lives, (the government) should craft a reasonab

Aug. 16, 2016

The number of products recalled for defects dropped last year amid rising voluntary recalls by companies, government data showed Tuesday.A total of 1,586 recall cases were reported in 2015, down 9.5 percent from a record 1,752 tallied in 2014, according to the data compiled by the Fair Trade Commission.The 2015 figure is still higher than the previous numbers which had hovered around 900 between 2010 and 2013, added the FTC.The recalled items include food, medical drugs and manufactured goods, a

Industry Aug. 16, 2016

Monday was a tough one for South Korean badminton doubles teams, as three out of four tandems lost in the quarterfinals.The list of victims included the No. 1-ranked men's team, Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong. The Malaysian upstarts Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong upset the South Koreans 2-1 (17-21, 21-18, 21-19).The other South Korean men's doubles duo, Kim Sa-rang and Kim Gi-jung, also got knocked out of the quarters, as Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan of China beat them 2-1 (11-21, 21-18, 24-22). The

Olympic Games Aug. 16, 2016

South Korean stocks slightly trimmed earlier gains late Tuesday morning after tracking gains on Wall Street helped by positive U.S. economic data and a rebound in global oil prices.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 1.73 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,052.20 as of 11:20 a.m. The main index continued to gain after marking a 1.61 percent increase for the whole of last week. On Friday, it closed at 2,050.47 points, hitting fresh yearly highs.Investors will closely watch the minutes

Aug. 16, 2016

Major South Korean firms are set to soon begin their annual process of hiring new employees, offering tens of thousands of jobs to fresh college graduates and first-time employees, industry sources said Tuesday.Most large South Korean firms hold two hiring events -- one in spring and the other in fall -- to accommodate those graduating in such seasons.Local industry leader Hyundai Motor Co. will be one of the first to launch the process as it is set to hold a job fair later in the month before i

Industry Aug. 16, 2016

When South Korean table tennis player Jeoung Young-sik faced China's Zhang Jike in the men's team semifinals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics Monday, hardly anyone in the house figured Jeoung would put up much of a fight.After all, Jeoung came in ranked 12th in the world, while Zhang, the 2012 individual gold medalist and 2016 silver medalist, is world No. 4.The heavy underdog, however, pushed Zhang to the brink of defeat. Though Zhang ultimately won 3-2 (13-15, 13-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4) and China

Olympic Games Aug. 16, 2016

A close aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Choe Ryong-hae, did not meet with Brazil's interim President Michel Temer during his stay in Rio de Janeiro, a U.S.-based media report said Tuesday, in another testimony to North Korea's false report of Choe's activities there.The Voice of America quoted former Brazilian Ambassador to North Korea Roberto Colin as saying that Choe and Temer never met.On Aug. 5, Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Choe met with Temer to deliver

North Korea Aug. 16, 2016

South Korea posted a 54th consecutive trade surplus in July as a sharp decline in imports outpaced a fall in exports amid contracted demand at home and abroad, customs data showed Tuesday.The country's trade surplus came to $7.6 billion last month, plunging from a record $11.4 billion in the previous month, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.The figure also marked a 7.8 percent on-year rise from $7.05 billion tallied in the same month a year earlier, extending its bullish strea

Aug. 16, 2016

박근혜 대통령은 16일 문화체육관광부 장관에 조윤선 전 여성가족부 장관을 내정했다. 또 농림축산식품부 장관에는 김재수 농수산식품유통공사 사장을, 환경부 장관에는 조경규 국무조정실 제2차장을 발탁했다.김성우 홍보수석은 이날 춘추관에서 브리핑을 통해 문체ㆍ농림ㆍ환경부 등 3개 부처 대상 개각을 발표했다.박 대통령은 이와 함께 4개 부처 차관급 교체 인사도 단행했다. 무조정실 2차장에는 노형욱 기획재정부 재정관리관을, 산업부 1차관에 정만기 청와대 산업통상자원비서관을 임명했다.또한, 국민권익위원회 부위원장에 박경호 법무법인 광장 변호사를, 농촌진흥청장에는 정황근 청와대 농축산식품 비서관을 선임했다. (연합뉴스)

한국어판 Aug. 16, 2016

Slightly over half of South Korea's listed companies beat market estimates for their second-quarter operating profits as they reported earnings surprises despite unfavorable business conditions, data showed Tuesday.According to the data by market researcher WiseFn and Hyundai Securities Co., 80 companies out of 156 that had reported second-quarter earnings as of Friday, or 50.6 percent, posted operating profits exceeding analysts' estimates for the April-June period.Second-quarter earnings surpr

Aug. 16, 2016