South Korean shares opened higher Tuesday, 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 9.12 points, or 0.44 percent, to 2,059.59 in the first 15 minutes of trading.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 of the Federal

Aug. 16, 2016

State-run utility firm Korea Electric Power Corp. has to repay or roll over some 10 trillion won ($9.1 billion) worth of debts which are due by 2018, industry data showed on Tuesday.According to the data compiled by FnGuide, KEPCO's debt totaling 10.2 trillion won should be paid back or rolled over by 2018. It includes foreign currency-denominated debt, and is equivalent to some 40 percent of its outstanding corporate debts amounting to 26 trillion won in total.This year alone, the electricity s

Aug. 16, 2016

South Korea fell to China in the semifinals of the men's table tennis team event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Monday. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldIn a rematch of the 2012 Olympic final, China defeated South Korea 3-0, winning the first two singles matches and then the doubles match to complete the shutout. Boasting three of the world's top four male players, China is going for a sweep of table tennis gold medals for the third straight Olympics.South Korea has been relegated to Wednesday's

Olympic Games Aug. 16, 2016

South Korean star Park In-bee made a hole-in-one during Monday's practice round for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic women's golf tournament. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldThe LPGA Hall of Famer, one of four South Koreans in the field for the women's tournament starting Wednesday, picked up the ace at the par-3, 177-yard sixth hole at the Olympic Golf Course."Hopefully, this hole-in-one will be a good omen for the actual tournament," Park told reporters after her round. "I haven't had a lot of aces ei

Olympic Games Aug. 16, 2016

North Korean gymnast Ri Se-gwang captured his first Olympic gold medal in the men's vault in Rio de Janeiro on Monday. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldThe two-time world champion scored an average of 15.691 points after two attempts to edge out Denis Abliazin of Russia, who had 15.516 points.Kenzo Shirai of Japan took the bronze medal at 15.449 points.Ri's gold medal came in the absence of the 2012 Olympic vault champion from South Korea, Yang Hak-seon. Yang sat out the Rio Games with an Achilles'

Olympic Games Aug. 16, 2016

Before the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong, the top-ranked tandem in men's badminton doubles, had played 662 matches together, winning 545 and losing 117.Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldAnd no loss stung quite like the one they suffered on Monday here in Brazil.The No. 12 team from Malaysia, Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong, upset the South Koreans 2-1 (17-21, 21-18, 21-19) at Riocentro-Pavilion 4. Lee and Yoo had gone 5-1 against them in the past.The South Koreans barely won

Olympic Games Aug. 16, 2016

The No. 1-ranked men's badminton duo of Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong suffered a shocking defeat in the quarterfinals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics on Monday. Park Hae-mook/The Korea HeraldThe 12th-ranked Malaysian team of Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong stunned the South Koreans 2-1 (17-21, 21-18, 21-19) at Riocentro-Pavilion 4, sending the gold medal favorites packing after just one knockout match.Lee and Yoo had been 5-1 against the Malaysians prior to the Rio Games.The South Koreans were com

Olympic Games Aug. 16, 2016

President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday conducted a partial reshuffle of high-level posts, including three ministers, in a move to inject fresh momentum into her administration for the remaining 18 months of her term.Park tapped Cho Yoon-sun, former minister of gender equality, to lead the ministry of culture, sports and tourism, while designating Kim Jae-soo, CEO of the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp., as minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs.(Yonhap)The chief executive also nomi

Politics Aug. 16, 2016

South Korea ranked 11th worldwide in gross domestic product in 2015, with its global standing rising two notches from a year earlier, data showed Tuesday.According to the data by the World Bank, South Korea's nominal GDP came to $1.38 trillion last year, up from 13th place a year earlier. But the value was down 2.4 percent from $1.42 trillion the previous year.GDP, the broadest measure of an economy's performance, is the total value of goods and services produced within the economy in a given pe

Aug. 16, 2016

주부들의 편리를 극대화 시켜줄 ‘잇’ 아이템이 왔다. 　　가위처럼 쓰는 주방 칼이다. 　　아무리 자취생활 또는 주부경력이 오랜 사람이라도 처음 요리를 시작할 때 칼질을 어려워했을 것이라 짐작 되는데. 　　이 주방 칼은 도마가 한데 붙어 있어 가위처럼 싹둑싹둑 재료를 잘라낼 수 있다. 요리시간도 절감되고 무엇보다 손을 벨 걱정이 없다.　　당근, 옥수수와 같이 단단한 채소, 고기, 빵 등에도 모두 사용할 수 있다고 한다. 　　수납할 땐 손쉽게 잠금 장치로 안전하게 날을 접어 보관할 수 있다.　　이 제품을 소개한 온라인매체 ‘테크 인사이더’는 제품 가격을 1만 6천원에 매겼다. 　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　

한국어판 Aug. 12, 2016

South Korea's three major political parties agreed Friday to put the government's extra budget plan to a vote on Aug. 22 amid President Park Geun-hye's push to pass it as swiftly as possible to help reinvigorate the economy.The agreement was reached at a meeting that National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun hosted with the floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party, the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea and the minor opposition People's Party.The ruling and opposition parties also agreed to o

Aug. 12, 2016