올해 세계경제가 글로벌 금융위기 이후 최악을 기록했던 작년보다 더 안 좋을 것이라는 전망이 확산되고 있다.    한국경제도 작년보다 성장률이 떨어지면서, 2%대 성장이 고착화할 것으로  우려 되고 있다.     3일 주요 해외 투자은행(IB)들과 한국은행, 한국개발연구원(KDI), LG경제연구원 등에 따르면 올해 전 세계와 한국 경제성장률이 작년과 비슷하거나 더 낮을 것으로 전망하는 기관들이 늘어나고 있다.    작년 세계 경제성장률은 3.1%로 추산되고 있다. 이는 글로벌 금융위기가 전  세 계를 강타했던 2009년 0% 이후 최악의 수준이다.LG경제연구원은 작년 12월에 내놓은 2016년 경제전망에서 올해 세계 경제성장률 을 작년의 3.1%보다 낮은 2.9%로 전망했다. 이 연구원은 한국의 경제성장률도 작년 2.6%에서 올해 2.5%로 내려갈 것으로 내다봤다.    KDI도 작년 12월에 내놓은 2016년 경제전망에서 올해 세계경제 성장률이 국제통 화기금(IMF)의 전망치인 3.

한국어판 Jan. 3, 2016

The government has injected 1.5 trillion won (US$1.29 billion) into a state housing financing firm to help improve its financial soundness hurt by snowballing mortgage loans, the financial regulator said Monday.   The liquidity injection into the state-run Korea Housing Finance Corp. (KHFC) was made through the government's transfer of its 15 million shares in the Korea Expressway Corp., according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).     It marks the third time this year that the governme

Dec. 28, 2015

South Korea's ruling and opposition parties showed mixed responses Monday to the outcome of talks between the top diplomats of Seoul and Tokyo on the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese army during World War II.    Evaluating the deal as significant progress, the ruling Saenuri Party called for the Japanese government's diligent and specific course of action to fulfill the agreement.   "It is a deal with considerable improvement in that the responsibility of the Jap

Politics Dec. 28, 2015

South Korea's arms procurement agency inked Monday its formal agreement with the country's sole aircraft maker, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI), to undertake an ambitious project to build indigenous fighter jets.   "With the signing of the contract with KAI on Monday, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration will officially set about the fighter jet development project," DAPA said in a statement.   The project will take 10 years and six months before completing the developmental phas

Defense Dec. 28, 2015

Unionized workers at Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., a major South Korean shipbuilder, voted on Monday in favor of a deal tentatively reached with the management during their annual wage negotiations.   Of 15,131 votes cast by its unionists, 8,894 workers, or 58.78 percent, supported the deal reached late last week between leaders of labor union and company officials.    Both sides earlier agreed to freeze the base salary but give workers a 100-percent bonus along with 1.5 million won (US$1,287) w

Industry Dec. 28, 2015

South Korean experts showed mixed reactions Monday to an agreement by Seoul and Tokyo to resolve the issue of Japan's wartime sex slavery, saying that improvement of their frayed ties hinges on how to carry out the deal.   Earlier in the day, South Korea and Japan reached a landmark deal to settle the issue of Tokyo's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women for Japanese soldiers during World War II.   Under the agreement, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed an "apology and repentance

Foreign Affairs Dec. 28, 2015

Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's No. 2 flag carrier, has been granted the green light to operate its second low budget carrier, a government decision feared to intensify competition in the already heated no-frills flight market, officials said Monday.   The transportation ministry said that it has issued a business license to Air Seoul, the second low cost carrier owned by Asiana Airlines. It already runs Air Busan based in the southeast port city of Busan.   The ministry cited a steady growt

Industry Dec. 28, 2015