President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has dropped for a second consecutive week, a local pollster said Monday, amid a controversy over the release of newly discovered documents from the former administration that many believe was inappropriate, if not illegal.In a survey conducted by Realmeter between Monday through Friday, 72.4 percent of all respondents said they approved the president's management of state affairs, down 2.2 percentage points from a week earlier.The latest reading marked the

Politics July 24, 2017

A China-based tourist agency that arranges tour programs to North Korea said Monday that the North has informed it of the cancellation of a beer festival slated for late July to the end of next month.Koryo Tours said that it was informed on Sunday that the 2nd Taedonggang Beer Festival has been canceled for an unknown reason.The fest is supposed to be held from July 26 to late August at an excursion ship and the wharf along the Taedong River running through Pyongyang. This image captured from fo

North Korea July 24, 2017

South Korean stocks opened lower Monday following losses from technology shares and steelmakers.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 2.87 points, or 0.12 percent, to 2,447.19 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Tech shares mostly lost ground, with Samsung Electronics moving down 0.63 percent and LG Display losing 1.46 percent. No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix, on the other hand, added 0.98 percent.Steelmakers were also among losers, with top player POSCO decreasing 0.46 percent and No. 2

Market July 24, 2017

South Korea's major shipyards, led by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., are projected to have racked up solid profit during the second quarter of the year, aided by the increased delivery of ships, cost-cutting measures and a rise in new orders, industry sources said Monday.According to the data compiled by industry tracker FnGuide, Hyundai Heavy is expected to have logged an operating income of 148 billion won ($132 million) during the April-June period, but the estimate marks a drop from the previ

Industry July 24, 2017

Breakwater construction will begin at Ulsan as part of an ongoing move to transform the port city into a Northeast Asia oil trading hub, the maritime ministry said Monday.Some 830 billion won ($741.73 million) will go into erecting a 3.1-kilometer-long breakwater, scheduled for completion by 2023.It is the second phase of the breakwater construction, with the first phase expected to be finished by September this year. (Yonhap)South Korea plans to build a massive oil terminal in Ulsan, 414 kilome

Industry July 24, 2017

A tour agency which has arranged tour programs to North Korea said Friday that the United States will ban its citizens from traveling to the North soon following the death of an American detainee in the repressive regime."We have just been informed that the US government will no longer be allowing US citizens to travel to the DPRK (North Korea)," Young Pioneer Tours said on its website. "It is expected that the ban will come into force within 30 days of July 27th." (Yonhap)It said that after a 3

North Korea July 21, 2017

South Korea's foreign ministry meted out its heaviest punishment on Friday against a diplomat in Ethiopia suspected of having sexually assaulted a female subordinate.The dismissal, the strongest punishment under the ministry's disciplinary regulation, was determined at a disciplinary panel meeting, according to a foreign ministry official. Separately, the diplomat was earlier referred to prosecution for further investigation.Based on testimonies from the victim and other evidence, the ministry s

Social Affairs July 21, 2017

A UN point man on the human rights situation in North Korea welcomed the South Korean government's decision to seek dialogue with Pyongyang on Friday, saying that it is a "reassuring step forward" lowering tensions between the two Koreas.Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana still emphasized that at the center of the rapprochement drive should be efforts to protect human rights of many North Koreans faced with continued violations that severely affect their lives."Let me, particularly, welcome

North Korea July 21, 2017

The government will adopt "universal" mobile subscription fees sometime next year in line with its efforts to reduce the cost burden for mobile phone users, the ICT ministry said Friday.According to the draft version of the revision to the telecommunication law -- subject to parliamentary endorsement -- a service package with between 1 and 1.3 gigabytes of data priced at 20,000 won ($18) per month will be introduced, said the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.The new package

Economy July 21, 2017

Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo is forecast to aggressively push forward welfare expansion that could entail tax hikes, local observers said Friday.During a confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly earlier, Park vowed to pay keen attention to building an effective social security net, addressing the country's low birthrate, and enhancing medical and other services for people in the low-income brackets. He further acknowledged the need for more robust investment and possible

Politics July 21, 2017

 Lotte World Adventure in Seoul, operated by Lotte Group, had the 14th highest number of visitors among its global peers last year with 8.15 million people, an annual survey said Friday.The tally compiled jointly by Themed Entertainment Association and consulting firm Aecom said Lotte World was the most-visited amusement park in South Korea and fifth in Asia. Everland Resort, another theme park located just south of Seoul, ranked 16th in the world in visitor numbers. (Yonhap)Lotte World had 11.5

Industry July 21, 2017

The G90 luxury sedan by Genesis Motors was the top of its class in the latest US vehicle quality awards, the company said Friday. The flagship vehicle of the stand-alone sub-brand of South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. was No. 1 in the luxury segment for the 2017 Total Quality Impact report released this week by US automobile market survey firm Strategic Vision, the carmaker said. The G90, also called the EQ900 in South Korea, scored 761 out of 1,000 points in terms of design, driving perfor

Mobility July 21, 2017

South Korea's top financial regulator on Friday called for the swift clearing out bad loans, saying that there is the need to achieve tangible results next month. Choi Jong-ku, the new chairman of the Financial Services Commission, made the remarks earlier in the day as he held the first meeting with senior regulatory officials in Seoul. The task is one of the five-year policy road maps outlined by President Moon Jae-in.Next month, the government plans to draw up a package of fresh measures

Economy July 21, 2017

LG Electronics Inc. said Friday it introduced commercial robots to Incheon International Airport, announcing the move will work as a stepping stone for the company to tap deeper into the industry.The South Korean tech giant said it deployed five cleaning and information robots, respectively, to South Korea's main gateway.The move came in line with the airport's drive to adopt a "smarter" environment. (Yonhap)LG Electronics said the deployment will also be an opportunity to advertise its robot bu

Technology July 21, 2017