Health authorities said Friday they've discovered more than 100 toothpastes containing the same chemicals used in the toxic humidifier sterilizers, though their miniscule amounts pose no harm.   The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it has detected chloro-methylisothiazolinone (CMIT) and methylisothiazolinone (MIT) in 149 products by 10 manufacturers. The ministry reviewed toothpastes by 68 makers.   CMIT/MIT were used in the controversial humidifier sterilizers that have been linked to more

Social Affairs Sept. 30, 2016

South Korea has confirmed another  case of the Zika virus infection, raising the number of people infected with the virus here to 14, health authorities said Saturday.    A 34-year-old man who recently made a trip to Thailand was confirmed to have been infected with the mosquito-borne virus on Friday, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).    He is presumed to have been bitten by a mosquito during his  stay in the Southeast Asian nation from Sept. 8-16, the cen

Social Affairs Sept. 24, 2016

North Korea's top diplomat has reaffirmed Pyongyang's "my-way" stance in its nuclear development efforts during his latest speech at the United Nations, blaming what he calls the United States' hostile attitude again for causing the current stalemate, experts said Saturday.   The North also made clear that it will not give in to growing international pressure to dissuade it from pushing forward with its nuclear ambitions, further clouding outlooks for any imminent breakthrough, they predicted.  

North Korea Sept. 24, 2016

South Korea's top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. said Saturday it has donated about US$115 million over the past 18 years to its social contribution program in the United States to help children fight cancer.   Hyundai Motor launched the anti-cancer campaign, titled "Hope on Wheels," in 1998, in which $14 is raised every time a new Hyundai vehicle is sold. The automaker's accumulative donation topped the $100 million last year.   Participants called for more efforts to help children fight cancer at

Mobility Sept. 24, 2016

A Seoul court on Saturday rejected a prosecution request to issue a warrant to arrest a former head of the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) who is facing a string of bribery allegations.   On Wednesday, the prosecution filed for a writ to formally arrest Kang Man-soo, 71, on charges of bribery and breach of trust.   The Seoul Central District Court, however, said it is hard to acknowledge the reason and necessity for the detention when Kang's major crime allegations are still disputable.  

Industry Sept. 24, 2016

 Aftershocks of the most powerful earthquake recorded in South Korea are finally showing signs of easing with no aftershocks detected since early Thursday, the meteorological agency said.   The state-run Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said no aftershocks have been detected for more than an hour since around 10 a.m. Thursday.   The possible cease comes after 316 aftershocks following the 5.8-magnitude quake Monday, the most powerful one to be recorded since the KMA began monitoring sei

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2016

In a trove of newly leaked emails, former Secretary of State Colin Powell calls Donald Trump ``a national disgrace'' and suggests his own Republican Party is ``crashing and burning.''    Powell also laments Hillary Clinton's attempt to equate her use of private email at the State Department with his.    The emails, posted on the website DCLeaks.com and first reported by Buzzfeed News late Tuesday, offer insight into the unvarnished opinions of the respected retired Army general who was secretary

World News Sept. 15, 2016

Samsung's recall of 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones after several dozen caught fire and exploded may stem from a subtle manufacturing error, but it highlights the challenge electronics makers face in packing ever more battery power into ever thinner phones, while rushing for faster release dates.    Announcing the recall on Sept. 2, Samsung confirmed dozens of cases where Note 7 batteries caught fire or exploded, mostly while charging. It plans a software update that will cap battery recharging

Industry Sept. 15, 2016

The amount of tax reimbursements more than doubled from a year earlier in 2015, apparently indicating excessive tax collection by officials out to improve their personal performances, a lawmaker said Thursday.   In 2015, the National Tax Service (NTS) was forced to reimburse 6.26 trillion won (US$5.56 billion) in excess taxes, according to Rep. Kim Gwang-lim of the ruling Saenuri Party.   The 2015 tally marks a 106 percent spike from 3.04 trillion won in 2014, the lawmaker said, citing related d

Sept. 15, 2016

A great majority of South Koreans still see a need to reunify their country with North Korea, but the number of people in favor of reunification has dropped significantly apparently due to a series of recent provocations by the communist North, a survey showed Thursday.   In a survey conducted by the National Unification Advisory Council, 74.4 percent of respondents said they saw a need for peaceful reunification of the two Koreas.   The ratio marked a 7.7 percentage point drop from 82.1 percent

North Korea Sept. 15, 2016

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday he has never seen tensions on the Korean Peninsula as high as now and urged the Security Council to unite and send a strong message to North Korea that nuclear and missile tests are unacceptable.   "The level of tension on the Korean peninsula has gone much, much higher," Ban said at a news conference marking the opening of the U.N. General Assembly. "Never in the past I have seen such kind of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula."    "So i

North Korea Sept. 15, 2016

South Korea's life expectancy has increased at a rapid rate over the past two decades largely on advances in medical services, while that of communist North Korea climbed at less than half the speed of the South, a report showed Thursday.   According to the Korea Insurance Research Institute (KIRI), South Korea's life expectancy came to 81 years as of the end-2013, up 8.6 years from 72.5 years in 1990.   The increase compared with North Korea's 3.3-year gain over the cited period, KIRI said.   T

Social Affairs Sept. 15, 2016