The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has decided to review a judge's ruling that could potentially lead to an import ban on several Samsung Electronics Co. products on rival Apple Inc.'s home turf.In a decision made on Wednesday in Washington, the ITC said it would review the preliminary ruling that found Samsung smartphones and tablet PCs infringed upon four patents held by the iPhone maker.In October, ITC Administrative Law Judge Thomas Pender ruled that Samsung mobile devices infring

Industry Jan. 24, 2013

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday on the country's lower-than-expected growth, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 12.52 points, or 0.63 percent, to 1,967.89 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Large-cap shares led the decline, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics falling 1.36 percent.Top shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries lost 1.1 percent and No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor slid 1.83 percent.The country's central bank said earlier in the day th

Jan. 24, 2013

A U.S. special envoy warned North Korea Wednesday against "any provocations" as the unpredictable communist country hinted at conducting a nuclear test in response to a U.N. Security Council resolution that penalized it for its December rocket launch."We think that would be a mistake," Glyn Davies, the U.S. special envoy on North Korea policy, told reporters when asked about the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test. "Obviously, we call on North Korea, as a member of the international commu

Politics Jan. 23, 2013

China's next President Xi Jinping expressed his opposition to North Korea developing nuclear weapons and any other weapons of mass destruction, a South Korean special envoy said Wednesday.The remark, made in a meeting with a South Korean delegation sent by President-elect Park Geun-hye, came as Pyongyang hinted at the possibility of carrying out a nuclear test after the U.N. Security Council adopted a new resolution condemning the country's Dec. 12 long-range rocket launch.Kim Moo-sung, head of

Politics Jan. 23, 2013

South Korean stocks dropped 0.81 percent Wednesday as investors took to the sidelines ahead of releases of fourth-quarter earnings of big-name companies, analysts said. The local currency fell sharply against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 16.11 points to finish at 1,980.41. Trading volume was moderate at 485.7 million shares worth 4.16 trillion won (US$3.9 billion) with losers outnumbering winners 500 to 300."Investors remain cautious to see how lar

Jan. 23, 2013

South Korean stocks traded a modest 0.04 percent higher late Wednesday morning led by gains in large-cap exporters, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 0.71 points to 1,997.23 as of 11:20 a.m.Techs led the rise, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics adding 0.81 percent and LG Electronics, the country's second-largest home appliances maker, climbing 0.39 percent.Top automaker Hyundai Motor gained 2.1 percent and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors rose 1.1

Jan. 23, 2013

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start on Wednesday as investor sentiment was boosted by the slowdown of the yen depreciation, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 10.7 points, or 0.54 percent, to 2,007.22 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Large-cap exporters led the increase, with tech behemoth Samsung Electronics gaining 1.28 percent and top steelmaker POSCO climbing 0.55 percent.The country's biggest automaker Hyundai Motor jumped 2.1 percent, and

Jan. 23, 2013

A time-worn baseball adage says pitching and defense win championships. Kim In-sik, the former South Korean manager of two World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournaments, said Wednesday that pitching will be crucial for South Korea at the third WBC scheduled for March 2-19."Comparing this roster to the national teams of the previous two WBCs, I don't see much difference in offense and fielding," Kim said. "I think it will ultimately come down to pitching."Kim managed South Korea to the semifinals at t

Baseball Jan. 23, 2013

North Korea pledged on Wednesday to end any efforts at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, just hours after the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution condemning the country's December rocket launch, according to North Korea's state-run news outlet."Due to the U.S.'s worsening policy of hostility toward North Korea, the six-party talks and the joint September 19 statement were rendered null and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was put to an end," the North's foreign ministry sai

North Korea Jan. 23, 2013

The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution against North Korea Tuesday, condemning its December rocket launch and expanding sanctions.The 15-member council voted unanimously to approve the 20-point resolution, a compromise that ended a month-long tug-of-war, mainly between the United States and China.The binding resolution calls for freezing the assets of six more North Korean entities, including the Korean Committee for Space Technology and the Bank of East Land, and a travel ban on four ad

North Korea Jan. 23, 2013

South Korean stocks closed 0.49 percent higher on Tuesday as investors remained cautious over the impact of Japan's monetary easing to stimulate the economy, analysts said. The local currency edged up against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 9.66 points to finish at 1,996.52. Trading volume was moderate at 547.9 million shares worth 4.2 trillion won (US$3.95 billion) with gainers slightly outnumbering decliners 404 to 399."Investors are now less worr

Jan. 22, 2013