South Korean stocks opened lower Friday as investor sentiment was dented by rising concerns on the U.S. fiscal cliff issue, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 0.3 percent, or 5.76 points, to 1,929.09 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Carmakers led the decline, with No.1 player Hyundai Motor falling 0.22 percent, while its smaller auto parts affiliate Hyundai Wia moved down 0.84 percent.Brokerages also fell, with Samsung Securities losing 0.61 percent, wh

Nov. 30, 2012

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday on the settlement of the Greece bailout deal, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 5.80 points, or 0.3 percent, to trade at 1,914.31 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Tech blue chips drove up the shares, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics increasing 0.71 percent, while LG Electronics gained 1.05 percent. Top steelmaker POSCO added 0.47 percent.Carmakers also traded higher, with No.1 player Hyundai Motor ris

Nov. 27, 2012

South Korea's brand value reached US$1.6 trillion this year, ranking ninth among 39 countries surveyed, a local think tank said Tuesday.Asia's fourth-largest economy has received good marks in the corporate field, thanks mainly to its strong exports and market share growth around the world, according to the state-run Institute of Industrial Policy Studies (IPS).Brand value covers both corporate and country-level recognition and products made in the country. It also calculates the level of social

Nov. 27, 2012

The South Korean government will award a medal to a prominent activist who claimed that he was tortured by the Chinese government earlier this year for his efforts to promote human rights there, the government said Tuesday.Kim Young-hwan, a 49-year-old activist, has said that he was arrested in China in March for helping North Korean defectors there and was tortured by Chinese security officers during his 114-day detention. Beijing flatly denied the accusation.During the Cabinet meeting presided

Social Affairs Nov. 27, 2012

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has decided to dissolve Japan's parliament as early as Friday, with an election possibly next month, media said Tuesday, a move likely to unseat him from power.Noda will call an election for as early as December 16 or as late as January 20, according to major Japanese news media, including the Nikkei business daily and the liberal-leaning Asahi Shimbun.After months of speculation over the date of the next national ballot, the issue surged to the fore on Monday after

World News Nov. 13, 2012

미국 하버드대학교 학생들이 우주로 보내려던 역사 상 첫번째 햄버거가 어디로 사라졌는지 확실치 않다고 밝혔다. 그들은 다람쥐가 먹었을 것으로 예상한다고 밝혔다.햄버거는 지난 달 헬륨 풍선에 배달려 우주로 날아갔다. 그러나 풍선이 다시 땅으로 내려와 매사추세츠 주의 큰 나무에 걸리면서 상자에서 햄버거가 사라졌다고 밝혔다.렌조 루시오니(Renzo Lucioni)는 더보스톤글로브(The Boston Globe)지에 30미터 높이에 있던 바람이 다 빠진 풍선을 가져오기 위해 정원사를 고용해야 했다고 밝혔다. 풍선을 가져왔으나 햄버거는 사라지고 없었다. 루시오니는 다람쥐가 가져갔을 거라고 말했다.풍선에 달려있던 카메라는 햄버거가 사라지기 전에 꺼져버렸다. 따라서 햄버거의 미스터리를 푸는 데 도움이 되지 못했다. 그러나 카메라는 ’b.good’ 햄버거 체인점이 기부한 햄버거가 떠오르는 구름과 상공을 배경으로 하여 찍힌 멋진 사진들을 담고 있었다.해당 동영상은 유투브에서 일주일 미만의 기간 동안

Podcast Nov. 13, 2012

South Korean stocks opened lower on Monday as foreign investors and institutions offloaded local shares, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) declined 5.27 points, or 0.28 percent, to 1899.14 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Big-cap tech firms led the decline, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics falling 0.45 percent and flat panel giant LG Display sliding 1.13 percent. Top chipmaker SK hynix moved down 1.57 percent.Logistics shares also traded in negativ

Nov. 12, 2012

South Korea's producer prices grew at their slowest on-year pace in three months in October due to eased growth of oil costs and the won's ascent, the central bank said Friday.The producer price index, a barometer of future consumer inflation, inched up 0.2 percent in October from a year earlier, slowing from a 1 percent on-year gain in September, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The October figure marked the slowest expansion since July, when producer prices fell 0.1 percent on-year.The in

Nov. 9, 2012

U.S. President Barack Obama has chosen Asia as the destination of his first overseas trip since re-election, according to the White House Thursday.Obama is scheduled to visit Thailand, Burma and Cambodia Nov. 17-20, it said.The trip comes as the Obama administration pushes to rebalance U.S. diplomacy towards Asia."In Thailand, he will meet with Prime Minister Yingluck to mark 180 years of diplomatic relations and reaffirm the strength of our alliance," the White House said in a press release. "I

Foreign Affairs Nov. 9, 2012

Foreign investment banks (IBs) expect the South Korean economy to see its growth improve at a gradual pace next year, helped by global stimuli and the recovery of domestic demand, a report showed Tuesday.Morgan Stanley projected the monetary easing by the United States and China will improve global economic conditions, benefiting South Korea's exports, a main driver of the country's growth, according to a report by the Korea Center for International Finance.South Korea grew 0.2 percent on-quarte

Nov. 6, 2012

South Korean stocks opened higher on Tuesday as policy uncertainties abated ahead of the imminent U.S. presidential vote, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 3.78 points, or 0.2 percent, to trade at 1912.00 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Carmakers led the gain, with No.1 player Hyundai Motor moving up 1.75 percent, while its smaller affiliate Kia Motors gained 1.24 percent. Top auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis climbed 1.16 percent. U.S. stocks ended hig

Nov. 6, 2012