South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Thursday, tracking overnight gains in U.S. markets buoyed by improved economic data, analysts said.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 3.46 points, or 0.19 percent to 1,821.11 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Shares gathered ground across the board, with memory chipmaker SK hynix and leading carmaker Hyundai Motor rising nearly 1 perce

June 28, 2012

South Korean stocks closed marginally lower Wednesday as lingering concerns over the eurozone debt crisis kept investors reluctant to make risky bets, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) edged down 0.15 points, or 0.01 percent, to finish at 1,817.66. Trading volume was moderate at 315.3 million shares worth 4.26 trillion won

June 27, 2012

A representative for 50 Cent says the rapper is out of the hospital after being injured in a car accident in New York on Tuesday morning.The rep says 50 Cent was taken to New York Hospital Queens where he was treated for “minor neck and back injuries'' and is now “doing fine.''Bruce Miller, who was driving the car, was also injured and has been released from the hospital.Photos of the 36-year-old

Performance June 27, 2012

The ongoing leadership election of the Unified Progressive Party (UPP) has been suspended due to errors in its server for online voting, party officials said Wednesday, amplifying uncertainties for the left-wing party beleaguered by an escalating factional conflict over alleged primary rigging earlier this year.The minor party with 13 seats in the 300-member National Assembly is set to elect its n

Politics June 27, 2012

Global sales of personal computers (PCs) may drop as much as 10 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier due to weakening demand, according to a Forbes report known in Seoul on Wednesday.PC sales could fall around 5-10 percent in the July-September period from the previous year as PC giants such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard continue to suffer softening demand, according to a recent Forbes r

Industry June 27, 2012

The Navy said Wednesday it is investigating a recent accidental discharge of a torpedo from a frigate during an exercise in the Yellow Sea.According to the Navy, a 2,300-ton frigate called Cheongju accidentally fired a deactivated torpedo during a drill in waters off Taean, South Chungcheong Province, last Thursday. The Navy said the torpedo didn't explode and sank to the bottom of the water."We b

Defense June 27, 2012

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Wednesday, as low demand on Spanish bonds last night sapped hopes for a smooth bailout of the debt-mired region, analysts said.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 14.31 points, or 0.79 percent to 1,803.50 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Shares fell across the board, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics dipping 0.53 percent.The lo

June 27, 2012

South Korean stocks opened a tad lower Tuesday, dampened by concern that this week's European Union summit will not suffice to tame the prolonged crisis, analysts said.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) declined 1.19 points, or 0.07 percent, to 1,824.19 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Shares lost ground across the board, with steelmakers and machineries leading the fall.Top-cap Samsu

June 26, 2012

A Swedish woman says she had to fly overnight from Europe to Tanzania next to a man who died after the plane had departed.Lena Pettersson, a reporter for Sveriges Radio, said the man was having convulsions before the Kenya Airways flight departed from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The plane took off anyway, The Local.se reported Sunday.He died several hours later while the plane was in the air.Pette

World News June 25, 2012

South Korean stocks opened lower onday, weighed down by weak U.S. and Chinese economic data that overshadowed easing eurozone jitters ahead of a European Union summit meeting, analysts said.The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 1.19 percent, or 22.06 points, to 1,825.33 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 2.28 percent, with top automaker Hyund

June 25, 2012

HANOI -- A South Korean activist has been detained in Vietnam in connection with his work related to North Korean defectors, Seoul officials here said Monday.The 51-year-old activist, who is only identified by his surname Yoo, was arrested by Vietnamese authorities last Wednesday at a hotel in Ho Chi Minh on suspicion of helping North Korean defectors, according to officials at the South Korean em

Foreign Affairs June 25, 2012

BOGOTA-- President Lee Myung-bak said he expects trade between South Korea and Colombia to jump five-fold over the next five years if the two countries implement a free trade agreement, saying the deal would create a win-win situation for both sides.Lee made the remark in an interview with Colombia's leading El Tiempo newspaper published Sunday. Lee arrived in Bogota on Saturday for a three-day vi

Foreign Affairs June 25, 2012

South Korean stocks dived 2.21 percent Friday on weak U.S. and Chinese economic data and lingering eurozone uncertainties, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunged 41.76 points to close at 1,847.39. Trading volume was very light at 286 million shares worth 4.27 trillion won (US$3.69 billion), with losers clearly

June 22, 2012