The Danish prosecution said Friday it decided to extradite the daughter of ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye's close friend for an investigation into a high-profile scandal that removed Park from office."It is the assessment of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions that all conditions to extradite a South Korean woman to her home country are met," the prosecution said in a press release.This file photo, taken from a clip on YouTube on Jan. 3, 2017, shows Chung Yoo-ra, the d

Social Affairs March 17, 2017

Organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games said Friday they've launched cooperation projects with their neighbors who are also preparing to host future Olympics.PyeongChang has agreed with Tokyo, host of the 2020 Summer Olympics, and Beijing, which will stage the 2022 Winter Games, to cooperate in two major areas: the efficient preparations of their respective Olympic Games and the promotion of the Olympic Movement.These ideas were reached at the meeting of executive directors of the three

Olympic Games March 17, 2017

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said Friday PyeongChang, the South Korean host of the 2018 Winter Games, has done such a great job in its preparations that he doesn't "see real challenges."Bach made the remark at a press conference following the conclusion of the IOC's Executive Board meeting at Alpensia Convention Centre in PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul. During his stay, Bach visited the construction site for the Olympic Village and received reports on Pye

Olympic Games March 17, 2017

The dispute over the deployment of a US missile defense system in South Korea remained a key source of contention in the debate Friday among four contenders seeking to become the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. During the debate hosted by four cable broadcasters, including Yonhap News TV, front-runner Moon Jae-in and three other candidates united in opposing other parties' proposal to revise the Constitution before or concurrently with the May 9 presidential election.  Seongnam May

Politics March 17, 2017

South Korean stocks reached fresh highs in almost two years on Friday, extending the winning streak to a second day, on eased concerns over the pace of rate hikes in the US and extended foreign buying, analysts said. The Korean won rose against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index advanced 4.5 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 2,164.58. Trade volume was moderate at 297 million shares worth 4.83 trillion won ($4.27 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 420 to 376.

March 17, 2017

Shareholders of Naver Corp., the operator of South Korea's dominant Internet portal, on Friday confirmed Han Seong-sook as the company's new CEO. The 50-year-old Han, formerly the vice president of Naver, replaced Kim Sang-hun, whose term expires this month.Han, a former journalist who specialized in information technology in the 1990s, joined Naver in 2007.The new CEO is estimated to be highly responsive to the changing needs of the Internet industry, Naver officials said. During the general me

Industry March 17, 2017

South Korean singer-songwriter IU will release her fourth full-length album next month, her agency said Friday.The K-pop diva's new album will be released on April 21, according to Loen-Fave Entertainment. IU will pre-release two songs from the album on March 24 and April 7, respectively.  (Yonhap)The self-produced upcoming album is IU's first new material since "Chat-shire," an EP album that came out in October 2015."IU has collaborated with talented musicians," the agency said, and added that

Performance March 17, 2017

"Good Manager" maintained a firm grip on its lead in the Wednesday-Thursday late night TV drama race, while new office series "Radiant Office" lagged far behind in the 3-percent range, data showed Friday. Episode 16 of KBS 2TV's "Good Manger," which aired Thursday evening, recorded a 17.1-percent viewership, according to Nielsen Korea. It marks a 1.3 percentage point dip from the previous broadcast but still towered over its main competitors.SBS TV's "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors" stood at 10.2 pe

Television March 17, 2017

The prosecution on Friday vowed to crack down on the spread of fake news involving the May 9 presidential election.Prosecutor-General Kim Soo-nam presided over a meeting with senior prosecutors to discuss ways to curb malicious disinformation activities which are likely to increase ahead of the 19th presidential election, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office said."There is a high risk of fake news spreading during this presidential election as the time to verify the candidates is absolutely limited,"

Social Affairs March 17, 2017

North Korea has submitted a roster for an upcoming women's hockey tournament in South Korea, local organizers said Friday, though its participation will still need Seoul's approval.The International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship Division II Group A will take place in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, some 230 kilometers east of Seoul, from April 2-8. It will be held as a test event for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In this file photo provided by the Korea Ice Hockey Associa

More Sports March 17, 2017

The Korean Education Center, a Ministry of Education-affiliated agency in charge of teaching Korean to overseas Koreans and foreigners, has opened its 40th offshore branch in Ukraine, the ministry said Friday.Ukraine's Korean Education Center opened in the East European country's capital Kiev in a ceremony attended by education officials from both countries Friday, the ministry said.This undated file photo shows a Korean language class under way at the Korean Education Center in Vladivostok, Rus

Social Affairs March 17, 2017

Three heavyweights within the minor opposition People's Party advanced to the final round of the presidential primary Friday ahead of the May presidential vote.South Korea is set to hold an early presidential election on May 9 following the dismissal of President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal. Chances are high that voters will gravitate toward the liberal bloc, including the People's Party, to punish the conservatives for their failed administration.Sohn Hak-kyu (L), Ahn Cheol-soo (C)

Politics March 17, 2017

South Korea has stepped up efforts to overhaul its dependence on China for its tourism trade by shifting the focus to other Asian countries to cope with the fallouts triggered by the stationing of an advanced US missile defense system here, sources said Friday. The country's tourism is bearing the brunt of what appears to be acts of retaliation by Beijing against Seoul's decision reached in July to host a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery. China has vehemently objected to the move, say

Industry March 17, 2017

South Korean stocks traded slightly higher late Friday morning, after swinging between gains and losses, after hitting an almost two-year high in the previous session on the back of eased concerns over the US Federal Reserve's rate hikeThe benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 4.64 points, or 0.22 percent, to 2,154.72 as of 11:20 a.m.US stocks fell slightly as investors sought to lock in part of recent gains.Most large caps traded mixed, with market kingpin Samsung Electronics rising

March 17, 2017

Samsung Electronics Co. is set to start pre-orders of its new tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab S3, in the United States later this week, according to the company on Friday. Samsung unveiled the 9.7-inch tablet computer at an annual wireless technology fair in Spain last month.  This photo shows Samsung's Galaxy Tab S3. (Samsung Electronics Co.)Pre-order sales of the Galaxy Tab S3 in the US will begin on Friday (Washington time) and the price was set at $599.99, Samsung said. In-store retail sales

Industry March 17, 2017