South Korea's household loans jumped 12 percent last year from a year earlier as people borrowed more from financial institutions to buy homes and invest in businesses, the central bank said Wednesday.The outstanding loans extended to households came to 1,154.6 trillion won ($1.01 trillion) as of the end of December last year, compared with 1,030.6 trillion won from a year earlier, the Bank of Korea said in a report submitted to the parliament. (Yonhap)South Korean officials view an increase in

Feb. 15, 2017

A group of South Korean researchers have discovered a bioactive compound that has a negative effect on the growth of the Zika virus that's been breaking out in Latin America over the last two years, a state-run university said Wednesday.The group, led by Kim Do-man, a professor at Seoul National University's Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, found out that myricetin, a flavonoid found in teas, fruits and plants, inhibits the NS2B-NS3 protease, which enables the virus to s

Social Affairs Feb. 15, 2017

The state safety agency on Wednesday announced a recall of products from 45 companies, including a number of items used and worn by children from famous foreign labels.The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards said an inspection carried out from November to January found harmful substances in 47 products from the companies. Those for children included fabrics, sports goods and educational toys, it said.(Yonhap)A children's cap from Crocs for Kids was detected to have plasticizer at an amoun

Social Affairs Feb. 15, 2017

South Korea's top diplomat said Wednesday that he will work to raise the awareness of the gravity and urgency of North Korea's nuclear threats during international events to be held in Germany this week.Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se is to leave for Bonn where a foreign ministers' meeting of a group of 20 countries will kick off on Thursday for a two-day run. He will also attend the Munich Security Conference that follows later in the week.   Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (Yonhap)Yun is seeking t

Defense Feb. 15, 2017

The chief of South Korea's spy agency on Wednesday confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother was murdered with poison in Malaysia.National Intelligence Service Director Lee Byong-ho told lawmakers that for the past five years Pyongyang has been attempting to assassinate Kim Jong-nam, who was under the protection of the Chinese government.People watch a TV broadcast announcing the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother Kim Jong-nam, at Seoul Station on

North Korea Feb. 15, 2017

SBS TV's mystery crime thriller "Defendant" further emboldened its lead in the Monday-Tuesday drama race, with the show's rating rising above 25 percent among Seoul households, data showed Wednesday. (SBS)Tuesday night's eighth episode of "Defendant" recorded 25.2 percent viewership in Seoul, according to Nielsen Korea. The show's overall national rating rose to 22.2 percent.Rival shows "Rebel: A Thief Who Stole The People" and "Hwarang" both lost ground from a day before, falling to 10.6 percen

Television Feb. 15, 2017

South Korea's ruling Liberty Korea Party on Wednesday urged the government to expand protection for a former North Korean embassy minister posted to London who defected to Seoul last year, after reports showed North Korean leader's half brother was killed in Malaysia."Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and the government must keep a watchful eye on North Korea's movements," Rep. Chung Woo-taik, the floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party, said. "We also must bolster protection of

Politics Feb. 15, 2017

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Wednesday cautioned against any negligence in investing for the future, underscoring the need for South Korea to capitalize on its technological edge to nurture new growth engines.During a joint session held by the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology, and the state science and technology strategy panel, Hwang also reiterated that the government has to further strengthen support for startups through a policy initiative that

Technology Feb. 15, 2017

An advanced US Navy ship that tracks and monitors ballistic missiles arrived in South Korea's southern port city of Busan on Wednesday, the Seoul military said. The USNS Howard O. Lorenzen pulled into port three days after North Korea test-fired a newly developed intermediate-range ballistic missile powered by a solid-fuel engine which is more powerful and harder to detect than a liquid-fueled rocket.This photo taken on Feb. 15, 2017, shows the The USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM-25) anchored in

Defense Feb. 15, 2017

South Korea's transport ministry said Wednesday it has ordered seven companies to recall a total of 2,721 units of 33 models of foreign vehicles for certain defects.The recall affects 1,357 units of the 320i and 16 other BMW models built between June 8, 2000 and January 30, 2003 as they could be equipped with Japan's Takata air bag inflators during repair work. (Yonhap)Takata Corporation said on its website last year that certain inflator ruptures are caused by a combination of long-term exposur

Mobility Feb. 15, 2017

South Korea announced a package of measures Wednesday to utilize information and communications technology  and science technology to revitalize the country's economy suffering from weak exports and flagging manufacturing sector.Under the measures discussed in a meeting presided over by Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, and announced by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the government will make use of the latest ICT to secure new growth engines.  Acting President

Technology Feb. 15, 2017

The South Korean Coast Guard has rescued a North Korean boat with five crewmen on board adrift in the East Sea earlier this week, the unification ministry said Wednesday. The ministry said North Korea will be contacted later in the day to arrange the return of the crew. Jeong Joon-hee, spokesman at the Ministry of Unification speaks in a press briefing. (Yonhap)A Coast Guard patrol vessel rescued the North Korean boat in waters off South Korea's east coast early Monday, Jeong Joon-hee, spokesman

Social Affairs Feb. 15, 2017

South Korea's exports of information and communications technology products rose for the third consecutive month in January on the back of brisk overseas sales of semiconductors and displays, government data showed Wednesday.ICT exports reached $13.83 billion last month, rising by a nearly four-year high of 16.7 percent from the $11.85 billion tallied a year ago, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. (Yonhap)The outbound shipment of such products had decli

Feb. 15, 2017

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., a major shipyard in South Korea, is looking at a slew of options to deal with massive debt due in April, its chief said Wednesday, brushing off concerns that the cash-strapped shipbuilder may fail to pay off the maturing debt.The shipyard should pay off or refinance up to 1 trillion won ($869 million) worth of debts that mature this year, but the shipbuilder's financial status is not good enough to deal with the situation amid the dearth of new order

Industry Feb. 15, 2017

A conservative former journalist from a major daily joined South Korea's ruling Liberty Korea Party on Wednesday, seeking to run in the party's primary and the upcoming presidential election."Considering the things done by leftists' regime of Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, and looking at the arrogance (of the main opposition) which acts as if it has already won the race, we cannot accept another leftists' regime," said Kim Jin, who formerly worked as an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo. Kim

Politics Feb. 15, 2017