South Korea will create new state certificates of professional jobs in the fields of robotics, 3-D printing, energy and biotechnology to nurture talent in emerging technologies, the labor ministry said Tuesday.The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced its plan for 17 new certification programs aiming to cope with the changing labor market driven by development in new technologies.Seventeen new engineering certificates will be introduced this week including robotic software and equipment, 3-

Social Affairs March 28, 2017

South Korean stocks edged up on Tuesday, driven by gains in large-cap exporters, as a rosy outlook on their quarterly earnings is raising the specter for better performance in the country's overall exports, analysts said. The local currency fell slightly against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 7.65 points or 0.35 percent to finish at 2,163.31. Trading volume was moderate at 386.7 million shares worth 4.94 trillion won ($4.43 billion) with gainers outpacing dec

March 28, 2017

A group of South Korean medial scientists has developed a new type of non-surgical procedure to deliver drugs to tumors in the brain, the science ministry said Tuesday, opening up new treatment opportunities for patients.Drug delivery to brain tumors has been considered challenging because of the presence of the blood-brain barrier that is in place to protect the critical human organ from non-natural substances. (Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning)The team, led by Park Joo-yeong of the

Technology March 28, 2017

Salvage workers are speeding up their preparation work to get the Sewol ferry ready for transport to port, government officials said Tuesday.The Sewol, which capsized in waters off the southwest coast in 2014 that resulted in over 300 deaths, with nine of the bodies yet to be recovered, is currently on board a huge semisubmersible transportation ship, a week after the salvage operation began last Wednesday.  (Yonhap)A joint team of South Korean government officials and Chinese workers from Shang

Social Affairs March 28, 2017

A majority of South Korean exporters are optimistic about their business conditions in the second quarter of this year on the back of a recovery in global trade, a poll showed Tuesday.The export business survey index (EBSI) of 828 exporting companies polled came to 106 for the April-June period, up sharply from 93.6 the previous quarter, according to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).  (Yonhap)It marks the first time in 13 months that the EBSI has exceeded the benchmark 100 level.

March 28, 2017

The National Assembly on Tuesday named five members of a special inspection team that will examine the Sewol ferry to determine the exact cause of its deadly sinking three years ago.They will work with three others appointed earlier at the recommendation of an association of victims' families. Buddhist monks and other religious leaders hold a rare, joint ceremony aboard a ship on March 28, 2017, to wish for the recovery of the remains of nine people missing from the sinking of the Sewol ferry. (

Social Affairs March 28, 2017

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., a leading global shipyard, said Tuesday that it has successfully delivered the world's first icebreaking liquefied natural gas carrier to a Russian client.In 2014, Daewoo Shipbuilding clinched a deal from Russia's state-run shipper Sovcomflot to build an icebreaking LNG ship. The contract marked the first time that such a vessel was ordered. (Yonhap)In that year, the South Korean shipbuilder clinched deals valued at a combined $14.8 billion from Russ

Industry March 28, 2017

The body of the slain half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is still in Malaysia with none of his next of kin coming forward to claim his body, a report said Tuesday."We have to check with the forensics department if there was any requirement to bring the body out, but as far as we are concerned, there is no change in the status quo," Malaysian Health Minister Subramaniam Sathasivam was quoted as telling reporters by Reuters. A Malaysian policeman controls traffic outside the forensics

North Korea March 28, 2017

South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. said Tuesday it has added more active safety features to its latest models to lure customers keen to drive safer vehicles.The move is part of Hyundai's efforts to grow in the rapidly evolving and highly competitive auto market where not only safer cars but those equipped with self-driving artificial intelligence systems are expected to become more commonplace moving forward. Hyundai Motor's all-new Grandeur sedan with a 3.3-liter gasoline engine (Yonh

Mobility March 28, 2017

South Korea's air passenger traffic rose 8.7 percent last month from a year earlier, as customers traveled more on low-cost carriers, the transportation ministry said Tuesday. The number of passengers who booked air tickets on domestic and international routes jumped to 8.84 million in February from 8.13 million a year earlier, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement.  (Yonhap)"It was mainly due to an increase in flights offered by budget airlines," a ministry offi

Industry March 28, 2017

South Korea's food exports to the United States are expected to reach $1 billion for the first time this year owing to their brisk advances into ethnic markets, the Korea Agro-fisheries and Food Trade Corp.'s branch here said Monday. "Korean agro-fishery and food products, called K-Food, which have been mainly consumed by Korean residents in the US, are making aggressive inroads into the Chinese, Hispanic and Filipino markets," branch head Lee Joo-pyo said. A K-Food fair in Los Angeles (Yonhap f

Industry March 28, 2017

South Koreans stocks traded slightly higher late Tuesday morning, buoyed by gains in blue-chip exporters, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 3.31 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,158.97 as of 11:20 a.m. Tech giant Samsung Electronics climbed 0.83 percent, with steelmaker POSCO advancing 1.3 percent. Top cosmetics maker AmorePacific also rose 1.4 percent. But auto and IT shares moved in negative territory. Kia Motors, the smaller affiliate of Hyundai Motor, fell 0.4

March 28, 2017

An increasingly large number of people in the world use social media to search and consume news, with smartphone use noticeably up in South Korea, a media expert said Tuesday."A greater number of people depend on platforms, such as social media for news consumption," Dr. Rasmus Nielsen, director of research at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, told reporters at a Google Inc. office in Seoul through a video conference.  Rasmus Nielsen, director of research at the Reuters Institut

Social Affairs March 28, 2017

South Korea said Tuesday that now is the time to focus on applying pressure on North Korea, but viewed as valid former President Park Geun-hye's key 2014 proposals on reunification with the North in the German city of Dresden.Tuesday marked the third anniversary of Park unveiling a package of proposals calling for bolstering exchanges with North Korea, commonly called "the Dresden Declaration." She said that boosting inter-Korean exchanges will be the first step toward building trust between the

Social Affairs March 28, 2017

The US Department of State has cited the adoption of the latest resolution on North Korean human rights at the United Nations Human Rights Council as one of the key outcomes for the United States."At the Council's 34th session in Geneva from Feb. 27-March 24, US leadership proved critical to shaping the international response to urgent human rights situations and issues," the department said in a fact sheet posted on its website Monday. (Yonhap)On the last day of the session, the council unanimo

Foreign Affairs March 28, 2017