Samsung Electronics Co. is expected to become the world's top chipmaker during the second quarter of this year, a report showed Saturday, beating its traditional rival Intel Corp."Following the rise in number of data centers and expanded demand of solid state drives (SSDs), Samsung is expected to become the No. 1 player in the global chip industry," said Lee Se-cheol, a researcher at NH Investment & Securities Co. (Yonhap)Intel took up 13 percent of the global market in the first quarter of 2016

Technology June 10, 2017

North Korea's official newspaper claimed Saturday that a test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile is not far away."The series of recent strategic weapons tests show that we are not too far away from test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile," the Rodong Sinmun said in an editorial.The claim indicates the regime has continued to advance its missile technology since its leader Kim Jong-un said during his annual address on Jan. 1 that the regime was in the final stage of develop

North Korea June 10, 2017

WASHINGTON -- US Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon will visit South Korea next week for talks on the alliance between the two countries, North Korea and other issues, the State Department announced Friday.Shannon will be in Seoul from Tuesday to Thursday to "meet with senior Korean officials to discuss the US-Korea Alliance and our shared global priorities, including our coordinated responses to the threat posed by the DPRK," the department said in a release. (Yonhap)He will also visit the

Diplomatic Circuit June 10, 2017

Six in 10 South Koreans still oppose the legalization of same-sex marriages, a local poll showed Thursday. According to a survey conducted on 1,004 adults by Gallup Korea, 34 percent of the respondents supported same-sex marriages, while 58 percent of them opposed it. Some 8 percent reserved their answers. The findings showed a huge generational gap on the issue: The older they were the more likely they were to hold a negative view.(123rf)A majority of 20-something people, or 66 percent, were in

Social Affairs June 8, 2017

A Seoul court sentenced a former health minister to 2 1/2 years in prison Thursday for exerting undue influence to back a controversial merger of Samsung Group in connection with the scandal that removed President Park Geun-hye from power and landed Samsung’s de facto leader in jail. Moon Hyung-pyo, health minister from 2013 to 2015, was convicted of abuse of power and perjury in a ruling that is likely to deal a heavy blow to Park and Lee, who are standing trials of their own for a suspected mo

Social Affairs June 8, 2017

When Kislay Kumar went out with his friends in a multicultural district in Seoul to enjoy his Friday night, the 25-year-old man did not imagine that his night would be ruined just because he was Indian. In the early hours of Saturday morning, Kumar was denied entry to a bar in Itaewon because of his nationality. His other friends from Russia, Colombia, Afghanistan, Canada and France were allowed entry. “When I was in line, the bouncer asked for our identification cards. I showed him my ID card a

Social Affairs June 7, 2017

Mumbling “f---ing crazy” in English in front of a Korean aggressor does not constitute a criminal insult, a local court said Tuesday. The Constitutional Court said in a unanimous ruling that the prosecution should cancel its decision to acknowledge the action as a criminal offense.  (Yonhap)In South Korea, insulting an individual publicly is a criminal offense punishable by a prison term of up to one year or a fine of up to 2 million won ($1,800).“It is hard to acknowledge that the complainant h

Social Affairs June 6, 2017

President Moon Jae-in’s promises to cut collusive ties between conglomerates and politicians, overhaul corporate governance and ensure fair competition have raised expectations for corporate reform in South Korea. The changes, however, shouldn’t stop at ownership and market practices, a global labor union activist said. South Korean businesses have labor problems that go beyond local borders, according to Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, the world’

Social Affairs June 5, 2017

A South Korean court on Saturday rejected an arrest warrant for the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the corruption scandal that led to former President Park Geun-hye’s downfall. 　“It is hard to acknowledge the reason, necessity and appropriateness for her arrest at the current stage (of the investigation)” the Seoul Central District Court said, citing a lack of evidence as the reason for the rejection.Chung Yoo-ra, 21, was released at around 2:20 a.m. from the Seoul Central Di

Social Affairs June 3, 2017

The daughter of Choi Soon-sil, who is at the center of the scandal that led to former President Park Geun-hye’s downfall, turned up at a local court Friday to fight against the prosecution’s request for her arrest. Chung Yoo-ra, 21, attended the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, which will decide whether to detain her for another 20 days for questioning in connection with the allegations involving her mother and Park. The court’s decision is expected to come near or past midnight.Chun

Social Affairs June 2, 2017

South Korea is moving to levy fines on large companies that hire an excessive number of irregular workers, as part of the new administration’s efforts to create quality jobs and boost the economy.The Presidential Committee on Job Creation announced Thursday a set of measures, including the plan, to be implemented during Moon’s presidency. The measures include the removal of irregular jobs, the creation of jobs in the public sector, an increase of the minimum wage and the reduction of working hou

Social Affairs June 1, 2017

Chung Yoo-ra, who has enjoyed a wide range of privileges on the back of her once-influential mother Choi Soon-sil, returned to South Korea on Wednesday to face questioning about the corruption scandal involving her mother and ex-President Park Geun-hye.Eight months after she went into hiding in Europe to avoid the prosecution’s summons, Chung finally returned home in handcuffs and shifted all responsibility to her mother.Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye's

Social Affairs May 31, 2017

Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, was arrested Tuesday on board a flight heading to Seoul. Chung, whose mother is at the center of the scandal that led to the impeachment and arrest of former President Park Geun-hye, had been in custody of Danish authorities after she went into hiding to avoid the prosecution’s summons.(Yonhap)The prosecution said that Chung, a 20-year-old former national dressage team member, was arrested at 4:08 a.m. on a Korean Air flight departing from a transit p

Politics May 31, 2017