South Korean idol groups Bangtan Boys (BTS), EXO and TWICE took top awards at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) at AsiaWorld-Expo Arena in Hong Kong.K-pop boy band BTS of modest-sized Big Hit Entertainment won the Artist of the Year title, one of the event's three big honors, along with Album of the Year and Song of the Year awards, on Friday night. The band also snatched the best dance performance award for male group artists.   Bangtan Boys wins the Artist of the Year award at the 2016 M

Dec. 3, 2016

South Korea's parliament on Saturday approved a 400.5 trillion won (US$341.4 billion) budget bill for next year after the government and parties resolved their differences over a controversial free child care program a day earlier.The National Assembly passed the 2017 spending plan in a 221-30 vote, with 30 abstentions, about four hours after the Friday deadline set by the Constitution. The total approved by lawmakers is 200 billion smaller than proposed by the government.  South Korean Prime Mi

Politics Dec. 3, 2016

The tax investigation and safety inspection facing Lotte Group in China this week has sparked concerns Friday that the neighboring country is pressuring Korean companies in retaliation over South Korea‘s decision to deploy a US advanced missile defense system here. The Chinese government has not revealed the reason behind the large-scale inspection, but analysts believe it is linked to the decision by Lotte Group to host the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system on a Lotte-owned golf

Companies Dec. 2, 2016

South Korea’s consumer prices continued to rise more than 1 percent for the third consecutive month amid the soaring prices of agricultural goods. Prices of agricultural products jumped 7.9 percent from a year earlier, with prices of kimchi ingredients skyrocketing. Cabbage and radish prices soared by 82.1 percent and 120.7 percent, respectively, from a year earlier.  The service sector, which weighs most heavily on the consumer price index, rose 1.8 percent on-year, led by increase

Dec. 1, 2016

Korea’s Industrial output fell for the second consecutive month in October, falling 0.4 percent from the previous month, data released by Statistics Korea showed Wednesday. Sluggish demand and exports for mobile phones and automobiles dragged down the production index, according to the statistics agency. Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho, who is also deputy prime minister, warned of the increased downward risks of Korea’s economy during a meeting of economic policymakers Wednesday. &ldqu

Industry Nov. 30, 2016

Ford’s luxury car division Lincoln Motor launched the all-new 2017 Lincoln Continental in Korea on Wednesday. The premium sedan is the 10th generation of the Lincoln Continental, reintroduced at a motor show in 2015 after a 13-year hiatus. The first generation was made as a holiday car for then-Ford president Edsel Ford in 1939. “Ford grew more than 150 percent in the five years in Korea. With the launch of the Lincoln Continental, we plan to accelerate the growth,” Kumar Galhotra, president of

Companies Nov. 30, 2016

  Chang Hye-jin, a double Olympic gold medalist in archery, was named the country's top female athlete of the year Tuesday.Chang took the highest honor at the 2016 Korea Woman Sports Awards in Seoul. The 29-year-old archer won gold medals in both the individual and team competitions at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics in August.South Korean archer Chang Hye-jin celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women`s individual archery competition at the 31st Summer Olympic Games at Sambodromo i

Sports Nov. 29, 2016

  South Korea's defense chief on Tuesday called on South Korean and U.S. troops to enhance their joint readiness to better cope with threats posed by North Korea.Defense Minister Han Min-koo made the comments during his first visit to a South Korean brigade in Dongducheon and the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division in Uijeongbu, both near the border with North Korea. The two units form the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Division.U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent K. Brooks also joined the inspecti

Diplomatic Circuit Nov. 29, 2016

South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday sought heavy prison terms for those responsible for toxic humidifier sterilizer products that claimed many lives in the country.In the final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, prosecutors have asked the court for a 20-year prison term for Shin Hyun-woo, a former CEO of Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, the Korean unit of a British household goods maker."The accused is the root cause of the massive tragedy," the prosecutors said. "We have no choice but to punish

Companies Nov. 29, 2016

Rep. Han Jeoung-ae of the main opposition Democratic Party (Yonhap)The South Korean parliament's labor committee on Monday approved a bill which bans employers from requiring job seekers to provide a headshot and information such as their weight and height.It also seeks to prohibit the "discriminatory" practice of requiring information about an applicant's birthplace, religion, marital status, assets and family details on application forms.Violators will be slapped with fines of up to 5 million

National Nov. 29, 2016