South Korea's Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group emerged as the biggest exporter of automobiles to Germany last year, industry data showed Sunday.   Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. have sold 155,673 units in the biggest European market in 2012, according to data by the International Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK).   Renault SA came second with 150,740 units and Skoda third with 142,611 units last year.   Hyundai-Kia was third with 128,931 units in 2011, when Ren

Mobility Jan. 13, 2013

 South Korea's per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to only marginally inch up in 2012 compared with the previous year due to the slowing economy, a report showed Sunday.   Korea's per-capita GDP is estimated to reach $22,705 this year, up 1.3 percent from a year earlier, according to a report by Korea Investment & Securities Co.   In calculating the figures, the full-year economic growth rate was estimated at 2.3 percent and the local currency was set at an average of 1,127.1 ag

Dec. 30, 2012

  The floor leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic United Party stepped down Friday over his party's defeat in this week's presidential election, leaving the party leadership in a vacuum following the resignation of other senior party officials.   Rep. Park Jie-won told a meeting of party lawmakers at the National Assembly that he is resigning to take responsibility for DUP presidential candidate Moon Jae-in's defeat in Wednesday's election.   Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Part

Politics Dec. 21, 2012

South Korean banks should take the initiative in boosting the slumping local economy as political uncertainties have been lifted with the presidential election now wrapped up, the central bank chief said Friday.    "Lenders need to step up efforts to bring the economy back on track," Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Kim Choong-soo told a meeting with heads of major banks. "Four major world powers tied to the Korean Peninsula, including Japan and China, are at a new phase in their leadership."   His rema

Dec. 21, 2012

   Park Geun-hye, the eldest daughter of the late former president, Park Chung-hee, will return to Cheong Wa Dae 33 years after she left the presidential office, this time as South Korea's first woman president.   Park, who turns 61 in February, fought long and hard for her victory following her defeat to outgoing President Lee Myung-bak in a party primary ahead of the 2007 presidential election and an unexpected challenge from her liberal rivals in the last months of the race.   Her reputation

Politics Dec. 20, 2012

Chronology of South Korea's 2012 presidential electionThe following is a chronology of major events leading up to South Korea's presidential election Wednesday.-- June 17: Moon Jae-in, the 59-year-old former chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun, officially announces his bid for president, challenging long-time presidential hopeful Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party.-- July 10: Park, the 60-year-old daughter of late authoritarian President Park Chung-hee, officially announces her

Politics Dec. 20, 2012

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A man was arrested Saturday after firing about 50 shots in the parking lot of a Southern California shopping mall, prompting a lockdown of stores crowded with holiday shoppers.Marcos Gurrola, 42, of Garden Grove was taken into custody by bicycle police officers patrolling around the open-air Fashion Island mall around 4:30 p.m., police spokeswoman Cathy Lowe said. She said he fired into the air and onto the ground in the parking lot near a Macy's department store.No

World News Dec. 16, 2012

   Lottery sales in South Korea surpassed an annual government-set limit for the second straight year as more people bought tickets amid an economic recession, data showed Sunday.   Sales of lottery tickets totaled 2.91 trillion won ($2.71 billion) in the January-November period, exceeding the 2.87 trillion won ceiling recommended by the National Gambling Control Commission (NGCC), according to the data by government agencies.   If the trend continues, this year's lottery sales are expected to s

Dec. 16, 2012

  Samsung Electronics Co. saw its market share in the tablet PC market nearly double in the third quarter from three months earlier as it moved to catch up with rival Apple Inc., data showed Sunday.   The South Korean tech giant's global market share reached 18.1 percent in the July-September period, compared with 9.2 percent in the previous quarter, according to the data by research firm Strategy Analytics.   Meanwhile, Apple's market share fell to 52.9 percent from 68.4 percent, narrowing the

Technology Dec. 16, 2012

Sales of wine at local discount chains outstripped those of soju for the first time, data showed Sunday, mirroring a changing trend in South Korea's drinking culture.   Wine sales surpassed those of the local alcoholic drink by 4.6 percent this year, according to the data by Lotte Mart, a discount chain arm of retail giant Lotte. Last year, sales of wine lagged behind those of soju by roughly 6 percent.   Wine sales stood at around 25 percent of soju sales in the first half in the early 2000s, b

Industry Dec. 16, 2012

Nearly 80 percent of all voters in the country said they will vote in this year's presidential race, a poll conducted by the state election watchdog said Tuesday.   The survey carried out by Korea Research Center on behalf of the National Election Commission on 1,500 people nationwide late last week showed 79.9 percent of all respondents saying they will definitely vote on Dec. 19.   By age group, 74.5 percent of people in their 20s, 71.8 percent in their 30s and 78.3 percent in their 40s said t

Politics Dec. 11, 2012

 South Korean tech behemoth Samsung Electronics Co. has scaled down its investment in production facilities for the second quarter in a row apprently in anticipation of a protracted global economic slump, industry data showed Sunday.   The company spent 4.54 trillion won ($4.16 billion) on facilities for semiconductor, liquid crystal display and other products over the July-September period, the lowest level in 10 quarters since it invested 4.14 trillion won in the first quarter of 2010, accordi

Technology Nov. 18, 2012

  Smartphones and tablets powered by Google's Android software are devouring the mobile gadget market, eating into Apple's turf by feeding appetites for innovation and low prices, analysts say.  The Android operating system powered nearly three out of four smartphones shipped worldwide in the recently ended quarter as the mobile platform dominated the market, according to industry trackers at IDC.   "Android has been one of the primary growth engines of the smartphone market since it was launche

Technology Nov. 18, 2012

  President Obama, the mayor of London, China's top dissident artist and Madonna -- every time someone signals the death of "Gangnam Style" up pops another high-profile figure to keep the phenomenon alive.   In the four months since the music video by South Korean rapper Psy went viral on YouTube, it has been name-checked and imitated by an impressive roster of global notables from world leaders to sports stars and business tycoons.   And the public has joined in with tens of thousands turning o

Performance Nov. 18, 2012