The United States is "highly concerned" about North Korea's reported dispatch of troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, a White House official said Friday, noting that Washington will consult with allies on the implications of "such a dramatic move" if the report is true. On Friday, Korea time, South Korea's National Intelligence Service confirmed the North has decided to send around 12,000 troops to support Russia in the war and has already be

North Korea Oct. 19, 2024

Samsung Lions first baseman Lewin Diaz leads all players in the second round of the Korea Baseball Organization postseason with three home runs in three games, but he couldn't hit one out Thursday against his former major league teammate now pitching for his playoff opponent, the LG Twins. LG Twins reliever Elieser Hernandez threw 3 2/3 shutout innings to earn a save in the Twins' 1-0 win in Game 3 of this best-of-five series at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Thursday. He retire

Baseball Oct. 18, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling party chief plan to meet next week to discuss pressing issues, the presidential office said Friday, with controversies involving first lady Kim Keon Hee likely to top the agenda. Yoon and Han Dong-hoon, head of the People Power Party, will meet at the presidential office Monday, the office said, at a time when Yoon and the ruling party seek to recover from waning approval ratings as Yoon is halfway through his five-year term. The president and Han plan to d

Politics Oct. 18, 2024

South Korean stocks closed lower Friday as foreign investors unloaded big-cap tech and battery shares. The local currency fell against the US dollar. After opening slightly higher, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) lost 15.48 points, or 0.59 percent, to close at 2,593.82. Trade volume was slim at 259.1 million shares worth 8.1 trillion won (US$5.9 billion), with losers far outpacing winners 589 to 267. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.37 percent to clos

Market Oct. 18, 2024

The main opposition Democratic Party said Friday it will take steps to impeach Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung over the prosecution's decision not to indict first lady Kim Keon Hee over her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme. "The (DP) leadership discussed the issue of impeaching the prosecutor general and concluded to go ahead with it," Jo Seoung-lae, a senior DP spokesperson, told reporters after a Supreme Council meeting. "The steps and timing of the impea

Politics Oct. 18, 2024

The ruling People Power Party on Friday voiced objections to a new opposition-introduced bill calling for a special counsel probe into allegations involving first lady Kim Keon Hee, calling it an "unconstitutional wicked bill." The main opposition Democratic Party introduced the bill on Thursday, the third time it submitted such a proposal after two previous versions were scrapped following revotes triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's vetoes. The new bill expands the scope of th

Politics Oct. 18, 2024

The South Korean economy has been on a path for recovery led by exports and domestic demand showed signs of improvement, the finance ministry said Friday. The ministry made the assessment in its monthly economic report, the Green Book, while noting that the pace of recovery differs among sectors. "The economy continues to show a recovery trend centering on exports and the manufacturing sector amid the stabilization of consumer prices. Domestic demand is also showing signs of a gradual recov

Economy Oct. 18, 2024

South Korean shares opened slightly higher Friday, taking a cue from overnight gains on Wall Street. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) added 4.09 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,613.39 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.37 percent to close at 43,239.05, marking a new high for a second consecutive session on reports of better-than-anticipated consumer spending. The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that the value of ret

Market Oct. 18, 2024

Seoul's top envoy to Washington cautioned Thursday against economic "protectionism" as he highlighted the need to address barriers that preclude full defense industrial cooperation between South Korea and the United States. Speaking at a think tank forum, Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong pointed to a US legal mandate requiring US naval ships to be built in America as a challenge limiting efforts to expand collaboration between the US and its foreign partners. "This issue is particula

Politics Oct. 18, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that North Korea is preparing to send around 10,000 soldiers to Russia to support its war against Ukraine, calling the development "a big problem." Zelenskyy cited Ukrainian intelligence reports indicating that North Korean personnel have already been deployed in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, with additional troops being prepared to join the fight. "We know about 10,000 soldiers of North Korea that they are preparin

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 17, 2024

The LG Twins defeated the Samsung Lions 1-0 on Thursday to stave off elimination in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. Twins starter Im Chan-kyu threw 5 1/3 shutout innings at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, and Elieser Hernandez added 3 2/3 scoreless frames to combine for the narrow win before a sellout crowd of 23,750. The Twins scored the only run of the game via a sacrifice fly by Hong Chang-ki in the bottom fifth. The Lions still lead this best-of-five series 2-1 and will

Baseball Oct. 17, 2024

The foreign ministry on Thursday strongly urged Korean missionaries in Lebanon and Israel to leave the countries as soon as possible amid escalating military tension in the Middle East. Hong Seok-in, who is in charge of the protection of overseas nationals and consular affairs, conveyed the warning during a meeting with 10 missionary organizations. He strongly advised the missionaries in Lebanon and Israel to promptly leave the area via available flights, considering the escalating conflict betw

Diplomatic Circuit Oct. 17, 2024

Central bank chiefs from South Korea, China and Japan held a meeting in Beijing on Thursday to discuss a variety issues, including economic and financial trends. Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Rhee Chang-yong met with his Chinese counterpart, Pan Gongsheng, and Japanese counterpart, Kazuo Ueda, at the gathering, the 13th of its kind, chaired by Beijing's top central banker, according to the BOK. The BOK said the central bank chiefs exchanged their views on recent economic and financial issues.

Economy Oct. 17, 2024

South Korean shares closed slightly lower Thursday as foreign investors extended their selling streak to a second session. The local currency lost ground against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) slipped 1.06 points, or 0.04 percent, to close at 2,609.30. Trading volume was moderate at 325 million shares worth 9.7 trillion won ($7.09 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 511 to 358. Foreign investors net sold 405.8 billion won worth of local shares, on

Market Oct. 17, 2024

The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Thursday to push for major reform agenda items after the ruling People Power Party won crucial by-elections on its home turf. The PPP secured victories in its traditional stronghold constituencies -- Busan's Geumjeong District and Incheon's Ganghwa County -- in Wednesday's by-elections as the party seeks to recover from waning approval ratings for both Yoon and the party following its crushing defeat in the April 10 parliamentary electio

Politics Oct. 17, 2024