Three firefighters were killed while battling a warehouse blaze in Pyeongtaek on Thursday as authorities were still struggling to bring the fire under control after over 12 hours, officials said. The bodies of two deceased firefighters were found at 12:22 p.m. on the second floor of the refrigeration warehouse construction site in western Pyeongtaek, a city located 70 kilometers south of Seoul. The third firefighter was discovered nearby about 20 minutes later. The fire at the seven-story ware

Social Affairs Jan. 6, 2022

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned North Korea's latest missile test in his telephone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Wednesday. The two also discussed ways to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to the state department. "Secretary Blinken condemned the DPRK's ballistic missile launch and stressed US commitment to the defense of Japan remains ironclad," department spokesperson Ned Price said of the call

North Korea Jan. 6, 2022

The four figure skaters to represent South Korea at the Beijing Winter Olympics will be determined in the final national team trials Sunday. The second leg of the two-day Olympic trials will open Saturday in Uijeongbu, some 20 kilometers north of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province. Saturday will feature short programs for the men's and women's singles, followed by free skates for both disciplines Sunday. South Korea has secured two quota places in each of the men's and women's singles. The top two sk

Olympic Games Jan. 6, 2022

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. said Thursday it has received a 502 billion won ($420 million) liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship order in Greece. Daewoo Shipbuilding will deliver the LNG carriers to an unidentified shipper in Greece by November 2025, the company said in a regulatory filing. The company is the world's third-largest shipbuilder by orders after Hyundai Heavy Industries Group and Samsung Heavy Industries Co. in terms of 2021 orders. Last year, Daewoo Shipbuildi

Industry Jan. 6, 2022

South Korea and Saudi Arabia have vowed to boost cooperation in nuclear power and other energy fields for their transition to a low carbon economy, Seoul's industry ministry said Thursday. South Korea's Industry Minister Moon Sung-wook and Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman reached their consensus at their meeting in the kingdom. Moon arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a three-day stay at the Saudi minister's invitation. During the Wednesday meeting, Moon suggested enhanc

Foreign Affairs Jan. 6, 2022

Train operations on the Seoul-Busan line were normalized Thursday morning, a day after a KTX bullet train derailed in central South Korea and injured seven passengers, the operator said. Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) said trains bound for Seoul from the southeastern port city of Busan resumed normal operations from 5:47 a.m. and those heading to Busan from Seoul from 7:55 a.m. The normalization came after more than 130 train operations were delayed or canceled Wednesday afternoon, as a KTX-San

Social Affairs Jan. 6, 2022

South Korea's military on Thursday reported 16 additional COVID-19 cases, including 14 breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,376. Of the new cases, six are from the Army, six from the Air Force and four from units under the direct control of the defense ministry. Currently, 221 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,566 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Social Affairs Jan. 6, 2022

A South Korean research lab said Thursday that it has successfully developed the world's first intercontinental 5G-satellite network system to help communicate in case of a disaster. The 5G-satellite multiple network system -- co-developed with the European Union -- connects 5G networks to satellite networks to allow communication services in remote areas or in disasters, the state-funded Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) said. The new system provides communication t

Technology Jan. 6, 2022

North Korea held a major outdoor rally in Pyongyang earlier this week, with a number of citizens and some top officials in attendance, in support of decisions from a recent key party meeting, according to state media Thursday. Wrapping up a year-end Workers' Party plenary session last week, the North outlined its policy priorities for the new year on developing the national economy and bolstering anti-virus efforts. "In order to thoroughly accomplish the decisions of the 4th Plenary Meeti

North Korea Jan. 6, 2022

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases stayed over 4,000 for the second straight day Thursday as the country kept stricter antivirus measures in place amid persistent worries over a resurgence in infections and the spread of the omicron variant. The country added 4,126 new COVID-19 infections, including 3,931 local infections, raising the total caseload to 653,792, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). This marked the second straight that the daily cases have rema

Social Affairs Jan. 6, 2022

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday as the US Federal Reserve minutes stoked concerns that the Fed may push harsher-than-expected rate hikes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 13.69 points, or 0.46 percent, to 2,940.28 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks got off to a lackluster start, tracking the overnight Wall Street tech plunge. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite tumbled 3.34 percent overnight and the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.07 per

Market Jan. 6, 2022

The United States on Wednesday condemned North Korea's missile launch as a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and a threat to the international community. "The United States condemns the DPRK's ballistic missile launch. This launch is in violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions and poses a threat to the DPRK's neighbors and the international community," a state department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency in an email. DPRK stands for the Democratic

North Korea Jan. 6, 2022

South Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion Inc. said Thursday that its self-diagnostic kit for COVID-19 is available for purchase on global retailer Amazon. Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Home Test, co-developed by local health care business Humasis, received the US Food and Drug Administration's Emergency Use Authorization approval last year. The product is supplied through Amazon after Celltrion directly signed a contract with the world's largest online retailer. Celltrion said Amazon

Industry Jan. 6, 2022

Nearly 9 in 10 South Korean exporting companies expect the global trade situation in 2022 not to improve compared with the previous year due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic, a poll showed Thursday. The survey of 300 exporting firms showed 55 percent of the respondents anticipating this year's world trade conditions to be similar to those in 2021. About 37 percent said the global trade climate would take a turn for the worse this year, with only 14.3 percent forecasting an improvement. The

Economy Jan. 6, 2022

LAS VEGAS -- LG Electronics Inc. on Wednesday welcomed visitors to its massive booth, physically and virtually, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, offering an alternative approach to exhibiting its latest technology innovations amid the raging pandemic. LG Electronics virtually presented its new consumer electronics products, ranging from an indoor gardening gadget to a duel filter air purifier, in the 2,000-square-foot eco-friendly booth constructed of materials that are upcy

Technology Jan. 6, 2022