More than 1 in 6 South Korean married women suffered a career break this year as they quit their jobs due to child rearing and getting married, data showed Tuesday. The number of women aged 15-54 who have stopped working after marriage reached 1.45 million in April, down 3.8 percent, or 57,000, from the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. Such women accounted for 17.4 percent of the total 8.32 million married women, down from 17.6 percent a year earlier. The 2021 tally

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2021

North Korea has opened a nationwide computer programming competition aimed at cultivating talents to lead the country's information and technology development, a propaganda outlet said Tuesday. A semifinal for the competition, organized by the Kimchaek University of Technology, took place between Nov. 5-15, with the final match slated to kick off Friday for an 11-day run, according to DPRK Today. In an interview with it, the university's vice president said around 1,240 participants, ranging

North Korea Nov. 23, 2021

The South Korean fantasy horror "Hellbound" has regained the global No. 1 position on Netflix's popular TV show rankings. According to data released by streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol on Monday (US time), "Hellbound" rose one notch to top the list of the most-watched Netflix TV shows, replacing the former No. 1 "Arcane," an animated series based on the online battle game "League of Legends." The Korean-language show debuted No. 1 on the day after its

Television Nov. 23, 2021

The Seoul city government will co-host a virtual international conference with UN-Habitat next week to explore ways to protect heritage sites in large cities, officials said Tuesday. The webinar, titled "Heritage and Metropolis," will bring together city and heritage management experts from more than 30 cities in 15 nations for two days of discussions on Dec. 1 and 2, city officials said. Other participating cities include Shanghai, Milano, Delhi, Istanbul and New York. On the firs

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2021

After BTS won the artist of the year, considered the top honor, at the American Music Awards (AMAs), beating out big names like Ariana Grande, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd, all eyes are now on the South Korean group's next challenge -- the Grammy Awards. Will a gramophone-shaped trophy be an added jewel for the K-pop megastar who has bagged two of the three largest music awards in the United States this year? BTS won artist of the year, favorite pop duo or group and favor

K-pop Nov. 23, 2021

Temperatures fell by over 10 degrees to below zero in many parts of the country Tuesday morning, with snow falling in many regions as well, the state weather agency said. The mercury had dropped to minus 3.7 C in Seoul as of 7:30 a.m., the lowest this fall, and below minus 5 C in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital and mountainous areas of the northeastern Gangwon Province, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Morning lows dipped below ze

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2021

South Korea's military reported 10 additional COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,203. An officer of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command based in Seoul tested positive after developing symptoms. A civilian employee of the Air Force stationed in Osan, 55 kilometers south of Seoul, and an Army officer in the central city of Daejeon were also confirmed to have contracted the virus after exhibiting symptoms. An Army officer stationed in Pocheon, 46

Defense Nov. 23, 2021

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has ruled out the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle in the final months of the current administration amid rumors some Cabinet members could quit to run in next year's local elections. "It makes no sense," Kim said during his press meeting Monday in the central city of Sejong. "There are only six months left of this government's term, so how can we do a reshuffle?" Rumors have been circulating recently that Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki may run

Politics Nov. 23, 2021

South Korea's new coronavirus cases stayed below 3,000 for the second straight day Tuesday, but the number of critically ill patients hit an all-time high, raising concerns over a shortage of hospital beds for treatment. The country reported 2,699 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,685 local infections, raising the total caseload to 420,950, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). This marked the second straight day that the daily infections remained below 3,000. The

Social Affairs Nov. 23, 2021

South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday as investors attempted to lock in gains from the recent tech rally. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 6.54 points, or 0.22 percent, to 3.006.71 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI got off to a lackluster start amid losses in most large caps. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 1.26 percent amid lingering inflation concerns. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.05 percent Top cap Samsung

Market Nov. 23, 2021

South Korea plans to chart out around 12.7 trillion won ($10.7 billion) worth of support measures for pandemic-hit small merchants and vulnerable people with excess tax revenue and the state budget, the country's finance minister said Tuesday. The government will unveil a package of measures to support small merchants, including low interest rate loans and cuts in electricity bills, according to Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki. The measures will also include ways to stabilize inflation and back qu

Economy Nov. 23, 2021

Large South Korean companies have cut their combined workforce by more than 1 percent over the past two years amid the coronavirus pandemic, a corporate tracker said Tuesday. The number of workers hired by 313 out of the country's top 500 firms by sales came to 1.24 million as of end-September this year, down 1.02 percent, or around 12,800, from two years earlier, according to the Leaders Index. These companies removed some 18,200 regular jobs over the cited period, while increasing the number

Industry Nov. 23, 2021

The European Union antitrust regulator said Tuesday it has resumed its investigation into the proposed combination of two major South Korean shipbuilders 16 months after it suspended the probe. The European Commission plans to finalize the probe by Jan. 20, it said on its website. "The probe was able to be resumed as we fully answered questions by the EU antitrust regulator," said an official at Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE). KSOE is the subholding compan

Industry Nov. 23, 2021

South Korea's business sentiment deteriorated for December due to raw materials and parts supply disruptions from China in the manufacturing sector, a local think tank said Tuesday. The business survey index (BSI) of the country's top 600 companies by sales fell to 100.3 for next month, down from 100.6 for November, the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) said in a statement. The business outlook stayed above 100 for a fourth straight month. The actual BSI stood at 102.2 in November, up

Economy Nov. 23, 2021

South Korea's corporate direct financing shrank in October from a month earlier due to a reduction in bond sales, data showed Tuesday. Local companies raised a combined 19.15 trillion won ($16.2 billion) by selling stocks and bonds last month, down 473.6 billion won from the previous month, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service. Direct financing refers to raising funds directly from the stock and bond markets without borrowing from banks and other financial institutions.

Economy Nov. 23, 2021