US President Joe Biden on Saturday welcomed as good news Pope Francis' expression of a willingness to visit North Korea when he met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Rome, an aide to Moon said. Biden made the remarks as Moon told him that he asked the pope to visit North Korea to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula and Pope Francis positively reacted to the offer by saying he is willing to go to the North if he receives an invitation, presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said. Bid

Foreign Affairs Oct. 31, 2021

South Korea's health authorities said Saturday that they are looking into the case of a teenager who died after vaccination. According to the authorities, a third-grade high schooler was inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine on Aug. 13 and died on September 27. The teenager had no underlying conditions. It marks the first reported death of a vaccinated teenager. Since mid-July, high school seniors and those who will take the national college entrance exam slated for Nov. 18 have been vaccinated

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2021

South Korea bid farewell to late former President Roh Tae-woo on Saturday, marking the end of a five-day state funeral for a leader who drew both criticism and praise for his role in staging a coup and then embracing democracy. The funeral ceremony for Roh, who died Tuesday at age 88, began at 11 a.m. at the Peace Plaza at Olympic Park in eastern Seoul, a symbolic venue for him as it was there that the 1988 Summer Olympics were held successfully during his five-year term. His body was brough

Politics Oct. 30, 2021

South Korea's new COVID-19 cases stayed above 2,100 for the third straight day on Saturday, amid jitters over a possible spike as the country is about to relax antivirus measures for a return to normalcy.   The country added 2,104 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,089 local infections, raising the total caseload to 362,639, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.   The virus curve had appeared to be flattening over the past few weeks, dipping to 1,190 on

Social Affairs Oct. 30, 2021

  The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States had phone talks Friday on stalled nuclear negotiations with North Korea and Seoul's proposal for an end-of-war declaration, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and his American counterpart, Sung Kim, agreed on the need to "stably manage the situation" on the peninsula, the ministry said. "They held constructive consultations

North Korea Oct. 29, 2021

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday asked Pope Francis to visit North Korea to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula, and the pope positively reacted to the offer, saying he is willing to do so if he receives an invitation from the North, an official said.   Moon made the offer during a meeting with the pope at the Vatican earlier in the day, saying a papal visit to North Korea will serve as momentum for bringing peace on the Korean Peninsula.  "If the pontiff visits

North Korea Oct. 29, 2021

South Korea's military plans to ease its social distancing restrictions, including curbs on off-base trips, in phases and administer booster shots for all service members by early next year, the defense ministry said Friday. Defense Minister Suh Wook finalized the plan at a video-linked meeting with top military commanders, as the government plans to enforce eased anti-COVID-19 rules starting next month for a gradual return to normal life. Set to take effect Monday, the military's plan includ

Defense Oct. 29, 2021

  Amorepacific Corp. said Friday its third-quarter net profit rose more than fivefold from a year earlier. Net income was 38.5 billion won ($32.9 million) in the third quarter, compared with 7 billion won in the same period a year ago, Amorepacific said in a regulatory filing. Operating profit for the July-September period fell 10.2 percent on-year to 50.3 billion won. Sales increased 1.9 percent to 1.1 trillion won. The operating profit was 29 percent lower than the average estimate

Industry Oct. 29, 2021

Sixty-five percent of South Koreans support an independent counsel investigation into a corruption-laden urban development scandal engulfing South Korean politics while 25 percent are against it, a survey showed Friday. The Gallup Korea poll of 1,000 adults conducted between Tuesday and Thursday also showed 55 percent suspect that Lee Jae-myung, the presidential nominee of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), played a part in the development project in Seongnam, south of Seoul, with a purpose to g

Politics Oct. 29, 2021

A teenager riding an e-scooter without a helmet has died after ramming into a utility pole while racing downhill in Seoul, police said Friday. The 17-year-old high-school student crashed into the telephone pole at 8:26 p.m. Thursday on a road in Seoul's northern district of Nowon, police said. After sustaining injuries to the head, he was given cardiopulmonary resuscitation and rushed to a nearby hospital but died, according to the police. A police probe found he lost control of the personal

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2021

South Korean stocks ended lower for a third straight day Friday as tech shares declined following the release of weaker-than-expected earnings by major US tech firms. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 38.87 points, or 1.29 percent, to close at 2,970.68 points. Trading volume was moderate at 535.48 million shares worth 10.789 trillion won ($9.2 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 663 to 210. Foreigners and institution

Market Oct. 29, 2021

Hanwha Aerospace Co. on Friday reported its third-quarter net profit of 74.7 billion won ($63.9 million), up 33.4 percent from a year earlier. The company said in a regulatory filing that operating profit for the July-September period rose 9.5 percent on-year to 103.3 billion won. Revenue increased 12 percent to 1.54 trillion won. The operating profit was 30.3 percent higher than the average estimate, according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. The

Industry Oct. 29, 2021

The state watchdog on personal information protection on Friday recommended the operator of Facebook to pay 300,000 won ($256.70) in compensation to each of 181 users demanding damages for the provision of their personal information to third parties without consent. The recommendation to Meta Platforms, Inc. was made by the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC)'s dispute mediation panel in charge of settling a dispute between the operator and Korean users of Facebook over the platfo

Industry Oct. 29, 2021

ANYANG -- An elementary school principal in Anyang was placed under emergency arrest Friday for allegedly installing a hidden camera inside a bathroom of the school's female faculty. The Anyang Dongan Police Station said it was questioning the 57-year-old principal, who is alleged to have placed a 2-4 centimeter-long camera near a toilet inside the women's bathroom at his school in the city 23 kilometers south of Seoul. A teacher reportedly discovered the camera and reported it to school autho

Social Affairs Oct. 29, 2021

As South Korea tries to take baby steps back to normal life during the coronavirus pandemic, fan experience in baseball and football, two of the country's biggest sports, is about to change for the better, too. For one, you can now have the ballpark staple of chicken and beer, colloquially called "chimaek," starting next week, if you're fully vaccinated. The government on Friday unveiled plans for a phased return to normalcy amid the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those measur

Baseball Oct. 29, 2021