YOKOHAMA -- First, it was the daughter of a former baseball player winning a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Then came the daughter of an ex-gymnast joining her father as an Olympic medalist. Now, one of South Korea's top baseball players wants a medal for himself, too. Outfielder Lee Jung-hoo helped push himself and his team toward that goal Sunday night, delivering a game-tying double against the Dominican Republic in the ninth inning of a 4-3 victory. Lee later came around to score the winning

Olympic Games Aug. 2, 2021

The daily caseload has remained above 1,000 since July 7 due to outbreaks centered in the greater Seoul area. Authorities, however, have been on high alert over a nationwide resurgence amid increasing travel during the summer vacation season and the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. "In order to spend summer vacations safely, we request that people meet in small family groups in uncrowded areas," KDCA chief Jeong Eun-kyeong said in a press briefing. To slow down the rec

Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2021

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, helped by strong economic data that fueled optimism for a quick economic rebound from the pandemic. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 14.44 points, or 0.45 percent, to 3,216.76 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks got off to a bullish start as South Korea's July exports jumped 29.6 percent on-year to a record high amid high demand for chips and autos. Top cap Samsung Electronics added 1.02 percent, and No. 2 chi

Market Aug. 2, 2021

Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Monday it has received a $78 million deal to supply trainer jets to Thailand. Under the deal, KAI will supply two T-50TH advanced trainer jets to the Thailand air force by November 2023, the company said in a regulatory filing. KAI has achieved $400 million worth of deals to supply 16 T-50 trainer jets to date. KAI has exported 156 trainer jets worth US$3.1 billion -- 72 T-50 advanced trainer jets worth $2.6

Industry Aug. 2, 2021

Samsung Electronics Co. was the world's fifth-largest vendor of Chromebooks in the second quarter of the year, a report showed Monday, as the South Korean tech giant aims to expand its presence in the portable PC market amid the pandemic. Samsung had a market share of 7 percent in the April-June period after shipping 900,000 Chromebooks that refer to laptops or tablets running on Google's Chrome operating system (OS), according to a report from market researcher International Data Corp. (IDC).

Industry Aug. 2, 2021

SEJONG -- The number of seniors living alone has surged nearly 36 percent over the last five years amid the country's rapid population aging, data showed Monday. A total of 1.66 million South Koreans aged 65 and older lived by themselves in 2020, up 35.8 percent from five years earlier, according to the data from Statistics Korea. The number accounted for 21.2 percent of local household members aged 65 and older, which numbered 7.85 million last year. In particular, the number of seniors livi

Social Affairs Aug. 2, 2021

North Korea on Monday denounced the United States again for meddling in internal affairs in Cuba by instigating anti-government demonstrations and unrest in the Caribbean country. "The US's intention has been laid bare outright that it seeks to instigate internal unrest by influencing anti-government elements and bolstering anti-Cuba sentiment globally," the ministry said in a posting on its website. "The US has been involved in behind-the-scene manipulation of anti-government d

North Korea Aug. 2, 2021

South Korean high jumper Woo Sang-hyeok made history at the Tokyo Olympics Sunday, setting a new national record and achieving the highest ranking in an Olympic track-and-field event for the country. In the finals of men's high jump held at the Olympic Stadium, Woo cleared 2.35m in his first attempt, breaking the Korean record of 2.34m set by Lee Jin-taek in 1997. He also raised his personal best height by 4cm in his Olympic debut. The 25-year old finished 4th after failing to jump the bar at

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021

The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned Sunday that annual summertime military drills between South Korea and the United States will cloud the future of inter-Korean relations. Kim Yo-Jong issued the warning in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, just days after the North restored long-severed communication lines with the South and raised hope for a new round of detente between the two sides. "I surely see the military drill, which takes place at an importa

North Korea Aug. 1, 2021

TOKYO -- South Korean artistic gymnast Yeo Seo-jeong can proudly call herself an Olympic medalist, but the 19-year-old vaulter isn't even the first one in her family to claim that title. It was a quarter century ago that her father, Yeo Hong-chul, captured silver medal in the men's vault at the Atlanta Olympics. Thanks to Seo-jeong's bronze medal in the women's vault at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, the Yeos are now the first father-daughter duo from South Korea to have won Olympic medals. T

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021

SAITAMA -- South Korean players Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo both ended well out of medal contention in the Tokyo Olympic men's golf tournament on Sunday. Im shot a bogey-free round of three-under 68 on Sunday at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, north of Tokyo, and finished at 10-under for the four-round competition. He finished tied for 22nd with four others. Xander Schauffele of the United States won the gold medal at 18-under 266. Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia posted a blistering round of 1

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021

SAITAMA, Japan -- If a quartet of South Korean LPGA stars needed any source of inspiration for the upcoming Olympic women's golf tournament in Japan, they found it from other athletes from the country on Saturday night. Hours after arriving in Tokyo, Park In-bee, Ko Jin-young, Kim Sei-young and Kim Hyo-joo all watched the South Korean women's volleyball team defeat Japan in a five-set thriller. Led by captain Kim Yeon-koung's 30 points, South Korea stormed back from a 14-12 deficit in the fift

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021

TOKYO -- South Korean Olympic archery champions An San and Kim Je-deok will donate their "Robin Hood" arrows and autographed uniforms to the Olympic Museum in Switzerland, the sport's national federation said Sunday. The Korea Archery Association (KAA) said An, a triple gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, and Kim, who won two gold medals, will have arrows from their run to the inaugural mixed team event title exhibited at the museum, run by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) i

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021

Vice Unification Minister Choi Young-jun plans to visit the United States next month to coordinate North Korea policy as South Korea seeks dialogue and reconciliation with North Korea after Pyongyang's restoration of inter-Korean communication lines, officials said Sunday. Choi has been taking necessary steps for a US trip expected sometime in September, such as receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and filing a request for exemption from coronavirus quarantine, ministry officials said. "A trip to

Politics Aug. 1, 2021

President Moon Jae-in sent a congratulatory message to the women's sabre fencing team Sunday for winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The team of four -- Kim Ji-yeon, Yoon Ji-su Choi Soo-yeon and Seo Ji-yeon -- defeated Italy in the bronze medal match Saturday, winning the country's first medal in the women's sabre team event, which made its Olympic debut in 2008. "(The team) gave great joy and courage to the people," he said in the message also shared on social media. "

Olympic Games Aug. 1, 2021