Presidential contenders from the ruling and opposition blocs have added a new approach to their widening campaigns to win voters at next year's presidential election: reaching out to cats and dogs. Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung and Rep. Lee Nak-yon, the top two presidential hopefuls from the ruling Democratic Party (DP), have been stepping up the promotion of their presidential campaign pledges dedicated to pets and, ultimately, pet and animal lovers. Gov. Lee is not a pet owner himself

Politics July 28, 2021

TOKYO -- Hwang Sun-woo, the 18-year-old South Korean swimmer on the cusp of becoming the country's next sporting hero, thinks he's got some sort of superpower in him. How else would you explain Hwang's past 24 hours at the Tokyo Olympics? On Tuesday, Hwang raced in the 200m freestyle final in the morning and then in the 100m freestyle heats in the evening. Less than an hour later, he also participated in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Then came Wednesday morning, when Hwang didn't just compete i

Olympic Games July 28, 2021

South Korean stocks edged up Wednesday after a choppy session as hopes of strong corporate earnings pared investors' concerns about China's move to regulate tech firms. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 4.33 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 3,236.86 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 857 million shares worth some 11.7 trillion won (US$10.1 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 590 to 253. Foreigners sold

Market July 28, 2021

South Korea's terms of trade fell for the third consecutive month in June due to a rise in prices of imported goods, central bank data showed Wednesday. The nation's net terms-of-trade index for goods -- a gauge of trade terms -- declined 3.7 percent last month from a year earlier, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The figure is calculated by dividing the index for export prices by that for import prices. It shows the amount of imports a country can buy for each unit

Economy July 28, 2021

The number of South Koreans who moved to different residences in the country fell for the sixth straight month in June amid a heated housing market, data showed Wednesday. The number of people who changed their residences fell 10.4 percent on-year to 544,000 last month, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the sixth consecutive month of on-year decline after population mobility rose for the seventh month in December last year amid skyrocketing home prices. The populat

Economy July 28, 2021

The number of babies born in South Korea dropped to a new record low in May, data showed Wednesday, in the latest sign that underscores the country's gloomy demographic situation. A total of 22,052 babies were born in May, down 3.5 percent from the previous year, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest for any May since 1981, when the statistics agency began compiling related data. South Korea is struggling with a sustained fall in childbirths as many young pe

Social Affairs July 28, 2021

South Korea's financial authority said Wednesday it plans to expand the ecosystem of the so-called open banking platform by inviting users of fintech services, allowing more people to enjoy simpler financial transactions. South Korea launched the open banking service in 2019, which centers on allowing customers to use any mobile banking application of their choice to access their accounts in different banks. Major South Korean banks already have joined the platform. Starting Friday, users of f

Economy July 28, 2021

LG Display Co., a major display panel maker in South Korea, on Wednesday said it has swung to the black in the second quarter of the year on the back of rising LCD panel prices and improvements in the OLED display business. The world's leading large-size OLED display maker reported a net profit of 423.8 billion won ($368.5 million), shifting from a loss of 503.8 billion won a year earlier. Operating income for the April-June period was 701.1 billion, compared with a loss of 517 billion won a y

Industry July 28, 2021

Three soldiers and a civilian worker for the Army tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said, the latest in a series of confirmed cases across the country amid a new wave of the pandemic. Two soldiers -- one in the central city of Nonsan and the other in the border city of Paju -- tested positive while being in isolation after recently joining the military, according to the ministry. The remaining soldier in Siheung, south of Seoul, and a civilian worker in the eastern

Defense July 28, 2021

Samsung Electronics Co. on Wednesday unveiled a new multifunctional cooking appliance to target consumers who enjoy meal kits and home meal replacement (HMR) products amid the stay-at-home trend. The BESPOKE Qooker was launched in South Korea with a price tag of 590,000 won ($510). An overseas launch of the product has not yet been confirmed, according to Samsung. "Qooker" comes from the word "cooker," with the letter Q representing "quality" and "quick,"

Industry July 28, 2021

Justice Minister Park Beom-kye said Wednesday it is too late for two former presidents jailed for corruption to receive presidential pardons on the occasion of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day. He made the remark as two elderly former presidents, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, were admitted to hospitals last week in moves some observers said may be intended to arouse public opinion favorable to special amnesties for them. Minister Park dismissed such speculation, saying they were hospitalized for

Politics July 28, 2021

South Korea's industry ministry said Wednesday it has given the go-ahead to a set of regulated projects, including allowing businesses to test self-driving robots equipped with cameras on sidewalks, in line with its efforts to lift excessive barriers and foster new growth engines. Previously, self-driving robots were banned from running alongside pedestrians because they were considered automobiles under local rules. Currently, self-driving robots cannot be equipped with cameras on privacy con

Industry July 28, 2021

South Korea's agricultural ministry said Wednesday the recent scorching summer heat has had a limited impact on the supply of livestock products, although local farms may suffer more damage down the road if the heat wave continues. As of Monday, a total of 219,000 chickens died due to the sweltering summer heat in July, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Around 5,000 pigs were also reported dead. The ministry, however, said the figures are far below those reporte

Economy July 28, 2021

South and North Korean military authorities held a daily phone call via a military hotline on Wednesday, the defense ministry said, a day after the North restored all severed communication lines with the South. "The South and the North held their daily liaison phone call at 9 a.m. Wednesday, via the western communication line," the defense ministry said, referring to one of the two military hotlines set up across the border. The other channel, known as the eastern line, is not fully

Defense July 28, 2021

TOKYO -- After the conclusion of the last professional volleyball season in South Korea, Kim Hee-jin underwent left knee surgery in May to remove bone chips. She was about to go on an extensive rehab that would get her ready for the next season. But then the national team came calling. Head coach Stefano Lavarini specifically wanted the opposite spiker on the squad for the Tokyo Olympics in July. Lavarini in particular praised Kim's thorough understanding of the team's strategy and her ability

Olympic Games July 28, 2021