CHIBA -- Increasing parity in taekwondo is ultimately a good thing for the traditional Korean martial art. The more countries practice taekwondo and produce Olympic medalists, the better it is for the sport's long-term future, especially when it comes to its relevance among other Olympic events. Taekwondo, after all, has gone through numerous rule changes in recent years, trying to make it more watchable and entertaining. But in the short term, the spread of wealth doesn't help South Korea's Ol

Olympic Games July 28, 2021

South and North Korea are standing at the starting line again for the ultimate goal of denuclearization, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. It was talking about the meaning of the reopening of inter-Korean communication lines, the result of President Moon Jae-in's exchange of several personal letters with the North's leader Kim Jong-un over the past few months. The previous day, the two Koreas restored their military and government-level liaison hotlines that were severed in June last year. They a

Politics July 28, 2021

South and North Korea held their daily liaison phone call on Wednesday, the unification ministry said, a day after Pyongyang restored inter-Korean communication lines after a 13-month suspension. Four hotlines were restored Tuesday after the North cut them off in June last year in protest of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets coming in from the South. At the time, the North also blew up a joint liaison office in anger as well. On Wednesday, the two sides held phone calls via liaison and milita

North Korea July 28, 2021

US pharmaceutical company Moderna will resume provisions of COVID-19 vaccines to South Korea next week, the prime minister said Wednesday, following a delay due to an issue linked to the company's vaccine production. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced the company's vaccine supply resumption plan at an interagency COVID-19 response meeting, explaining that health officials discussed the matter with Moderna officials late Tuesday through a video conference. The government said Tuesday that Mo

Politics July 28, 2021

TOKYO -- The defending champion South Korea will open its quest for a second straight baseball gold medal, 13 years apart, against Israel on Thursday. The national baseball team, beleaguered in light of players' misconduct scandal, will also try to win over fans who have turned their backs on the sport. South Korea's first preliminary game against Israel starts at 7 p.m. at Yokohama Baseball Stadium in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. Two players, second baseman Park Min-woo and pitcher Han Hyun-hee

Olympic Games July 28, 2021

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the country's armed forces are fully ready to deal with any outside threats as he addressed a conference of war veterans but unlike last year, made no mention of "nuclear deterrence," according to state media Wednesday. The annual conference, held Tuesday to mark the anniversary of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, coincided with the surprise announcement that the North restored cross-border hotlines with South Korea that it had cut

North Korea July 28, 2021

More than half of employees at South Korean technology giant Naver Corp. reported having experienced bullying at work, the labor ministry said, calling for an improvement of its work culture. The Ministry of Employment and Labor on Tuesday announced the results of its special supervision of Naver following the suicide of one of its employees in May from apparent bullying at work. In a survey of Naver employees conducted from June 9 to July 23, 52.7 percent of respondents said they had experien

Industry July 28, 2021

South Korea's top economic policymaker on Wednesday warned of a housing bubble amid a looming interest rate hike, and vowed to increase the housing supply and tighten lending rules to stabilize the market. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki expressed worries over the continued housing rally in the Seoul metropolitan area driven by ample liquidity and expectations of a further price hike, which could threaten the financial stability amid the snowballing household debt. "Several housing market in

Economy July 28, 2021

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases hit a new high Wednesday, health authorities said, as the highly transmissible delta variant and rising infections outside the greater Seoul area continue to hamper the virus fight. The country added 1,896 COVID-19 cases, including 1,823 local infections, raising the total caseload to 193,427, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily number was up 531 from the previous day. It was the largest daily caseload since t

Social Affairs July 28, 2021

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to take a practical approach toward North Korea that leaves open the door for dialogue, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday. The US defense chief made the remark as North Korea reopened its direct communication lines with South Korea in an apparent move to improve its relations with Seoul that many believe may also lead to a resumption of dialogue with the United States. "And we're taking a calibrated, practical approach that leaves the

Foreign Affairs July 28, 2021

South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Wednesday, tracking the US stock retreat on uncertainties from China's move to regulate tech firms. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 4.61 points, or 0.14 percent, to 3,227.92 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Local investor sentiment weakened as tech stocks plunged more than 4 percent in Hong Kong for a second straight session Tuesday. Hong Kong tech retreated following China's decision to reform its tech industry

Market July 28, 2021

WASHINGTON -- The United States supports dialogue between South Korea and North Korea, a senior White House official said Tuesday, welcoming the reopening of direct communication lines between the divided Koreas. "We are supportive of the dialogue and communication with North Korea," Kurt Campbell, policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, told reporters after taking part in a breakfast meeting in Washington hosted by the Korea-US Alliance Foundation. His remarks come after North Kore

Foreign Affairs July 28, 2021

Large companies in South Korea have more than halved their air pollutant emissions over the past five years amid the government's anti-coal policies, a corporate tracker said Wednesday. Air pollutant emissions by 166 plants of 77 large businesses came to 139,112 tons in 2020, down 56 percent from 316,013 five years earlier, according to CEO Score. The environment ministry designates seven materials -- nitrogen oxide, dust, sulfur oxide, hydrogen fluoride, ammonia, carbon monoxide and hydrogen

Industry July 28, 2021

Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor Co. voted to accept the company's wage offerings for the year amid the extended COVID-19 pandemic, the union said Wednesday. In a vote held Tuesday, 56 percent of 42,745 workers who cast a ballot approved this year's wage agreement between the labor union and management, the company said in a statement. Hyundai and its 48,534-member union reached the wage deal without a strike for the third consecutive year. They will sign the wage deal Thursday, it said. Th

Industry July 28, 2021

South Korea's consumer sentiment dropped in July over a recent spike in COVID-19 infections, marking the first decline since December last year, central bank data showed Wednesday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) came in at 103.2 for July, down 7.1 points from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists. The latest reading marks the first fall since December last year, when the index stood at 91

Economy July 28, 2021