President Moon Jae-in will chair an interagency meeting on COVID-19 this weekend to be joined by the heads of 17 local governments, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. He plans to preside over the session at Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday via video links, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. It is the first time for the president to chair a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in seven months. It is usually done by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum. Earlier Frid

Politics July 23, 2021

Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE) said Friday it has signed orders worth a combined 1.56 trillion won ($ 1.4 billion) to build seven LNG carriers. A 678 billion-won deal with an Asian company calls for Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., a unit of KSOE, to construct three LNG carriers by the end of 2024, KSOE said in a regulatory filing. Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co., another unit of KSOE, has obtained a 462.7 billion-won deal with a European company to build two LNG carr

Industry July 23, 2021

South Korean video streaming services are eyeing to boost their user base this summer by airing the Tokyo Olympics amid already heated competition. The Tokyo Summer Games, which officially kick off Friday, are available to watch live on multiple streaming platforms here, including Wavve, U+ Mobile TV and AfreecaTV. The Olympics present an opportunity for the homegrown platforms to diversify their watch list and catch up to market leader Netflix Inc. Netflix maintains a strong presence in Sout

Olympic Games July 23, 2021

South Korean superband BTS on Friday unveiled an R&B version of its latest Billboard-topping hit "Permission to Dance." The remix, which the group's agency Big Hit Music described as having a 1990s vibe, was released at 1 p.m., two weeks after the septet dropped the summer song. The new version is a gesture of gratitude for fans around the world who supported BTS in hitting No. 1 on the Billboard main singles chart with five songs, the agency added. BTS recently topped the Billb

K-pop July 23, 2021

South Korean stocks advanced for the second consecutive session Friday, largely as optimism for strong earnings and dovish signals from the European Central Bank (ECB) offset concerns over the extended virus curbs in greater Seoul. The Korean won strengthened against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 4.21 points, or 0.13 percent, to close at 3,254.42 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 761 million shares worth some 12.7 trillion won ($11 billi

Market July 23, 2021

Sales of summer appliances, including air conditioners and fans, are soaring in South Korea, industry sources said Friday, as the sweltering heat continues to scorch the country. With the daily temperature reaching as high as 38 C in some regions, demand for air conditioners and other cooling appliances is also going up with the stay-at-home trend remaining solid amid the fourth wave of the pandemic here, people in the electronics industry said. Samsung Electronics Co. said its domestic air co

Industry July 23, 2021

The United States looks forward to a "reliable, predictable and constructive" way forward with North Korea, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Friday, redoubling calls for Pyongyang to respond to Washington's overtures for dialogue. Sherman made the remarks after talks with First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun in Seoul, amid uncertainty over the resumption of nuclear diplomacy following Pyongyang's rejection of dialogue last month. "We are looking forward to a rel

Foreign Affairs July 23, 2021

Not that anyone needed more proof of their country's dominance, but South Korean archers broke two Olympic records in the preliminary stage at the Tokyo Summer Games on Friday. An San won the women's ranking rounds with 680 points out of a maximum 720 at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in Tokyo, breaking a 25-year-old Olympic record by seven points. Archers took 36 arrows in each of the two halves, with a maximum 10 points per arrow. An's two teammates, Jang Min-hee and Kang Chae-young, rounded

Olympic Games July 23, 2021

South Korean credit card companies are pushing to collaborate with K-pop agencies to launch customized products for fans who are becoming increasingly important customers across most industries. Earlier this week, credit card giant BC Card released a new product with K-pop giant YG Entertainment. Dubbed the "BLACKPINK Card," the new credit card offers fan-friendly features like discounts on ticket purchases and streaming, according to the two companies. BLACKPINK's four members -- Ji

K-pop July 23, 2021

TOKYO -- South Korean archer An San set an Olympic record to win the women's ranking round of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, while giving herself a shot at capturing three gold medals in the process. An, 20, scored 680 out of a possible 720 points in the ranking round at Yumenoshima Park Archery Field in the Japanese capital. Archers each fired 72 arrows, 36 in each half. An's two teammates rounded out the top three. Jang Min-hee finished second with 677 points, and Kang Chae-young ended with

Olympic Games July 23, 2021

Cheong Wa Dae said Friday its Chunchugwan press center will remain closed for two more weeks in line with extended social distancing restrictions against COVID-19. Earlier in the day, the government announced the extension of the highest level of regulations by two weeks in Seoul and nearby regions amid no tangible progress in efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Chunchugwan has been shut temporarily since July 12. It is the first time that the facility has closed as a precautionary measu

Politics July 23, 2021

A Seoul court on Friday ruled against an American composer in a plagiarism suit he brought against the producer of the popular South Korean children's song "Baby Shark" two years ago. The Seoul Central District Court rejected a claim by New York-based composer Johnny Only that "Baby Shark," a world-famous song released by South Korean education startup SmartStudy in 2015, copied his 2011 song. The rhythmic two-minute song featuring a shark family and their underwater hunt f

Social Affairs July 23, 2021

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest smartphone maker, is running a special trade-in program in the United States for its upcoming new foldable smartphones, industry insiders said Friday, amid its push to expand its customer base of foldable handsets. Samsung's US unit recently opened a reservation page that allows people to exchange up to two of their old devices for a new foldable smartphone to be launched next month. The South Korean tech giant earlier this week confirmed that its n

Industry July 23, 2021

North Korea's official newspaper on Friday called for all-out efforts to maximize grain production this year, saying successful farming is a "life-or-death" matter that could determine the country's fate. "The top priority issue of this year's national policy is successful farming," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the country's ruling Workers' Party, said in an editorial. "All citizens living in this country should provide every possible support while regarding good fa

North Korea July 23, 2021

K-pop juggernaut BTS will appear on the popular BBC radio show "Live Lounge" next week, the group's agency said Friday. The group will perform its first Billboard Hot 100 chart topper "Dynamite," its latest hit song "Permission to Dance" and a special cover of "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans on the British radio show next Tuesday (local time), Big Hit Music said. "Live Lounge" on BBC Radio 1 is known for its segment featurin

K-pop July 23, 2021