North Korea held a Red Cross meeting and stressed the importance of cooperation with international aid organizations amid the global coronavirus pandemic, state media said Thursday. During the meeting held Tuesday and Wednesday, the North highlighted the need to closely cooperate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international organizations to achieve its "strategic goals," according

North Korea June 10, 2021

LG Electronics Inc. on Thursday unveiled a mobile application for pedestrian safety as the South Korean tech giant eyes to beef up its presence in the software sector despite its planned departure from the smartphone business. The Soft V2X, with V2X standing for "vehicle to everything," is LG's smartphone solution for pedestrian protection. The app can warn users of collision risks between pedestrians and vehicles, as well as possible car-to-car crashes, to prevent road accidents. Th

Industry June 10, 2021

South Korean stocks opened nearly flat Thursday as investors await the release of US consumer price data that may give clues about the Federal Reserve's future monetary policy. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) edged down 0.5 points, or 0.02 percent, to reach 3,215.68 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Kospi got off to muted start as investors take a wait-and-see mode before the US consumer price index (CPI) for May that will be published later in the day (Kor

Market June 10, 2021

South Korea saw the annual number of drug offenders shoot up to a record high level last year, driven in part by an increase in juvenile and foreign drug criminals, a judicial report showed Thursday. According to the 2020 juridical yearbook, published recently by the Supreme Prosecutors Office (SPO), a total of 18,050 people were nabbed for drug-related crimes last year, up 12.5 percent from a year before. The 2020 figure marks the highest yearly number of drug offenders ever since the SPO beg

Social Affairs June 10, 2021

SK Telecom Co., South Korea's top wireless carrier, decided Thursday to spin off a new investment company in November to expand its foothold in new tech sectors, as well as conduct a 5-for-1 stock split aimed at improving shareholder value. The wireless carrier's board of directors approved the spinoff plan, and the new company, tentatively named SKT Investment Co., will be split on Nov. 1, according to a company regulatory filing. Under the spinoff, SK Telecom's shares will be divided 6-for-4

Industry June 10, 2021

An American service member stationed at a US military base near Seoul has tested positive for the new coronavirus while an additional 11 service members were confirmed to have contracted the virus following their arrival here, US Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday. A soldier at US Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, was found to be infected with COVID-19 on Wednesday after showing symptoms, according to the US military. The patient last visited the base Tuesda

Defense June 10, 2021

Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, said Thursday presale orders for its first all-electric model, EV6, have been fully reserved in one day in the United States. Kia sold all of the 1,500 units of the EV6 First Edition in an online preorder event in the world's most important automobile market on Tuesday (US time), the company said in a statement. The EV6 First Edition is equipped with a 77.4 kilowatt-hour (KWh) battery, an augmented reality head-up display, remote parking assist

Mobility June 10, 2021

South Korea and the United States have established a senior-level expert group to follow up on their summit deal on their "vaccine partnership," Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. The inaugural session of the task force was held via video link the previous night with government officials of the two sides in attendance, it said in a press release. They included a dozen representatives from the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the US International Development Fin

Politics June 10, 2021

WASHINGTON -- The United States seeks to engage with North Korea diplomatically to make progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday. Ned Price also said the newly appointed special US representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, will continue to work toward that end. "So the policy that we have spoken to calls for what we have deemed a calibrated, practical approach, that explores diplomacy, that is predicated on diplomacy with th

Foreign Affairs June 10, 2021

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong expressed hope Wednesday that relations bewteen the United States and China will develop in a "stable" manner during phone talks with his Chinese counterpart, stressing the importance of cooperation in tackling global challenges. The phone talks between Chung and Wang Yi came as President Moon Jae-in prepares to attend the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit in Britain, where US President Joe Biden is expected to rally major democracies against an asser

Foreign Affairs June 10, 2021

Forward Kim Shin-wook had a brace and teen sensation Jeong Sang-bin scored in his international debut, helping South Korea beat up on Sri Lanka 5-0 in a World Cup qualifying match at home on Wednesday. Hwang Hee-chan and Lee Dong-gyeong had a goal apiece against 10-man Sri Lanka at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, as South Korea remained atop Group H in the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. South Korea improved to 13 points from four wins and

Soccer June 9, 2021

The South Korean men's national football team paid respect to the late star Yoo Sang-chul before a World Cup qualifying match on Wednesday. Yoo died of cancer on Monday at age 49. The former midfielder was instrumental in South Korea's stunning march to the semifinals at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and was named to the All-Star Team after the tournament. He appeared in 128 international matches. Before South Korea's kickoff against Sri Lanka in the second round of the Asian qualifying for the 202

Social Affairs June 9, 2021

GWANGJU -- A building collapsed during demolition in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Wednesday, leaving at least nine people dead and eight others seriously injured, fire officials said. They received a report at 4:22 p.m. that the 5-story building had collapsed and fell onto a bus that was stopped at a station near the construction site. As of 8:40 p.m., nine people were confirmed dead and eight others were seriously injured and taken to nearby hospitals. All of them are bus passengers.

Social Affairs June 9, 2021

South Korea has designated 26 new state-funded Korean language institutes abroad, the culture ministry said Wednesday, as part of efforts to help more people learn about the Korean culture and language. The 26 new institutes are located in 18 countries, including Bolivia, Morocco, Nepal, Slovenia and Tanzania, where such institutes will first open, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Some 85 organizations in 43 countries had applied to be selected as a King Sejong Institu

Social Affairs June 9, 2021

Police announced Wednesday they have found no evidence of undue external influence in a botched investigation of an assault incident involving former Vice Justice Minister Lee Yong-gu, following a monthslong review of the police's handling of the high-profile case. Police have been investigating the circumstances and their response surrounding Lee's alleged assault of a taxi driver in November. Lee, who was then a private attorney, allegedly hurled insults at the driver and grabbed him by the c

Social Affairs June 9, 2021