South Korean shares are expected to remain in a tight range next week as investors take to the sidelines amid ongoing political uncertainties in the United States, analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index closed at 2,049.93 points on Friday, down from 2,091.52 points a week earlier. The index started strong on Monday as investors were buoyed by hopes on the upcoming US-China trade talks.The index then dropped by more than 1 percent on Wednesday, ending a run of

Market Sept. 28, 2019

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with United Nations Development Programme chief Achim Steiner in New York for talks on issues of mutual interest, including support for North Korea, her ministry said Saturday.During the meeting held on Friday (New York time), the two sides exchanged views on such issues as the various ongoing joint projects between South Korea and the UN body, the UNDP's projects regarding North Korea and the implementation of reform measures for the UN development system, ac

North Korea Sept. 28, 2019

South Korea's gender pay gap widened in 2018 from a year earlier, marking the largest difference among the 36 member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a local workers' union said Thursday. Last year, the wage gap between male and female workers in Asia's fourth-biggest economy widened to a "serious level" of 37.1 percent, up from the previous year's 34.6 percent, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) said in a forum. "The widening pay gap

Social Affairs Sept. 26, 2019

Justice Minister Cho Kuk said Thursday he spoke by telephone with a chief prosecutor in charge of raids on Cho's residence over allegations of corruption, sparking a row over the appropriateness of the conversation, during a parliamentary interpellation session.The telephone conversation was with a prosecutor who was on the scene of the raids of Cho's residence on Monday. Prosecutors are investigating corruption allegations involving his family, including his wife's alleged forgery of a school a

Politics Sept. 26, 2019

US President Donald Trump could visit Pyongyang for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to try to use the event to boost his reelection campaign, a former top US nuclear envoy said Thursday."A possibility of him going to Pyongyang, I think it's quite likely. He's focused on reelection. Anything that helps the reelection, he would be wanting to do it," Joseph Yun, former US special representative for North Korea told a forum in Seoul."Another summit is likely. Trump has e

North Korea Sept. 26, 2019