Vice ministers from various government agencies will hold a meeting this week to address growing safety concerns over electric cars, following the recent explosion of an electric sedan in an underground apartment parking lot, the government said Monday. The Office for Government Policy Coordination is set to preside over the vice ministerial meeting on Tuesday as part of the government's plan to announce a set of measures to prevent electric car fires early next month, according to offici

Social Affairs Aug. 12, 2024

South Korean stocks closed more than 1 percent higher Monday, recovering from last week's rout as concerns over a US economic recession eased. The local currency lost ground against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 29.87 points, or 1.15 percent, to 2,618.30, rising for the second consecutive day. Trade volume was slim at 286.2 million shares worth 7.4 trillion won ($5.4 billion), with winners far outnumbering losers 674 to 202. Foreigners and institution

Market Aug. 12, 2024

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took swipe at South Korean media reports on flood damage in the North in an apparent attempt to divert public attention from the emergency situation, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday. During a visit to flood-hit areas of Uiju County in the northwestern province of North Pyongan last week, Kim lashed out at South Korean media reports that floods in areas along the Amnok River generated massive casualties. Kim rebuked South Korean media outlets as the m

North Korea Aug. 12, 2024

The main opposition Democratic Party urged President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday to withdraw the appointment of the new chief of the Independence Hall of Korea amid criticism of his controversial views accused of justifying Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. The appointment of Kim Hyoung-suk as head of the museum focusing on the country's independence movement during the colonial rule has sparked criticism over some of his past remarks seen by critics as "New Right" and pro-Japanese

Politics Aug. 12, 2024

The government will bring in 300 immigrant workers annually through a pilot visa program to address workforce shortages in power transmission line construction, officials said Monday. Under the two-year trial program, the government will issue E-7 work visas to 300 foreign workers annually, who will be employed in the country's power line construction industry, the justice and industry ministries said. The industry is struggling to hire new workers due to its dangerous and demanding work en

Social Affairs Aug. 12, 2024

South Korea and the United States will begin a major combined military exercise next week to strengthen their joint defense readiness in the face of evolving North Korean military threats, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday. The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise is set to take place from Aug. 19-29, featuring the main computer simulation-based command post exercise, concurrent field training and civil defense drills. The move comes amid heightened cross-border tensions due to Pyongyang

Defense Aug. 12, 2024

The chief of the financial regulator called on local companies to actively join the government-initiated corporate value-up program Monday, stressing the need to build a stock market that is "stronger" and can "recuperate faster." Kim Byoung-hwan, head of the Financial Services Commission, made the call in a meeting with the heads of eight local businesses that have made public disclosures about their corporate value-up efforts or promised to do so in the near future. "I

Market Aug. 12, 2024

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday on eased woes over a US recession after last week's rout. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 26.81 points, or 1.04 percent, to 2,615.24 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Major US indexes finished higher Friday following a rout as recession woes diminished thanks to better-than-expected unemployment data. Investors' eyes are now on the US consumer price, producer price and retail sales data due out later this week. In Seoul,

Market Aug. 12, 2024

PARIS(Yonhap) -- South Korea capped its better-than-expected run at the Paris Olympics with two more medals on the final day of the competition Sunday. Seong Seung-min grabbed bronze in the women's modern pentathlon and became the first Asian to reach the podium since the women's event was added to the Olympics in 2000. After equestrian show jumping, fencing, swimming and laser run, which combines running and laser pistol shooting, Seong finished in third place with 1,441 points, behin

More Sports Aug. 11, 2024

PARIS(Yonhap) -- Park Hye-jeong captured silver in the heaviest weight class in women's weightlifting Sunday for South Korea's final medal of the Paris Olympics. Park finished with the total of 299 kilograms, with 131kg in the snatch and 168kg in the clean and jerk in the women's +81kg event at South Paris Arena 6 in the French capital. Both the snatch mark and the total weight are new South Korean national records. Park, 21, became the first South Korean medalist in the women&#

More Sports Aug. 11, 2024

PARIS (Yonhap) -- Kim Woo-jin and Lim Si-hyeon, a pair of triple gold medalists in archery, were named the MVPs of the South Korean delegation to the Paris Olympics on Sunday. The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) announced that Kim and Lim were voted as the country's top athletes at the 33rd Summer Games by South Korean media. The KSOC created the MVP awards for a multisport competition for the first time at the Hangzhou Asian Games last fall. Lim, who had also won three archery

More Sports Aug. 11, 2024

North Korea has sent around 240 balloons carrying trash toward South Korea and about 10 of them landed in the South, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. As of 10 a.m., there had been no balloons detected floating midair, after North Korea launched such balloons Saturday, according to the South Korean military. A very few balloons landed in northern areas of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul, as North Korea appears to have sent them despite winds blowing in northern and northeastern directions.

North Korea Aug. 11, 2024

Lee Da-bin grabbed a bronze medal in the women's heaviest weight class in taekwondo Saturday, giving South Korea its third medal in its traditional martial art at the Paris Olympics. Lee defeated Lorena Brandl of Germany 2-1 (4-2, 5-9, 13-2) in one of the two bronze medal contests in the women's +67-kilogram event at Grand Palais in the French capital. South Korea sent four taekwondo practitioners to Paris, and three of them came away with medals. Before Lee, Park Tae-joon won the men&

More Sports Aug. 11, 2024

  PARIS -- South Korea defeated Germany to claim the bronze medal in the women's table tennis team event at the Paris Olympics on Saturday. The trio of Shin Yu-bin, Jeon Ji-hee and Lee Eun-hye beat Shan Xiaona, Wan Yuan and Annett Kaufmann by 3-0 after taking one doubles and two singles matches at South Paris Arena 4 in the French capital. This was South Korea's second medal in the women's team event, which was added to the Olympics in 2008. South Korea won bronze that first year and went 1

More Sports Aug. 10, 2024

LPGA veteran Amy Yang is six shots off the lead heading into the final round of the women's golf tournament at the Paris Olympics. Yang, world No. 3, shot a two-under 70 in the third round on Friday at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, south of Paris, to reach three-under for the tournament. She had four birdies and two bogeys for her best round of the tournament so far. Yang is tied for 11th place with Hannah Green of Australia. They are six strokes behind two co-leaders, Lydia Ko, a South

Golf Aug. 10, 2024