South Korean captain Son Heung-min has been named the country's top male football player of the year for a record sixth time. The Korea Football Association (KFA) announced winners of the annual KFA Awards on Wednesday. Son earned the Male Player of the Year honor for the third straight time and sixth year overall. He previously won this award in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2020. He netted four goals in seven international matches in 2021. At club level, Son set a career high with 22 goals in a

Soccer Dec. 29, 2021

SEJONG -- The number of South Koreans who moved to different residences in the country dropped for the 11th straight month in November amid fewer newly available apartments, data showed Wednesday. The number of people who changed their residences sank 7.1 percent on-year to 567,000 last month, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the 11th consecutive month the number has dropped and was lower than the 10.7 percent decline posted in September. The fall was attributable

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2021

The number of babies born in South Korea sank to a record low in October, data showed Wednesday, highlighting the country's bleak demographic situation with the chronically low birth rate. A total of 20,736 babies were born in the country in October, down 5.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the lowest tally for any October since 1981, when the statistics agency began compiling related data. The October figure was also down from 21,920

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2021

South Korea and the United States have "effectively" agreed on the draft text of the proposed declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's top diplomat said Wednesday amid their continued push to resume dialogue with North Korea. Chung Eui-yong made the remarks during a press conference, noting he and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the progress in the allies' consultations over the declaration when they met on the margins of a Group of Seven session

Foreign Affairs Dec. 29, 2021

About 42 percent of South Koreans think that President Moon Jae-in did a good job in handling state affairs over the past five years, an approval rating slighly higher than the vote he received in the 2017 presidential election, a poll showed Wednesday. Moon, who was elected president with 41.1 percent of the vote, has enjoyed relatively high approval ratings through his term so far, compared with his predecessors. His single-five year term ends in May after the March 9 presidential election.

Politics Dec. 29, 2021

FC Seoul announced Wednesday they have signed veteran midfielder Osmar to a two-year extension. The 33-year-old from Spain has spent seven seasons with the Seoul-based K League club. In 280 career matches, Osmar has collected 22 goals and 12 assists. In 2015, Osmar became the first foreign-born outfield player to play full time in every match of a season. The following season, he was named club captain, the first non-Korean player to wear the armband. Long known for being a steady on-field g

Soccer Dec. 29, 2021

South Korea's military on Wednesday reported 27 additional COVID-19 cases, with all of them being breakthrough infections, raising the total caseload among its personnel to 3,207. Of the new cases, 13 are from the Army, seven from the Air Force, four from the Navy and three from units under direct control of the ministry. Currently, 257 military personnel are under treatment. Of the total military caseload, 1,411 are breakthrough cases. (Yonhap)

Defense Dec. 29, 2021

South Korean shares opened lower Wednesday as institutional and foreign investors dumped shares on the ex-dividend date. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 17.81 points, or 0.59 percent, to 3,002.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, Wall Street showed mixed results amid persistent concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.26 percent to 36,398.21, but the tech-focused Nasdaq composite index fell 0.56 percent to 15,781.72

Market Dec. 29, 2021

Citizens in Seoul picked infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, as the most dangerous health hazard, followed by fine dust and climate change, a survey showed Wednesday. Infectious diseases topped the list of dangerous health and environmental factors with 4.21 points on a 5-point scale in an online survey of 1,000 Seoul citizens and 321 experts on public health and the environment, according to the Seoul Research Institute of Public Health and Environment. Fine dust came in second at 4.02 poi

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2021

South Korean manufacturers' business sentiment improved for January on optimism that the country's exports remain strong despite the global pandemic, central bank data showed Wednesday. The business sentiment index (BSI) for local manufacturers came to 92 for December, up from 88 for this month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The index measures manufacturers' prospects for business conditions in the following month. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.

Economy Dec. 29, 2021

South Korea's new coronavirus cases bounced back to above 5,000 for the first time in three days Wednesday and the number of critically ill patients surged to a record high. The country added 5,409 new COVID-19 infections, including 5,283 local infections, raising the total caseload to 620,938, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). Wednesday's figure marked a rise from 3,865 on Tuesday and 4,206 on Monday, but it represented a sharp decline from a daily record h

Social Affairs Dec. 29, 2021

The state anti-corruption investigation office has checked the phone logs of 60 lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), the party said Wednesday, accusing the powerful investigative agency of illegal surveillance. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has come under fire following revelations that it obtained the phone records of journalists, politicians and their family members in an alleged attempt to identify the source of leaks to the media.

Politics Dec. 29, 2021

A four-match goal scoring streak is over for Son Heung-min, though Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star still made his presence felt in other ways. Son drew a key penalty late in the first half against 10-man Southampton, as the clubs finished their Premier League match deadlocked at 1-1 at St. Mary's Stadium in Southampton, England, on Tuesday (local time). Harry Kane converted the ensuing penalty to help Tottenham stretch their undefeated run to seven matches, with four wins and three draws

Soccer Dec. 29, 2021

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to hope that North Korea will respond positively to its outreach for dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday. Ned Price also reiterated that the US remains ready and willing to meet with North Korea without any preconditions. "We have made clear through our public messaging and private messaging as well that we are ready, willing and able to engage in this diplomacy," Price said in a telephonic press briefing. "And we are

Foreign Affairs Dec. 29, 2021

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over the second-day session of a key party plenary to discuss rural development measures, Pyongyang's state media reported Wednesday amid its drive to tackle nagging economic woes. During the meeting held Tuesday, Kim "set forth medium- and long-term development strategies and major tasks for attaining the grand goal of rural development in line with the realistic conditions and the requirement of the times," according to the North's offici

North Korea Dec. 29, 2021