Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon has met with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and discussed bilateral cooperation and other issues, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.    Choi paid the courtesy call on Albusaidi during his four-day Middle East trip that also took him to Qatar.    During the talks, Choi offered to reinvigorate various government channels, including the bilateral policy committee, and bolster cooperation at international stages. Albusaidi

Foreign Affairs Sept. 15, 2021

South Korea's top nuclear negotiator, Noh Kyu-duk, held separate phone talks Wednesday with his counterparts of the United States and Japan to discuss North Korea's latest missile launches, the foreign ministry said.    In the phone talks, Noh and U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim exchanged assessments on the North's firing of two short-range ballistic missiles, which took place earlier in the day, and discussed joint responses in the future, the ministry said. &

North Korea Sept. 15, 2021

South Korea's top national security officials expressed "deep concern" Wednesday about a series of missile launches by North Korea.    They pointed out that the North's provocations came at a time when stabilizing the security conditions is very important, as they held an emergency session of the National Security Council (NSC), according to Cheong Wa Dae.    The NSC's standing committee meeting was chaired by Suh Hoon, director of national security at Cheong W

North Korea Sept. 15, 2021

  President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday that South Korea's upgrading of its missile capabilities can help deter North Korean provocation.    He was speaking to officials at the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) following the successful underwater test-launch of an indigenous submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a local test site.    Hours earlier, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the East Sea. Moon stressed that his country had conducted the SL

Defense Sept. 15, 2021

South Korean stocks advanced for a fourth session Wednesday, supported by foreign buying, as some investors sought to digest the weak inflation data in the United States. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) added 4.57 points, or 0.15 percent, to close at 3,153.4 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 605 million shares worth some 12 trillion won ($10.2 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 531 to 322. Foreigners bought a n

Market Sept. 15, 2021

Apple Inc. said Wednesday it will launch its new smartphone, the iPhone 13, in South Korea next month as the US tech giant aims to solidify its leadership in the premium segment. Apple on Tuesday (local time) unveiled four models of the iPhone 13 series -- the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, the 6.1-inch iPhone 13, the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max. Apple said its new iPhone family, featuring upgraded camera system and enhanced battery life, will go on sale in South Korea on

Industry Sept. 15, 2021

LG Electronics Inc. on Wednesday said it will launch a new online education-dedicated notebook next month in partnership with South Korea's internet portal giant Naver Corp. LG will release "Whalebook," a cloud-optimized laptop powered by Naver's Whale operating system (OS), suitable for its online education platform Whale Space. The product will be first sold in the B2B market in South Korea in October and will be available to consumers later with a price tag of 550,000 won ($470). LG

Industry Sept. 15, 2021

South Korean companies saw their profitability grow in the second quarter, with their sales improving despite the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, central bank data showed Wednesday. The ratio of operating profit to sales of firms in the country reached 7.4 percent in the second quarter, up from 5.2 percent tallied a year ago, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). At the same time, the pretax net profit margin of South Korean companies rose on-year to 8.2 percent from 4.6 percent.

Economy Sept. 15, 2021

Google said Wednesday it offers around 12 trillion won ($10.25 billion) in economic benefits for South Korean consumers annually through its services, highlighting its presence in the country amid growing scrutiny from local regulators and politicians over allegations of unfair business practices. During an online recorded event, the tech giant said it provides 5.1 trillion won per year in benefits for South Koreans through its Play store, 4.2 trillion won through its search service, and 2.5 tri

Industry Sept. 15, 2021

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group said Wednesday it will push to win approval of its newly developed gas carriers from global ship quality assurance and risk management companies, such as Lloyd's Register from Britain, and flag states in an upcoming exhibition. The world's biggest shipbuilder plans to unveil gas carriers at Gastech 2021, the world's largest exhibition and conference supporting the gas, LNG, hydrogen and energy industry, slated for Sept. 21-23 in Dubai. The group's newly developed v

Industry Sept. 15, 2021

Starter-turned-reliever Kim Kwang-hyun has recorded his first save of the season for the St. Louis Cardinals, helping his club move into a playoff position. The South Korean left-hander closed out the Cardinals' 7-6 victory over the New York Mets in 11 innings at Citi Field in New York on Tuesday (local time). This was Kim's first save of 2021 and second save of his major league career. He picked up a save in his big league debut last year. As the eighth St. Louis pitcher of the game, Kim gave

Baseball Sept. 15, 2021

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday as bargain hunters sought oversold stocks on expectations of future price hikes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 4.09 points, or 0.13 percent, to 3,152.92 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Bio and bank gains led the Kospi's rise, while chemical and auto shares got off to a weak start. Market kingpin Samsung Electronics added 0.26 percent, but No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix retreated 1.4 percent. Internet portal operator

Market Sept. 15, 2021

President Moon Jae-in received an immediate briefing on North Korea's firing of ballistic missiles Wednesday, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Moon received the briefing from Suh Hoon, director of national security, immediately after North Korea launched "unidentified projectiles today," presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a press statement. Cheong Wa Dae also plans to hold a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) standing committee as soon as the president returns to

Politics Sept. 15, 2021

A majority of South Korean exporting companies expect international freight rates to continue their uptrend till the first half of 2022, a poll showed Wednesday. The survey of 1,000 exporters, taken by the Federation of Korean Industries, showed 7 out of 10 firms forecasting freight rates to keep rising at least until June next year. The companies also expect freight rates to surge 23.8 percent on-year in the second half of this year following a 30.9 percent on-year jump in the first half. Some

Economy Sept. 15, 2021

South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hope Wednesday that China will continue support for the Korea peace process while meeting with the neighboring country's visiting top diplomat. Commencing 40-minute talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Cheong Wa Dae, Moon took note of Beijing's role and contribution so far to the peace process. The session came shortly before news reports of North Korea firing what are believed to be ballistic missiles into the East Sea. "Our government will

Politics Sept. 15, 2021