An additional seven video conference facilities for separated family reunions will be completed by the end of this month, the unification ministry said Friday. Earlier, a civilian-government committee on inter-Korean exchanges approved the decision to establish the additional video reunions centers outside Seoul, in addition to the existing 13. "We believe it is very important to build the conference centers in advance so the reunions can resume immediately when inter-Korean relations are

Social Affairs Aug. 20, 2021

Inching toward a return to the big leagues, St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean starter Kim Kwang-hyun allowed two runs in two innings of his minor league rehab outing. Pitching for Triple-A Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park in Memphis on Thursday (local time), Kim served up two solo home runs in the top of the first inning against the Nashville Sounds. Leadoff man Matt Lipka went deep on Kim's fifth pitch of the game. Two batters later, Daniel Vogelbach homered to right field to put the Sounds

Baseball Aug. 20, 2021

Five service members have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,580, the defense ministry said Friday. An Army officer in Incheon, west of Seoul, and two soldiers, respectively based in Seoul and Yangju, just north of the capital, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after a vacation, while another officer in the eastern county of Hongcheon was found to have been infected after developing symptoms, according to the

Defense Aug. 20, 2021

An airplane of the same jet type as that of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was spotted flying to the eastern part of the country, an aviation tracker said. According to Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, North Korean carrier Air Koryo's AN-148 jet departed from Pyongyang at 9:08 a.m. Thursday and flew towards the eastern coastal town of Wonsan. The Antonov AN-148 jet is the type of aircraft used as Kim's personal jet but the latest jet appears to hold a different registration number fr

North Korea Aug. 20, 2021

The South Korean entertainment scene is expected to experience a heated-up competition this fall among breakout A-list celebrities who will return to the small screen after years of absence. JTBC will open up the "star wars" with the melodrama "Lost," starring Cannes-winning Jeon Do-yeon, premiering on Sept. 4. Choosing the show for her return to TV five years after "The Good Wife" (2016), Jeon will play a ghostwriter who has done her best but suddenly realizes he

Television Aug. 20, 2021

LG Electronics Inc. said Friday it has joined hands with Hyundai Elevator Co. to seek business opportunities in smart home and building solutions. LG will work with the country's largest elevator manufacturer to develop robot logistics services in which autonomous bots deliver parcels and food at apartments, office buildings and hospitals with elevators. Under the agreement, the two sides will also cooperate in making premium elevators equipped with LG's OLED signage. The partnership came as

Industry Aug. 20, 2021

The South Korean economy is facing continued uncertainty about domestic demand as the latest flare-up in COVID-19 cases is hurting face-to-face service sectors, the finance ministry said Friday. In its monthly economic assessment report, the ministry said the country's exports remain robust and the job market has extended improvements amid an economic recovery. "But uncertainty over domestic demand has continued, centering on in-person service segments, due to the flare-up in COVID-19 cas

Social Affairs Aug. 20, 2021

Twelve people affiliated with US Forces Korea (USFK), including seven service members, have tested positive for the new coronavirus this week, the US military said Friday. A service member and a family member at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms, while five troops and two family members at the base were found to have been infected after coming into contact with people who tested positive earlier, accor

Social Affairs Aug. 20, 2021

South Korea plans to unveil a set of measures later this month to stabilize consumer prices ahead of next month's fall harvest Chuseok holiday, a senior government official said Friday. First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-weon said the government will take actions to curb rising prices of farm products, if needed, in the run-up to the holiday scheduled for Sept. 20-22. Demand for vegetables, eggs and other foodstuffs usually rises in South Korea ahead of the Chuseok holiday as people prepare h

Economy Aug. 20, 2021

The Joe Biden administration prioritizes alliances with NATO, South Korea and others as a "profound source of strength" for the United States, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Thursday. The remarks came as Washington is trying to quell doubts about the US,' security commitments to its allies after the pullout of its troops from Afghanistan has led critics and even some allies, like Britain, to question the credibility of the US-led alliances. "It is safe to say that

Diplomatic Circuit Aug. 20, 2021

Samsung Electronics Co. regained the No.1 spot in chip sales in the second quarter of the year, surpassing its archrival Intel Corp. for the first time in almost three years, on the back of robust sales of memory semiconductors, a report showed Friday. The South Korean tech giant logged $20.29 billion in chip sales in the April-June period, up 19 percent from a quarter earlier, according to the latest McClean Report released by market researcher IC Insights. Samsung, the world's largest memory

Industry Aug. 20, 2021

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the 2,000s for the second straight day Friday amid little signs of letup, triggering the extension of the toughest level of virus restrictions for two more weeks. The country added 2,052 more COVID-19 cases, including 2,001 local infections, raising the total caseload to 232,859, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload reached 2,152 the previous day, the second-largest number recorded since th

Social Affairs Aug. 20, 2021

South Korean stocks opened higher Friday as bargain hunters sought oversold stocks after the benchmark index plunged by almost 2 percent the previous day. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 5.68 points, or 0.18 percent, to 3,103.51 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks rebounded after the Kospi retreated nearly 2 percent Thursday, marking biggest daily loss since Feb. 26, and the lowest closing price since early April. Investors remained wary for market j

Market Aug. 20, 2021

South Korea decided to extend restrictions on the business hours restaurants and cafes under the toughest social distancing restrictions by one hour, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum announced Friday, as the country struggles to contain the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants and cafes in regions under Level 4 social distancing rules, the highest in the country's four-tier system, will be required to close at 9 p.m., an hour earlier than the current 10 p.m., starting Monday. The government, however, de

Social Affairs Aug. 20, 2021

Ko Kwang-nam invested 5 million won ($4,251) in cryptocurrencies but lost about half of his holdings as the nation's cryptocurrency markets showed signs of cooling down ahead of tougher regulations. As things stand, Ko, a 30-something office worker in Seoul, is likely to lose most of holdings because he made big bets on smaller or "alternative" coins. "I am not going to cut my losses because I believe that prices will go up again if regulatory issues are over," Ko said. Ab

Market Aug. 20, 2021