CHIBA -- South Korean fencer Park Sang-young came out of nowhere to snatch gold in the men's epee event at the 2016 Olympics, capturing the imagination of his country. The affable athlete with an easy smile and a dogged determination -- Park rallied from a 14-10 deficit against Geza Imre of Hungary and won 15-14 -- became an instant star of the Rio de Janeiro Games for South Korea. But along with newfound fame came the weight of expectations, something Park now admits became unbearable at time

Olympic Games July 26, 2021

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell below 1,400 Monday due to fewer tests over the weekend, but more cases continued to pop up outside the greater Seoul area amid the summer vacation season. The country added 1,318 COVID-19 cases, including 1,264 local infections, raising the total caseload to 190,166, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload was down 169 from the previous day. The country added four more COVID-19 deaths, raising the d

Social Affairs July 26, 2021

South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Monday as investors remain cautious about the country's resurgence of new coronavirus cases. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 2.02 points, or 0.06 percent, to 3,252.4 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks retreated after a two-day gain, as the spiking cases sapped demand for risky assets. On Friday, the government extended the highest Level 4 quarantine measures in the Seoul metropolitan area for another two wee

Market July 26, 2021

South Korean units of three foreign carmakers suffered the worst sales slump since 1998 in the first half of this year in the face of toughening competition with their Korean rivals and luxury German brands, industry data showed Monday. The Korean units of GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and SsangYong Motor Co. together sold 88,625 units in the domestic market in the first six months of the year, plunging 35.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the data by the Korean Automobil

Industry July 26, 2021

North Korea plans to hold a national conference of war veterans to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, state media said Monday, despite the global coronavirus pandemic. "The 7th National Conference of War Veterans is to be held in Pyongyang with splendor on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the victory in the great Fatherland Liberation War," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The Korean War ended in an armistice signed on July

North Korea July 26, 2021

South Korea's instant noodle exports touched an all-time high in the first half of the year amid the coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday. Asia's fourth-largest economy exported $319.68 million worth of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, in the January-June period, up 5.8 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. The amount was above the previous first-half record of $302.08 million set a year earlier. Yet the first-half growth rate

Economy July 26, 2021

TOKYO -- South Korea jumped to the top of Group B in the Tokyo Olympic men's football tournament with a 4-0 victory over Romania on Sunday. Midfielder Lee Kang-in grabbed a brace against the 10-man Romania at Ibaraki Kashima Stadium in Kashima, about 110 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, for South Korea's first victory of the competition. A Romanian own goal and a second-half score by Um Won-sang gave South Korea more than enough offense. South Korea, which lost to New Zealand 1-0 in last week's

Olympic Games July 25, 2021

South Korean teen swimmer Hwang Sun-woo broke an 11-year-old national record in the men's 200m freestyle on Sunday at the Tokyo Olympics, while winning the heats to reach the semifinals. Hwang finished first in Heat 3 with the time of 1:44.62 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Park Tae-hwan had the previous mark of 1:44.80, set while winning the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games gold medal. This was also Hwang's new personal best, topping his world junior record of 1:44.96 set in May. Hwang finished first o

Olympic Games July 25, 2021

South Korean judoka An Baul claimed the bronze medal in the men's 66kg event at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, reaching the podium for the second consecutive Summer Games. An defeated Manuel Lombardo of Italy by a decisive ippon in the bronze medal match at Nippon Budokan for his second straight medal. An won silver in the same class at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. An's is the first judo medal for South Korea in Tokyo. An got his ippon with his signature "seoi nage," or a shoul

Olympic Games July 25, 2021

A rescue helicopter that was sent to search for a missing South Korean mountaineer in the Himalayas returned to a base camp Sunday with no sighting of the man, officials said. Kim Hong-bin, who lost all his fingers to frostbite about 30 years ago, reached the summit of the 8,047-meter-high Broad Peak located in the Karakoram Range on the Pakistani-Chinese border last Sunday, becoming the world's first disabled person to ascend all 14 eight-thousanders in the Himalayas. During his descent, howe

Social Affairs July 25, 2021

At only 25, South Korean archer Kang Chae-young has already been through more than her share of ups and downs, with one particularly gut-wrenching moment sticking out. At the national team trials for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Kang finished one point behind Chang Hye-jin for the third and final spot. The two embraced and cried in each other's arms -- Kang upset at her loss and Chang feeling terrible for an archer nine years her junior. Chang went on to win two gold medals in Rio, sweepi

Olympic Games July 25, 2021

Another Navy officer of the coronavirus-hit Cheonghae unit has been confirmed to be infected with the virus, bringing the total caseload to 272 out of 301 members, the military said Sunday. The unidentified service member began to show symptoms while undergoing isolation after the anti-piracy unit returned home aboard special aircraft earlier this week following a mass COVID-19 outbreak inside the vessel. He tested negative upon arrival. Military and health authorities are working to determin

Defense July 25, 2021

SEOUL/DAEJEON -- South Korea will apply the second highest level of virus restrictions for non-capital areas starting this week, health officials said Sunday, in the latest step to stem the rapid spread of the virus in provincial regions at the peak of the summer holiday season. The announcement was made during a government response meeting, presided over by President Moon Jae-in, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said.  The heightened distancing rules are expe

Social Affairs July 25, 2021

South Korean superband BTS said it hopes to play an active role in helping youths around the world amid global challenges like economic hardships, inequality and the ongoing pandemic. The seven-piece group, which has rewritten history by ruling Billboard charts and becoming the first Korean pop group to receive a Grammy nomination, was recently named for the public diplomacy role. With the appointment, the group is set to attend major international meetings, including the 76th session of the U

K-pop July 25, 2021

TOKYO -- Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon briefly met with Japanese Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo on the occasion of the Tokyo Olympics, diplomatic sources said Sunday. The encounter took place in the Olympic stadium late Friday following the opening ceremony of the games, the sources familiar with the matter said. In the talks, Ban reportedly congratulated the emperor for the opening of the Olympics and Emperor Naruhito expressed appreciation in return, according to the sourc

Olympic Games July 25, 2021