With only two games under his belt in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Samsung Lions rookie outfielder Kim Seong-yoon can already lay claim to a record, unflattering as it seems.At 163 centimeters, Kim, 18, is the shortest player in the league's 35-year history. Kia Tigers' shortstop Kim Sun-bin had been the shortest for nine years at 165 cm. Kim Seong-yoon of the Samsung Lions speaks to reporters at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul before a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against t

Baseball June 8, 2017

South Korean stocks traded lower late Thursday morning with builders and retailers being major losers.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 9.68 points, or 0.41 percent, to 2,350.46 as of 11:20 a.m.Construction shares continued to lose ground, with Hyundai Engineering & Construction falling 1.83 percent and Daewoo Engineering & Construction moving down 2.15 percent. Daelim Industrial shed 1.54 percent.Retailers also traded bearish, with top player E-Mart stepping down 2.59

Market June 8, 2017

South Korea's top two carmakers have won top marks from US industry tracker AutoPacific's consumer satisfaction survey, industry sources said Thursday.According to the tracker, Hyundai Motor Co.'s G90 flagship sedan received the top mark of 818 among luxury cars, beating other rivals, such as the Lincoln Continental and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which earned 793 and 770, respectively. (Yonhap)Kia Motors Corp.'s K5, K7 and Sportage also won top awards in the mid-sized, large sedan and compact crosso

Mobility June 8, 2017

South Korea needs to export more services and consumer goods than intermediary products to China to keep up with the Beijing government's drive to boost domestic consumption, a report said Thursday.Intermediary goods accounted for 78.1 percent of South Korea's total exports to China in 2014, according to the report by the Korea Center for International Finance. The report feared any failure by South Korea to shift to consumer goods and services will eventually undermine the country's outbound sh

Economy June 8, 2017

Kia Motors Corp.'s Stinger sports sedan has generated a strong response in South Korea since its launch last month, with initial orders exceeding 2,700 units. Kia, the country's second-biggest carmaker by sales after Hyundai Motor Co., has added the Stinger to its lineup to enhance its brand image and compete with high-performance models, such as the Audi A4 and BMW3 series, in global markets. "Given the strong response, we expect the Stinger to boost sales amid growing interest among consumers

Mobility June 8, 2017

SEONGNAM -- Shin Tae-yong, who coached South Korea at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, doesn't drink coffee these days because he just can't sleep well even without caffeine.South Korea were eliminated in the round of 16 at the U-20 World Cup at home after losing to Portugal 3-1 on May 30. Shin, who took over the U-20 side in December, still can't get the defeat out of his head.South Korea's under-20 national football team head coach Shin Tae-yong gives orders to the players during the FIFA U-20 World C

Soccer June 8, 2017

Air Busan, a South Korean budget carrier, on Thursday launched a new route connecting the country's southern city of Daegu to Tokyo, apparently in a bid to cope with the falling number of passengers from China.The daily passenger service will depart from Daegu at 8:40 a.m. every morning and arrive at Narita International Airport at 10:40 a.m. (Yonhap)Air Busan also expanded the number of flights connecting Daegu and Sapporo to five times a week from the previous three. The route connecting to Os

Industry June 8, 2017

Five South Korean firms received government approval to carry out their voluntary corporate restructuring through fast-track legal and administrative procedures, the industry ministry said Thursday.The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said a government panel chose five companies, including LG Siltron Inc., which manufactures wafers for semiconductors; ITC Co., a cable supplier; and Shin Pung Textile Co. to endorse their proposed restructuring efforts to boost competitiveness. (Yonhap)With

Industry June 8, 2017

South Korean stocks opened nearly flat Thursday as investors took a wait-and-see stance on global events, including the upcoming policy meeting of the European Central Bank.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index shed 1.18 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,358.96 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Tech shares were among the winners, with Samsung Electronics rising 0.31 percent and LG Electronics advancing 0.94 percent. LG Display moved up 2.68 percent.Builders traded lower, with Hyundai Engi

Market June 8, 2017

The head coach of the reigning South Korean professional football champions will lead the All-Star squad in mid-season festivities, the league office said Thursday.The K League, operator of the national pro competitions, said Hwang Sun-hong, bench boss for FC Seoul, will coach the K League All-Stars against the Vietnamese national team in their match at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on July 29. In this file photo taken on May 10, 2017, FC Seoul head coach Hwang Sun-hong awaits the start of t

Soccer June 8, 2017

The delinquency rate of South Korean banks' won-denominated loans edged up in April from a month earlier due to a slight rise in new non-performing loans, government data showed Thursday. The rate for bank loans more than 30 days overdue stood at 0.54 percent at the end of April, up from 0.51 percent at the end of March, according to the data by the Financial Supervisory Service. Compared with a year ago, however, the rate was down 0.1 percentage point, it said. "In April, newly delinquent

Market June 8, 2017

RAS AL KHAIMAH, United Arab Emirates -- South Korea football coach Uli Stielike on Thursday defended his choice of using experimental tactics against Iraq in a friendly match that ended with a scoreless draw.South Korea, ranked No. 43 in the latest FIFA rankings, were held to a 0-0 draw by No. 120 Iraq in a friendly match at Emirates Club Stadium in Ras Al Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday. This match was a tune-up for South Korea's upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar i

Soccer June 8, 2017

RAS AL KHAIMAH, United Arab Emirates -- South Korea played to a scoreless draw with Iraq in a men's football friendly match here on Wednesday. South Korea tested their players and tactics against Iraq at Emirates Club Stadium in Ras Al Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates, but failed to collect a victory with no shots on target. This match was a tune-up for South Korea's upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Doha next Tuesday.South Korean forward Son Heung-min (right) takes a shot agai

Soccer June 8, 2017

South Koreans have one of the gloomiest economic views in the world, with 84 percent saying the fourth-largest Asian economy is in bad shape, a US survey showed Wednesday.South Korea had the second-most negative views, with only 15 percent saying their economy is in good condition, the Pew Research survey found. Greece had the most downbeat views, with 98 percent responding negatively about the country's economy.The survey polled 34,788 respondents in 32 countries from Feb. 16 to April 28."

Economy June 8, 2017

Samsung Heavy Industries Co., a major shipyard here, is likely to win a $1.5 billion deal to build a total of 12 articulated tug barges, industry sources said Wednesday.According to the sources, Samsung Heavy has signed a letter of intent with SeaOne for the deal which calls for the construction of the barges that will carry compressed gas. (Yonhap)Negotiations are still underway to finalize the deal, the observer said. Details of the potential deal have not been disclosed.If the deal goes smoot

Industry June 7, 2017