INCHEON -- South Korea has defied odds to qualify for the top-tier competition in international men's hockey, and head coach Jim Paek says there's no big secret to it other than hard work.Paek, a former National Hockey League defenseman, coached South Korea to second place at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division I Group A in Kiev, Ukraine, last week. Jim Paek, head coach of the South Korean men's hockey team, speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport on

More Sports April 30, 2017

The Bank of Korea said Sunday that despite US President Donald Trump celebrating his first 100 days in the White House, uncertainties over his policies have grown and are causing jitters. Citing concerns about Trump's protectionist moves, legal challenges over his anti-immigration policy and a revamped healthcare plan, the central bank urged Asia's fourth-largest economy to strengthen its monitoring on policies being pursued in the world's No. 1 economy. In an interview with Reuters last week, T

Economy April 30, 2017

South Korea is investing heavily in education, but its education quality lags far behind rich countries in nurturing talent through skills development, a report showed Sunday. According to the report by Hyundai Research Institute, a private think tank, South Korea spent 5.9 percent of its gross domestic product on education in 2013.  (Yonhap)The spending was 0.7 percentage point higher than the average figure for members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Citing a repo

Social Affairs April 30, 2017

After the United States deployed a nuclear-powered submarine and an aircraft carrier to South Korean waters amid high inter-Korean tensions, North Korea on Sunday threatened to sink the underwater vessel, accusing America of stepping up military intimidation."The moment the USS Michigan tries to budge even a little, it will be doomed to face the miserable fate of becoming a underwater ghost without being able to come to the surface," the North's propaganda website Uriminzokkiri said in a posting

North Korea April 30, 2017

INCHEON -- The South Korean men's national hockey team made a triumphant return home on Sunday, having secured the country's first berth in the top-tier world championship.Coached by former National Hockey League defenseman Jim Paek, South Korea finished in second place at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Division I Group A in Kiev, Ukraine, last week.South Korean players pose for pictures after finishing second at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Champions

More Sports April 30, 2017

South Korea will inject a total of 38.6 billion won ($33.9 million) over the next two years to support local small and mid-size software firms become more globally competitive, the ICT ministry said Sunday.Under the so-called Global Creative Software project spearheaded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, 16 companies in various software sectors such as security and system software will receive support. (123RF)The government has been making various efforts to assist promising so

Technology April 30, 2017

A local private think tank said Sunday it has raised its growth outlook for South Korea this year, helped by increased exports and facility investments.The Korea Institute of Finance projected the country's gross domestic product to increase by 2.8 percent for 2017, higher than its earlier estimate of 2.5 percent growth forecast in October.It said the economy should expand 2.6 percent in the first half followed by 2.9 percent gains in the July-December period.The upward revision came as the glob

Economy April 30, 2017

North Korea on Sunday lambasted South Korea's conservative forces in yet another attempt to stop them from taking power in the South's upcoming presidential election, calling the debate of a security crisis caused by the North Korea's nuclear and missile threats "a maneuver of conservatives to take the helm of the country again."Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary that the conservative parties' attempt to take power again is a desper

North Korea April 30, 2017

The USS Carl Vinson, a US aircraft carrier, on Saturday started a joint naval drill with the South Korean Navy in the East Sea amid heightened tensions from North Korea's failed ballistic missile launch earlier in the morning, defense officials here said."South Korea and US strike forces began a drill in the East Sea from 6 p.m. today against the backdrop of the current security situation," the South Korean Navy said. A photo of the USS Carl Vinson (Yonhap)No specific schedule for the rendezvous

Defense April 30, 2017

South Korea's external earnings will fall by 2.7 percent if exports to China contract by 10 percent, a report by a state-run think tank showed Sunday.The report analyzing global trade friction released by the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade showed Asia's fourth-largest economy being hurt if there is trade-related trouble between South Korea, the United States and China. KIET said that while Seoul will be affected if there are complications with the United States and trade prot

Economy April 30, 2017

South Korea's exports to the United States are expected to suffer losses as much as $17 billion over five years if the two nations renegotiate a bilateral free trade deal, according to a report on Sunday.  South Korea's businesses remain concerned after US President Donald Trump told Reuters in an interview last week that he will either renegotiate or scrap the free trade deal with South Korea, calling it "horrible." If tariff rates are revised under renegotiation, South Korea's a

Economy April 30, 2017

Presidential front-runner Moon Jae-in of the main opposition party maintained his easy lead over centrist rival Ahn Cheol-soo, in a new poll published on Sunday in the run-up to the May 9 election. Moon of the liberal Democratic Party garnered 42.6 percent while Ahn, affiliated with the center-left People's Party, recorded 20.9 percent, according to the Realmeter survey conducted from April 27-29 on 1,523 voters.  South Korea's leading presidential candidates hold up cards with the Korean letter

Politics April 30, 2017

Semiconductors remained the top contributor to South Korea's industrial output last year as autos limited overall growth, government data showed Sunday.Data compiled by Statistics Korea showed computer chips ranking No. 1, pushing up the country's industrial production for the second year in a row in 2016.It said refined petroleum and petrochemical products came in second and third place, respectively. (Yonhap)"The ranking shows the shift in leading industries as the fourth-largest economy shows

Industry April 30, 2017

North Korea's local gas stations are operating normally despite reports of a sharp rise in the North's oil prices starting in Pyongyang and other cities, Radio Free Asia reported Sunday, citing Japanese news service Asia Press.Asia Press chief Jiro Ishimaru, who collects information from sources in the North, told the US-based media outlet that there appears to be no major change in gasoline sales in the border provinces of Ryanggang and North Hamgyong. In this image, captured from the North's K

North Korea April 30, 2017

North Korea on Sunday slammed a three-year plan recently announced by South Korea to improve the communist country's human rights situation, which included a measure to inform its citizens of violations in their country."The latest fabrication and brouhaha over the puppet unification ministry explicitly demonstrates the ugly face of the warmongers who desperately cling to conflicts of the same race to the last minute," said a commentary published by Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Wor

North Korea April 30, 2017