Most Popular
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
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Probe of first lady on Dior bag allegations set to begin
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'Super Rich in Korea' will leave viewers appreciating Korea more: producers
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Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
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Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
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'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
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Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
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S. Korea's national debt tops W1,000tr for 1st time
South Korea's national debt surpassed the 1,000 trillion won ($781.07 billion) mark for the first time ever amid the government's expansionary fiscal spending to support the economic recovery, data showed Thursday. The total government debt hit an all-time high of 1,001 trillion won as of end-April, up by 19.1 trillion won from a month earlier, according to the data compiled by the finance ministry. The managed fiscal balance, a key gauge of fiscal health, posted a deficit of 37.9 trillion won
June 16, 2022
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[Exclusive] Samsung Biologics to join RE100
SAN DIEGO -- Samsung Biologics, the world’s largest contract development and manufacturing organization by production capacity, will join the global RE100 renewable energy initiative as early as next month, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday. Led by the Climate Group in partnership with CDP, formerly known as Carbon Disclosure Project, the RE100 initiative commits members to using 100 percent renewable electricity. Among the 372 members of the RE100 as of Wednes
June 16, 2022
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Seoul shares open sharply higher as Fed's rate hike comes within market estimate
Seoul shares got off to a strong start Thursday, tracking overnight rallies on Wall Street, after the US Federal Reserve delivered a rate hike that met market expectations. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 45.43 points, or 1.86 percent, to 2,492.81 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, US shares closed higher after the Fed hiked the key rates by 0.75 percentage point, the largest increase since 1994, to tame high-flying inflation. There had been worries that t
June 16, 2022
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S. Korea to closely monitor market after Fed's aggressive monetary tightening
South Korea will keep close tabs on the financial market following the Federal Reserve's overnight rate hike decision as worries are growing over heightening volatility from the US' aggressive monetary tightening, the country's top financial policymaker said Thursday. On Wednesday (US time), the Fed decided to hike its interest rate by 0.75 percentage point in the latest move to tighten monetary policy and tame soaring inflation. It marked the first such steep rate increase since November 1994.
June 16, 2022
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BMW, Volvo, Maserati to recall over 8,000 vehicles in S. Korea over faulty parts
BMW Group Korea and three other carmakers will voluntarily recall around 8,200 vehicles to fix part defects and software errors, Seoul's transport ministry said Thursday. BMW will recall 6,684 cars of 23 models, including the X4 xDrive20d M Sport Package, after detecting a problem with their fuel filter heater, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Volvo Trucks Korea will also recall a total of 1,295 vehicles from four models, as software errors in their communica
June 16, 2022
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Samsung chief visits ASML HQ as race for high-end chip intensifies
Samsung Electronics top executives on Tuesday held talks with representatives of chip photolithography equipment maker ASML, including its Chief Executive Officer Peter Wennink, the South Korean tech giant said Wednesday. Representatives of Samsung, including Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman and de facto leader; and Kyung Kye-hyun, co-chief executive officer in charge of Samsung’s semiconductor business, visited the headquarters of ASML in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Samsung said in a state
June 15, 2022
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Rocket Nuri launch indefinitely postponed due to technical glitch
The launch of South Korea's homegrown rocket Nuri has been indefinitely postponed due to technical glitches found during the final round of preparations before its planned launch on Thursday. The Ministry of Science and ICT said Wednesday the Korea Aerospace Research Institute found a problem in one of the sensors in the oxidizer tank that measures the amount of oxidizer there. According to KARI, the sensor was failing to point to the correct level of oxidizer in the tank. “Once we ack
June 15, 2022
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Kospi slumps in 7-day losing streak
South Korea’s benchmark Kospi fell 45.59 points, or 1.83 percent, from a day earlier to 2447.38 Wednesday, marking a seventh straight negative session as investors dramatically raise their bets on a US Fed hike of 75 basis points on Wednesday there, steeper than the 50 basis points it had indicated. The main board slid to an intraday low of 2436.04, a new 52-week low, as foreign investors carried on a sell-off for a ninth session straight, outweighing purchases by institutional and retai
June 15, 2022
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Seoul stocks dive to fresh 19-month low amid woes over Fed's rate decision
South Korean stocks sank to a fresh 19-month low Wednesday to extend their losing streak to a seventh day ahead of the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision amid high inflation and concerns over a global recession. The local currency also fell against the US dollar. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 45.59 points, or 1.83 percent, to close at 2,447.38. It is the lowest figure since Nov. 10, 2020, when the index closed at 2,452.83. Trading volume was moderate at 700.92
June 15, 2022
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Cargo truckers end strike; damage bill tops W2.5tr
The country’s unionized cargo truckers ended a weeklong strike and returned to work Wednesday after reaching a tentative late-night agreement with the government on the extension of a minimum wage system based on a freight rate. The sit-in protest, which caused a major supply disruption across the country, has left industrial businesses with a damage bill worth some 2.5 trillion won ($1.93 billion), companies said. Of them, steelmakers saw the most damage at 1.15 trillion won, followed b
June 15, 2022
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Job increase hits 22-year high of 930,000 in May
SEJONG -- The number of people employed in South Korea increased by more than 900,000 in May from a year earlier, which marked the largest job increase in 22 years for that month. But figures showed that men in their 60s or older made up more than 30 percent (32.4 percent) of the total increase, state data showed Wednesday. According to Statistics Korea, the number of jobs came to 28.48 million as of last month, up 935,000 on-year. This posted the largest growth since May 2000, when an increas
June 15, 2022
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[Photo News] Logistics Robot
CLOi CarryBot, an autonomous mobile robot made by LG Electronics, carries parcels at a distribution center on Wednesday. LG Electronics, on the same day, said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with CJ Logistics to jointly develop next-generation logistics robots.
June 15, 2022
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Samsung chief, Dutch PM discuss chip partnership
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Tuesday met with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to discuss chip partnership, especially on a stable supply of cutting-edge equipment for making advanced chips. Lee, on his two-week Europe trip that started on June 7, was visiting the Netherlands, home to Samsung’s key suppliers, including ASML, the world’s sole producer of extreme ultraviolet lithography systems. According to industry sources, Lee reportedly asked the Dutch PM to
June 15, 2022
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[Newsmaker] Should e-cigarettes be subject to more regulation?
South Korea’s fight against smoking has had some success. In 1998, when the first nationwide survey of smoking prevalence was conducted in the country, more than 35 out of every 100 Korean adults were smokers. Now, it is just about 19. A closer look at the data, however, reveals some disturbing trends: e-cigarettes and unconventional tobacco products are gaining a strong foothold here, on top of growing tobacco use among youth and women. The country’s latest anti-smoking campai
June 15, 2022
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Korea Shipbuilding wins W617.3b order for 2 LNG carriers
Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (KSOE) said Wednesday it has inked a 617.3 billion-won ($477 million) contract with an Oceanian shipping company to build two liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers. Under the deal, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co., a KSOE affiliate, will construct the 174,000-cubic-meter vessels and deliver them to the undisclosed shipper by the first half of 2026. KSOE has bagged orders to build 111 ships worth $13.54 billion so far this year, achieving 77.6 percen
June 15, 2022
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[Market Eye] Samsung at crossroads as chip consortium buying Arm is in offing
Amid growing speculation that the world’s behemoth chipmakers are envisioning a game-changing consortium investing in United Kingdom-based chip design house Arm, all eyes are on whether South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics will join the team. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is now on a two-week trip to Europe, and is widely anticipated to be heading to the UK after Germany and the Netherlands. Once Lee’s visit to the UK is confirmed, Arm is speculated to be on
June 15, 2022
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LG Display secures $1b funding in renewed push for smaller OLED
LG Display said Wednesday it has secured fresh funding worth $1 billion from multiple global banks with the aim to expand its presence in the smaller OLED market which is dominated by its archrival Samsung Display. LG Display is the world’s largest manufacturer of large OLED panels for TVs, but still remains a distant No. 2 in the smaller OLED market for smartphones and other mobile devices. The firm said it has raised long-term loans from the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, HS
June 15, 2022
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SK On, Posco Holdings ink strategic partnership on batteries
SK On and Posco Holdings said Wednesday that they have forged a strategic partnership in a move to secure a stable ecosystem for their burgeoning battery business amid deepening worries over global supply chain disruptions. They plan to create a working-level group to work together on global expansion, joint investment in raw materials, a road map for cathode development, expansion of anode supplies and a collection network for used batteries. The extensive partnership comes as both firms are
June 15, 2022
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Money supply up in April as deposits grow amid rising rates
South Korea's money supply grew in April as rising interest rates led to an increase in deposits, central bank data showed Wednesday. The country's M2, a key gauge of the money supply, stood at 3,667.1 trillion won ($2.84 trillion) on average in April, up 8.5 trillion won, or 0.2 percent from a month earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The rise followed a 0.1 percent on-month decline in March, which marked the first contraction since September 2018.
June 15, 2022
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BTS’ hiatus announcement rattles Hybe shares
Shares of Hybe, the agency behind K-pop sensation BTS, fell almost 25 percent on Wednesday, rattled by the boy band’s announcement that it will take time off from group activities to pursue solo projects. Hybe shares closed 24.87 percent lower from the previous session at 145,000 won ($112.5). It had opened at 168,000 won after closing at 193,000 won in the previous session. Within the first hour of trading, the shares plummeted to 140,000 won, over 25 percent lower from the previous c
June 15, 2022