SEJONG -- The country's anti-trust regulator said Monday it has found 14 online sellers of face masks in possible violation of fair trade laws, amid surging demand for protective masks over the spread of the novel coronavirus. Some of the online sellers have been accused of unilaterally canceling orders and selling face masks at higher market prices, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said in a statement. For instance, one online vendor unilaterally canceled orders for 119,450 face masks betwee

Teams come up with ways to keep audience engaged as coronavirus forces spring season to start without spectators

South Korean carmakers said Monday they are on track for normalizing production later this week after suffering parts shortages from China amid the spreading coronavirus outbreak. The country's five carmakers -- Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Motors Corp., GM Korea Co., Renault Samsung Motors Corp., and SsangYong Motor Co. -- are still struggling to get parts on time, although suppliers in China partially resumed operations last week with the COVID-19 virus outbreak showing no sign of slowing. They

A proposal to merge three minor parties hit a snag Monday as the chief of the opposition Bareunmirae Party (BP) suspended the review of its approval, claiming that the move could deepen regionalism. The BP, the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) and the New Alternative Party jointly announced a plan Friday to unite for the April 15 parliamentary elections, eyeing becoming the third-largest political bloc sharing support bases in the southwestern provinces of North and South Jeolla. But BP ch

The following is a chronology of COVID-19 virus outbreaks and related major events in South Korea since the first confirmed case on Jan. 20. 2020 ◇  January Jan. 20 -- South Korea reports its first confirmed case of COVID-19 virus. The patient was a 36-year old Chinese woman who arrived on Jan. 19 from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak. South Korea raised the country's infectious disease alert level by one notch from "blue" to "yellow." Jan 24 -- South Ko

South Korea on Monday identified another case of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 30, with the latest two cases' infection routes being unknown. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the country's latest patient is the 68-year-old wife of the 29th patient who tested positive for the virus Sunday. The 82-year-old man is not known to have been in contact with the country's other virus-confirmed patients or recently traveled

SEJONG -- South Korea must maintain its accommodative policy stance as it seeks to prop up a slowing economy amid muted inflationary pressure, a regional think-tank said Monday. "Given ample fiscal space, the fiscal stance should remain expansionary in the near term with more spending allocated toward restructuring the economy," the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said in a report. "At the same time, monetary policy should be accommodative in view of moderating ec

Kia Motors Corp. on Monday unveiled the design of the all-new Sorento SUV ahead of its domestic launch next month as it strives to boost SUV sales further. The fourth-generation SUV adopts a new design concept, Borderless Gesture, which is defined by a combination of the "strong design heritage" of its predecessors and the "refined and delicate feel" of a sedan, the company said in a statement. The new Sorento's powertrain and other details will be released later, it said

  K-pop super band BTS unveiled Monday the tracklist of its much-anticipated upcoming album, which includes the main track, "ON," and an accompanying digital version of the song featuring Australian singer Sia. According to the image of the tracklist posted on the website of the band's agency, Big Hit Entertainment, the upcoming album, "Map of the Soul: 7," set for official release Friday, has 20 tracks. The fourth full-length album by BTS comes with 15 new songs plus

BEIJING (AFP) -- The death toll from China's new coronavirus epidemic jumped past 1,700 on Monday after 100 more people died in hard-hit Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak. In its daily update, the province's health commission also reported 1,933 new cases. At least 70,400 people have now been infected nationwide. Most are in Hubei, where the virus first emerged in December before spiralling into a nationwide epidemic. The number of new cases in the province had been declining si

BIRMINGHAM (AFP) -- Son Heung-min struck deep into stoppage time as Tottenham's chances of Champions League football next season were boosted by a 3-2 win at Aston Villa on Sunday. A third consecutive Premier League victory lifts Spurs up to fifth -- which could be enough to secure Champions League qualification with Manchester City facing a two-season ban from the competition -- and within one point of fourth-placed Chelsea. Jose Mourinho's men were worthy of their victory after bouncing bac

A recent speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping that has been published by state media indicates for the first time that he was leading the response to a new virus outbreak from early on in the crisis. The publication of the Feb. 3 speech was an apparent attempt to demonstrate that the Communist Party leadership had acted decisively from the beginning, but also opens Xi up to criticism over why the public was not alerted sooner. In the speech, Xi said he gave instructions on fighting the v

  South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho made a triumphant return home on Sunday after capturing four Oscar titles, including best picture for his black comedy thriller "Parasite." "Thanks to so many of you for greeting me, despite the cold weather," Bong told hundreds of reporters, photographers and fans that were waiting for the director at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. "I'm also so sorry for having bothered you many times since the Cannes

The South Korean government said Sunday that it is considering repatriating its nationals aboard a quarantined cruise ship moored off the coast of Japan. Since the Diamond Princess was quarantined at Yokohama Port earlier this month after confirming an infection of COVID-19, 14 Koreans -- nine passengers and five crew members -- have remained inside the ship. The Japanese government announced a plan to release passengers who test negative for the contagious virus from Wednesday. "Even

Hospitalized or quarantined persons can apply for state grants from Monday