Most Popular
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Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts
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First-ever meeting of president, opposition chief set to finally happen
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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NewJeans' singles, Japanese debut to proceed as planned, despite Hybe-Ador feud
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Experts raise concerns about Japan putting pressure on Naver over Line
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South Korea to launch space security center under spy agency
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More med professors to take day off each week while govt. urges them to stay
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Hybe refutes Ador CEO Min's denial of breach of trust
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S. Korea, Japan could consider simplified entry agreement: Seoul official
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Legoland Korea Resort to open until 9 p.m.
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Seoul shares open lower on political risks
South Korean stocks opened lower on Friday as investors sat on the sidelines due to the rising tensions with North Korea, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved down 8.11 points, or 0.41 percent, to 1,951.34 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Shares lost ground across the board, with No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor losing 1.93 percent and leading chipmaker SK hynix losing 0.86 percent. Top steelmaker POSCO shed 0.78 percent.North Korea threatened Thursday to pul
April 5, 2013
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Reactor at Gori power plant halts operation
A nuclear reactor on South Korea's southeast coast was shut down Thursday afternoon, but the cause was not immediately known, plant operators said.No immediate threats of a radiation leak were detected, according to the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.The Gori Nuclear Power Plant, about 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, halted operation at around 4:34 p.m., only hours after it resumed operation following a two-month maintenance that ended Wednesday.An investigation was underway to identify the
IndustryApril 4, 2013
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Top 30 conglomerates to invest W149tr this year
Korea’s top 30 conglomerates pledged to increase investment in their respective sectors such as electronics, automobiles and displays by 7 percent to 149 trillion won ($132 billion) this year, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a meeting with corporate executives on Thursday.They also plan to increase hiring of new employees by 1.5 percent to some 128,000 in 2013, of which some 47,000 high school graduates will be recruited.“We are happy to hear of the investment and employment p
IndustryApril 4, 2013
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[Graphic News] Korea ranked No. 3 originator of spam emails
Korea was ranked the world’s No. 3 source of spam email in February, data showed.According to a report released by Russian firm Kaspersky Lab, Korean sources sent 13.7 percent of spam emails worldwide last month, following the U.S. and China, recording 16.9 percent and 14.4 percent, respectively.Spam emails are among the most frequently used methods to spread malicious codes for cyber attackers.Korea was ranked No. 10 last November. However, it rose as one of the most leading sources of spam wor
IndustryApril 4, 2013
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SKT tops average annual salary: data
Mobile telecommunication operator SK Telecom had the highest average annual paycheck for employees among major Korean companies last year, according to data from the Financial Supervisory Service on Thursday. The data showed that SK Telecom’s average per-capita salary of its more than 4,000 employees was about 98.8 million won ($88,000). The country’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and foreign exchange specialist Korea Exchange Bank were listed at No. 2 and No. 3, with the average annual sa
IndustryApril 4, 2013
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Scientists race to gauge risk of new bird flu pandemic
LONDON (Reuters) ― Genetic sequence data on a deadly strain of bird flu previously unknown in people show the virus has already acquired some mutations that might make it more likely to cause a human pandemic, scientists say.But there is no evidence so far that the H7N9 flu ― now known to have infected nine people in China, killing three ― is spreading from person to person, and there is still a chance it might peter out and never fully mutate into a human form of flu.Just days after authorities
TechnologyApril 4, 2013
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Scientists find antibody road map to AIDS vaccine
PARIS (AFP) ― Scientists on a quest for an antibody-based AIDS vaccine said Wednesday they found promising clues in the uncommonly “robust” natural immune response of a patient in Africa. Studying blood samples over a three-year period after the person was infected, researchers were witness to a microscopic battle between the virus and antibodies ― both evolving as they sought to gain the upper hand.For the first time, scientists were able to follow the full chain of events leading to the patien
TechnologyApril 4, 2013
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Block UV rays to slow skin aging
With the increased interest in our looks, many people are focusing on preventing skin aging. Skin aging can be caused by external factors due to the environment, and internal ones due to the decline in our body function with age. The most important external factor is ultraviolet light. Many people even without specialized medical knowledge know that ultraviolet light can cause pigmentation of the skin, but more importantly, ultraviolet light also produces skin wrinkles as well as skin cancer.Sun
TechnologyApril 4, 2013
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Samsung launches cancer center
Samsung Medical Center, one of the top hospitals in Korea, has expanded its cancer center to offer customized services to patients with world-class medical techniques and equipment. The newly launched Comprehensive Cancer Center aims to offer surgeries to patients diagnosed with cancers within a week of diagnosis through an integrated service system. “We will promote Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center as one of the world’s top five hospitals for cancer care and research,” said SMC head Song Jae
TechnologyApril 4, 2013
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Korea risks jolt financial markets
South Korean financial markets were rattled Thursday by escalating geopolitical risks stemming from a torrent of threats from North Korea, with the key stock index tumbling 1.2 percent and the local currency sinking against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index plunged 23.77 points to 1,959.45, the biggest daily fall this year. Trading volume was moderate at 407 million shares worth 4.6 trillion won ($4.1 billion), with decliners far outnumbering gainers 614 to 225.“Nor
April 4, 2013
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Imported car sales jump 13% in March
Sales of foreign-made vehicles in South Korea spiked more than 13 percent in March from a year earlier, boosted by steady-selling models, a trade association said Thursday.A total of 12,063 foreign brand cars were sold here last month, up 13.3 percent from a year earlier, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.In the first three months of 2013, a total of 34,964 foreign vehicles were sold in the country, also up 19.4 percent from a year earlier, the association
IndustryApril 4, 2013
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LG Electronics targets Japan with Optimus G Pro
LG Electronics Inc. said Thursday it plans to roll out the Optimus G Pro in Japan this week, kicking off its global drive for the premium smartphone.LG Electronics said it plans to release the full HD smartphone via Japan’s largest mobile operator NTT DoCoMo, roughly two months after the Optimus G Pro hit local shelves. In February, the South Korean smartphone maker rolled out the 5.5-inch Optimus G Pro, a follow-up model of its flagship smartphone Optimus G, through the country’s three mobile o
April 4, 2013
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Shipbuilders’ debt jumps in 2012
Combined debt owed by South Korea’s seven largest shipyards spiked 44 percent last year as shipbuilders sought more loans from banks and debt sales to cope with falling demand, industry data showed Thursday.According to the data, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Samsung Heavy Industries Co., and five other shipyards held a combined 21 trillion won ($18.8 billion) in debt at the end of 2012, compared with 14.6 trillion won a year earlier.The debt includes bank loans and proceeds from sales of corpor
April 4, 2013
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University professor tapped to head KDB Financial
The Financial Services Commission recommended Chung-Ang University professor Hong Gi-take as chairman of the KDB Financial Group, FSC officials said Thursday.Under law, the state-controlled KDB Financial Group chairperson is appointed by the president at the request of the FSC, the nation’s top financial regulator.If Cheong Wa Dae agrees on Hong’s selection, he will succeed Kang Man-soo who tendered his resignation last month. FSC officials said they recommended professor Hong as they judged tha
April 4, 2013
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Lower-cost vacuums outperform premium
The Korea Consumer Agency on Thursday listed a number of vacuum cleaners ranging from premium to low- and mid-cost products to better inform consumers of their efficiency relative to their price.Premium brands such as Nilfisk’s X300C, Dyson’s DC37 and Siemens’ VSZ61240 cost more than 700,000 won with a wide range of functions, but they lack efficiency in terms of suction power and noise when compared with Samsung Electronics’ VC-UBJ937, which costs around 382,000 won, or other lower-cost brands,
IndustryApril 4, 2013
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NTS probe targets black market
The National Tax Service said Thursday that it has launched a full-fledged investigation into 224 figures including private moneylenders on allegations of tax evasion.The 224 targets are composed of 117 private moneylenders, 51 entrepreneurs in the conglomerate sector, 48 individuals on suspicion of offshore tax-dodging and eight purchasing agents of overseas goods.The tax agency clarified that the probe is aimed at securing a base to levy taxes on dubious profit-makers in the underground econom
April 4, 2013
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Park stresses sustainable land policy
President Park Geun-hye stressed sustainable and balanced land development in harmony with the environment, criticizing massive funds-injected, large-scale development projects made in the previous government such as the four-river restoration project.“The government needs to review more thoroughly and systematically the large-scale development projects requiring massive public funding,’’ Park stressed during the Land Ministry’s policy briefing session. Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministe
April 4, 2013
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Samsung’s Galaxy S4 to roll out in Korea this month
Samsung Electronics’ new flagship smartphone Galaxy S4 will be rolling out in Korea on April 25 following its launch in a number of European countries including the U.K., industry sources said Thursday.With the world’s biggest smartphone maker scheduling its media event on the same day as its roll-out, the new 5-inch Galaxy S4 equipped with octa-core mobile processors will be hitting local shelves in the next three weeks, they said.The company’s new smartphone was unveiled for the first time in
IndustryApril 4, 2013
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Aspire to entice with premium services
Aspire Lifestyles has launched in Korea as a premium concierge, hospitality and brand marketing servicer, the U.K. and Singapore-based company said on Thursday.Aspire Lifestyles offers incomparable lifestyles, services and luxury reward programs. This creates memorable services and lifestyle experiences for customers' needs ranging from travel assistance to lifestyle experiences, the company said.Aspire also specializes in brand marketing, consisting of creating and revamping brands for corporat
IndustryApril 4, 2013
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Nuclear power makes steady global comeback
PARIS ― Having lost much of its appeal after 2011’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, nuclear energy is coming back into favor, slowly but steadily. Emerging economies are resuming plant construction, particularly in Asia, where power demand is exploding in line with rapid economic growth. China led the trend this year, opening the first nuclear power plant since the Fukushima crisis in Dalian, Liaoning province. Industry watchers said the Chinese government will step up construction of nuclear plants
April 4, 2013