The sales workforce at South Korea's retail stores continued to decline in the past four years on increased online transactions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed Sunday. The number of newly hired salespeople at offline outlets fell 13 percent, or 393,000, to 2.64 million in April this year from 3.03 million in the same month of 2019, data from Statistics Korea showed. The April...

President Yoon Suk Yeol and his adopted Labrador retriever appeared Sunday on a TV show featuring scenes of the dog adjusting to his new home at the presidential office. The retired service dog, named Saeromi, was adopted by Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee on Christmas Eve last year, becoming the first couple's 11th pet. Yoon introduced himself as "the father" to Saeromi as he appeared with Ki...

NEW YORK -- South Korea is intensifying last-minute diplomatic efforts for Seoul's bid for a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), with just 10 days to go before the vote. South Korea, which last sat on the council in 2013-2014, aims to return to the council for 2024-2025, and the UN will vote on the bid on June 6. If elected, it will mark the third time for South Kor...

South Korea have clinched a spot in the knockout stage at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina even before playing their final group stage match. Japan's 2-1 loss to Israel in Group C in Mendoza, western Argentina, on Saturday (local time) ensured that South Korea will grab a ticket to the round of 16 from Group F regardless of their result against Gambia on Sunday. There are six groups of four...

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to hold a series of bilateral summits with the leaders of five Pacific island nations in Seoul on Sunday, his office said. Yoon will hold talks with Kiribati's President Taneti Maamau at his office at 3 p.m., followed by Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni and Prime Minister Kausea Natano of Tuvalu. He will also hold summits with Vanuatu's Prime Minister Ishmael...

Military officials discovered the dead body of a suspected North Korean man in a coastal area of a western island last week, intelligence officials said Saturday. They found the body, presumed to be of a North Korean civilian, last Friday on Ganghwa Island, 50 kilometers west of Seoul, prompting a joint investigation by the National Intelligence Service, the military and other related agencies, ...

South Korea's top trade official has discussed a variety of issues, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with the United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, his ministry said Saturday. On the sidelines of a meeting of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers in Detroit earlier this week, Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun also discussed issues related to the US-led Indo-P...

A passenger who opened a door of an Asiana Airlines plane just before landing at an airport earlier this week has told police that he opened the door as he felt suffocated and wanted to get off the aircraft quickly, police officials said Saturday. On Friday, police detained the 30-something man on suspicions of pulling the door lever after the plane's door suddenly opened about 213 meters above ...

South Korean stocks ended slightly higher Friday, as chip giants rose sharply on hopes for a market turnaround despite concerns about a deal on the United States' debt ceiling. The local currency rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 4.12 points, or 0.16 percent, to close at 2,558.81, ending a two-day decline. Trading volume was a bit slim at 618.73 mi...

The US Air Force started positioning unmanned reconnaissance aircraft at an air base in Japan earlier this month as part of a rotational deployment, the armed service has said. The RQ-4 Global Hawks began arriving at Yokota Air Base in Japan from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam last Monday, the US Pacific Air Forces said in a release Thursday. The rotational deployment came at a time when North...

WASHINGTON -- The United States maintains ready and capable deterrence against North Korea's evolving threats together with its key allies South Korea and Japan, ranking US officials said Thursday. They also said the US seeks to institutionalize trilateral defense cooperation between the three countries. "We share the widespread concern about North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, certainl...

South Korea battled for a 2-2 draw against Honduras at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina, as their knockout fate remains up in the air with one group match to go. South Korea netted two unanswered goals in the second half for the hard-fought draw in Group F at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas in Mendoza, western Argentina, on Thursday. South Korea, who opened the tournament with a 2-1 win over Fr...

South Korean stocks opened a tad higher Friday on sharp gains of major chipmakers amid lingering uncertainties over negotiations on the United States' debt ceiling to avoid a default. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 3.77 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,558.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.71 percent, after Nvidia surg...

SEJONG -- South Korea plans to adopt tariff-rate quotas on imports of pork and mackerel in the near future in line with efforts to tame rising foodstuffs prices amid prolonged inflation, a senior official said Friday. The tariff-rate quota is a system under which products are imported with favorable duty conditions within a designated volume. The amount imported beyond the limit is applied with ...

President Yoon Suk Yeol lauded the successful launch of space rocket Nuri on Thursday, saying it is a "splendid feat" marking South Korea's entry into the Group of Seven space powers. Yoon made the remark in a statement issued shortly after the government confirmed the launch's success. "The success of Nuri's third launch is a splendid feat declaring that South Korea has entered into the G-7 sp...