Shoppers click 'buy' as retailers slash prices ahead of Cyber Monday

Holiday shoppers in the U.S. are seeking out the best deals and strategically nabbing the deepest discounts ahead of Cyber Monday, according to data from retailer websites aggregated by third parties. Cyber Monday, as the first Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday has become known as merchants step up online promotions, is set to be the biggest online shopping day of the year in the United States. Strong online traffic on Black Friday demonstrated a notable pattern of shoppers putting time and

World BusinessNov. 26, 2023

S. Korea, U.S., Japan stage joint naval drills involving aircraft carrier

South Korea, the United States and Japan jointly conducted naval drills in waters south of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday to bolster their defense posture against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, the South's Navy said. The joint exercise took place in southeastern waters off Jeju Island involving the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which has been docked at a naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The South Korean Navy's Ae

DefenseNov. 26, 2023

Number of Chinese travelers to S. Korea remains far below pre-pandemic levels

The monthly average of Chinese travelers visiting South Korea remained far below pre-pandemic levels, despite China's reopening from COVID-19 restrictions and resumption of group tours, data showed Sunday. Around 144,000 Chinese nationals visited South Korea per month on average this year, according to the data released by the Hyundai Research Institute. The tally was about one-third of the monthly average of 416,000 recorded from 2017 to 2019, when the Chinese government had banned group t

Social AffairsNov. 26, 2023

Gimcheon Sangmu FC earn promotion to top division in S. Korean football

In a dramatic turn of events on the final day of the regular season, Gimcheon Sangmu FC earned a direct promotion to the top division in South Korean football on Sunday. Gimcheon defeated Seoul E-Land FC 1-0 to finish atop the K League 2 tables with 71 points and secure a spot in the top-flight K League 1 for 2024. Kim Hyeon-ug's 37th-minute goal stood as the winner. Gimcheon, a military club made up of players fulfilling their mandatory service duties, were relegated after the 2022 season

SoccerNov. 26, 2023

S. Korea, Japan, China agree to accelerate summit efforts

BUSAN — The top diplomats of South Korea, Japan and China reached a consensus on Sunday to accelerate efforts to hold a trilateral summit at the earliest time, but without specifying a time frame. "The three ministers reached an agreement to promptly restore and normalize trilateral cooperation," South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin told reporters following the trilateral meeting. "The three ministers have reaffirmed the agreement to convene the summit meeting -- the pinna

Foreign AffairsNov. 26, 2023

Yoon replaces spy agency leadership

President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted the National Intelligence Service head Kim Kyou-hyun's offer to step down from the post without naming his successor. Yoon's office said Sunday in a statement that Kim "reestablished NIS' position as the nation's top agency dedicated to security and intelligence, and put in efforts to set up a system for cooperation with allies' intelligence agencies." Kim, former deputy national security adviser, was tapped as the spy agency ch

PoliticsNov. 26, 2023

'Batter Up': YG rookie Babymonster to debut as six-piece

YG Entertainment's new girl group Babymonster takes to the plate on Nov. 27 with its debut song "Batter Up." The music video teaser was unveiled on Friday, giving the first sneak peek into what sounds like a powerful hip-hop anthem. "Attention!" bellowed out the six girls at the start of the half-minute clip. Lights flash above the members' faces in turn, as siren sounds rang in the backdrop over minimal repetitive beats. The video closes with the group singing, &qu

K-popNov. 26, 2023

[Contribution] What keeps us awake at night

By Manpreet Gill When I first started out as a bond strategist, I was often reminded by my teammates of how the "bond guys" were always the pessimists in the room. We spent a lot of time worrying about what could go wrong. Identifying and then attempting to minimize the chances of a big risk event were often key to earning a reasonable return via the yield. This was, of course, in sharp contrast to the optimists in the equities team who spent much of their time thinking about just ho

MarketNov. 26, 2023

‘The Nutcracker’ to bring year-end magic to stage

The iconic ballet “The Nutcracker” is set to make a festive return for year-end magic on the stage, as major ballet companies gear up for the holiday season. The classic Christmas spectacle wraps up the year with a colorful stage, glittering costumes and familiar melodies from Tchaikovsky’s score. Based on children’s story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” (1816) by German writer Ernst Hofmann, the heroine (Marie or Clara in different renditions) receives a

PerformanceNov. 26, 2023

S. Korea, China discuss N. Korea, Xi visit

BUSAN -- China's top diplomat Wang Yi expressed concerns over intensifying tension on Korean Peninsula and said that China will play a role in stabilizing the situation during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Park Jin, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The two also agreed to reinforce high-level and strategic communications for reciprocal visits between the foreign ministers and the potential visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to South Korea, at a meeting held on the sidelines

Foreign AffairsNov. 26, 2023

[Hello Indonesia] Hyundai Motor vows to steer Indonesia's transition to EVs

Hyundai Motor is sticking to its mission to lead the growth of the electric vehicle sector in Indonesia, pledging to offer a wide range of EV options for customers and set up a complete ecosystem of EVs with charging infrastructure and battery reuse. “Hyundai Motor is a brand that is pioneering and leading the Indonesian EV market,” said Lee Young-tack, president of Hyundai Motor Asia-Pacific Headquarters, in a recent email interview with The Korea Herald. “We plan to establish

MobilityNov. 26, 2023

PM departs for Paris as fate of Busan's World Expo bid draws near

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo departed for Paris on Sunday to attend a general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions on Tuesday, where a vote will take place to determine the fate of Busan's bid to host the World Expo in 2030. Accompanying Han at Incheon Airport were Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Oh Young-ju, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, and Chey Tae-won, who is the head of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the chairman

PoliticsNov. 26, 2023

Over 40% of Koreans anticipate financial challenges in retirement

Four out of 10 South Koreans feel financially unprepared for post-retirement life, according to a survey released on Sunday. Only 21 percent expressed a sense of well-rounded preparedness in advance. The KB Financial Group's Management Research Institute conducted a survey on retirement preparation and housing preferences among 3,000 men and women aged between 20 to 79 nationwide, who are financial decision-makers in their households. The survey took place in January this year. The survey r

EconomyNov. 26, 2023

‘Smugglers’ wins best picture at 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards

Director Ryoo Seung-wan’s blockbuster “Smugglers” on Friday won best picture at the 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards, a prestigious film awards show in South Korea. The 130-minute crime action film tells the story of a group of “haenyeo”-- female divers from Jeju Island -- who become involved in illegal smuggling to make ends meet. “Smugglers” secured an additional three trophies, including best supporting actor for Zo In-sung, best new actress for Go Min-

FilmNov. 26, 2023

Hydrogen supply shortage will ease next week: ministry

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Sunday the recent supply disruptions of hydrogen for automobiles in the central region of South Korea will gradually ease next week. “(The government has made sure) the hydrogen suppliers have secured extra hydrogen, so we expect the supply glitch will slowly improve starting next week,” said Lee Ho-hyeon, head of energy policy at the industry ministry, in a statement. “Until the situation returns back to normal, we will carry out

MobilityNov. 26, 2023

Hamas frees Israeli, Thai hostages in temporary truce

GAZA/JERUSALEM -- Thirteen Israelis and four Thai nationals arrived in Israel on Sunday in the second release of hostages from Hamas captivity in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in a deal briefly endangered by a dispute about aid delivery into Gaza. Although overcome by the mediation of Egypt and Qatar, the dispute that threatened the truce to free captives underscored the fragility of the pact meant to release 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant groups and 150 prisoners held in Isra

World NewsNov. 26, 2023

Korea, Brazil strengthen ties via new trade framework

South Korea’s Industry Ministry on Friday said it launched a new strategic partnership with Brazil, to enhance trade ties and investment cooperation in green energy and digital technology sectors. During the Vice Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services Marcio Elias Rosa’s two-day visit to Seoul, he met with Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun to sign the “Korea-Brazil Trade and Investment Promotion Framework,” or TIPF, in Seoul, Friday. “We will deepen the

IndustryNov. 26, 2023

Athletes, teachers, doctors chosen as dream jobs for Korean students: survey

Athletes topped the list of most desired jobs for elementary school students, while teaching was picked as the most coveted job among middle and high school students, a survey showed Sunday. Teaching and becoming a doctor were picked by elementary school children as the most desirable job following athletes. The survey results showing a preference toward athletes may stem from the high number of sporting events held this year, including the Asian Games and the World Cup soccer qualifiers, acco

Social AffairsNov. 26, 2023

[Photo News] Last spurt for Busan Expo

Hyundai Motor Group’s flagship electric vehicles -- the Ioniq 6 and EV6 -- bearing the slogan “Busan is Ready,” are parked in front of Le Palais des Congres d'Issy in Paris, where voting to select the host country for the 2030 World Expo is to take place Tuesday. The automaker said the art cars promoted Busan’s bid to host the global event in Paris by driving around the voting site as well as major tourist attractions including the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre sinc

MobilityNov. 26, 2023

LG, UNESCO partner to promote AI ethics

LG AI Research, LG Group's artificial intelligence think tank, said Sunday it has signed a letter of intent with UNESCO in Seoul to jointly foster knowledge and awareness of the ethics of AI. LG highlighted the agreement as the first of its kind, where UNESCO has partnered with a Korean firm to promote the ethical development and use of AI technology. Under the letter of intent, the two sides agreed to advance AI technology that would contribute to both humanity and sustainable development,

IndustryNov. 26, 2023