German electronics technology firm Merck announced Wednesday that it has signed a deal to acquire the semiconductor-grade industrial gas and chemical operation of Korea-based listed company Mecaro for 110 million euros ($111.9 million). The transaction will involve business assets dedicated to chemical precursors used in thin film deposition for semiconductors, as well as some 100 employees. Mec...

Cryptocurrency theft by N. Korea accounts for more than half of losses

North Korea fired two suspected cruise missiles from South Pyongan Province toward the western sea on Wednesday early morning as South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol marked his 100th day in office. “North Korea is presumed to have launched two cruise missiles near Onchon County, South Pyongan Province early this morning,” a South Korean military official told reporters on condition of anonymity,...

Culture critic Lee Taek-gwang suggests the new trend is catching on because the meokbang market is a red ocean. “Since the market is saturated, they are appearing as content for a niche market,” Lee said. “But I would not say that the existing meokbang trend of eating large portions has been replaced. It still is popular.” Lee also added that the two different trends might look like they are fe...

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Wednesday that it was considering converting Jamsu Bridge on the Han river into a pedestrian-only route. As part of the plan, the government plans to run a pilot program, restricting traffic on the bridge from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. every Sunday from Aug. 28 to Oct. 30. Also from noon to 9 p.m. on the day of traffic control, events such as street performa...

Kim became the first Asian dancer to join the Mariinsky Ballet in 2011. In 2012, he made his debut as Ali in “Le Corsaire,” just one month after joining the troupe. He was promoted to the company’s principal dancer in 2015, the youngest to hold the role at age 23. There are about 270 dancers in the Mariinsky Ballet, and 13 are named as principal dancers. Kim was also the first Korean ballet danc...

SEJONG -- Spiraling import prices of grain are expected to bring about further price hikes in local processed food products and food offered at restaurants, with a state-run agency predicting a continuous climb of grain prices in the third quarter of the year. In a recent report, the Korea Rural Economic Institute forecasted that grain import prices would climb 16 percent in the third quarter co...

Korea records the world’s highest COVID-19 cases per million

China risk, supply chain disruptions cited as key concerns

A joint task force launched by the Financial Services Commission on Wednesday kicked off its first monthly meeting on setting up a framework for digital assets like bitcoin, a week after the top financial regulator said it would work to remove regulatory uncertainty facing South Korea’s crypto industry. Introducing a legal framework for cryptocurrencies is part of the larger deregulation initiat...

Seoul shares snapped their three-day winning streak Wednesday as investors await the latest minutes of the Federal Reserve that will give them an idea of its future rate policy to combat high inflation. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 17.05 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 2,516.47 points. Trading volume was moderate at...