South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday amid a lack of fresh leads, as investors wait to hear comments from key US federal bank officials on the outlook of the interest rate hike cycle. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 4.53 points, or 0.18 percent, to 2,580.02 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The US stock markets were closed Monday for Labor Day. European stocks finished almost flat as China's announcement on a stimulus to prop up the troubled property sector had li

Market Sept. 5, 2023

South Korea's on-year consumer price growth surpassed 3 percent in August after falling below the mark for two consecutive months amid higher prices of agricultural and manufactured goods, data showed Tuesday. Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 3.4 percent last month from a year earlier, compared with a 2.3 percent increase in July, according to the data from Statistics Korea. It was the highest on-year rise since the 3.7 percent growth tallied in April. In June, inflation fell

Economy Sept. 5, 2023

South Korea's economy grew at a slightly faster pace in the second quarter of this year than three months earlier despite a slump in exports, central bank data showed Tuesday. The country's real gross domestic product -- a key measure of economic growth -- increased 0.6 percent on-quarter in the April-June period, matching an earlier estimate, according to the Bank of Korea. The second-quarter expansion is higher than the 0.3 percent expansion in the first quarter. Asia's fourth-l

Economy Sept. 5, 2023

CHILGOK -- A man reportedly suffering from mental illness stabbed another patient to death at a hospital in the southeastern county of Chilgok on Monday, police and fire authorities said. The 56-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene after attacking the victim in his 50s at the general hospital in Chilgok, near Daegu, around 3:41 p.m., they said. The suspect, who was also admitted at the hospital, reportedly suffers from mental illness. Police said they are investigating the exact cause behi

Social Affairs Sept. 4, 2023

South Korean stocks closed higher for the second consecutive session Monday on growing optimism the US Federal Reserve will pause the interest rate hike in the next month's policy meeting after key unemployment data showed a cooling economy. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) advanced 20.84 points, or 0.81 percent, to finish at 2,584.55. Trading volume was moderate at 337.3 million shares worth 8.57 trillion won ($6.49 bill

Market Sept. 4, 2023

South Korea's homegrown lunar monitoring payload, which will carry out science experiments as part of the U.S. moon exploration Artemis program, is ready to join the unmanned space mission next year, the science ministry said Monday. The lunar space environment monitor, developed by the state-run Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, has been completed and will be headed to the headquarters of Intuitive Machines Inc. in Houston, Texas, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. LU

Technology Sept. 4, 2023

President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating fell slightly to 35.4 percent, a poll showed Monday, amid debates about the government's decision to relocate the bust of a revered independence fighter. In a poll of 2,505 eligible voters commissioned by Media Tribune and conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, Yoon's approval rating fell 2.2 percentage points from a week earlier, while negative assessment rose by 1.7 percentage points to 61.1 percent, the poll showed. A d

Politics Sept. 4, 2023

South Korea's shipbuilding-to-energy conglomerate HD Hyundai Group said Monday it will showcase eco-friendly vessels, and seek cooperation with global ship registers and shippers in an upcoming world gas exhibition. HD Hyundai said it will display models of a liquefied natural gas carrier, a liquefied petroleum gas ship, a duel fuel engine as well as other green technologies at Gastech 2023. The world's largest gas, LNG, hydrogen and energy fair, slated for Tuesday to Friday in Singapo

Mobility Sept. 4, 2023

UN special rapporteur for North Korea's human rights is set to visit South Korea this week to meet Seoul officials and defectors from the reclusive regime. Elizabeth Salmon is expected to arrive in Seoul on Monday for a nine-day stay to meet foreign, unification and justice officials, as well as North Korean defectors and rights groups, according to the foreign ministry. She is also scheduled to hold a press conference in Seoul on Sept. 12. The rapporteur will submit a report on North Korea

Foreign Affairs Sept. 4, 2023

French designer brand ami has opened its first duty-free shop in South Korea as part of its efforts to reach out to more global consumers, its distributor said Monday. Ami opened a 33.3-square-meter store at Lotte Duty Free's Myeongdong branch in central Seoul on Friday, according to Samsung C&T Corp. Various kinds of apparel with ami's signature heart logo, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and cardigans, as well as the brand's 2023 F/W season collection will be availa

Industry Sept. 4, 2023

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday on growing expectations the US Federal Reserve will not raise the interest rate in its next policy meeting after key unemployment data reflected a cooling economy. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 7.31 points, or 0.29 percent, to 2,571.02 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The US unemployment rate jumped to 3.8 percent in August, the Labor Department said Friday, and wage growth slowed. The fresh readings came as a reminder th

Market Sept. 4, 2023

The South Korean economy is on the verge of recovery despite some monthly volatility, the finance minister said Monday, with exports showing continued signs of improvement. "South Korea's economy has recently witnessed some monthly fluctuations, but in general, it is building ground at an entryway of recovery," Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said during a meeting with economy-related ministers. While South Korea's industrial output lost ground on-month in July, Choo attribute

Economy Sept. 4, 2023

Eastar Jet Co., a South Korean low-cost carrier, said Sunday it has resumed services on international routes after a 3 1/2-year hiatus induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eastar Jet began providing three flights a week on the route from Gimpo to Songsan in Taiwan starting Saturday, the company said in a statement. The budget carrier also plans to offer flights on the routes from Incheon to Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok and Da Nang from Sept. 20 and to Fukuoka and Nha Trang from Oct. 29, it said. In March,

Industry Sept. 3, 2023

At a pharmacy or a clinic, pill counting is a common routine that pharmacists or pharmacy technicians have to undergo to ensure that an accurate amount of medication is distributed and a patient gets an accurate dosage. And it is also part of inventory management that druggists have to do at the end of each day or month. It is simple, repetitive work but very important for a pharmacy. If a patient does not receive the correct number of pills, the consequences can be life threatening and clinic e

Industry Sept. 3, 2023

Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur has completed his fourth career hat trick in the Premier League, earning his first goals of the new season in style. Son netted three goals in a 5-2 rout of Burnley at Turf Moor in Burnley, England, on Saturday. This was Spurs' fourth match of the 2023-2024 season, and Son, who was named captain before the start of this campaign, had been held goalless in three previous contests before this trifecta. Son's previous hat trick came almost exactly a year

Soccer Sept. 3, 2023