The Korea Herald

Seoul shares plunge on Egyptian unrest

Jan 31, 2011

South Korean stocks ended 1.81 percent lower on Monday as foreigners dumped shares amid growing concerns over political protests in Cairo, analysts said. The local currency lost ground against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) plunged 38.14 points to 2,069.73. Trading volume was moderate at 316.9 million shares worth 7.29 trillion won ($6.5 billion), with
Financial firms to feel limited impact from Egyptian riots: watchdog

Jan 31, 2011

Anti-government protests in Egypt will likely have a limited impact on South Korean financial companies in light of their minimal exposure to the North African country, the financial regulator said Monday. As of the end of September, domestic financial companies owned no securities of or loans to Egypt and their borrowing from the country reached only US$6 million, the Financial Supervisory Ser
[Tidbit] L-cup bra/World's smallest shoes

Jan 31, 2011

(captured from the Daily Mail)An incredibly large jumbo bra has been introduced by a British female underwear manufacturer.According to the British tabloid the Daily Mail, Bravissimo, which specializes in lingeries for women who struggle to find a tight-fitting bra, proposed a timely solution to the problem by introducing the new “super- super size” underwear -- the L-cup bra.Bravissimo, in fact,
Samsung, LG in war over smart living room

TechnologyJan 31, 2011

Korean electronics companies compete in rolling out higher-performance, slicker smart TVsKorean electronics giants of Samsung and LG are engaging in a heated competition to seize the next stage of home entertainment with new smart TVs and application marketplaces.The world’s two largest TV manufacturers have recently released bigger, thinner and slicker products that allow users to access the Inte
Gov't seeks to increase flights departing Cairo amid Egypt protests

PoliticsJan 31, 2011

South Korea's foreign ministry said Monday it is working on increasing the number of flights from Cairo to Seoul to transport South Korean nationals back home amid raging anti-government protests there. "As the situation gets worse, there aren't enough flights compared to the number of our people who would like to leave Egypt," said a ministry official. "We are in talks with Korean Air to inc
Serial killer theory returns to beach corpses case

InternationalJan 31, 2011

YAPHANK, New York (AP) _ The four women whose bodies were dumped along a desolate beachfront strip on Long Island were all prostitutes who booked their clients online and were probably slain by a serial killer, authorities said Monday.This combination of photos provided by the Suffolk County Police Department shows, from left, Melissa Barthelemy, of New York's Erie County; Maureen Brainard-Barne
S. Korea seeking early purchase of stealth jets: sources

Social affairsJan 31, 2011

South Korea is moving to introduce the fifth generation of stealth fighter jets at an early date to replace its aging Air Force fighters and to secure capabilities to counter North Korea's increasing provocations, government sources said Sunday.The move comes after the parliament cut the defense ministry's request for some 15.7 billion won (US$14 million) to launch a new fighter jet procurement pr
Watchdog probing Korean Air for alleged price fixing

IndustryJan 31, 2011

South Korea's anti-trust watchdog is investigating price-rigging allegations that Korean Air, the nation's flag carrier, colluded in fixing prices with a Mongolian airline company for flight services to the central Asian country, officials said Monday. The investigation by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) focuses on relatively expensive flight ticket prices between Incheon and Ulan Bator offere
S. Korean footballer Park Ji-sung retires from international play

SoccerJan 31, 2011

Park Ji-sung, who has represented South Korean football in each of the past three FIFA World Cups, announced his retirement from international play on Monday."It's been an infinite honor and a source of great pride for me to represent my country as a football player," Park said through a statement. "And I've enjoyed a lot of glory and happiness thanks to the love of the fans. But I've come to a di
US sees possible cancer risk with breast implants

FashionJan 31, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) _ U.S. government health officials said Wednesday they are investigating a possible link between breast implants and a very rare form of cancer, raising new questions about the safety of devices which have been scrutinized for decades.Federal health officials said Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, they are investigating a possible link between breast implants and a very rare form of cancer
Zuckerberg 'friends' actor in Facebook movie

IndustryJan 31, 2011

The Oscar-nominated movie "The Social Network" paints an unflattering portrait of Mark Zuckerberg but the Facebook founder apparently doesn't hold a grudge.Zuckerberg, 26, came face-to-face during a guest appearance on the popular NBC comedy show "Saturday Night Live" with Jesse Eisenberg, who received a "Best Actor" nomination for his portrayal of the Facebook creator. Jesse Eisenberg (left, MCT)
1300kg Devil Ray a bad omen for Pulau Ketam?

CultureJan 31, 2011

The dead "Devil Ray" is lifted up at the pier. Photo courtesy: Guang Ming DailyKLANG, Selangor: Founded over a hundred year ago, Pulau Ketam seems to have a stroke of bad luck as it witnessed some really bad incidents over the past couple of years, including the sinking of a century-old pontoon, the "dog eats dog" incident and the "cousin kills cousin" family tragedy, among others, casting over th
S. Korea's industrial output grows 9.8 pct in Dec.: govt report

IndustryJan 31, 2011

South Korea's industrial output grew for the 18th straight month in December, suggesting the economic recovery remains on track, a government report showed Monday. According to the report by Statistics Korea, production in the mining and manufacturing industries expanded 9.8 percent last month from the same month a year earlier. The output has expanded since July 2009. Production grew 2.8 p
S. Korean investors in Egypt begin exodus amid protests

InternationalJan 31, 2011

South Korean businesses and investors in Egypt are facing inevitable damage to their operations due to increasingly violent protests there, with many of them forced to stay indoors or have their family members leave the country in a hurry, a local trade body said Monday.Many companies, including Samsung, LG and Hyundai Motor, have decided to immediately bring home the families of their workers in
Obama likely to submit Korea FTA to Congress in March: report

Jan 31, 2011

The Obama administration will likely submit the pending free trade deal with South Korea to Congress in late March after undergoing a series of congressional hearings next month, reports said Sunday. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk is expected to appear at hearings at the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee in mid-February to "pave the way for a mock markup of th