The worst outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Asia for at least 50 years may get more severe as Lunar New Year holidays spark a surge in travel, threatening to spread the virus that has decimated South Korea’s livestock. The magnitude of the outbreak is “unlike anything that we’ve seen for at least half a century,” Juan Lubroth, chief veterinary officer at the United Nations’ Food and Agricultur

Samsung Electronics announced Friday that its total sales and operating profit for last year climbed to a record high, reaching more than 154 trillion won ($138.2 billion) and 17 trillion won, respectively, buoyed by increased sales of memory chips and mobiles.The country’s top electronics manufacturer said it posted 154.63 trillion won in total sales and 17.3 trillion won in operating profit, sur

In the quiet of a weekday afternoon ― when the cold spins out a strange, solemn silence ― several patrons rush into a small restaurant called Yeolcha Jip. The chill enters with them, curling up and dissipating into the warm space. Huddling up on the narrow wooden benches, they barely glance at the menu on the wall as they order bindaetteok (Korean mung bean pancakes). Chef Yoon Hyun-soo gets up fr

Bill Pryor is living proof that a career in film (as it used to be called) can flourish far away from the coasts.For almost 50 years, Pryor, 68, has specialized in “industrials,” promotional and training films made for corporate clients. The Texas native was studying journalism at the University of Oklahoma when he began to dabble in film.He worked for a few years in St. Louis before joining Kansa

Lee Kwang-jae, governor of Gangwon Province, was stripped of his position Thursday as the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s sentence. Lee was earlier sentenced to a one-year prison term and a forfeit order of 114 million won ($102,000) for having received kickbacks from Park Yeon-cha, CEO of shoemaking company, Taekwang Industry.The term will also deprive Lee, who was an aide of the late Presid

South Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na said Friday she is on the right track for the world championships in March and is looking forward to returning to the ice.In an e-mail interview with her Seoul-based agency, All That Sports, Kim said she’s been gearing up for the championships by building up her strength and focusing on her new programs.“There’s plenty of time left until the competition,” Kim s

LA JOLLA, California (AFP) ― All eyes were on Tiger Woods, but it was South Korean Kang Sung-hoon, playing his second U.S. PGA Tour event, who topped the leaderboard on Thursday after the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open.Woods launched his 2011 campaign with a bogey-free three-under par 69 on Torrey Pines’ North Course.That left him five behind Kang, who notched six birdies and an eagle i

TROMSOE, Norway (AP) ― In the arms race now gripping the travel industry, there is almost nothing cruise ships will not do to tempt new customers.Some boast of climbing walls, ice skating rinks and water parks.Others offer endless bingo, salsa, yoga or gambling. Travelers can go clubbing all night, have their bodies scrubbed with precious oils, or attend culture and history lectures by Ivy League