KYIV (AFP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement that his nuclear forces were on alert sparked outcry in the West as the invading troops faced stiff resistance on Monday. The UN General Assembly will hold a rare emergency session Monday to discuss the conflict, which has claimed dozens of lives and raised fears that it will displace millions of people. Ukraine has also said it had agreed to send a delegation to meet Russian representatives on the border with Belarus, which would be

The number of deaths at workplaces due to safety accidents has fallen compared to a year ago after the country enforced a strengthened industrial safety act, according to government data.  The Labor Ministry data showed that from Jan. 27 to Feb. 26, a total of 42 people died from 35 fatal industrial safety accidents, compared to 52 deaths from 52 accidents that occurred over the same period last year.  In a one month period, 18 workers in the manufacturing industry lost their lives,

Unvaccinated students living with confirmed COVID-19 patients will be allowed to attend in-person classes staring March 14, as part of the Ministry of Education’s new guidelines announced Monday. Schools will not penalize students’ COVID-19-related absences from the new semester onward. Also, from March 14, students can attend classes in person even if their family member has been infected with COVID-19. The Ministry of Education announced more details to its response against the

South Korea will seek close consultations with the United States to receive an exemption from Washington's recently expanded sanctions against Russia to minimize the impact of the restrictions on local firms and the economy, the country's top trade official said Monday. Last week, the US government announced the Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR) for "all of Russia" as part of sweeping export controls over its recent invasion of Ukraine, which requires companies to receive a license f

Former Jeju Gov. Won Hee-ryong at the forefront of new revelations

Pyongyang seems to move closer to launching an ICBM or satellite, analysts say

The securities company Korea Investment and Securities said Monday it will participate as a joint lead arranger to back PAI Partners’ acquisition of the orange juice brand Tropicana. The Paris-based private-equity firm PAI Partners agreed to buy a majority interest in a portfolio of juice brands, including Tropicana, from PepsiCo last August. Investment banks like Credit Suisse and Bank of America are involved in helping PAI Partners obtain $4.4 billion (5.27 trillion won) in loans neede

Japanese Korean singer and TV celebrity Kangnam, 34, has become a naturalized Korean citizen, he announced in a live broadcast on YouTube. In the live broadcast on Saturday, Kangnam said he completed his final naturalization interview on Friday, and opened the letter notifying him that he had passed the exam, live on camera. This was the singer’s third attempt at the naturalization exam, after declaring he intended to give up his Japanese citizenship in 2019. In the video, the singer a

President Moon Jae-in called for a powerful defense posture Monday, saying peace can be achieved only based on strong defense, as the world is reeling from Russia's shocking invasion of Ukraine. "The peace and prosperity we enjoy have been achieved on the foundation of strong security," Moon told a commencement and commissioning ceremony for the Korea Army Academy in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. Based on strong defense capabilities, South Korea has pushed for peace efforts on

BARCELONA/SEOUL -- Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile tech show, kicked off its four-day run in Barcelona on Monday, with big name exhibitors, including Samsung Electronics and Google, returning to flaunt their latest technologies and products. The annual convention was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and in 2021, it was a hybrid event, with most of the product launches held online. This year’s MWC, themed “Connectivity Unleashed,” is ba

Big data platform company DataStreams Corp. said Monday it launched an online academy and appointed instructors last week to deliver the firm’s big data and data governance knowledge to its staff, partners, students and the public. DS Academy will offer 57 lectures in nine courses on products, consulting, big data infrastructure, data integration using the company’s data fabric solution TeraONE, big data governance, big data fabric and artificial intelligence big data analysis, amon

South Korea’s KB Kookmin Bank said Monday it has snapped up a combined 543 billion won ($450 million) commitment to a private fund to finance a 100-megawatt wind turbine project on the southern resort island of Jeju. The private fund, which marks the largest here in terms of those tied to renewable energy, will target 18 offshore wind turbines on Jeju Island, generating a combined 100 megawatts. The value of the total project amounts to 630.3 billion won and the construction of the offsho

Actor Lee Jung-jae has been chosen as the global ambassador for the 2022 Fall-Winter Seoul Fashion Week, according to the show’s organizer, the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Lee will represent two local brands, Eenk and Caruso, and appear in a promotional YouTube video that is slated to be released Friday. The 2022 F/W Seoul Fashion Week will be held March 18-23 in an online-offline hybrid format. It will mark the first time in three years the fashion show will take place offline amid

Rose, a member of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and canceled part of her upcoming overseas schedule, the group's agency said. "Rose tested positive in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) examination ahead of her departure for an overseas trip today," YG Entertainment said, adding the virus infection led her to cancel part of her schedule abroad. The remaining three members of the quartet have all tested negative. "Including Rose, all members pres

Samsung Bioepis Co. said Monday that it has secured a total of 10 biosimilar products, including five that are globally available, as the South Korean biopharmaceutical company celebrates its 10th year anniversary. Founded in 2012, Samsung Bioepis has won global approval for a total of six biosimilars -- Infliximab, Etanercept, Adalimumab, Trastuzumab, Bevacizumab and Ranibizumab. Samsung Bioepis is a joint venture between Biogen and Samsung Biologics Co., one of the world's major contract drug