South Korean stocks opened lower Monday, as investors remained cautious amid the Ukraine tensions. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) retreated 9.61 points, or 0.36 percent, to 2,667.15 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks dropped as investors digest a new set of sanctions by the United States and Western nations on Russia over the Kremlin's attack on Ukraine. Most stocks retreated in Seoul, led by foreign and institutional sell-offs. Market bellwether Samsung E

Home transactions in South Korea tumbled more than 50 percent in January amid tough lending curbs and rising interest rates, government data showed Monday. The number of homes changing hands nationwide stood at 41,709 units last month, down 54 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Compared with the previous month, the January tally was down 22.4 percent. The number of home transactions in the greater Seoul area, which includes

Presidential candidates on Monday kicked off their final full week of campaigning with polls still indicating a dead heat between ruling party nominee Lee Jae-myung and main opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. Lee of the liberal Democratic Party is set to meet with voters in the southeastern region of the country, including in Pohang, Gyeongju and Daegu, as he seeks to woo the traditionally conservative base. In the evening, he is scheduled to visit his hometown of Andong to rally voters there.

The enforcement of vaccine passes at restaurants, cafes and other multiuse facilities will be temporarily lifted starting Tuesday to reduce the burden of health workers mobilized to issue negative test certificates, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol said Monday. Speaking at an interagency COVID-19 response meeting, Jeon said the decision will help the government prioritize its administrative capacity toward dealing with the fast spread of the omicron coronavirus variant and high-risk virus patie

The hit South Korean TV series "Squid Game" has won an award at the US Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for best stunt ensemble. At the advanced announcement of the winners of the 2022 SAG Awards on Sunday (US time), "Squid Game" was awarded Outstanding Action Performance By a Stunt Ensemble in a TV series. The Korean-language Netflix original outdid "Cobra Kai," "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "Loki" and "Mare of Easttown." It is

North Korea claimed Monday to have carried out an "important test" for developing a "reconnaissance satellite" despite South Korea's characterization of it as a ballistic missile launch. Sunday's test came amid concerns the North could fire a long-range rocket under the disguise of a satellite launch or conduct other provocative acts following its veiled threat last month to suspend its voluntary moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests. &qu

North Gyeongsang Province is aiming to create a “provincial metaverse” for 10 million people by 2026, officials said at a launching of a policy advisory group of experts for the virtual development. Holding a launching ceremony on Thursday, the provincial government said it has also formed a Metaverse Alliance to include corporates and universities. It is the first time a province here has created any such entity related to metaverse, the province added. “In the era of the

The US investigation into mysterious symptoms known as the “Havana syndrome” could provide Americans with long-overdue insights into the emerging threats of directed-energy devices. Hundreds of US government personnel -- mostly spies and diplomats abroad -- have reported piercing pain, unexplained sounds, vertigo, vision loss, memory loss, insomnia and signs of brain damage since 2016, when dozens were afflicted in Cuba. Later incidents were reported in China, Russia, Colombia, Aus

Presidential office says Pyongyang’s act is “never desirable” for peace amid Russia-Ukraine war

Number-one priority is to counter existential threat from North Korea’s missiles and nuclear weapons

Booyoung Group’s Woojung Education and Culture Foundation provided scholarships totaling 350 million won ($292,000) to 89 international students studying in Korea for the first semester of the 2022 academic year. The recipients are from 34 countries including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, and Cambodia. Since 2010, the foundation has granted financial support to Asian, African and Latin American students on a semester basis. Scholarships worth 83 billion won have been gi

South Korea’s financial regulators have begun drafting contingency arrangements, such as ramping up market monitoring and readying market stabilization funds, to grapple with the impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, which has led the local stock market to shed 162 trillion won ($134 billion) over the last two months. “At alert level 2, we’re keeping an eye on the stock market and prepared to deploy our resources, should it need our intervention,” a source with knowledge

Hyundai Engineering & Construction opened a virtual model home for its new Hillstate Lake apartment complex that will be constructed in Songdo, Incheon, the company said Sunday. 　 The virtual tour delivers an immersive experience that allows customers to view a detailed profile of the floorplan. The service is available on the Hillstate Lake official website. 　 The new build marks the fourth apartment complex of the Hillstate village in Songdo Landmark City, where the first three complexes

Amid the global shock waves from Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, calls are growing for South Korea’s Yong In University in Gyeonggi Province to cancel the honorary doctorate it had granted to Russian President Vladimir Putin more than a decade ago, according to sources Sunday. On Sept. 21, 2010, Putin received an honorary doctorate in judo from the college, which has gained global recognition since its establishment in 1953 for its martial arts program that has trained wo