South Korea’s financial regulator’s plan to allow nationwide post offices to work as brick-and-mortar branches for commercial banks here continues to face major hurdles as the plan has been stalled for nearly two years. On Monday, the Financial Services Commission mentioned its plans to review post offices and other similar institutions that could partner up with lenders in offering offline banking services, in its 2022 annual plan. The plan is part of its efforts to narrow the gap

Virtual humans are cheaper, less risky than top celebs, while entertainment industry is easiest way to approach the public

Actor Lee You-mi, 27, returned to the small screen as self-centered high school student Na-yeon in “All of Us Are Dead,” after rising to global stardom with Netflix’s megahit “Squid Game.” Playing a character that is nearly the opposite of her role in “Squid Game,” Lee was surprised to receive barbed comments from drama aficionados, but was satisfied with her performance in the latest zombie thriller. “Unlike how the viewers showed their love an

South Korea is among the six new additions to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of “very high” risk areas to travel to, according to the US authority’s website Monday. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Comoros, French Polynesia and Saint Pierre and Miquelon were also newly added to the list. In the new update, the CDC is urging Americans to avoid traveling to South Korea. “If you must travel to South Korea, make sure you are vaccinated and up to date w

  Retired Korean Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna on Monday voiced concerns about violations of anti-doping rules that undermine fairness in sport in an apparent criticism of the international sport body’s decision to allow a Russian skater to continue to compete at the Beijing Olympics despite failing a pre-game drug test. “Athlete who violates doping cannot compete in the game. This principle must be observed without exception. All players’ efforts and dre

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been ordered by a court to cancel the dismissal of an employee of an affiliated institution accused of sexually harassing fellow employees, due to its violation of the standard disciplinary procedure, judicial officials said Tuesday. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the employee in a lawsuit against the foreign ministry over its dismissal decision made in August 2020, citing its failure to notify of the disciplinary measure in writing. The ca

Minor presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo called on main opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday to respond to his offer of a candidacy merger at an early date. Ahn of the centrist People's Party said he would like to hear from Yoon of the conservative People Power Party himself as it was a proposal made by one presidential candidate to another. "I would like (Yoon) to state his position at the earliest possible date," Ahn told reporters on his campaign trail in Gumi, 261 kilo

Hanwha Systems, a global defense electronics and smart ICT solutions provider, said Tuesday it has joined hands with Israel Aerospace Industries to globally promote combat solutions and technology for naval platforms.  Under an agreement for mutual marketing, the two firms will collaborate on expanding their presence in Asia where Hanwha Systems has built its sales network for years. IAI, with more than 50 years of experience cooperating with the world’s navies, is a customer-tailo

Hefty price tag is set for anyone looking to run and get their names out

Starting Tuesday, government-distributed self-test kits for COVID-19 have been made available at convenience stores and pharmacies across the country at a fixed price of 6,000 won ($5) a piece. Each individual can buy up to five kits at a time. The government’s price control will stay in effect through March 5, with the possibility of changes in the unit price depending on supply conditions. All online sales will be banned from Wednesday through March 5. These are part of the Ministr

LG Group’s virtual fashion designer powered by the hyperscale artificial intelligence has debuted at New York Fashion Week, bringing the engine’s text-to-image generation capability to new heights, its holding company LG Corp. said Tuesday.  The virtual fashion designer, named Tilda, has collaborated with Park Youn-hee, a South Korea-born fashion designer behind the Greedilous brand. The collection was unveiled during a Fall 2022 runway show Monday held at Spring Studios, a po

The Danish Embassy in South Korea said the cumulative number of visitors to its “Meet Denmark” campaign site exceeded 10,000 within 44 days of its launch on Thursday. The embassy co-launched the “Meet Denmark” campaign with the pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk last year in August. With the slogan “Aspiring life, Danish life,” the campaign offers a glimpse into a healthy, sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle unique to Northern Europe. As overseas travel be

Volvo Car Korea Co. on Tuesday launched the Volvo brand's first pure electric model, the C40 Recharge SUV, as part of the Swedish carmaker's electrification push. The C40 Recharge is one of seven all-electric models to be released by Volvo Cars by 2030. The Swedish carmaker aims to become fully electric by 2030. The coupe-styled electric SUV is equipped with a 78kWh battery and a front and rear dual-motor system, which allows it to go from zero to 100 kilometers in 4.9 seconds. It can travel u

The number of unicorns in South Korea reached an all-time high in 2021 amid state support for promising startups, data showed Tuesday. Asia's fourth-largest economy had 18 unicorns as of end-December last year, up from 13 a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. It was also sharply up from three in 2017. A unicorn is an unlisted startup with a valuation of $1 billion or more. The number of unicorns serves as a yardstick of a country's ecosystem for startups