Two minor natural earthquakes hit near North Korea's nuclear testing site Monday, South Korea's state weather agency said. A 2.3 magnitude tremor occurred about 36 kilometers north-northwest of Kilju, North Hamgyong Province, at 2:33 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). At 7:47 p.m., another 2.3 magnitude quake struck about 37 kilometers north of the region, where North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear testing site is located, the KMA said. Both are presumed to have o

A total of 14 candidates will run in the March 9 presidential election, the state election commission said Monday as it concluded the two-day candidate registration. The National Election Commission said 11 people registered their names Sunday and three more joined the race Monday. On Sunday, Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), Yoon Suk-yeol of the main opposition People Power Party, Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People's Party and Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justi

The state labor relations commission decided Monday to stop mediating wage negotiations between management and unionists at Samsung Electronics Co., raising the possibility of a walkout for the first time at the nation's largest conglomerate. The National Labor Relations Commission failed to successfully bring the two parties to an agreement following two arbitration efforts in less than a week. With the decision, the unions can go ahead with a walkout if their members vote for it. If that h

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Morgan Stanley Capital International, the world’s largest index provider, could reclassify South Korea as a developed market from the current emerging market status as early as 2024, if Seoul works to internationalize currency markets, Goldman Sachs said Monday in a report. “If Korea addresses MSCI market accessibility concerns, it could be placed on the annual review watchlist this June,” the report said, referring to a necessary step before Korea can be officially included i

Korea to establish presidential committee to manage economic security

Stray Kids will make a comeback with an EP on March 18, announced label JYP Entertainment Monday. 　 It follows the teaser video that surprised fans at a fan meet event the band held in southern Seoul on Sunday. 　 In the trailer, Felix walked into a mysterious spot and looked around terrified. Then the rest of the bandmates appeared, further raising the tension until a word sign changed into “oddinary,” title of the EP, from “ordinary.” 　 “You are the special being

In the dark reality of the pandemic, a long-running classic has brought a sense of hopeful nostalgia to the stage. “The Lion King” is back in Seoul after nearly 3 years, and has once again shown why it captures so many hearts. As the curtains go up, the audience is immediately enraptured by the march of animals as Futhi Mhlong, who has been playing mandrill Rafiki for the past 14 years, sings “Circle of Life.” Even though the iconic entry of the animals through the a

SEJONG -- The nation’s exports of information and communication technology products enjoyed their best January on record last month, state data showed Monday. 　 The record was driven by growths in exports to five major destinations for ICT products -- China, Vietnam, the US, EU, and Japan. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea’s outbound shipments of ICT products recorded $19.6 billion last month, up 20.7 percent from $16.2 billion in January 2021 amid robust export p