Google has filed a lawsuit against South Korea's antitrust regulator to overturn the regulator's decision to fine the global technology giant for pressing smartphone makers into only using its Android mobile operating system, sources said Wednesday. The legal action by Google against the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) came after the KFTC decided in September last year to fine Google 207.4 billion won ($173 million) for obstructing local smartphone makers, such as Samsung Electronic

Semiconductor-to-telecom conglomerate SK Group has stepped up as the country’s second-largest business group in terms of assets, market data showed Wednesday. SK Group, which has the largest number of affiliates in the country, 176, has been the country’s third-largest since 2006.  According to market tracker CEO Score data on conglomerates’ assets as of third quarter last year, SK Group’s assets came at 270.7 trillion won ($226 billion) as of Q3 last year, which

Actor Lee Byung-hun has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his management agency said Wednesday. "Lee got tested for COVID-19 since he didn't feel well and received a positive result on Monday," BH Entertainment said. "He currently has no serious health problems." He is fully vaccinated and boosted, according to the agency. The infection immediately halted the filming of the new tvN drama "Our Blues," starring Lee. All other members of the cast and the crew

Seoul's daily tally of new COVID-19 infections reached 11,682 on Wednesday, the first ever figure over 10,000 since the country's first case reported two years ago, according to city officials. The daily COVID-19 tally in the capital city has been growing rapidly with the fast spread of omicron variant, hitting the 5,000 level for the first time a week earlier and repeatedly renewing its record to surpass the 8,000 level last Saturday. Of the latest total, 11,630 cases were locally tra

An increase in the value of assets owned by senior citizens results in a rise in the possibility of their early retirement, causing a decline in labor supply to the economy, a central bank report showed Wednesday. According to the report by the Bank of Korea, a 10 percent increase in the value of assets such as homes owned by senior people leads to a 1.8 percentage point fall in their economic participation rate and a 6.1 percent decline in hours they worked. Such asset value increase also raise

The South Korean economy is on a recovery track, but external economic uncertainty remains high amid soaring energy costs and monetary policy shifts by the US Federal Reserve, a state-run think tank said Wednesday. The manufacturing industry has extended solid growth and the latest spike in COVID-19 cases appears to have had limited impacts on the service sector, compared with previous waves of the pandemic, the Korea Development Institute (KDI) said in a monthly economic assessment report. &quo

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Wednesday it has decided to fine discount store chain Homeplus 2.42 billion won ($2 million) for unfairly passing on sales promotion costs to its subcontractors. Homeplus Express, a supermarket unit of Homeplus, made 45 suppliers shoulder the costs worth around 1.7 billion won in 2017-2020 without related prior contracts, according to the Fair Trade Commission. The regulator said it will closely look into alleged unfair business practice by other retailers.

South Korea on Wednesday asked the chief of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to have additional discussions on its global tax deal to prevent exporters from shouldering an excessive burden, Seoul's industry ministry said. South Korea's Industry Minister Moon Sung-wook made the request during a meeting with the organization's Secretary-General Mathias Cormann held in Seoul. In October, the OECD announced that 136 nations had agreed upon a sweeping reform of the int

BEIJING -- In figure skating today, it's the numbers game that people play. The current International Skating Union (ISU) judging system assigns points to technical elements in skaters' programs, such as jumps and spins. This is all designed to eliminate room for subjectivity in scoring, in response to some damaging judging scandals from the past. Perhaps in an unintended side effect of this shift, figure skating has become increasingly more about jumps and less about artistry and choreography.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered officials to address urgent defects in the field of construction, stressing its importance in building a strong country and improving people's lives, according to Pyongyang's state media Wednesday. In a letter sent to participants of a construction workshop held in Pyongyang the previous day, Kim pointed out mistakes made in the field, and said it was the right time for them to "rearm" with the ruling party's ideologies and policies, the Nort

The first batch of self-driving taxies in Seoul will go into service in the city's western region this week, the city government said Wednesday. Four autonomous cars will start providing public taxi services in the Sangam-dong district in western Seoul on Thursday, covering two separate transportation routes. Any passenger can call one of the taxies on the smartphone application TAP! at the fixed fare of 2,000 won ($1.67) per ride, automatically payable on the application. Circling two separate

Main opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol has said he will not hold negotiations with minor candidate Ahn Cheol-soo for a merger of their candidacies while leaving open the possibility of a merger through a surprise deal. Yoon of the conservative People Power Party made the comments in an interview with the Joongang Ilbo newspaper published Wednesday, emphasizing his aversion to long, drawn-out negotiations over details. "If we trust each other and agree on the goal of regime cha

The Chinese Embassy here issued a rare public statement in response to fury among South Koreans over the "appropriation" of "hanbok," the traditional Korean attire, and deepening anti-China sentiment. A woman, dressed in hanbok, appeared during last week's opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, representing an ethnic minority of China, called "joseonjok." She was part of those representing 56 ethnic groups of China carrying the Chinese national flag into t