Standard Chartered Bank Korea said Thursday it plans to offer a before-tax interest rate of up to 1.5% per year on savings for those who subscribe to SC Bank‘s My Signature Account for the first time. The promotional event runs through Feb. 28. My Signature Account, launched in July, is a checking account that offers “high yield” in connection to one's transaction performance. The account has been in the limelight for providing a stable yield amidst fluctuating interest r

The Korean digital comics platform Naver Webtoon plans to fortify its foothold in the North American and ASEAN video content market, capitalizing on an extended IP value chain that now encompasses web novel giant Wattpad and the recently launched Wattpad Webtoon Studios. While Naver Webtoon has long developed expertise in adapting Korean webtoons into films, teaming up with Wattpad is expected to expand its presence to the web novel sector. Wattpad, North America’s largest web novel platf

For 51-year-old director Lee Jae-kyoo of Netflix’s “All of Us Are Dead,” adapting a classic zombie webtoon was a high-pressure project, but he was certain that the thriller would entertain viewers with its fascinating storyline and heart-pounding action sequences. “I would be lying if I said I felt no pressure in reproducing the legendary webtoon into a 12-part Netflix series. However, I consulted with author Joo Dong-geun numerous times to create the series and I am ex

With the nation’s new industrial safety law taking effect Thursday, companies across industries are bolstering their safety management systems to avoid being the first punished under the enhanced rules.  Under the Serious Accident Punishment Act, business owners or executives at companies with more than 50 employees could face a criminal penalty of a minimum one-year prison term or fines of up to 1 billion won ($835,000) for fatal industrial accidents under circumstances where safet

SEJONG -- South Korea’s stock index plunged and the currency lost its ground versus the US dollar on Thursday, following US policymakers’ stance overnight signaling an interest rate hike in March. The weaker position in the financial indices comes after senior officials from the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Korea forecasted earlier in the day that the hawkish position of the US Federal Reserve on the local capital market would bring limited effects. Fed chair Jerome Powell clar

Parties lock horns over when to hold TV debates, unwilling to yield to conditions that may not favor their candidates

Supreme Court ruling may affect fate of former justice minister

South Korea’s top banking groups KB, Hana and Shinhan are included in this year’s Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which recognizes businesses committed to transparency in gender reporting and promoting women’s rights, the firms said Thursday. This marks KB and Shinhan’s fourth consecutive year, and Hana’s first time to be recognized by the GEI. The GEI was expanded in 2022 to represent 45 countries and regions, and 418 public companies across various sectors, inc

Yoon vows to return Cheong Wa Dae to public, echoing Moon’s unrealized pledge

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a two-year prison sentence for a former environment minister of the Moon Jae-in administration, charged with abusing her ministerial power to force ranking officials from the previous administration to resign from public posts. Kim Eun-kyung was indicted on charges of forcing 13 executives at environment ministry-affiliated public institutions who were appointed by the previous Park Geun-hye administration to resign from their seats between 2017 and 2018.

South Koreans' consumption of rice hit an all-time low in 2021, but the decreasing rate slowed on the back of a growing demand for home meals amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Thursday. The average South Korean consumed 56.9 kilograms of rice last year, down 1.4 percent or 0.8 kilograms from the previous year, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. Rice is a key staple food for Koreans, but its consumption has been on a steady decline since 1980 due mainly to changes in diet

The presidential National Security Council (NSC) held an emergency meeting Thursday and expressed strong regret over North Korea's latest projectile launch, the presidential office said. North Korea fired two apparent short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea earlier in the day, in the North's sixth show of force this month. The standing members of the NSC said it is "very regrettable that North Korea's repeated missile launches are contrary to the request of Korea and the intern