Yearly tally for marriages to sink below 200,000 for 1st time

Vague terms, “excessive penalty” targeting CEOs leave companies worried

A backstage staff worker at Stage Art Center was named the winner of the 2022 Unsung Hero Award, arranged by the Shinil Educational Foundation. The foundation held the awards ceremony at the Seoul Cyber University on Monday, shining a spotlight on those who have been working in the performing arts scene off the stage. The awards are given to both individuals and groups. Lee Byeong-seob, who works at Stage Art Center, a public institution that rents out costumes, props and stage settings to pr

The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture unveiled plans to build a stronger support system for artists impacted by the lingering pandemic. Under this year’s slogan, “Together with art, standing beside citizens,” the SFAC announced its three top items on the agenda and 10 action plans of the year at a press conference at the SFAC Daehangno Center, Wednesday. The three items call for diversifying support policies for artists, vitalizing cultural programs for Seoul residents a

South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases topped 13,000 as of midnight Tuesday due to the rapid spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant. It was the first time that South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases surpasses 10,000 in 737 days since the country saw its first confirmed COVID-19 case on January 20. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Wednesday, the country added 13,012 COVID-19 cases, posting a dramatic increase from that of the previous

South Korean food manufacturer Samyang Foods signed an agreement with Good Neighbors, a child advocacy non-governmental organization in Seoul, to promote child protection, the company said Wednesday. Under the agreement, the company donated 10 million won ($8,350) as a scholarship raised through a matching grant program participated by its executives and staff. Last year, Samyang Foods established a partnership with a district branch of the organization in Seongbuk-gu, where the company‘s

LG Energy Solution and General Motors said Wednesday they will invest $2.6 billion to build their third electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in the US. The facility will be located in Lansing, Michigan. The factory will begin mass production in early 2025 and produce 50 gigawatt-hours of EV batteries per year once fully operational, which is enough to power 700,000 EVs that can travel more than 500 kilometers in a single charge. The investment is expected to create 1,700 new jobs.

Posco Chemical posted record revenues in 2021, largely buoyed by a robust performance of its secondary battery materials business, the company said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. According to the refractory and secondary battery materials arm of South Korean steel giant Posco, its sales surged 27 percent to 1.98 trillion won ($1.65 billion) on-year, a record figure in the company’s history. Operating profits also soared 101.9 percent to 121.7 billion won in the same period. Po

SKC, the chemicals unit of South Korea’s No. 3 conglomerate SK Group, said Wednesday it has invested $80 million with partners to secure next-generation electric vehicle battery technologies. According to SKC, it formed a consortium with SJL Partners, BNW Investment and Kiwoom PE and invested $80 million in Nexeon, which develops materials that go inside the minus sides of electric vehicle batteries. Through the investment, the consortium secured a partial stake in the British firm a

New music director lays out plans for next three years

Korea continues strengthening the ecosystem of data, network and artificial intelligence

All the way from Joseon era to train to Busan, Korean zombies now appear in high school

South Korea’s banking groups have started upgrading their auto loan and financing services to the next level this year, aiming to go beyond their traditional business to attract mobile-first customers. KB Financial Group, the nation’s No. 1 banking group by total assets, has expanded its car financing services offered via online and mobile platforms, mostly through its leasing and installment financing unit KB Capital. On Jan. 4, KB Capital signed a deal with Volvo’s electri

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday called for an end to mudslinging, in an apparent bid to improve his stagnant support ratings. Lee declared that he would stop all denunciations of other candidates, as he fears voters are displeased with the presidential race being riddled with accusations and denunciations against one another. "I understand that the people are deeply concerned with the 'negative' moves intensified during the pres

The planned televised debate between the two leading presidential candidates has been called off, with a Seoul court granting the injunction filed by Ahn Cheol-soo, a minor opposition candidate who had been excluded from the event. Seoul Western District Court on Wednesday ordered the three local broadcasters not to hold or broadcast a debate for the two presidential candidates leading the race -- Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Part