Startup Around Body develops Korea’s first flushable menstrual pads

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Wednesday it has imposed a combined fine of 3.8 billion won ($3.3 million) on eight affiliates of Harim Co. for providing undue business favors to Orpum Co., wholly owned by the poultry-processing firm. Those affiliates, including Farmsco, Sunjin, Jeilfeed and other livestock companies, had provided "excessive economic profits" to Orpum by purchasing livestock-related drugs solely from the Harim subsidiary at higher prices than the market price f

The number of South Koreans who moved to different residences in the country fell for the ninth straight month in September, data showed Wednesday, as housing transactions decreased amid rising prices. The number of people who changed their residences dropped 8.9 percent on-year to 566,000 last month, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The population mobility rate -- the number of those relocating per 100 people -- also went down 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier to co

PM says Roh’s achievements will be honored with people

South Korea's unification ministry said Wednesday it will host a forum this week on the peaceful use of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. The event will take place at a hotel in the northeastern county of Yanggu on Thursday, with World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley set to deliver a keynote speech by video, according to the ministry. The DMZ, which is about 250 kilometers long and 4 km wide, is one of the world's most heavily fortified borders, with the r

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the government's pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 2018 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The pledge, which was passed at a Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, represents a significant raise in the country's previous greenhouse gas reduction target of 26.3 percent. President Moon Jae-in plans to introduce the country's vision globally in person at the 26th United Nations Climate Change C

The number of female executives at South Korea's top 100 firms increased in 2021 from a year earlier to surpass the 300 mark for the first time, data showed Wednesday. Those leading companies in Asia's fourth-largest economy had a combined 322 women executives as of end-June this year, up 36 from last year, according to the data from local headhunter UnicoSearch. The figure accounts for 4.83 percent of all high-level seats offered by the major companies. The number of those firms' female exec

South Korea lost to the United States 6-0 in the last of their two women's football friendly matches on American soil, unable to put up much of a fight against the top-ranked opponent. Five players had a goal apiece for the US in their resounding victory at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Tuesday (local time), with South Korean midfielder getting an own goal late in the first half. South Korea fell to four draws and 11 losses all time against the US. South Korea, ranked 18th, held the

The government will hold a Cabinet meeting Wednesday to discuss whether to hold a state funeral for late former President Roh Tae-woo, the country's last general-turned-president accused of deep involvement in a coup and the bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising. The Cabinet meeting is aimed at holding discussions on a state funeral proposal but tabling the proposal at a Cabinet meeting itself raised views that the government was close to deciding to hold a state funeral for him. Presid

The government said Wednesday that it plans to introduce 5G-equipped buses across the country by 2023, giving citizens access to free wireless internet that is up to four times faster. The Ministry of Science and ICT said 29,100 out of 35,000 city buses across the country will be upgraded with fifth-generation (5G) network service by 2023. The upcoming service will offer an internet speed of 400 megabits per second (Mbps), which is up to four times faster than the LTE Wi-Fi connection currently

South Korea will take "all possible" measures to stabilize the real estate market as it sees the pace of home price growth slowing down, the finance ministry said Wednesday. The government has announced dozens of comprehensive packages to supply homes, curb speculative home transactions and stabilize rising property prices over the past four years. Still, the regulations failed to tame runaway home prices. The average price of an apartment in Seoul doubled to 1.21 billion won ($1.03

The chiefs of South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI Co. and global automaker Stallantis N.V. have met in Hungary, company officials said Wednesday, days after announcing a partnership to build an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in the United States. The meeting between Samsung SDI CEO Jun Young-hyun and Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, came after the two companies announced a plan to jointly build an EV battery plant in the US, with the production to begin in the first half of 2025. It

South Korea's military reported two additional COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the total caseload among its personnel to 2,019, the defense ministry said. An officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff based in Seoul tested positive after a family member was infected. An Army officer stationed in Yangju, north of Seoul, also tested positive after a virus case was reported at the base. Of the cumulative cases in the military, 1,963, or 97 percent, have been fully cured, with 56 still under treatme