Male population slides to 70-month low in October

Firms roll up their sleeves to secure urea solution using global network

From ready-meals to ice cream, unstaffed stores are fast spreading in the tech-savvy country

US Trade Representative Katherine Chi Tai will visit Seoul on Thursday, according to government officials on Sunday. It will mark the first time in 10 years for the country’s chief trade negotiator to visit South Korea since Free Trade Agreement talks were held in 2011. It is expected that Tai will discuss a number of economic and trade issues with South Korean counterparts including the semiconductor supply chain and a digital trade agreement. Other topics include incentives for South

Actor Song Hye-kyo made a triumphant return to the small screen Friday with her first TV drama in two years, SBS’ “Now We Are Breaking Up.” The first episode recorded the highest viewership rating of all Friday-Saturday dramas that aired over those two days. The first showing on Friday marked an average nationwide rating of 6.4 and a peak of 8.4 percent. The ratings improved the following day, with the second episode scoring nationwide viewership ratings of 8.0 percent and

Two weeks into Korea’s “living with COVID-19” scheme, the number of critically ill patients in intensive care is inching closer to the government’s threshold. The number of coronavirus patients undergoing intensive care treatment reached 483 as of Saturday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The figure is just short of the record high of 485 reported on the previous day. Of the 483 critically ill patients, 82.2 percent were over the age of 6

Amid liquidity-driven booms in the real estate and stock markets amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people with assets of more than 1 billion won ($847,000) increased by over 10 percent last year from a year earlier, a report showed Sunday.  The number of Koreans with financial assets worth over 1 billion won stood at 390,000 last year, taking up 0.76 percent of the total population, according to the Korea Wealth Report 2021 released by KB Financial Group Research Institute. The

Local online platform Funderful plans to offer fans access to investments in Korean productions

South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun on Sunday left for Washington for talks with his US and Japanese counterparts, with North Korea’s nuclear issue and the global supply chain disruption expected to top the agenda.  Choi will be in Washington through Friday, during which he is scheduled to hold a three-way meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Mori Takeo on Wednesday. The three envoys last met for a

Six Korean companies have been added to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) said a public institution under the Ministry of Industry, Sunday. The six companies are Samsung Biologics, Kakao, SK Telecom, Hyundai Motors, logistics company Hyundai Glovis and car parts maker Hyundai Mobis, the Korea Productivity Center said. The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index is part of a larger family of Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) launched in 1999 as the first global sustainabilit

Ruling party lawmakers are gearing up to adjust details of South Korea’s capital gains taxation program to match the rising price level of housing units and thereby make up for their continued losses in public support. The National Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee is on track to hold a sub-committee meeting Monday to discuss details of a bill aimed at revising the guidelines on imposing capital gains tax for real estate properties. The bill was proposed by Rep. Yoo Dong-soo of t

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been missing from public view for more than a month, fueling speculation over his whereabouts, as it marks his longest absence since 2014.   The last time Kim appeared in a public setting was on Oct. 11 when he delivered a speech at a rare defense exhibition in Pyongyang that showcased the country’s new weaponry, according to state media. 　 Since then there have been reports of him sending letters to foreign leaders and his people, but he ha

Parties discuss lowering age requirement for electoral posts ahead of elections

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun was approved as head of World Archery Asia, the biggest group promoting archery in Asia region, for the fifth time, the carmaker announced Sunday. Chung was reappointed as the institution’s president at the group’s general meeting held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday. Of the 28 member countries that attended the event, 26 voted in favor of Chung leading the association for the next four years, the group said. Following the appointment, Ch