Li-ion-only portfolio missing out on diversifying needs, pressured in all fronts, experts say

South Korea’s coal briquette consumption is likely to drop below 500,000 tons for the first time this year on lower demand and higher coal prices. According to the Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corp. on Sunday, domestic coal briquette consumption fell to 508,000 tons last year, a 21 percent drop on-year. The consumption of coal briquettes has been continuously falling since 2014. The number dropped from 1.9 million tons in 2013 to 1.6 million tons in 2014. The biggest

South Korea‘s initial public offering market that hit a record high in the first half has been suffering plunging profit rates since July, market insiders said Sunday. According to Korea Exchange, the country’s stock market operator, stocks of 40 companies sold through public subscriptions saw an average of 27.5 percent in profit from July through Friday. The figure has nearly shed half compared to the 53.8 percent average profit rate of 52 companies’ stocks that went public

Edison, KDB make contrasting remarks over asset-backed financing to normalize ailing SUV maker

SEJONG -- Land owned by foreigners in South Korea has reached an all-time high in terms of combined size, amid their active purchases of apartments or sites for business, such as manufacturing and leisure facilities, government data showed. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, foreigners owned 253.3 million square meters of land as of December 2020, which is the latest figure available. Though this accounts for less than 0.3 percent of the nation’s entire terri

Disapproval of three front-runners hovers around 60% amid various scandals, allegations

South Korean defense companies have signed business contracts worth $128 million in total during a biennial arms exhibition held south of Seoul last week, its organizers said Sunday. More than 250 local companies joined the five-day Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX), which ended Saturday. The event marked a rare opportunity for the companies to explore new opportunities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the finalized contracts, local companies ha

Amid stalemate in investigation, prosecutors fail to prove Yoo’s breach of duty charges

Government likely to temporarily cut fuel tax by 15% to ease inflationary pressure

Doosan Bears' left-hander Ariel Miranda is the new single-season strikeout king in South Korean baseball. Miranda got his 224th strikeout of the 2021 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season Sunday against the LG Twins, surpassing a 37-year-old record held by the late Lotte Giants legend Choi Dong-won. Miranda's record-breaking strikeout came against Hong Chang-ki for the second out in the top of the third inning at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Miranda had thrown 169 1/3 innings before S

The winners of this year’s TV Movie Golden Bird Prize at the Seoul International Drama Awards talked about the main topic of their film, “Federica Montseny, the Woman Who Speaks”: compromising one’s ideology to achieve a bigger goal. The Spanish film, co-written by Russo Felsen Rafael Eduardo and Mireia Llinas Ventura, is based on a true story. It depicts the life of Spanish anarchist leader Federica Montseny (played by Marcia Cistero), who went on to serve as the countr

K-pop superband BTS was set to hold an online concert, "BTS Permission To Dance On Stage," on Sunday, featuring cutting-edge visual effects, according to its management agency. The seven-piece act's performance on a scale equivalent to an offline concert will be livestreamed from a local stadium, starting at 6:30 p.m., Big Hit Music said. It is BTS' first global online concert in about a year. The agency said powerful visual effects will help the audience enjoy computer-generated vis

The Seoul city government said Sunday it will begin normalizing late-night public transportation operations on weekdays, months after they were reduced due to social distancing measures against COVID-19. It plans to put intra-city buses and subway lines No. 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 back in normal operation Monday followed by subway lines No. 3 and 4 on Dec. 1. The city has reduced its public transit services after 10 a.m. on weekdays by up to 20 percent since July. The measure led to an average 35

This year’s BIAF screens 131 animated films from 36 countries

JEJU -- South Korea's Coast Guard has seized a Chinese boat for fishing without a permit in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the southern resort island of Jeju, its officials said Sunday. The 272-ton vessel carrying 11 crew members is suspected of conducting fishing activities in waters 116 kilometers south of the city of Seogwipo on the island at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday without any authorization. The vessel is also alleged to have attempted to flee despite the Coast Guard's repe