Users of delivery apps, online secondhand marketplaces and social network services have greatly increased due to the continued pandemic. The aggregate turnover of food delivery service providers in South Korea has increased by 78.6 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year, and monthly active users of Karrot -- an online secondhand marketplace -- increased threefold every year over the past three years. As such, the online market is rapidly growing and transactions are transforming to center

A growing number of young South Koreans under 10 years old have purchased apartments across the nation with financial support from their parents, a lawmaker said Monday, raising concerns over inheritance for real estate speculation.  The number of apartment purchases by the elementary-school kids and younger came in at 552 from September 2017 to last month, which amounted to 104.7 billion won ($88.2 million), according to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport submitt

The country’s third internet-only lender Toss Bank is slated to begin operation Tuesday, heating up the competition in the fast-growing online banking market, according to industry sources Monday. The lender, controlled by Viva Republica, the operator of fintech app Toss, will start its banking services, including offering credit loans, savings and deposits, with a primary focus on expanding mid-range interest rate loans.  Earlier in June, when the online bank received a final appro

Founder of K-pop powerhouse named in Pandora Papers

‘I love the fans, but the song must stop’

For Jung Ho-yeon, 27, playing the role of Sae-byeok in “Squid Game,” directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, was an unreal experience as she was able to study and learn acting at a new level. “I am honored and feel thankful (to the viewers) for loving my performance in the series. But I am well-aware of how much work I have to do and learn to become a better actor,” Jung said during an online interview with a group of reporters on Friday. “I try not to dwell too much on the

Hyundai Glovis, the logistics arm of Hyundai Group, said Monday it will launch “Ecoh,” a new environmentally friendly business brand which will focus on hydrogen distribution and recycling of electric vehicle batteries. The company also said it would expand its hydrogen distribution and infrastructure operations to nine hydrogen shipping centers by 2030 and supply hydrogen to a total of more than 360 charging stations nationwide. The move comes as part of its plan to expand its eco

Social distancing rules extended for 2 more weeks but slightly eased for weddings, outdoor sports

INCHEON -- A triple-vehicle crash in South Korea's western port city of Incheon has killed a Libyan national and injured six others, police said Monday. The accident happened at 1:41 a.m. when a Chevrolet Camaro collided with the rear end of the Avante compact ahead on a four-lane road near a beach in Incheon, said Kim Hyun-ki, a police officer handling the case. The Chevrolet Camaro crossed the center line after the first impact and collided with a Kia Morning minicar coming from an opposite

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Monday it has decided to fine 22 companies a combined 10.4 billion won ($8.8 million) for colluding to fix prices over projects to set up firefighting equipment. Johnson Controls Korea and 22 firms colluded to fix their quotations between 2011 and 2017 for 304 rounds of bidding by 13 builders to select operators in charge of installing firefighting equipment, according to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC). Setting up firefighting-related devices and

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The Korea Pavilion at the pandemic-delayed Expo 2020 Dubai finally opened Friday, taking visitors on a journey of the present and future of Korea. The fifth-largest exhibition site at the fair, which was the world’s largest event since the global virus crisis, the Korea exhibit dazzled visitors with 1,597 colorful, rotating cubes mounted outside the building in what is meant to represent the dynamism of its culture and people. Inside, a plethora of advance

PARIS -- A pop-up store for Netflix's original Korean series "Squid Game" opened up in France over the weekend, attracting fans in Europe. The pop-up store, set up at a cafe in Paris' 2nd arrondissement, ran from Saturday to Sunday and allowed visitors to take photos with the staff dressed up as red-suit guards as in the show. The store also showcased a childhood game featured in the series known as "dalgona bbobgi." Visitors at the pop-up store took on the challenge, in wh

South Korean battery maker SK Innovation Co. said Monday that it plans to double the number of researchers to develop electric vehicles (EV) batteries from the current level by 2023. SK Innovation CEO and President Kim Jun made the announcement at a global forum in San Francisco on Saturday (US time). The forum is meant to recruit battery researchers and beef up SK Innovation's network with the US universities and research institutes. SK Innovation did not elaborate on the current level of its