A lawmaker said Friday the state-run Incheon International Airport spent 18.7 million won ($16,840) on a customer survey exclusively for the French fashion house Louis Vuitton, which opened its first duty-free shop last year at the nation’s main gateway. According to Rep. Shim Jae-cheol of the ruling Saenuri Party, Incheon Airport questioned 500 Korean, Chinese and Japanese passengers using the Louis Vuitton store in November and December on their favorite item, purpose of purchase and service s

With sales ban lifted on Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Nexus follows trackSamsung Electronics is gaining more strength in its global patent battle with Apple Inc., winning a bid to continue selling the Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the U.S. market.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Thursday granted Samsung’s request to lift a lower court’s ban on sales of its Galaxy Nexus.With a feature in the handset that assists data searches becoming the center of controversy, the appeals court said

The Chicago website CareerBuilder said its annual survey indicates 30 percent of workers have played hooky from work in the past year.The online survey of 3,976 U.S. workers and 2,494 hiring managers and human resources professionals, conducted on behalf of CareerBuilder by Harris Interactive, found 30 percent of respondents admitted calling in sick without an actual illness, while 31 percent of e

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start Friday following overnight losses on Wall Street as investors remained jittery over the global economic slowdown, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) lost 0.90 points, or 0.05 percent, to trade at 1,932.19 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 0.38 percent, and top carmaker Hyundai

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday allowed Samsung Electronics Co. to continue selling its new smartpones in the U.S. market, reversing an injunction by a district court.The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is part of complicated patent lawsuits between the South Korean electronics giant and Apple Inc.Apple has accused Samsung of having copied some features of its products

Daily sales of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet in South Korea are estimated to have surpassed those of rival Apple Inc.’s new iPad sales, sources said Thursday.Sales of the Galaxy Note 10.1 came to a daily average of 1,800 units so far since the launch of the gadget in mid-August, putting its combined domestic sales at over 100,000 units, according to the sources. Apple’s total sales of the new iPad, which was locally released in April, likely topped those of the Galaxy Note 10

Woongjin Group appears to be at odds with its creditors over the sale of Woongjin Coway Co., a leading local water purifier maker that serves as a cash cow for the mid-size ailing conglomerate, industry sources said Thursday. Woongjin Holdings, the parent company of Woongjin Coway, pushed for the sale of its 30.9 percent stake, or 21.88 million shares, in the purifier unit to MBK Partners Ltd., a leading local private equity fund, for 1.2 trillion won ($1 billion).The stake sale, however, was su

South Korea’s producer prices grew at the fastest pace in four months in September mainly because costs of agricultural products shot up due to typhoons, the central bank said Thursday.The producer price index, a barometer of future consumer inflation, rose 1 percent in September from a year earlier, accelerating from the 0.3 percent on-year gain in August, according to the Bank of Korea.The September figures marked the fastest expansion since May when producer prices rose 1.9 percent on-year.Th

South Korean stocks closed 0.78 percent lower on Thursday as investors remained antsy about China’s slowing growth and lingering issues in the eurozone, analysts said.The local currency gained against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 15.13 points to 1,933.09. Trading volume was moderate at 456.7 million shares worth 4.61 trillion won ($4.14 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 479 to 342.“Continued concerns on the fate of the global economy are weighi

The erroneous disclosure of an index has been linked to overpriced loan interest rates for more than 40,000 borrowers in the local financial market.The cost of funds index, a barometer for the benchmark interest rate, published on Sept. 17 was based on miscalculated data, and major banks have been charging borrowers higher interest rates over the past few weeks, market insiders said Thursday.As a result, interest was miscalculated for about 40,800 loans issued by seven banks ― KB Kookmin, Woori,

Full-frame digital imaging technology to offer fresh experienceSony unveiled on Thursday a new lineup of cameras and a camcorder that features its latest full-frame digital imaging technology.Aiming to release all three electronic devices within this year, the A99, equipped with translucent mirror technology, will roll out in the local market later this month.The launch of Sony’s handycam called the NEX-VG900 will follow on Nov. 5 and the compact camera RX1 will also be rolling out this year.“I’