Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday that it will roll out new refrigerators in the U.S. market this month with a flat screen that displays services from Twitter Inc., Google Inc. and the latest news from The Associated Press. The company will release two new side-by-side fridges with an 8-inch touchscreen that displays short-message updates from Twitter and Google as well as news and weather infor

State-run Korea Electric Power Corp. said Monday that it will launch a 200 million won ($180,000)-prize to acknowledge distinguished energy-related research. The biennial KEPCO Research Grand Prix, being introduced to mark the firm’s 50th anniversary this year, is aimed at encouraging and supporting the works of local researchers and academics, KEPCO officials said. Full university professors at r

The authorities may introduce measures to limit underage smartphone users’ access to applications stores, sources said Monday.The Korea Communications Standards Commission is considering adding software to smartphones to limit access to adult content available in application stores, or setting up separate applications stores according to the content provided.While smartphone applications have grow

 South Korea's listed companies paid out 33 percent more in dividends to foreign shareholders in 2010 than a year earlier, helped by an increase in earnings, data showed Monday.   A total of 4.97 trillion won ($4.6 billion) in dividends were paid to foreigners last year, compared with 3.73 trillion won in the previous year, according to the data by the Korea Exchange (KRX).   Last year's dividend

  South Korean banks' mid to long-term foreign borrowing jumped in March from the previous month as they braced for rising global uncertainties, the financial regulator said Monday.     Twelve local banks borrowed a total of $3.49 billion last month through overseas bond issuance and loans with a maturity over one year, $1.68 billion more than in February, according to the Financial Supervisory Se

   South Korean stocks lost ground on Monday after a strong start as investors unloaded tech blue chips and bank shares, analysts said.   The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shed 1.29 points, or 0.06 percent, to trade at 2,139.21 in the first 15 minutes of trading.   The KOSPI touched a record high of 2,149.45 as soon as the market opened, but tech and financial shares increase

Kwon Hyuk, a reclusive shipping tycoon, shows how to get around paying taxes in and out of more than five trading borders while keeping over 10 trillion won ($9 billion) in assets.Register your business at a tax haven, stash all your profits there, and pretend you live abroad. Minimize paperwork. Even better if you can avoid the press.Kwon has been the main target of the Korean government’s latest

Prosecutors said Saturday they plan to summon witnesses to determine why the banking network of the country’s farm cooperative crashed.The Seoul Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said about 20 National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (Nonghyup) and IBM Korea employees will be questioned in relation to the network glitch that has affected services since late Tuesday.People have not been able to use N

Overdue payments of less than 100,000 won no longer reflected in credit ratingsThe government on Sunday announced a set of measures to provide the poor with better access to financial sources as mounting household debts loom large over economic recovery. The package proposed by the Financial Services Commission centers on the overhaul of credit rating guidelines, market interest rates and individu

Korean stocks should be able to maintain their steady gains and strive to reach record-high levels this week, despite downside risks, local analysts said Saturday.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) ended last week at 2,140.50, up 12.53 points, or 0.6 percent, from a week earlier, extending its rally of weekly gains to a fifth straight week.The total market cap also reached a n