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LINE messenger breaks 200 mln user milestone

IndustryJul 23, 2013

South Korea's top portal operator NHN Corp. said Tuesday that its free messenger application LINE broke the 200-million download mark as worldwide smartphone users rushed to connect with one another through the mobile messenger service.The milestone came four months after the service drew 150 million users in April and seven months after attracting 100 million this past January. The free messenger service was launched in June 2011.Since the initial launch, the company has expanded the service to
Seoul shares open higher on earnings hopes

Jul 23, 2013

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Tuesday on hopes of second-quarter corporate earnings, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) shot up 14.44 points, or 0.77 percent, to 1,894.79 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Top-listed firms moved upward, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics gaining 0.7 percent and No. 1 steelmaker POSCO jumping more than 2 percent. South Korean companies have started posting their results for the second quarter from Monda
Mandela showing 'sustained improvement'

World NewsJul 22, 2013

Mandela showing 'sustained improvement'Nelson Mandela's condition continues to improve, the South African government said Monday, six weeks after he was admitted to hospital with a recurring lung infection."Former President Mandela is still in a critical condition in hospital but shows sustained improvement," President Jacob Zuma's office said.In another upbeat statement, the presidency also thanked South Africans and the world for the outpouring of support that marked Mandela's 95th birthday la
Apple software developers site hacked

World BusinessJul 22, 2013

Computer and software giant Apple said Sunday that it took its software developers website offline after it was hacked, warning that personal information about its users may have been stolen."Last Thursday, an intruder attempted to secure personal information of our registered developers from our developer website," Apple said in a statement. Although sensitive information was encrypted, "we have not been able to rule out the possibility that some developers' names, mailing addresses, and/or ema
Prince William's wife, Kate, in labor

PeopleJul 22, 2013

Prince William's wife, Kate, is in the early stages of labor in a private wing of a central London hospital, palace officials said Monday.It is a historic moment for the British monarchy _ the couple's first child will become third in line for the British throne, after Prince Charles and William, and should eventually become king or queen.William and Kate entered St. Mary's Hospital in central London through a side door early Monday morning, avoiding the world's media. Palace officials confirmed
EU declares Hezbollah's military wing terror group

World NewsJul 22, 2013

The European Union placed the military wing of the Lebanese party Hezbollah on its terror list on Monday in a major change of its policy toward the region.The EU's 28 foreign ministers reached the decision unanimously at their monthly meeting, swiftly swaying the last nations that had any doubts.It came after prolonged diplomatic pressure from Washington and Israel, who both consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization.The blacklisting would mean imposing visa bans on individuals and asset freeze
Four dead as heavy rain lashes central parts

Social affairsJul 22, 2013

Torrential rains pounded central parts of the country on Monday, leaving at least four people dead, disaster officials said. Heavy rain alerts were issued in Seoul as well as Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces as more than 100 millimeters of rain soaked the areas.Some roads, river walks and bridges in Seoul were closed and a parking lot was fully flooded, damaging around 30 to 40 cars. Parts of the city received an average of 80 millimeters of rain with up to 145.5 millimeters in some districts.Road
쌈디, 이센스 계약해제에 “10년 동안의 관계가 변한 건 절대 아냐”

Jul 22, 2013

래퍼 쌈디(싸이먼 디. 본명 정기석)가 자신과 함께 힙합 듀오 ‘슈프림팀’으로 활동해오던 동료 이센스(본명 강민호)의 계약 해지에 대한 심경을 밝혔다.쌈디는 22일 트위터에 “그게 (계약해지가) 센스가 행복해지는 유일한 길이었고, 그 선택을 존중합니다”라며 “팀만 못하게 됐을 뿐이지 10년 동안의 관계가 변한 건 절대 아니에요”라고 적었다.이어 “팀을 사랑해주시고 팀 앨범을 기다려준 많은 분들께 죄송하고 고마운 마음뿐입니다”라고 팬들에게도 사과의 뜻을 전했다.이센스는 이날 트위터에 “네 오늘 계약해지 통보를 받았습니다. 저는 솔로로 활동할겁니다”라고 밝혔으며, 슈프림팀의 소속사인 아메바 컬처 측은 이날 보도자료를 통해 “이센스에게 2013년 7월 19일자로 계약해지 통보를 했다”며 그가 더 이상 소속 본사의 소속가수가 아니라고 발표했다.한편 회사 관계자에 따르면 쌈디는 계속해서 아메바컬쳐 소속으로 활동을 이어갈 예정이라고 한다.2000년대 초중반부터 힙합 언더씬에서 활동하며 이름을
2007 inter-Korean summit minutes missing: lawmakers

PoliticsJul 22, 2013

The 2007 inter-Korean summit looked likely to cause further controversy after lawmakers searching for the transcript of the meeting concluded that the records could not be found.On Monday, ruling Saenuri Party and main opposition Democratic Party lawmakers concluded that the National Archives was not in possession of the transcript. The transcript of the summit became a hot political issue following claims that late President Roh Moo-hyun had denied the legitimacy of the Northern Limit Line ― th
Two Soviet-era fighter planes found on N. Korea ship

World NewsJul 22, 2013

Panamanian authorities have found two Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets aboard a North Korea-flagged ship seized this month as it tried to pass through the Panama Canal after departing from Cuba.The supersonic jets were found alongside missile and other weapons parts concealed in a shipment of sugar, in what could constitute a violation of tough U.N. sanctions on Pyongyang.Cuba has claimed the shipment, intercepted earlier this month, consists of "obsolete" weapons it was sending to North Korea to
배동성 22년만에 이혼, “우린 쇼윈도 부부”

Jul 22, 2013

개그맨 배동성이 결혼 22년만에 파경을 맞은 사실이 뒤늦게 알려졌다. 22일 월간지 주부생활 측에 따르면 배동성과 아내 안현주 씨는 지난 3월 협의이혼했다. 이현주 씨는 이와 관련해 “우리는 쇼윈도 부부였다”며 더 이상 배동성의 아내로 살고 싶지 않다는 심경을 밝혔다. 이에 이 씨의 과거 발언이 새삼 화제가 되고 있다. 안현주씨는 지난해 4월 방송된 SBS ‘좋은 아침’에서 남편 없이 여행을 오니 너무 좋다고 말한 뒤 ‘다시 태어나도 남편과 결혼할 것이냐’는 질문에 망설임없이 “왜 다른 좋은 남자들을 놔두고 남편과 결혼하냐”고 말했다.이어 “말은 이렇게 하지만 다시 태어나도 지금 남편과 결혼할 것이다”고 서둘러 수습했다.여성지 ‘스타일러 주부생활’ 8월호에 따르면 안현주씨는 “이제 더 이상 배동성의 아내로 살고 싶지 않다. 우리는 쇼윈도 부부였다”고 밝히며 “배동성은 2001년부터 10년 간 기러기 아빠로 지냈다. 내가 세 아이들을 데리고 미국에 나가 있으면서 떨어져 살았다”고 밝혔
Comedian Bae ends marriage: magazine

TelevisionJul 22, 2013

South Korean comedian Bae Dong-seong recently divorced his wife of 22 years Ahn Hyeon-ju, a local magazine reported Monday.According to monthly magazine “Ju-bu Saeng-hwal (Life of Housewives),” the couple officially ended their marriage in March by mutual agreement.“I no longer want to live as Bae Dong-seong’s wife. We’ve been a ‘window display couple’ for some time,” Ahn told the magazine. She said they had been separated since last year.The couple had lived apart for 10 years due to Ahn’s desi
Seoul shares up 0.71 pct in late-morning trade

Jul 22, 2013

South Korean stocks traded 0.71 percent higher late Monday morning, as tech firms and shipbuilders widened gains, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 13.20 points to 1,884.61 as of 11:20 a.m. Market behemoth Samsung Electronics Co. rose 0.3 percent, with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the world's biggest shipyard, spiking nearly 5 percent. But NHN Corp., the country's top Internet portal operator, lost 0.7 percent. The local currency was changing hands a
Koreas begin 5th round of talks on Gaeseong park normalization

North KoreaJul 22, 2013

South and North Korea resumed talks on Monday aimed at reviving a suspended joint factory park in the communist country, with neither side showing clear signs of making concessions.Working-level officials from both sides have met four times this month but failed to agree on terms to reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex. North Korea has demanded an immediate resumption of work at the factory zone, while South Korea has insisted on securing safety measures to prevent another suspension, for which
Seoul shares open higher on G20 hopes

Jul 22, 2013

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday, buoyed by news that finance chiefs of the major 20 economies pledged to focus on growth, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 5.34 points, or 0.29 percent, to 1,876.75 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Large-cap chemical and shipbuilding firms led the climb, with LG Chem advancing 0.5 percent and Hyundai Heavy Industries jumping 3 percent. Over the weekend, the Group of 20 (G20) nations agreed to prioritize growth