이른바 ‘최순실 게이트’가 검찰의 8개은행 수사, 청와대 내각 개편 등으로 이어지고 있는 중 해외에서도 한국 내 사태를 주시하고 있다. 　　미국 CNN 뿐 아니라 아랍권 영어 방송 알자지라, 이웃땅 대만에서도 박근혜 대통령과 최순실의 관계를 이해하고자 하는 움직임을 보이고 있다. 　　그 중 1일 유튜브에 올라온 한 대만 애니메이션 영상은 자막과 내레이션까지 한국어로 만들어 한국인 대중을 타겟으로 한 것이 보여 눈길을 끈다. 　　대만 애니메이션 제작자 채널에 게재된 이 영상은 “박근혜 대통령, 최순실 스캔들로 끓는 물에서 어푸어푸”라는 내용으로 시작하며, 박 대통령이 간부 10명을 고기 굽는 석쇠 위에 던져 넣는 모습, 최순실이 박 대통령과 여성 아이돌들의 안무를 지휘하는 모습 등이 나온다. 　 (사진=유튜브)　한편, 국내에선 박 대통령 풍자 그래피티를 작업한 예술가 홍승희 씨가 재물손괴 혐의로 실형 1년 6개월을 구형 받은 건에 대한 가혹 처벌 논란이 빚어지고 있다. 　 (사진=유튜

The business community is bracing for stormy days ahead as the investigation progresses on shady foundations linked to the president's confidante Choi Soon-sil and companies that reportedly were forced to make donations to them, inside officials said Wednesday.At the center of the storm are An Chong-bum, former senior presidential secretary for economy, and the Federation of Korean Industries. An faces prosecution questioning over allegations that he organized 77.4 billion won ($67.78 million) i

Sales of large screen TVs have increased over the past two years, apparently from a price drop that made them affordable to a bigger consumer base, industry data showed Wednesday.According to leading retailer E-mart, the proportion of 60-inch or larger flat TVs sold among total TV sales this year reached 13.7 percent, a leap from 1.9 percent in 2014. Comparatively, sales of 50-inch TVs fell from 31.6 percent in 2014 to 24.8 percent this year.The price tag on 60-inch plus TVs have dropped from we

Prosecutors are broadening their probe into Choi Soon-sil, a confidante of President Park Geun-hye who is currently at the center of a political scandal rocking the country.Late on Monday, prosecutors arrested the 60-year-old woman, after grilling her for hours on allegations of interfering in state affairs and peddling influence. Authorities decided to detain the suspect because she was a flight risk and could try to destroy evidence. Choi Soon-sil, a friend of Park Geun-hye who is at the cente

South Korea will step up efforts to lure more cruise travelers from Chinese-speaking countries to grab a bigger chunk of the fast-growing tourism sector, the state-run tourism agency said Tuesday. The Korea Tourism Organization said it will hold a "Korea Cruise Travel Mart" on Wednesday at the JW Marriott Hotel in Seoul with chiefs of 19 cruise travel agencies from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The event, the third of its kind, is aimed at introducing major Korean ports to overseas travel agencie

Construction permits for new buildings dropped from a year earlier in the third quarter due to a large cut in permits for new residential buildings, government data showed Tuesday.The number of construction permits issued for new buildings came to 69,874 in the July-September period, down 0.4 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.From the previous quarter, the third quarter tally marked an 8.3 percent dip.The drop was largely attr

A 45-year-old man drove his excavator into the country's top prosecution building in Seoul on Tuesday, injuring a security guard and destroying facilities, police said.The construction vehicle rammed into the Supreme Prosecutors'Office at around 8:20 a.m., according to police. The guard, 60, was injured while attempting to stop the vehicle by firing a gas gun and was rushed to a nearby hospital. (Yonhap)The entrance door of the building, as well as other facilities, were destroyed in the process