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U.S.-led regional maritime warfare exercise RIMPAC kicks off in Hawaii

DefenseJun 30, 2016

The United States-led biennial maritime warfare exercise Rim of the Pacific began its five-week run off Hawaii on Thursday, bringing together 27 countries around the Pacific Ocean to increase their interoperability at sea.This year's RIMPAC, the 25th time it has been held, is the largest ever in scale since the regional exercise was first held in 1971, according to officials here. Participating countries include South Korea, China, Japan and Singapore as well as European nations like Denmark, Fr
맞선에서 ‘월 생활비 얼마 줄거냐’ 어이상실

Jun 30, 2016

재혼을 바라는 남녀가 상대에게 실망하는 경우는 언제일까? (123RF)재혼전문 결혼정보회사 온리-유의 손 동규 대표는 “재혼맞선을 주선한 후 남성들로부터 소감을 들어보면 맞선 첫날 여성이 ‘재혼하면 월 생활비를 얼마 줄거냐’라고 묻더라고 하면서 어이없어 하는 경우가 많다”라며 “한편 여성들은 재혼을 초혼실패에 대한 보상으로 고려하는 경향이 있는데 남성들이 가부장적이거나 고리타분한 사고로 여성을 구속하려 들면 더 이상 재혼대상자로 보이지 않게 된다”라고 설명했다. 이는 온리-유와 비에나래가 23일~29일 전국의 (황혼)재혼 희망 돌싱남녀 522명 (남녀 각 261명)을 대상으로 전자메일과 인터넷을 통해 설문조사를 실시한 결과다. 설문 대상 연령층은 남성 35-70세, 여성 33-61세이다. ‘재혼맞선에서 상대의 어떤 점 때문에 이성으로서의 감정이 사라집니까?’라는 질문에 대해 남성은 응답자의 26.1%가 ‘경우 없는 질문’으로 답했고, 여성은 26.8%가 ‘고리타분한 사고방식’으로
Pantech returns with 'IM-100' smartphone

TechnologyJun 30, 2016

Pantech Co. made a comeback to the smartphone world with its own smartphone on Thursday after a 20-month hiatus, a litmus test for whether the South Korean firm will be able to regain its stature as the nation's No. 3 mobile phone maker.The mid-tier Sky IM-100 hit the local market through two domestic mobile service providers - KT Corp. and SK Telecom Co.Around 7,000 units were reportedly sold in pre-orders from June 24-29 in spite of fierce competition in the budget phone market.The IM-100's fa
Gender equality undermined at home, school: gov't survey

Social affairsJun 30, 2016

Stereotypical gender roles at home and school remain a key barrier to gender equality, a government survey showed Thursday.The survey, compiled by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on 1,000 adults and 500 students, is part of a government project for the upcoming gender equality week that runs from July 1-7.According to the survey, 49.6 percent of the female adult participants said South Korean families are exposed to gender inequality at home, while only 25.1 percent of the male adult
N. Korea has well-organized underground banking: report

North KoreaJun 30, 2016

North Korea appears to have a relatively well-established underground banking system as the country's central bank fails to provide funds to companies amid an economic crisis, a report claimed Thursday.According to the report by the state-run Export-Import Bank of Korea, the North's underground banking, where money is transferred through informal rather than formal banking, took shape in the 1990s as a serious economic crisis made its central bank unable to lend money to corporate borrowers.Unde
Combined market share by Hyundai, Kia edges up in China

TransportJun 30, 2016

The combined market share by Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. edged up in China in May from a year ago, industry data showed Thursday.Data compiled by the China Passenger Car Association showed that the two South Korean carmakers sold a combined 150,450 units in May, accounting for 9.2 percent share in the world’s largest auto market.The figures represent a 0.2 percentage point increase from a year earlier. It marked the first time that the combined market share by Hy
N.K. pledges to bolster nuke deterrence against U.S.

North KoreaJun 30, 2016

North Korea on Thursday reiterated its pledge to bolster its nuclear deterrence both in quality and quantity against what it called U.S. hostile acts, the country's state-run media said.North Korea defended its latest test of intermediate range missiles, saying that it is natural for the country to take steps to boost nuclear deterrence to counter Washington's constant threats, according to the Korean Central News Agency.North Korea "will continue taking a series of steps for bolstering up the n
(영상) ‘옷 더러우면 무시?’ 가슴 아픈 실험

Jun 30, 2016

한 미국 뉴욕 매체가 공개한 사회적 실험이 거리의 아이들을 대하는 사람들의 태도를 폭로하며 공감의 물결을 일으키고 있다.동유럽 조지아의 수도 트빌리시에서 진행된 이 실험은 어린 소녀에게 상반된 두 가지 복장을 입히고 각 복장에 따른 사람들의 태도 변화를 관찰했다. (Now This News)소녀가 얼굴에 검댕을 묻히고 지저분한 차림새를 한 채 도움이 필요한 듯 거리에 서 있자 사람들은 무시하고 빠른 걸음으로 지나친다. 개중에는 “꺼지라”며 냉대하는 어른도 있다. 반대로 동일 소녀가 깔끔하고 고급스러운 복장을 한 채 나타나자 수 많은 사람들이 능동적으로 도움을 주려 다가오는 것이다. 　실험은 소녀가 울음을 터뜨리며 갑작스럽게 중단됐다. 더러운 차림을 했을 때 사람들의 차가운 반응에 상처를 받은 것이다. 해당 영상을 공개한 나우 디스 뉴스 (Now This News)는 아이들마저 차림새로 평가되는 세태를 비판하며 누리꾼들의 공감을 샀다. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)
Household debt growing at concerning rate, posing possible threats: BOK

Jun 30, 2016

South Korean households are taking out loans at a faster clip than the increase in their income or ability to pay back, suggesting that household debt may cause serious problems down the road, the central bank said Thursday.In a report to the National Assembly, the Bank of Korea said the country's overall financial system remained stable based on improving profitability and financial soundness of local financial institutions.However, "in the case of households, their delinquency rate and debt st
N.K. vows to ease power shortages, improve people's livelihoods at assembly

North KoreaJun 30, 2016

North Korea has unveiled details of the five-year strategy to boost its economy, vowing to ease the shortages of electric power and improve the livelihood of North Koreans, Pyongyang's media said Thursday.The North called for a thorough implementation of the five-year vision that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un laid out at a rare ruling Workers' Party of Korea congress in May, as it held the meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's rubber-stamp parliament, on Wednesday.Firmly seek
Vietnamese murder suspects to arrive in Korea

Social affairsJun 30, 2016

Two Vietnamese fishermen accused of murdering two Koreans aboard a vessel in the Indian Ocean were brought to Korea Thursday to face trial, the foreign ministry said.The suspects, both aged 32, are accused of killing the 43-year-old captain and 42-year-old engineer of the deep-sea fishing vessel Kwang Hyun 803 in waters near Seychelles on June 20.They arrived at Incheon International Airport later under the escort of Coast Guard officers."After holding active diplomatic negotiations with the rel
Seoul stocks open higher on US gains, stimulus steps

Jun 30, 2016

South Korean shares opened higher Thursday, tracking gains in U.S. stocks amid expectations that a new stimulus package along with market stabilization steps will ease the impact of Britain's vote to exit from the European Union. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 9.68 points, or 0.49 percent, to 1,966.04 in the first 15 minutes of trading.The main index almost wiped out a sharp plunge sparked by the Brexit rebounding for three consecutive days on Wednesday.Investors will clos
Coal consumption forecast to gain 2.7% this year

IndustryJun 30, 2016

South Korea's coal consumption is expected to grow nearly 3 percent in 2016 from a year earlier, a report said Thursday, despite government efforts to cut back on coal-fired power generation to tackle growing concerns over fine dust.According to the report by the Korea Energy Economics Institute, the country's coal consumption will likely climb 2.7 percent this year from 2015 on increased demand from thermal power stations, with its total energy demand rising 1.5 percent on-year to 289 million t
Korea needs bold deregulation to spur growth

Jun 30, 2016

South Korea should ramp up efforts to ease regulations on its labor, corporate and financial sectors to help stimulate the sputtering economy, an expert said Thursday."The level of deregulation for the sectors has not improved much over the past 14 years," Choi Jin-woo, a professor who teaches at Korea University in Seoul, said at a seminar. "The country should push for stronger deregulation to induce tangible economic growth."The Korea Economic Research Institute under the Federation of Korean
U.S.-Korea FTA effective in increasing American exports: U.S. report

World BusinessJun 30, 2016

The free trade agreement between the United States and South Korea resulted in an increase of $4.8 billion-$5.3 billion in total American exports, the second-largest among a total of 13 free trade deals the U.S. has concluded, the U.S. trade agency said in a report Wednesday.The International Trade Commission report shows that the Korea-U.S. pact, often dubbed "KORUS FTA," is highly effective in increasing U.S. exports, contrary to claims by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that th