Male workers in their 40s were under the most work-related stress among all age and gender groups in South Korea, while work itself was the largest source of their stress in 2014, a report showed Wednesday.According to the report based on a survey of 195,666 workers who underwent physical examinations at Seoul's Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, 68.1 percent of men in their 40s said they suffered from work-related stress, while 67.5 percent of those in their 30s also noted having similar problems. (123R

Blueberry prices are going down in Korea due to increased supply on constant demand, according to reports made by the agriculture-heavy South Jeolla Province on Wednesday. The fruit was once a high-yield crop due to its nutritional benefits to the eyes.  (123RF)However, with more farmers joining the bandwagon and free trade agreements propelling blueberry imports, the increasing supply against steady demand is pushing down the produce price overall. Park Gwang-sun, a blueberry farmer by 10 years

The 8th Busan Mayor’s Cup International Surfing Championship will take place at Busan’s Haeundae beach from Friday to Sunday. Busan Metropolitan City anticipated more than 400 surfers from five countries would participate in the year’s competition. (KSA)There will be a total of five criteria, including professional surfers’ competition, free competition open for everyone, longboard competition, stand-up paddle racing and an under-13 juniors’ competition.Winners will receive as much as 1 million

Opposition lawmakers on Wednesday handed in a bill that will ban employers from texting their staff after work hours, amid rising concerns among South Koreans that they are "too connected" to their companies.The so-called KakaoTalk-bill will ban firms from issuing orders through smartphones after regular work hours in order to protect workers' privacy and their time off. KakaoTalk is South Korea's most popular mobile messenger that is used by more than 37 million in the country with a population

A set-top box specially designed to accommodate Netflix programs was launched Tuesday by cable and Internet service provider D’Live.Dubbed “D’Live Plus,” the new product supports up to 1,080 pixels of resolution.  (D'Live)Its remote control has a central button that immediately takes users to browse Netflix. The set-top box also has a mirroring function that allows users to display their smartphone photos and videos on the TV screen.“D’Live Plus” is priced at 150,000 won ($130).By Lim Jeong-yeo

South Korea's mergers and acquisitions market is expected to take a hit from the ongoing prosecution probe into Lotte Group over alleged slush funds as it has been a big player over the past years under the stewardship of a hard-charging chairman, industry watchers said Wednesday.Since the prosecution opened an investigation into the group's alleged embezzlement and slush fund creation earlier this month, investigators have raided Lotte headquarters, affiliates and houses of senior executives tw

The South Korean government has exceeded its planned fiscal spending earmarked for the first five months of the year as part of its efforts to stimulate the sluggish economy, the finance ministry said Wednesday.The government earlier announced that it would spend some 60 percent of this year's 280 trillion won ($242 billion) budget set aside for the central government in the first half in order to get over tough challenges at home and abroad.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said it has execu

The United States strongly condemned North Korea's missile launches Tuesday, saying it will raise the issue at the U.N. Security Council to hold the communist nation accountable for the provocative actions."We strongly condemn these and North Korea's other recent missile tests, which violate U.N. Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement."These provocations only serve t

South Korea on Wednesday unveiled a series of measures aimed at creating a more equal society for women, about a month after a woman was killed by a stranger in a high-traffic neighborhood in Seoul.The murder sent a shockwave through a nation that has made strides in recent years but apparently leaves much to be desired in areas of gender equality.  Gender Minister Kang Eun-hee (L) and National Police Agency Commissioner General Kang Sin-myeong talk during a ministerial-level talks held at Gover

North Korea has been unable to import luxury watches from Switzerland as the European country enforced tough sanctions on the reclusive country for its nuclear and long-range missile program, a U.S.-based media report said Wednesday.According to Radio Free Asia, North Korea's Swiss watch imports fell to zero in May, in sharp contrast to the monthly average of 20 watches from January through April this year. It said such a development will seriously affect leader Kim Jong-un's so-called "gift pol

Ahn Cheol-soo, the co-chairman of South Korea's minor opposition People's Party, said Wednesday the National Assembly should establish a special committee on creating jobs to meet the changing industrial scope and deal with the soaring unemployment among youths."The fourth-industrial revolution is a huge challenge and opportunity for us," Ahn, an entrepreneur-turned-politician, said during his speech at the National Assembly. "The National Assembly should take the lead in kicking off the special

Many South Korean companies lag behind their Chinese rivals in the speed of innovation, a survey by the business community here showed Wednesday.The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducted the poll of 300 manufacturing firms based in South Korea from May 12-18.Among them, 84.7 percent said the innovation pace of South Korean firms is slower than that of Chinese ones, according to the KCCI.In a hypothetical question, the KCCI put the innovation speed of Chinese companies at 100 kph and a

A total of 700 foreign students from 142 countries will be given opportunities to study in local universities via this year's government-sponsored scholarship program, a state-run organ on international education said Wednesday.The National Institute for International Education, affiliated with the Education Ministry, unveiled the list of students receiving scholarships under the Global Korea Scholarship program aimed at securing an outstanding potential workforce and expanding a global human ne