Contingent liabilities in Korean securities companies jumped 22 percent in 2015 compared to a year earlier, raising worries about their financial soundness, government data showed Wednesday. Contingent liabilities in local securities firms reached 24.226 trillion won ($20.38 billion) last year, up from 19.891 trillion won a year earlier. A contingent liability is a potential liability. It depends on a future event occurring or not occurring. For example, if a brokerage company guarantees an asse

국내외를 막론하고 ‘알뜰족’을 중심으로 생활 꿀팁 정보들이 빠르게 퍼져 나가고 있다.해외에서는 ‘life hack’이라 불리며 많은 관심을 받는 생활 팁, 알뜰족을 위한, 알뜰족에 의한 ‘생활꼼수’ 총정리!키 사이로 들어간 먼지, 머리카락 등으로 더러워진 컴퓨터 키보드를 보고 인상을 찌푸린 경험은 누구나 있을 것이다. 키보드를 키 사이까지 깨끗하게 닦기란 쉬운 일이 아니다. 물로 닦을 수도 없고, 가늘고 긴 도구로 그 사이를 파고 있자니 여간 귀찮은 일이 아니다. 이 문제를 한 방에 해결할 수 있는 방법이 있다. 간단할 뿐만 아니라 준비물 또한 포스트잇 등 접착메모지가 전부다. 1. 접착메모지의 접착 면을 키 사이로 넣는다. 2. 좌우, 상하로 움직이면 먼지, 머리카락 등이 접착제에 붙어 쉽게 제거된다. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)　　　　

Korean FinTech firm Kona I Co. Ltd. said Wednesday that it has rolled out a biometric smart card that features an embedded fingerprint sensor.The new model can identify the user's fingerprint and can be used to allow access to buildings or for other ID card uses in the security sector, the company said. A new biometric smart card by Kona I (Kona I)For instance, a biometric credit card can become active for only 15 to 20 seconds when a card holder taps a finger on a sensor, company officials said

Korea's steel industry is expediting restructuring, hoping to complete a market review within months to decide whether to seek state help, industry sources said Wednesday.According to the sources, the Korea Iron & Steel Association has picked Boston Consulting Group to write up a report, detailing areas and products of overcapacity. They said the report is due out in about two months.The restructuring drive has won over support from both the government and private companies as the local industry

Korea's exports to China in April marked a 10th month of sliding downwards, the longest skidding streak since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, trade figures showed Wednesday.The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said exports to China last month came to $9.63 billion, an 18.4 percent fall on-year, continuing the downward path that began in July last year.The longest shrinking streak to date was 11 months, from October 2008 to August 2009. There was also a notable 10-month slide i

The ratio of Korea's short-term foreign debt to its foreign reserves fell to the lowest level in over 11 years in the first quarter on the back of a fall in borrowing by local banks and a fall in foreign investment in local bonds, data showed Wednesday.The country's short-term external debt, with a maturity of one year or less, totaled $103 billion as of the end of March, decreasing $4.3 billion from three months earlier, according to the data by the Bank of Korea (BOK). The end-March figure acc

Korea's top 30 business groups reduced the number of their executives by about 500 over the past year due mainly to downsizing and business restructuring moves, data showed Wednesday.The total number of senior executives at the 30 largest conglomerates was 9,632 as of May 16, down 484, or 4.8 percent, from a year ago, according to the data compiled by corporate researcher CEO Score.Leading conglomerate Samsung Group shed the largest number of executives at 374 in the process of selling its defen

The imminent overhaul of the shipbuilding industry is shaking up local banks, which will have to raise their reserves once the loans to companies are reclassified as risky, financial officials said Wednesday.The majority of the loans to the troubled shipbuilders -- Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries -- are categorized as "normal" in risk ratings, a far cry from the firms' abysmal financial standings.  Local banks' exposure to the three

Creditors of STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co. are moving to put the midsize local shipyard under court receivership this month, ending their yearslong financial aid, amid ongoing efforts to revamp the ailing industries, such as shipping and shipbuilding, industry sources said Wednesday.According to the sources, the creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, will discuss later in the day whether to extend a lifeline to the financially troubled shipbuilder. But the sources said the cre

Korean stocks started higher Wednesday, following overnight gains on Wall Street.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 15.99 points, or 0.83 percent, to 1,953.67 in the first 15 minutes of trading. (Yonhap)Top market cap Samsung Electronics gained 0.24 percent, and industry leader Hyundai Motor was up 0.37 percent. The state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. also rose 1.34 percent.In New York on Tuesday (local time), the Dow Jones industrial average jumped 213.12 points, or 1

Fine dust concentration reaches alarming levels when cooking food on stoves using oil without proper ventilation, the Environment Ministry said.The ministry said it measured the concentration level of PM2.5 -- the fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter -- that build up while cooking on a stove at 32 sample houses and calculated the average.The tests showed that after some 10 minutes of pan-frying mackerels the level of PM2.5 surged to 2,290㎍㎥. This is a 76-fold denser t