The brand value of South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group rose to $83.1 billion in 2015, but its ranking dropped one notch from a year earlier, industry data showed Monday.According to the data compiled by British industry tracker Brand Finance, Samsung stood as the world's No. 3 firm in terms of brand worth. It marked a 1.8 percent rise from a year earlier.U.S.-based Apple Inc., Samsung's key rival in the tech industry, took the throne with $146 billion, up 14 percent from a year earlier.

A senior member of the minor opposition People's Party resigned from his post Friday, deepening an internal feud over a possible merger with the main opposition party ahead of the April 13 general elections.Rep. Kim Han-gil, the head of the party's election planning committee, said he will step down after he failed to persuade the party's co-chairman Ahn Cheol-soo to join forces with the Minjoo Party of Korea to win more seats in the upcoming polls.  "I held a meeting with two chairmen yesterday

Four state-run companies will carry out 21 trillion won (US$17.3 billion) worth of projects in 2016 as part of the government-led stimulus to boost the local property market and the entire economy, the ministry said Thursday.The public firms will order 1,689 new projects, such as building new apartment complexes and highways, this year, with the total value reaching 20.9 trillion won, up 7 percent from 19.5 trillion won a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transp

Ssangyong Motor Co., owned by India's auto giant Mahindra & Mahindra, launched the Tivoli Air on Tuesday, targeting the growing compact SUV market. The Tivoli Air is a long-body version of its popular Tivoli crossover SUV, which was launched early last year. The Tivoli led its domestic and overseas sales throughout last year, raising expectations for the larger-sized family model. "The Tivoli Air is armed with the unique dynamic style, which evolved from the luxurious and stylish brand of the Ti

South Koreans in their 20s and early 30s lag far behind their American counterparts in terms of home ownership, a think tank report said Tuesday, indicating unemployment and other economic difficulties faced by young Korean people.  According to a report released by KB Research, 21 percent of Koreans aged 20-35 had their own homes, including apartments, in 2010, whereas 36 percent of their same-age Americans owned their homes in 2014. The KB report is based on the latest data from the two countr

U.S. workers have been largely insulated from a global slowdown. Job growth remains steady and wages are finally picking up _ trends that will be put to the test in Friday's employment report for February.  Economists have forecast that employers added a solid 195,000 jobs last month, up from the 151,000 added in January, according to data firm FactSet. And the unemployment rate is expected to remain at a low 4.9 percent. Hiring by construction companies, retailers and health care providers have

A young Korean-American adoptee returns home for the first time in desperate search for his birth-mother. For musical director, conductor and actress Kolleen Park, the plot of her latest musical production “Airport Baby” may seem like an all-too-familiar tale. But add local musical actor Choi Jae-rim to the mix and the result is an unexpectedly moving portrayal of a troubled young soul. Following her role as a mother struggling with bipolar disorder in the Korean rendition of the off-Broadway mu

Actor and film director Ha Jung-woo has put up his painting “Keep Silence” for auction, art auctioneer I Auction announced Wednesday.The auctioneer described Ha’s works as an outlandish and humorous depiction of the conflict between oneself and the character he or she plays, adding that it evokes pop art and expressionism.The auctioneer estimated the value of Ha’s work to range from 13 million won ($ 10,647) to 25 million won. Ha’s career as an artist started as a hobby in 2007, when he was a co