By winning the world championship on home ice last weekend, South Korean women's hockey took a giant step forward in its build-up for its Olympic debut next year.South Korea defeated the Netherlands 2-0 on Saturday to clinch the title at the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship Division II Group A at Kwandong Hockey Centre in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.(Yonhap)South Korea, world No. 23, won all five games it played, and will now move up to Division I Group B, the third

South Korean economists and ordinary citizens alike want the next administration to make economic growth and income distribution its top priorities, a survey said Sunday.The same survey found that many of the respondents view the country's political and parliamentary capacities as below par. (Yonhap)The Korea international Trade Association polled 1,000 people, including 321 economic experts, from March 21-27 on what they wanted the next government to focus on for short- and midterm policies. Re

Korea's financial services industry recorded 9.2 percent in output growth last year largely driven by interest revenues from growing household loans, government data showed on Sunday. According to Statistics Korea, the year-on-year production growth of financial institutions in 2016 was more than triple the 3 percent reported for the overall services industry.  (Yonhap)By institution, banks gained 9 percent, the highest since 11.8 percent in 2008. Nonbank depository institutions including saving

China's display makers are expected to double their liquid crystal display market share this year from 2014, posing challenges to industry leaders in South Korea and Taiwan, data showed Sunday. Driven by growing demand for large LCDs for televisions, combined LCD production of Chinese manufacturers is expected to increase to 26.8 percent in 2017, according to market trackers IHS and IDC. Their share has continued to expand from 12.8 percent in 2014, 17.2 percent in 2015 and 23.4 percent last yea

Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering has won orders from local shipping firm Hyundai Merchant Marine to build very large crude carriers that would give the troubled shipbuilder contracts worth some 900 billion won ($792.25 million), Daewoo officials said Sunday.The two companies signed a letter of intent on Friday in Seoul for Daewoo Shipbuilding to deliver five VLCCs with an option to build five more, the officials said. The main contract will be signed by the end of July. Jung Sung-leep

South Korea's financial regulator on Wednesday confirmed a one-year suspension of new audits by Deloitte Anjin LLC, as punishment for the firm's accounting irregularities of troubled Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Until April 4 next year, Deloitte Anjin has been barred from signing new audit contracts, the Financial Services Commission said in a statement.(Yonhap)About 150 companies of Deloitte Anjin's some 1,100 clients are expected to be affected by the suspension, according to i

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. are expanding their presence in the hybrid vehicle market in the United States, backed by brisk sales of their latest sports utility vehicle models, data showed Sunday. The South Korean automobile companies sold a combined 4,358 hybrid vehicles in world's largest economy last month, up 87.8 percent from a year earlier, according to US online market tracker HybridCars.com (Yonhap)Their share in the US hybrid vehicles market rose to 13.7 percent

South Korea's vice trade minister called for strengthened cooperation in technology with Israel Sunday to cope with the technology-driven fourth industrial revolution, the ministry said.Speaking to a forum in Tel Aviv, Jeong Marn-ki said South Korea and Israel can create synergy by combining Israel's technological prowess and startup spirit and South Korea's manufacturing skills and information and communication technology infrastructure. Jeong Marn-ki (Yonhap)"I hope that technology cooperation

흡연은 건강에 나쁘다는 것이 상식이다. 폐암이나 심혈관계 질환을 포함해 온갖 질병과의 관계가 과학적으로 확고히 입증돼 있다.그러나 흡연이 건강에 오히려 도움이 된 사람도 있다. 사진=연합뉴스8일 미국 텍사스주 라이스대에 따르면 이 대학 생명과학과의 존 올슨 교수 연구팀은 올해 2월 독일과 프랑스의 공동연구자들과 함께 '생물화학저널'(Journal of Biological Chemistry)에 특이한 내용의 논문을 발표했다.이 논문이 나오게 된 계기는 만성 빈혈 증세를 보이는 20대 여성의 사례였다.의료진은 이 여성이 빈혈에 시달리는 원인을 추적한 결과 인체 내에서 산소를 전달하는 적혈구 속 단백질인 헤모글로빈과 관련된 유전자에 발생한 돌연변이가 그 원인임을 밝혀냈다.헤모글로빈 돌연변이는 1천종 이상이 알려져 있으며 이 중 건강에 영향이 있는 것은 드물지만 간혹 있다. 이런 경우를 '헤모글로빈병증'이라고 부른다.이 환자 가족은 독일 만하임에 살고 있었으나 아버지는 터키의 키르클라렐리에

10대 청소년에게 "70만원을 주겠다"고 제안해 한 차례 성관계를 한 40대 남성에게 징역형이 선고됐다.의정부지법 형사합의11부(고충정 부장판사)는 아동·청소년의 성 보호에 관한 법률 위반 혐의로 기소된 피고인 최모(44)씨에 대해 징역 1년 6월에 집행유예 3년을 선고했다고 9일 밝혔다. 사진=연합뉴스재판부는 또 최씨에게 성폭력 치료강의 수강 80시간과 신상정보 공개 3년을 명령했다.법원에 따르면 광고지 배포업을 하는 최씨는 지난해 9월 아르바이트를 하겠다고 찾아온 A(15)양에게 아르바이트 대신 조건 만남을 제안했고 대가로 70만원을 제시했다.최씨의 집요한 요구에 어린 A양은 제안을 받아들일 수밖에 없었다.결국 최씨는 서울의 한 아파트 지하주차장에 세워놓은 자신의 차 안에서 A양과 한 차례 성관계했다. 그러나 그 자리에서 돈을 주지 않았다.며칠 뒤 A양은 돈을 받으러 최씨를 찾아갔고 최씨는 돈을 주면서 A양의 몸을 더듬는 등 강제로 추행하기도 했다.A양은 큰돈을 보관하다 어머니에

The South Korean Air Force is pushing to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles to better defend its air bases across the country, officials said Sunday.The Air Force has recently commissioned a research project into the use of drones for operations over air bases, the officials said. (Yonhap)Currently closed-circuit television and other surveillance assets are used but the Air Force is seeking to further enhance monitoring around air bases with core assets including combat jets, air control systems an

GANGNEUNG, South Korea (Yonhap) -- Once a strong women's hockey nation, North Korea has fallen on hard times of late, barely able to stay afloat in the fourth-tier international competition.It took North Korea a late rally to defeat Slovenia 4-2 to close out the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship Division II Group A on Saturday at Kwandong Hockey Centre in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. With the win -- unimpressive for the most part -- North Korea just avoided finishing

South Korean footballer Son Heung-min set a new personal best for the number of goals in a single season after scoring two goals in Tottenham Hotspur's 4-0 win over Watford on Saturday. Son grabbed a brace at White Hart Lane in London to make 11 goals in the English Premier League. Including other competitions, such as the English Football Association Cup and the UEFA Europa League, he now has 18 goals this season, which surpasses his previous career high of 17 goals in the 2014/15 season with B

South Korea on Friday lauded the summit agreement between the US and Chinese leaders to work closely together to convince North Korea to curb its nuclear program."We assess that they were relatively successful talks that laid the groundwork for cooperation between the two leaders and the development of the US-China relationship," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, referring to the talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cho June-hyuck (Yonhap)In t

China's top nuclear envoy will visit South Korea this week to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and also meet with presidential candidates to get a glimpse into the policy direction going forward, diplomatic sources said Sunday. Wu Dawei will come to Seoul on Monday for a five-day stay during which he plans to meet his South Korean counterpart Kim Hong-kyun and discuss their cooperation against the North's repeated provocations including a possible nuclear test, according to the