The slump in private consumption and exports has undermined small and medium-sized enterprises in terms of the capacity utilization of their factories, a bank-based think tank said Monday.A survey by IBK Economic Research Institute on 3,169 SMEs showed that their factory operating rate posted 70.2 percent in August, down 1.2 percentage points from a year earlier. Many of the respondents cited their huge inventories for the low rate.The factory operating rate, which peaked at the yearly average o

Syrian activists say the Islamic State group has launched a surprise attack in the northern province of Aleppo, seizing a string of villages from rebels.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the advance by the extremists is the most significant in months.It comes amid a wave of Russian airstrikes and a ground offensive by the Syrian army in the country's central region.The Observatory said IS seized the villages of Tal Qrah, Kfar Qares and at least four other small villages in the norther

Islamic State group jihadists have killed a senior commander in Iran's Revolutionary Guards in Syria, the elite branch of the Iranian military said Friday.General Hossein Hamedani was killed on Thursday by IS "during an advisory mission" in the northern region of Aleppo, a Guards statement said.Iran is a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad, sending Revolutionary Guard forces and military advisers to aid him against rebels seeking his overthrow. (AFP) 

South Korea will be considered a priority candidate when the existing members of the Trans PacificPartnership talk about accepting new members of the massive free trade agreement, a former White House official said Thursday.Matthew Goodman, who served as a former White House coordinator for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation until early 2012, also said in a phone interview that TPP will provide enormous opportunities for a struggling South Korean economy."I think Korea should be first in line whe

U.S. tech giant Apple Inc.'s latest iPhone 6s series is set to reach the South Korean market, industry sources said Friday, signaling another battle with domestic brands such as Samsung and LG.The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, first showcased last month, will be available for purchase through the country's three mobile carriers on Oct. 23, the source said. Pre-orders are expected to start on Oct. 16.The devices first landed in a handful of countries including the United States and China on Sept.

South Korea defeated Kuwait 1-0 here Thursday for their fourth consecutive victory in the Asian qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, inching closer to their ninth straight appearance in the quadrennial tournament.Midfielder Koo Ja-cheol put South Korea on the board with a header in the 12th minute, and it was all South Korea needed in the hard-fought victory at Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium in Kuwait City.Coached by Uli Stielike, the undefeated South Korea stayed atop Group G in the second

A top U.S. military commander has said he believes North Korea is capable of firing a nuclear missile that can reach the continental United States, but the country's ready to defend against such attacks.Adm. William Gortney, commander of U.S. Northern Command, made the remark at a think tank event Wednesday, saying he agrees with the intelligence community's assessment the North has the ability and technology to put nuclear weapons "on rockets that can range the homeland."It's not the first time

State-controlled corporations remain laden with heavy debts despite their struggle to improve financial statements under the incumbent administration’s overhaul initiative, data from the Ministry of Finance showed Tuesday.Korea’s 30 major public corporations saw their collective debt come to 373.6 trillion won ($320.1 billion) as of June 30 this year, which is higher than the 371.7 trillion won on June 30, 2014 and 371 trillion won on June 30, 2013.Debt in the public sector has continued to surg