Consumer sentiment in South Korea has dropped noticeably since the outbreak of COVID-19, according to data released by the Bank of Korea on Tuesday. The index, however, was calculated before the rapid increase in the number of infections here, meaning sentiment has probably fallen lower since then. The consumer composite sentiment index totaled 96.9 in February, down 7.3 points from a month ago. A similar drop was seen in June 2015, when Middle East respiratory syndrome was in the news. The s

The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea said Monday it has made an emergency donation of 10 million won ($8,210) to Daegu to help combat the spread of COVID-19. The donation was delivered to the Daegu Branch of Korean Red Cross. It will be used to help obtain masks for the most vulnerable people in the Daegu region. “As a responsible member of Korean society, the ECCK has decided to provide an emergency donation of 10 million won to Daegu city region in order to support to quickly ov

Just one year ago, it was widely believed in many quarters that the Donald Trump Administration was making progress in convincing North Korea to engage in an effort -- albeit a lengthy one -- to denuclearize. The Singapore process that started in that city only nine months before appeared to be giving birth to some real developments, ones that would surely be clear when President Trump’s Air Force One and Kim Jong-un’s retrolooking armored train both arrived in Hanoi. Just as in Si

Before the world had any knowledge of the new coronavirus that has sparked a global panic a Wuhan-based ophthalmologist, Li Wenliang, noticed something strange in a few patients. They seemed to have contracted an unfamiliar virus that resembled severe acute respiratory syndrome, which hobbled China nearly a generation ago. A few days later, after Li had sent a warning message to several doctors in a group chat, the 34-year-old doctor was summoned by the police, who forced him to sign a letter

According to a recent report by the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea’s participation in global value chain trade reached 55 percent as of 2017, placing it at No. 6 out of 18 major countries within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. GVC refers to international production where the different output stages take place across various countries. With the rise of transnational corporations, firms from different countries tend to divide their production

미국 일리노이 주에서 사는 한 가족은 자신의 9살 딸 방에 있는 벽에서 라디오 신호가 들린다며, 아직 아무도 그 이유를 모른다고 말했다. 스미스는 딸 브리아나의 방안 벽 안에서 목소리와 음악이 반복적으로 들렸고, 그 소리가 지역 방송국에서 나온 AM 라디오 신호였다는 것을 알게 되었다. 해당 라디오 방송국은 사람을 보내 조사했다. 담당자는 여러 가지 방법을 통해 어디서 소리가 나오는지 조사해봤지만, 그 역시 어디서 어떻게 나오고 있는지 알아내지 못했다고 밝혔다. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

오동통한 몸매를 자랑하는 곰이 미국 로스앤젤레스 외각에서 어슬렁거리면서 자유를 마음껏 만끽했다. 관계자들은 이 곰이 목요일 (현지 시각) 메이플라워 초등학교 근처에서 쓰레기통 냄새를 맡은 장면이 처음 목격되면서 이야기가 퍼졌다고 말했다. 곰은 금요일(현지 시각)에 새쯤에 주택가를 걸어다니면서 사람들 눈에 목격되었다. 주민들은 곰이 집 안을 들여보는 등 여러 행동을 하면서 이목을 끌었다고 말했다. 사건 이후 해당 곰은 엔젤레스 국유림 (Angeles National Forest)으로 옮겨졌다. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

The market capitalization of listed South Korean companies declined across industries, according to data from market researcher FnGuide. Between Jan. 20 and Thursday, the combined market cap of 48 firms selling personal and daily goods, including cosmetics makers, fell 5.06 trillion won based on the closing prices of stocks. The market cap of the wholesale and retail sector dropped 2.92 trillion won, while that of the hotel and leisure industry declined about 1.85 trillion won.  (khnew

On the surface, Wordsmiths is like any other open mic event, providing a space for writers to share their poetry, prose and music. But a swift dig beneath the surface reveals a community of warmth, mutual support and acceptance. Wordsmiths’ events are held on the second Sunday of each month at Southside Parlor in Itaewon, organized by three of its members -- Kang Yea-hwon, Grace Kim and Brendon Spencer -- in their spare time. Spencer, Wordsmith’s resident DJ, has been involved s

The US presidential election in November is the most consequential in modern history. Whether the increasingly authoritarian, vindictive and dangerous Donald Trump wins another four years in power could define the US for a long time to come. This year’s election will be no typical struggle between two parties that differ more in degree than in kind. But first, the Democrats must select their candidate, and this time that contest is exceptionally fluid. Former Vice President Joe Biden&rs