LG Electronics, the world’s third-largest flat-screen TV producer, said on Sunday it received high marks from leading product review magazines in Europe. “What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision,” a leading consumer reviews magazine, gave a five-star rating to the LG Cinema 3D Home Theater in its November issue. The company received positive reviews for its home theater and related gadgets released this year, based on their outstanding design, balanced sound and user-friendly features. Other magazines in th

Korea’s unemployment rate is expected to slightly rise next year on the back of sluggish economic growth at home and abroad, leading private think tanks said Sunday.LG Economic Research Institute forecast the country’s jobless rate will be 3.7 percent next year, while Hyundai Research Institute predicted 3.6 percent. Both figures are up from this year’s estimated 3.5 percent.Samsung Economic Research Institute predicted a 3.4 percent rate. But it indicated a possible rise, citing lackluster job

The nation’s election watchdog said preliminary candidates who want to run in next year’s general elections can register from Tuesday until March 21. The National Election Commission said the starting date for preliminary candidate registration has been set for Dec. 13, 120 days prior to the general elections scheduled for April 11, 2012.Registered preliminary candidates allowed to run an election campaign through e-mails, mobile text messages and phone calls from Tuesday. They can hand out name

Prospects are dim for South Korea and the United States to hold a new round of bilateral meetings with North Korea, though diplomatic efforts are under way to organize fresh talks, a senior government official said Sunday.Since earlier this year, Seoul and Washington have held two rounds of one-on-one negotiations with North Korea to get the communist nation to take concrete steps to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization before restarting the broader six-party nuclear talks.The media ha

South Korea will send a proposal to Israel this month to sell its advanced trainer jets, a government source said Saturday.“We will send a proposal to Israel within this month as the country is seeking to introduce high-end trainer jets,” the source said on condition of anonymity.The official said the government will help Israel assess the performance of the T-50 Golden Eagle trainer jets early next year.Israel is reportedly seeking to replace up to 35 aging A-4 Skyhawk trainer jets between 2014

Thousands of people rallied in downtown Seoul Saturday in protest of a free trade agreement (FTA) South Korea has signed with the United States, arguing that it unfairly favors Washington.The South Korea-U.S. FTA, signed in 2007 and modified last year were ratified by the two countries’ legislatures. Seoul and Washington plan to put the accord into effect early next year.In South Korea, street protests against the FTA with the U.S. have been held almost daily since the ruling Grand National Part

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has ordered that the country’s people call foreign foods, such as hamburgers and waffles, by the names used in the countries of origin, rather than coining new Korean terms for them, a source said Sunday.Under the instruction, North Koreans will no longer refer to a hamburger using the Korean term meaning “double bread with minced meat” and a waffle as “roasted bread cake,” the source said. Kim issued the instruction during a visit to street stands selling such fo

South’s military to set up seasonal decorations for first time since 2004North Korea is once again threatening South over plans to light Christmas decorations on the border.On Sunday, North Korea said that lighting of Christmas decorations at Aegibong in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province could result in an “unpredictable situation.”Aegibong is located about 3 kilometers from North Korean lines, and Pyongyang has long criticized the Christmas lights at the location as being part of Seoul’s psychological w

Job creators are patriots. So said President Lee Myung-bak during a meeting with a group of businessmen a few days ago. The terse remark sums up the bleak labor market outlook for next year. Jobs are likely to be much more difficult to find in 2012 as domestic companies plan to scale back new hiring in response to slowing economic growth at home and abroad.The Bank of Korea puts the number of new jobs to be created next year at 280,000, a 30 percent plunge from the average 407,000 jobs created i

Rep. Park Geun-hye, the leading presidential hopeful of the ruling Grand National Party, is set to take the helm of the party, which has been drifting without a rudder. Park, who served as the party’s chairwoman between 2004 and 2006, has a demanding task cut out for her. She has to salvage the sinking party and navigate it toward victories in the April general election and subsequent December presidential election.The stage for her comeback after more than five years was set last Friday when th

It’s that time of year again: mistletoe and carols, Santa and shopping ― and of course, health insurance madness.Health insurance in this country of ours is always madness. But it’s especially maddening this time of year. For instance, this is when you find out how large your premium increase will be, and how much less your insurance will cover than last year.Mercer, the human resources consulting firm, does an annual survey and projects that health benefit costs per employee will rise 5.7 perce

Senior members of the ruling Grand National Party will meet on Monday to discuss the future of the party reeling from mass resignations of its Supreme Council members and its party leader Rep. Hong Joon-pyo.The meeting will be attended by lawmakers who have been elected three or more times, who will discuss issues surrounding the GNP’s leadership crisis, including the question of who will lead the emergency committee and how to make the conservative party anew. “About 30 lawmakers elected three