The number of twins, triplets and other multiple births in South Korea has tripled over the past 20 years, in contrast with declining total births every year, recent data shows. According to Statistics Korea, multiple births in the country numbered 16,166 in 2015, or 3.7 percent of all babies born in the same year. The number is 70 percent higher than in 1995, but the proportion as a total of all babies has nearly tripled over the same period.The number of multiples born marked 10,692 babies, or

The South Korean government vowed Tuesday to take all necessary measures to deal with growing US barriers against its trade surplus and steel products."As the US government has been moving to strengthen trade restrictions and raise barriers, all government ministries need to formulate countermeasures against such developments," Deputy Trade Minister Lee In-ho said at a policy meeting in Seoul. "We have to be fully prepared as Washington's latest moves may affect its policy roadmap

In a move away from the “bigger is better” trend theater lovers have come to expect, a local performance company is taking things back to basics this summer. In “Counterparts,” Gwangju Performance Project is staging two one-act plays in a tiny black box theater with a minimalist set and only four actors between them. It’s a change of pace for the theater company that usually uses a large cast in its productions. For instance, last year, it employed elaborate sets and tightly choreographed ensemb

Sarah Elizabeth Hale has taken this year’s Michael Simning Community Builders Award in recognition of her efforts as president of the Adopt-a-Child for Christmas initiative. The campaign, which began eight years ago, mobilizes the community to provide Christmas gifts to some of the 700 orphans in the Gwangju area. Last year, volunteers were able to buy, wrap and deliver presents, including padded vests and woolen-lined boots, to five local orphanages thanks to months of fundraising efforts spear

HOW TO SHARE PROFITS -- Joo Young-sup, head of the Small and Medium Business Administration, listens to a presentation during a meeting between the SMBA and franchise operators to discuss how to share profits between the head office of the franchise and its affiliated stores in Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

Car-sharing services have been enjoying rapid expansion in South Korea due to the convenience of leasing cars simply through apps. The number of users for the service surged seventyfold in the past five years.The popularity, however, has come with a downfall of increased car accidents involving car-sharing vehicles, which are used highly among the younger drivers and often lack proper screening system of drivers and their licenses.According to the Korea Insurance Research Institute, the accident

Political conflicts heightened Tuesday, as President Moon Jae-in pushed ahead with the appointment of Fair Trade Commission Chairman Kim Sang-jo in spite of objection from the largely conservative opposition camp.The move boosted widespread speculation that the president would also instate Foreign Minister nominee Kang Kyung-wha against opposition backlash, in time for the forthcoming Korea-US summit.With the tense relationship between the presidential office and the political circle, Moon’s ext