A fire broke out in an apartment building when a teenager tried to heat a toothpick with a lighter to curl her eyelashes, firefighters said Thursday. The girl, 14 years old, tried to put out the flames with perfume, but the alcohol it contained only made the flames bigger.(Photo courtesy of the Yangju Fire Station)According to the Yangju Fire Station, the incident occurred at home on the ninth floor of an apartment complex in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, around midnight. It was extinguished in abo

South Korea‘s economy is expected to grow 2.6 percent this year and 2.8 percent next year, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Wednesday.This year’s forecast has remained unchanged, taking into account the country‘s improving exports and consumer sentiment.Next year’s forecast has been revised down from its initial projection of 3 percent seven months ago.The OECD said that the faster world trade leading to a boost in exports and busi

In their first official meeting with the new government’s policy advisory panel, the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Thursday said it appears to be premature to talk about President Moon Jae-in’s labor policies, stressing that both sides need to seek “realistic measures.”“In a big picture, I think it is a bit early to carry out (Moon’s labor policies),” said KCCI Chairman Park Yong-maan to President Moon’s de facto transition team. KCCI Chairman Park Yong-maan (Yonhap)“We need to fi

China’s smart device maker Xiaomi seems about to officially enter the South Korean market as a Korean language-version of its homepage has been launched. Dubbed “Mi Korea,” Xiaomi created the Korean-language website at the end of May. It introduces its flagship products and official sales channels in Korea, but information about smartphones and laptops is not available in Korean yet.  Mi Korea homepage screenshotThe website also has details of the corporation, including profiles of its founders

GS Engineering & Construction is on its way to reaping record-high earnings this year, on the back of Korea’s booming housing market, according to figures from financial information provider FnGuide on Thursday. The company had to restructure its business portfolio following its worst fiscal performance in 2013 when it recorded an operating loss of 950 billion won ($844.5 million). However, GS E&C is expected to post three-digit operating profit growth this year. Its growth performance is expect

The South Korean sales unit of Swedish commercial vehicle brand Volvo Trucks said Thursday it aims to become the second-largest player in the country by securing 20 percent of the market share in the next three years.At a press conference held to mark the 20th anniversary of Volvo Trucks’ operation here, its local manager Kim Young-jae said the company plans to achieve the goal by selling around 4,000 units annually, a sales volume enough to compete with domestic brands. Currently, Volvo Trucks

Although tied down by political hurdles and security and diplomatic challenges, the liberal Moon Jae-in administration is finishing its first month in office with rosier economic indications than those under the former Park Geun-hye administration, various data showed Thursday.　The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index jumped 2.94 percent to 2,360.14 as of Wednesday’s close from May 8, the day before the presidential election. The Kospi’s nearly 3 percent rise in the first

LG Innotek said Thursday the company’s 10-watt high-power light-emitting diode package was used for the main lights of the Suwon Word Cup Stadium, where the finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea 2017 will be held Sunday. The high-power LED package emits bright light with power consumption of 1 watt or more, providing optimal lighting that will allow players, spectators and TV viewers to focus on the match, the company said. Its color temperature is 5,000 Kelvin and it is used for sports stadiu

 Midsized shipbuilder Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, an affiliate of Hyundai Heavy Industries, announced Thursday that the company has attracted a 400 billion won ($355.4 million) pre-initial public offering investment from a local private equity firm, IMM Private Equity.The pre-IPO investment is 100 million won more than what was originally offered by the equity firm in April. The deal is expected to lower Hyundai Samho’s debt ratio from the current 96.4 percent to 72.8 percent, according to a

Spreading the value of one’s culture is often seen as a heroic mission, undertaken by experts backed by large organizations. However, Cook Jung Seo-young broke such paradigms during the first encounter at a cafe located in Samgakji, dressed in her everyday clothes instead of her chef uniform, with her eyes fixed on her laptop.“It being near the end of our project, things are quite hectic,” she said. Jung Seo-young is introducing Bburi Kitchen’s website on her laptop at a cafe in Samgakji on May

Smartphones with wider displays, including 5.5-inch models, have become mainstream in the global market, amid rising demand for gaming and video streaming content via mobile devices, an industry tracker said. According to the IDC, global shipments of smartphones with 4-inch displays or smaller are anticipated to be 18.8 million units this year, marking a sharp drop from 86.1 million units in 2015. The decline in shipments is expected to continue, reaching 5.4 million units in 2019.On the other h

The OECD Economic Outlook has predicted Korea’s gross domestic product will grow from 2.6 percent to 2.8 percent in 2018, according to its latest report released Wednesday. The OECD Economic Outlook is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s twice-yearly analysis of major economic trends and prospects.“GDP growth declined in the latter part of 2016 in the context of political uncertainty, corporate restructuring and a drop in exports,” the report said.

Lawmakers grilling President Moon Jae-in’s Cabinet nominees during parliamentary confirmation hearings are complaining about receiving an avalanche of text messages -- most of them containing scathing criticism of the recipients on their performance during the televised and livestreamed sessions. Rep. Lee Un-ju of the People’s Party revealed late last month that she had to change her phone number after getting nearly 10,000 such messages in the space of just two days. She had been particularly h