South Korean mobile users on 5G networks reached nearly 16 million in May, data showed Thursday, as telecom operators seek to expand applications of the next generation networks. As of the end of May, 5G subscriptions stood at 15.84 million, accounting for 22 percent of the total 71.45 million mobile subscriptions in the country, according to the data from the Ministry of Science and ICT. South Korea has a population of around 51 million. Top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. had the most 5G subsc

Yoon Seok-youl, a former top prosecutor and leading presidential hopeful, has said he may join the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) if it is deemed necessary for the opposition block's win in next year's presidential election. "It is possible (for me) to ally with the PPP, and even enter the party if necessary for a change of government," Yoon said during a TV interview Wednesday. Lacking powerful presidential contenders, the conservative party has urged the former prosecutor

The men's football roster at this year's Tokyo Olympics will be expanded from 18 players to 22, the sport's national governing body said Thursday. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said it received a notification from FIFA late Wednesday announcing the expansion of the squad for the July 23-Aug. 8 Olympics. Teams were originally limited to 18 players, with up to four alternates allowed in case of injuries. Under the change, the four alternates will be part of the full squad, but teams can o

South Korea's largest labor group said Thursday it will push ahead with a large-scale rally in Seoul this weekend in disregard of a ban issued by police and the metropolitan government. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a militant labor umbrella group with about 1 million members, said it will organize the National Workers Rally in Yeouido on Saturday as scheduled, despite objections raised by police and the Seoul city government due to fears over the spread of COVID-19. The KCT

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have carried out a reshuffle of top officials at a recent politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, a unification ministry official said Thursday. State media earlier reported that Kim discussed "an organizational issue," including the election of new politburo members and a secretary of the party's Central Committee, at the extended politburo meeting of the party on Tuesday. It did not provide details on those newly elected. "The

SK Inc., the holding firm of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, said Thursday it has struck a 140 billion-won ($123.5 million) deal to buy a 10 percent stake in TBM, a Japanese maker of eco-friendly materials. SK's Japanese investment arm made the investment in the Tokyo-based startup known for LIMEX, a recyclable material derived from limestone and used in products from bags to business cards. In May, SK and three other chemical subsidiaries invested 408 billion won to establish the Japanese

Energy demand here is expected to rise over the summer in sync with the recovery of industrial activities and hotter-than-usual weather conditions, the industry ministry said Thursday. The country's maximum electricity demand is estimated to range from 90.9 to 94.4 gigawatts (GW) during the peak of this summer, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The ceiling is based on the assumption that the average temperature hits 30.2 C during the peak. The estimated peak summer ene

K-Bank, South Korea's first internet-only bank, said Thursday its customers and deposits grew sharply in the second quarter of the year amid the coronavirus outbreak. The number of customers stood at 6.19 million as of the end of June, 2.28 million more than three months earlier, the lender said, which is led by telecom giant KT Corp. The online lender's outstanding loans totaled 5.09 trillion won ($4.5 billion), up 1.29 trillion won from the first quarter, which marks the largest quarterly in

South Korea proposed an extra budget of 33 trillion won ($29.2 billion) Thursday to fund another round of COVID-19 relief aid packages for people in the bottom 80 percent income bracket and smaller merchants hit by the pandemic. This year's second extra budget will be used to finance the 36 trillion-won virus relief packages, the fifth of its kind, designed to support the self-employed and vulnerable people hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Th

A fully vaccinated Navy officer has tested positive for the new coronavirus, marking the first breakthrough infection reported in the military, officials said Thursday. The officer, based in the southeastern city of Busan, was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms despite having received two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine in April and early June, according to the officials. A breakthrough case refers to when a person is diagnosed with the virus two weeks after being a

The Army plans to test-run a prototype of the newly developed Redback armored vehicle next year to check its performance for a possible deployment in the future, officials said Thursday. The new model, developed by Hanwha Defense Co., a South Korean defense manufacturer, is now under review by Australia after being shortlisted for Canberra's $4.6 billion project to buy new infantry fighting vehicles. Australia will select the successful bidder by next year. According to Hanwha, it plans to len

An autonomous police system went into effect nationwide Thursday in what appears to be the biggest organizational change since the inauguration of the country's police 76 years ago. The system was designed to disperse power within the police after President Moon Jae-in's reform of the prosecution service led to more investigative authority for the police. It is also aimed at providing people with more community-oriented policing services. It came into being in accordance with the new act intro

South Korea said Thursday it plans to offer more tax incentives and lift more regulations for chipmakers in line with its vision to become a global powerhouse in both memory and non-memory chips. The country is seeking to have major research and development (R&D) projects and facility investment in the chip sector receive incentives through a law revision, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The proposed bill on expanded tax incentives and eased regulations, a follow-u

Small businesses with five to 49 employees began to implement a 52-hour workweek Thursday as mandated by law. Under a revision to the Labor Standards Act, the government began enforcing the 52-hour workweek system in 2018, starting with firms with 300 or more employees in July of that year. In January 2020, the system began to be applied to firms with 50 to 299 employees, and on Thursday, to smaller businesses. South Korea has among the longest working hours among the member states of the Org

WASHINGTON -- The United States is aware of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's remarks about a serious incident with regard to the North's fight against the new coronavirus, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday. Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson for the department, however, offered no immediate US plans to provide humanitarian assistance, including COVID-19 vaccine, to the impoverished North. "We are certainly aware of the report -- what Kim Jong-un has said -- but we