Public support for the two leading presidential contenders -- former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl of the main opposition party and Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung of the ruling party -- both increased in an opinion poll released Thursday with Yoon leading Lee by a small margin. In the poll of 2,043 voters conducted by Realmeter on Monday and Tuesday, Yoon of the People Power Party (PPP) retook the lead with support from 28 percent of the respondents, closely followed by Lee of the Dem

The head of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Thursday stressed the need to maintain caution in approaching President Moon Jae-in's proposal of seeking a declaration to formally end the Korean War. "There needs to be a cautious approach on the end-of-war declaration proposed by the Moon Jae-in administration, which has been reciprocated conditionally by North Korea," PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said during a supreme council meeting of the party. Last week, Moon proposed i

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases remained in the 2,000s for the fifth day in a row Thursday in the aftermath of last week's extended holiday that has fueled a nationwide resurgence in virus infections. Health authorities will likely extend the current distancing rules, the toughest that have been in place for more than two months, for another couple of weeks. The country reported 2,564 new COVID-19 cases, including 2,539 local infections, bringing the total caseload to 311,289, according

DAEJEON -- Unionized city bus drivers in the central city of Daejeon went on strike for the first time in 14 years Thursday, demanding an extension of the retirement age and hikes of pay and other allowances. The strike came after representatives of bus companies and drivers declared a final breakup of their last-minute negotiations at 2 a.m. The unionized city bus drivers in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, have demanded their retirement age be extended by three years to 63, their wage

South Korean stocks opened lower Thursday as the bond yields in the United States remained high, raising concerns about an early inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 13.57 points, or 0.44 percent, to 3,046.7 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The South Korean main index got off to a muted start after its US stock peers closed mixed. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 0.24 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 r

Hanwha Q Cells, a solar solutions unit of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group, said Thursday it has completed the construction of a 168-megawatt solar power plant in the United States. Hanwha Q Cells said its US unit has recently begun operation of the solar farm in Fannin County, Texas, which is enough to power about 30,000 households a year. It is the second solar plant with over 100 MW capacity built in Texas, following a 235 MW facility in 2018, the firm said. Hanwha Q Cells has been expa

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said cross-border communication lines with South Korea will be restored in early October as part of efforts to improve chilled relations but warned that it is entirely up to Seoul to determine the future trajectory of their ties, state media reported Thursday. In a speech at the second-day session of the Supreme People's Assembly on Wednesday, Kim also said the US' hostile policy toward Pyongyang has not changed at all since the Joe Biden administration took offi

 South Korea's trade ministry said Tuesday it has agreed with Uruguay to make joint efforts to speed up negotiations for a free trade pact with a group of South American countries. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo plans to meet his Uruguayan counterpart, Francisco Bustillo, virtually later in the day to discuss ways to expand economic ties, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "Uruguay is one of the key partners for South Korea, as the two can make joint efforts to overco

Genesis, the luxury brand of Hyundai Motor Co., on Thursday unveiled the GV60, its first electric car built on a dedicated EV platform, ahead of its local launch later this year. The GV60 SUV is equipped with a 77.4 kilowatt-hour battery and can travel up to 451 kilometers on a charge, Hyundai said in a statement. The GV60 has three available options: rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and four-wheel performance version. It is priced at 60 million won to 70 million won ($50,000-$60,000). Hyundai

The Air Force was to launch a space center under the direct control of its chief of staff Thursday as part of efforts to expand its presence in space and strengthen defense capabilities against emerging threats, the military said. A signboard hanging ceremony was to be held at the Air Force headquarters in the central city of Gyeryong, presided over by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Park In-ho, according to the military. The new organization will be in charge of exchanges with other space unit

The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States were set to meet in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss joint efforts to resume dialogue with North Korea, after its leader Kim Jong-un voiced a willingness to restore inter-Korean communication lines following tensions over recent missile tests. The talks between Seoul's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, and his US counterpart, Sung Kim, come as Seoul and Washington are strategizing on humanitarian aid, confidence-building measures and ot

WASHINGTON -- The United States has no hostile policy and is ready to meet with North Korea without preconditions, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the US offer to engage with the North is a disguise for its hostility. "The United States harbors no hostile intent toward the DPRK. Our policy calls for a calibrated, practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy with the DPRK to make tangible progress that increases the s

South Korea will continue to cooperate with the new Japanese government under the leadership of Fumio Kishida, the foreign ministry said Wednesday, following his win in the party election set to make him the next prime minister. "The government intends to continue to cooperate with the newly launched Japanese Cabinet to develop the bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan in a future-oriented manner," the ministry said. Kishida won the leadership election of the ruling Li

North Korea's latest missile launches will not affect the US' determination to seek diplomacy with the North for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the US nuclear envoy for Pyongyang said Wednesday.  Sung Kim, US special representative for North Korea, made the remark at a press event in Jakarta, a day after the North test-fired a hypersonic missile into the East Sea. The firing came after the regime's test-firings of two short-range missiles on Sept. 15 and a new type of cruis

South Korean stocks slumped for second straight day to lose more than 1 percent Wednesday morning amid concerns about spiking bond yields and the US debt ceiling. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) dipped 37.65 points, or 1.22 percent, to close at 3,060.27 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 812 million shares worth some 15 trillion won ($12.7 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 676 to 215. Foreigners sold a net 659