South Korea's exports are anticipated to rise 15 percent on-year in September on the back of robust demand for chips and automobiles, although the overall growth might slow due to fewer working days in the month, a poll showed Tuesday. Exports are expected to reach Imports are estimated to have gone up 26.5 percent on-year in September to $49.8 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $5.3 billion. South Korea will release its official trade data Friday. In August, South Korea's exports have ext

South Korean shipping lines are expected to chalk up record earnings for the third quarter of the year thanks to surging freight rates, a market tracker said Tuesday. HMM Co., South Korea's largest container shipper, is projected to post a consolidated operating income of 1.82 trillion won ($1.54 billion) for the July-September, according to an analysis of brokerage house forecasts. That would break HMM's operating income record of 1.39 trillion won set in the previous quarter, which was up 901

South Korea was set Tuesday to launch a new 3,000-ton-class homegrown submarine capable of firing ballistic missiles, the third of its kind designed to boost underwater defense capabilities, the Navy said. A launch ceremony for the new submarine, named after a prominent Korean independence activist, Shin Chae-ho, will take place at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. in the southeastern city of Ulsan later in the day, according to the military. It is the third and the final of three

A majority of South Korean manufacturers expect their business conditions to worsen in the fourth quarter from three months earlier on a coronavirus resurgence and rising material costs, a poll showed Tuesday. A survey of about 2,300 manufacturing firms put the business sentiment index (BSI) at 91 for the October-December period, down 12 points from the third quarter, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said. A reading below 100 means companies expecting deteriorating business cond

K-pop sensation BTS will hold a series of live in-person concerts in Los Angeles in November and December after two years away from such events due to the new coronavirus, the band's label said Tuesday. "BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE - LA" will be held at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 27 and 28 and Dec. 1 and 2, according to Big Hit Music. They will be the septet's first live in-person concerts since 2019, when the group performed in Seoul. "The time is approaching when we can dance

Samsung Electronics Co. remained in second place in the global smartphone image sensor market in the first half of the year, a report showed Tuesday, although its share declined from a year earlier. Samsung captured a 25 percent revenue share in the first six months of the year, down from 28 percent a year ago, according to market researcher Strategy Analytics. Sony dominated the market with a 42 percent revenue share, slightly down from 45 percent a year earlier, while OmniVision came in t

WASHINGTON -- The United States is prepared to meet with North Korea without any pre-conditions, a State Department spokesperson said Monday. The US official made the remark when asked if the US will be willing to consider easing sanctions on the impoverished North. "We are prepared to meet with the DPRK without preconditions, and of course, we certainly hope that the DPRK will respond positively to our outreach," said Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Depart

South Korean battery maker SK Innovation Co. and American automaker Ford Co. said Tuesday they will invest 13 trillion won ($11 billion) to build three electric vehicle batteries in the United States by 2025. A joint venture between the two companies, called BluOvalSK, will build an assembly and battery complex in Tennessee, and two additional battery factories in Kentucky, which will be the single largest investment in Ford's 118-year history, the two companies said in a statement. The three fa

Second Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-moon has stressed the importance of a "survivor-oriented" approach to addressing sexual violence in conflict, reiterating South Korea's steadfast commitment to tackling the issue, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. Choi made the remarks during Monday's virtual event, titled "Reparations for Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: Status and Prospects," on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The Global Survivors Fund, esta

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, the front-running presidential contender for the ruling party, retook the lead in a presidential hopefuls poll released Monday, beating former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl of the main opposition party. In a poll of 1,006 voters conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) on Friday and Saturday, Gov. Lee of the Democratic Party (DP) garnered support from 30 percent of respondents, pushing down Yoon of the People Power Party (PPP) to second

An enforcement decree for the new workplace disaster law aimed at better protecting workers from industrial accidents will be reviewed during a Cabinet meeting this week, according to labor and business community sources Monday, despite criticism from both manager and labor groups over the government proposal. In January, the National Assembly passed a bill that strengthens the punishment of business owners and CEOs of companies with five or more employees in the event of serious workplace disas

Nearly half of South Koreans are in favor of a cautious approach to the issue of COVID-19 vaccinations for teenagers aged between 12 and 17, a poll showed Monday. In the poll of 1,006 people aged 18 and above conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute on Friday and Saturday, 49.1 percent said the government should take some time to observe vaccination situations in other countries before administering COVID-19 vaccine shots to the teen group. In contrast, 42.6 percent said vaccinations for

South Korean tattooists once again filed a petition with the Constitutional Court Monday against the medical law that requires tattooing to be conducted only by licensed medical personnel. A total of 153 tattooists associated with the Korea Fashion Tattoo Association and the Korea Tattoo Federation said Article 27 of the medical law that outlaws tattooing by people with no medical license violates their constitutional rights. "South Korea is the only country that punishes tattooing by non-m

South Korean stocks rebounded Monday amid easing concerns about the country's new coronavirus cases and the China Evergrande Group's debt crisis. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 8.4 points, or 0.27 percent, to close at 3,133.64 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 872 million shares worth some 12.1 trillion won ($10.3 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 492 to 373. Foreigners bought a net 337 billion won,

President Moon Jae-in raised the need Monday for the government to consider imposing a formal ban on dog meat consumption in South Korea. "Hasn't the time come to prudently consider prohibiting dog meat consumption?" Moon told Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum during their weekly policy consultation session, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. The president made the remarks while being briefed by the prime minister on the government's plan to improve the system to take ca