LG Electronics Inc. on Wednesday said it will launch a new online education-dedicated notebook next month in partnership with South Korea's internet portal giant Naver Corp. LG will release "Whalebook," a cloud-optimized laptop powered by Naver's Whale operating system (OS), suitable for its online education platform Whale Space. The product will be first sold in the B2B market in South Korea in October and will be available to consumers later with a price tag of 550,000 won ($470). LG

South Korean companies saw their profitability grow in the second quarter, with their sales improving despite the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, central bank data showed Wednesday. The ratio of operating profit to sales of firms in the country reached 7.4 percent in the second quarter, up from 5.2 percent tallied a year ago, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). At the same time, the pretax net profit margin of South Korean companies rose on-year to 8.2 percent from 4.6 percent.

Google said Wednesday it offers around 12 trillion won ($10.25 billion) in economic benefits for South Korean consumers annually through its services, highlighting its presence in the country amid growing scrutiny from local regulators and politicians over allegations of unfair business practices. During an online recorded event, the tech giant said it provides 5.1 trillion won per year in benefits for South Koreans through its Play store, 4.2 trillion won through its search service, and 2.5 tri

Hyundai Heavy Industries Group said Wednesday it will push to win approval of its newly developed gas carriers from global ship quality assurance and risk management companies, such as Lloyd's Register from Britain, and flag states in an upcoming exhibition. The world's biggest shipbuilder plans to unveil gas carriers at Gastech 2021, the world's largest exhibition and conference supporting the gas, LNG, hydrogen and energy industry, slated for Sept. 21-23 in Dubai. The group's newly developed v

Starter-turned-reliever Kim Kwang-hyun has recorded his first save of the season for the St. Louis Cardinals, helping his club move into a playoff position. The South Korean left-hander closed out the Cardinals' 7-6 victory over the New York Mets in 11 innings at Citi Field in New York on Tuesday (local time). This was Kim's first save of 2021 and second save of his major league career. He picked up a save in his big league debut last year. As the eighth St. Louis pitcher of the game, Kim gave

South Korean stocks opened higher Wednesday as bargain hunters sought oversold stocks on expectations of future price hikes. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) rose 4.09 points, or 0.13 percent, to 3,152.92 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Bio and bank gains led the Kospi's rise, while chemical and auto shares got off to a weak start. Market kingpin Samsung Electronics added 0.26 percent, but No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix retreated 1.4 percent. Internet portal operator

President Moon Jae-in received an immediate briefing on North Korea's firing of ballistic missiles Wednesday, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Moon received the briefing from Suh Hoon, director of national security, immediately after North Korea launched "unidentified projectiles today," presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee said in a press statement. Cheong Wa Dae also plans to hold a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) standing committee as soon as the president returns to

A majority of South Korean exporting companies expect international freight rates to continue their uptrend till the first half of 2022, a poll showed Wednesday. The survey of 1,000 exporters, taken by the Federation of Korean Industries, showed 7 out of 10 firms forecasting freight rates to keep rising at least until June next year. The companies also expect freight rates to surge 23.8 percent on-year in the second half of this year following a 30.9 percent on-year jump in the first half. Some

South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hope Wednesday that China will continue support for the Korea peace process while meeting with the neighboring country's visiting top diplomat. Commencing 40-minute talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Cheong Wa Dae, Moon took note of Beijing's role and contribution so far to the peace process. The session came shortly before news reports of North Korea firing what are believed to be ballistic missiles into the East Sea. "Our government will

The elimination of North Korea's chemical weapons could serve as a confidence-building step to convince the communist nation to eventually give up its nuclear power, an American expert said Wednesday. Siegfried Hecker, a Stanford University professor known for his direct experience with Pyongyang's nuclear program, made the remarks during a Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) workshop, stressing that the North will be more likely to agree to remove its chemical weapons before agreeing

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Wednesday eliminated three contenders from its primary for next year's presidential election, paving the way for the opening of long-awaited primary debates to be aired or livestreamed. The remaining eight contenders include former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl and Rep. Hong Joon-pyo. The others are former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min, Choe Jae-hyeong, former chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection, former Jeju Gov. Won Hee-ryong, Rep. Ha Tae-ke

Three Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,665, the defense ministry said Wednesday. One soldier in Ansan, south of Seoul, and another in the western city of Incheon were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after developing symptoms, while one in the central county of Jincheon was found to have been infected after a family member tested positive, according to the ministry. Nationwide, South Korea re

South Korea's daily coronavirus cases surpassed 2,000 Wednesday as infections in the capital area surged to a record high ahead of a major holiday. The country added 2,080 COVID-19 cases, including 2,057 local infections, raising the total caseload to 277,989, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest caseload was sharply up from 1,497 cases the previous day and topped the 2,000 mark for the first time in six days. It is also the fourth-largest daily figur

President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed South Korea's commitment Wednesday to stronger international cooperation in the campaign to protect the ocean. He delivered the message via his social media accounts on the occasion of the International Coastal Cleanup Day. "It takes 450 years for plastic to break down after being used for a moment," he pointed out. "Micro plastics threaten not only marine life but also our health." The president stressed South Korea will cut the amount of

South Korean pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong is back in the minor leagues for the Texas Rangers. Before hosting the Houston Astros in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday (local time), the Rangers announced that they have optioned Yang to their Triple-A club, the Round Rock Express. Another pitcher, Wes Benjamin, was also sent to Round Rock, while pitcher Drew Anderson and infielder Brock Holt were activated from the injured list. Yang is 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA in 12 appearances, including four starts. Yang h