C HUNCHEON -- Police in the eastern city of Chuncheon said Tuesday they arrested 14 people on charges of smuggling and distributing illegal drugs, and another four people, including TV celebrity Amy, who allegedly used narcotics from them, officials said Tuesday. The Gangwon Police Agency recently busted a drug trafficking operation that allegedly brought in drugs from Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries, largely by international airmail, and sold them to clients in South Korea via th

South Korea will provide $3 million worth of humanitarian assistance to Myanmar to help the country cope with the coronavirus pandemic, the foreign ministry said Tuesday. The ministry said it will make sure the aid is delivered to the people of Myanmar through "direct and transparent" means, suggesting that it will be provided through international organizations so as to prevent the aid from being diverted by the military. The aid comes amid the continuing political unrest in the S

South Korea's economy is under pressure over growing headwinds as a recent spike in COVID-19 infections is likely to delay a recovery of domestic consumption, a state-run think tank said Tuesday. The nation's economy is on a recovery track amid robust exports, but the toughest virus curbs, in effect due to the fourth wave of the pandemic, may dampen improving domestic demand, according to a monthly economic assessment report by the Korea Development Institute (KDI). "Our economy has recen

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on Tuesday asked subway unions of Seoul and four other major cities to refrain from staging a planned walkout next week, saying it will seriously disrupt the public transportation service. "The people will likely experience great inconvenience and disruption if subways' operation gets interrupted ahead of the fall harvest Chuseok holiday," Kim said during a Cabinet meeting held at the government office complex in Seoul. This year's Chuseok holiday is set f

North Korea appears to be preparing to hold a military parade this week to mark the anniversary of the country's founding, military sources said Tuesday. Earlier, around 10,000 troops were observed in the North Korean capital in a possible indication the reclusive regime is preparing a military parade ahead of its state and ruling party founding anniversaries on Sept. 9 and Oct. 10, respectively. According to multiple sources, the parade is more likely to be held during the state founding an

South Korean shipbuilders far outstripped their Chinese rivals in terms of new orders in August, retaining their top spot for the fourth straight month, industry data showed Tuesday. Local shipbuilders led by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. won a combined 780,000 compensated gross tons (CGTs) in new orders last month, taking up 57 percent of 1.37 million CGTs of global orders, according to data provided by global market researcher Clarkson Research Service. Chinese shipbuilders obtained 370,000 C

North Korea's trade with China plunged 82.1 percent on-year amid prolonged border closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, the unification minister said Tuesday. Minister Lee In-young made the remarks during a plenary session of the foreign affairs and unification committee at the National Assembly, saying that the North is focused on addressing internal challenges, including protracted sanctions, the COVID-19 pandemic and recent flood damage. The North's trade with China from January to July

An Air Force officer and two Army soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, raising the total caseload reported among the military population to 1,644, the defense ministry said Tuesday. An Air Force officer in the central city of Cheonan was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after coming into contact with a person who tested positive earlier, while an Army officer in Yangju, north of Seoul, was found to have been infected after a family member tested positive, according to th

South Korea's current account surplus slightly narrowed in July due to reduced trade surplus, although exports maintained strong growth, central bank data showed Tuesday. The current account surplus reached $8.21 billion in July, narrowing from a surplus of $8.85 billion the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The current account is the broadest measure of cross-border trade. Since the country logged a deficit of $3.33 billion in April last year, the largest in almost a decad

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases rose to slightly below 1,600 on Tuesday while authorities strive to tighten their guard against the pandemic and raise the vaccination rate ahead of a major national holiday. The country added 1,597 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,563 local infections, raising the total caseload to 263,374, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The latest caseload was the highest for any Tuesday despite tough social distancing measures

South Korean stocks opened a tad lower Tuesday as investors took to the sidelines in the absence of major events related to the US Federal Reserve's timeline for tapering its stimulus. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 1.82 points, or 0.06 percent, to 3,201.51 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the US stock exchanges were closed for a holiday. In Seoul, top cap Samsung Electronics lost 0.91 percent, and No. 2 chipmaker SK hynix retreated 0.47 perc

An ex-convict accused of killing two women before and after cutting off his location-tracking device appeared in public on Tuesday for the first time after his identity was made public last week. Kang Yoon-seong was escorted out of a police station where he was under police arrest before being taken to the prosecution. In a brief appearance before media, Kang said, "I apologize to the victims and their families." He also said he murdered them "for money, not sexual reasons,&qu

North Korea's military chief, Pak Jong-chon, has been elected a member of the Presidium of the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported Tuesday, in a comeback after he was demoted earlier this year for a lapse in anti-coronavirus efforts. "The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK elected Pak Jong-chon as a member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee and secretary of the WPK Central Committee," according to the Korean Central News Age

Loans extended by insurance companies in South Korea rose 8 percent on-year in the second quarter, led by gains in home-backed lending and corporate loans, the financial watchdog said Tuesday. Insurers' outstanding loans totaled 260.3 trillion won ($225 billion) as of end-June, compared with 240.9 trillion won the previous year, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). Their loans to households rose 6.5 trillion won on-year to 126.6 trillion won as of end-June as the extension of

South Korean stocks edged up after choppy trading Monday as investors seek to digest weaker-than-expected August jobs data in the United States. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 2.27 points, or 0.07 percent, to close at 3,203.33 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 716 million shares worth some 12.1 trillion won ($10.5 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 427 to 412. Foreigners bought a net 64 billion won,