WASHINGTON -- The United States welcomes the reopening of direct communication lines between the two Koreas, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday, calling it a "positive step." The remarks come after North Korea reopened its communication channels, including a military hotline, with South Korea on Tuesday (Seoul time). "The United States supports inter-Korean dialogue and engagement and welcomes today's announcement on the restoration of inter-Korean communications lines

South Korea's top economic policymaker on Wednesday warned of a housing bubble amid a looming interest rate hike, and vowed to increase the housing supply and tighten lending rules to stabilize the market. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki expressed worries over the continued housing rally in the Seoul metropolitan area driven by ample liquidity and expectations of a further price hike, which could threaten the financial stability amid the snowballing household debt. "Several housing market in

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases hit a new high Wednesday, health authorities said, as the highly transmissible delta variant and rising infections outside the greater Seoul area continue to hamper the virus fight. The country added 1,896 COVID-19 cases, including 1,823 local infections, raising the total caseload to 193,427, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily number was up 531 from the previous day. It was the largest daily caseload since t

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to take a practical approach toward North Korea that leaves open the door for dialogue, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday. The US defense chief made the remark as North Korea reopened its direct communication lines with South Korea in an apparent move to improve its relations with Seoul that many believe may also lead to a resumption of dialogue with the United States. "And we're taking a calibrated, practical approach that leaves the

South Korean stocks opened slightly lower Wednesday, tracking the US stock retreat on uncertainties from China's move to regulate tech firms. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 4.61 points, or 0.14 percent, to 3,227.92 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. Local investor sentiment weakened as tech stocks plunged more than 4 percent in Hong Kong for a second straight session Tuesday. Hong Kong tech retreated following China's decision to reform its tech industry

WASHINGTON -- The United States supports dialogue between South Korea and North Korea, a senior White House official said Tuesday, welcoming the reopening of direct communication lines between the divided Koreas. "We are supportive of the dialogue and communication with North Korea," Kurt Campbell, policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, told reporters after taking part in a breakfast meeting in Washington hosted by the Korea-US Alliance Foundation. His remarks come after North Kore

Large companies in South Korea have more than halved their air pollutant emissions over the past five years amid the government's anti-coal policies, a corporate tracker said Wednesday. Air pollutant emissions by 166 plants of 77 large businesses came to 139,112 tons in 2020, down 56 percent from 316,013 five years earlier, according to CEO Score. The environment ministry designates seven materials -- nitrogen oxide, dust, sulfur oxide, hydrogen fluoride, ammonia, carbon monoxide and hydrogen

Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor Co. voted to accept the company's wage offerings for the year amid the extended COVID-19 pandemic, the union said Wednesday. In a vote held Tuesday, 56 percent of 42,745 workers who cast a ballot approved this year's wage agreement between the labor union and management, the company said in a statement. Hyundai and its 48,534-member union reached the wage deal without a strike for the third consecutive year. They will sign the wage deal Thursday, it said. Th

South Korea's consumer sentiment dropped in July over a recent spike in COVID-19 infections, marking the first decline since December last year, central bank data showed Wednesday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) came in at 103.2 for July, down 7.1 points from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists. The latest reading marks the first fall since December last year, when the index stood at 91

CHIBA -- South Korea's Lee Da-bin grabbed the silver medal in her first Olympic taekwondo appearance on Tuesday, winning the women's +67kg title on the last day of the taekwondo competition. Lee lost to Milica Mandic of Serbia 10-7 in the gold medal match at Makuhari Messe Hall A in Chiba, east of Tokyo. Her loss ensured that South Korea, the birthplace of taekwondo, will leave the Tokyo Olympics without a gold medal from the martial art. The country won two bronze medals in taekwondo, Jang Ju

CHIBA -- On the first day of the fencing competition at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday, three South Korean female epee fencers were all sent packing early. World No. 2 Choi In-jeong, in particular, suffered an ignominious defeat in the round of 32. Kang Young-mi, who'd teamed up with Choi to win silver at the 2018 world championships, was also gone after the round of 32. Song Sera did get to the round of 16 but got tripped up there. Both Choi and Kang said, as devastating as their losses were,

South Korean superband BTS appeared on a BBC radio show on Tuesday to perform two of its biggest hits, as well as a cover of the Billboard-topping hit "I'll be Missing You." The seven-piece act sang "Dynamite" -- the group's first song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard's main singles chart -- and its latest single "Permission to Dance," which topped the music chart last week, on BBC Radio 1's "Live Lounge." In addition to the group's own songs, BTS also pe

CHIBA -- In Kyo-don won the bronze medal in men's taekwondo on Tuesday, for only the second medal in its traditional martial art for South Korea at the Tokyo Olympics. In defeated Ivan Konrad Trajkovic of Slovenia 5-4 in the bronze medal match of the men's +80kg event at Makuhari Messe Hall A in Chiba, east of Tokyo. This is the second taekwondo medal for South Korea so far at the Tokyo Olympics. Jang Jun won bronze in the men's 58kg last Saturday. In, 29, was diagnosed with malignant lymphom

CHIBA -- South Korea captured silver in the women's team epee fencing at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, the country's first epee team medal in nine years. Choi In-jeong, Kang Young-mi, Song Sera and Lee Hye-in lost to Estonia 36-32 at Makuhari Messe Hall B in Chiba, east of Tokyo. This is South Korea's second silver medal in this event. The country also picked up silver at the 2012 Olympics, and Choi was also on that team. South Korea managed just one bronze medal from the individual portion

TOKYO -- South Korean swimmer Hwang Sun-woo broke a national record for the second time at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. Hwang qualified for the 100m freestyle semifinals by posting a time of 47.97 seconds in the heats at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Hwang held the previous mark of 48.04 seconds, set during the Olympic trials in May this year. Hwang, 18, finished second in Heat 7 and sixth overall among 70 swimmers, easily qualifying for the semifinals open to the top 16. The semifinals are schedu