South Korea voiced its "deep disappointment" on Friday after Japanese politicians paid their respects at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's war criminals.Around 90 Japanese lawmakers visited the shrine earlier in the day to mark an annual spring festival, Japan's Kyodo News reported.(Yonhap)They included Seiichi Eto, an aide to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.Abe also sent a ritual offering, the report said. "The (South Korean) government expresses deep concerns and disappointment

Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday a renowned South Korean baker has joined the list of chefs providing one of the world's leading consumer electronics manufacturer with insight and expertise for the development of innovative products.The Samsung Club des Chefs was launched in 2013 with the participation of visionary chefs from around the world to contribute their unique insight and fresh ideas. From left are chefs Kang Min-goo, Lim Ki-hak, Kwon Hyung-jun, Yim Jung-sik and Lee Chung-hoo. (Yonha

State-run Industrial Bank of Korea said Friday that its first-quarter net profit jumped 15.9 percent from a year earlier on increased interest income and gains from asset sales.Net profit for the three months ending March 31 came to 437.7 billion won ($386 million) on a consolidated basis, compared to 377.7 billion won a year earlier, the lender said in a regulatory filing.The figure includes earnings of its non-bank affiliates.On a standalone basis, the bank saw its net profit rise 12.1 percent

Busan, South Korea's largest southern port city, has become the country's first city to have smart rail cars on its subway system, the rail cars' manufacturer said Friday.The smart rail cars control lighting, air quality and the volume of broadcasts by themselves depending on conditions in and outside the cars, Hyundai Rotem Co. said in a statement.    Hyundai Rotem's smart rail cars are added to a subway train in Busan, the country's largest southern port city. (Hyundai Rotem)Hyundai Rotem, an

BUSAN -- Global shipping companies have reduced their calls at South Korean ports despite adding more worldwide services, partly a result of Hanjin Shipping going bankrupt, a research organization said Friday.Four different shipping alliances have been realigned into three major players -- 2M, The Alliance and Ocean Alliance -- in April after South Korea's Hanjin, once the world's seventh largest maritime transport company, went under the month before. CKYHE, the alliance that Hanjin had led, di

North Korea has recently been churning out propaganda to stop conservatives from taking power in South Korea's presidential election.This week alone, a number of North Korean organizations attacked conservative political parties and their presidential candidates in an apparent bid to sway voter sentiment in favor of liberals.Conservative administrations in the South have typically pursued hardline policies to press Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program but liberal governments have lar

Former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan will make his season debut in the United States next month, officials said Friday, as he's gearing up for his first world championships in six years.His agency, Team GMP, said Park has signed up for the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyle races at Arena Pro Swim Series in Atlanta from May 4 to 7. It will also double as the national team trials for July's world championships for Park. South Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan speaks to reporters at Incheo

South Korea is set to impose anti-dumping duties on ferroalloy imported from Vietnam, India and Ukraine, the trade commission here said Friday.After a preliminary examination, the Korea Trade Commission said it will recommend the finance ministry levy punitive duties of 6.08-32.32 percent on ferro-silico-manganese imported from the three countries, for underselling South Korean products and causing damage to the local industry. The finance ministry is to determine whether to actually impose anti

South Korean midfielder Koo Ja-cheol returned to his homeland from Germany on Friday to rehab an injured knee.Koo, who plays with FC Augsburg in the German Bundesliga, tore a ligament in his right knee after landing awkwardly following an aerial battle for a loose ball against FC Cologne's Marco Hoger last Saturday. Medical examinations later showed it was a season-ending injury as the 28-year-old needs to be out for at least six weeks. South Korean midfielder Koo Ja-cheol speaks to reporters at

South Korea's finance minister held a meeting with the president of the World Bank Group to discuss ways to expand the country's participation in the organization, the ministry here said Friday.Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho met with WBG President Jim Yong Kim in Washington on Thursday (local time) on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting. The gathering runs from Thursday through Friday.They agreed that the organization's Seoul office will play a leadi

South Korean low-cost carriers Air Busan and T'way Air Co. will set up new routes to Japanese cities as part of efforts to offset declines in demand from China, the companies said Friday.The number of Chinese travelers has sharply declined following the ban on all travel packages to South Korea from March 15 onward amid a row between Seoul and Beijing over the planned deployment of an advanced US anti-missile system on the Korean Peninsula.An undated file photo of a South Korean budget carrier T