SEOUL– Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said Thursday the government will form a civilian-led consultative body to produce a social consensus on whether to ban dog meat consumption. Kim made the remark while presiding over a government policy coordination meeting, saying relevant ministries should make active efforts to determine the facts and weigh diverse public … Read more
SEOUL– South Korea is closely monitoring the possibility of North Korea holding an event celebrating its 2017 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a unification ministry official said Thursday. North Korea’s calendars began to mark Nov. 29 as an anniversary for its “rocket” development this year. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared the … Read more
SEOUL– South Korea’s antitrust regulator said Thursday it has decided to impose a combined fine of 340 million won (US$285,000) on two transport companies for rigging bids to win three projects by the country’s major shipbuilder, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. In 2014, Sebang Co. and Dongbang Transport Logistics Co. colluded to fix … Read more
SEOUL– South Korean insurance firms’ earnings jumped more than 37 percent in the first nine months of this year amid the coronavirus pandemic and a bullish stock market, data showed Thursday. The combined net profit of insurance companies operating in South Korea came to 7.63 trillion won (US$6.4 billion) in the January-September period, up … Read more
SEOUL– South Korea plans to halt the operation of some coal-powered plants over the winter in a move to reduce fine dust emissions, the industry ministry said Thursday. The operation of eight to 16 coal-powered plants will be suspended from December through February, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. The country … Read more
SEOUL– The number of jobs for wage workers in South Korea expanded nearly 4 percent in the second quarter amid signs of the economy’s recovery from the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, data showed Thursday. The number of paid employee jobs had reached 19.6 million as of the end of June, up 3.6 percent, … Read more
SEOUL– South Korea’s chief economic policymaker said Thursday the country will come up with measures to win developed market status from Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI). South Korea has been pushing for the upgrade from the current position on the emerging markets list, as the global index provider will have its annual review in … Read more
SEOUL– Former MVPs and major league players are among 14 free agents in South Korean baseball this winter. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Thursday 14 out of 19 players eligible for free agency had decided to exercise their rights. Those 14 are free to sign deals starting Friday. The 2018 regular season … Read more