South Korean banks posted surprisingly good first half earnings on the back of an economic recovery and an uptick in interest rate, industry data showed Sunday, stirring up concerns over their bonus plans amid ballooning household debt. According to the data, the country's four biggest banking groups -- Shinhan Financial Group Co., KB Financial Group Inc., Woori Bank and Hana Financial Group Inc. -- posted a combined 5.88 trillion won ($5.25 billion) in net profit for the first six months of the

South Korea's sole bourse operator has sent a warning to all listed companies against possible insider trading as it cracks down on unfair stock transactions, market sources said Sunday. In the warning sent to a combined 2,151 companies listed on the country's benchmark KOSPI, the secondary KOSDAQ and the tertiary KONEX on Thursday last week, the Korea Exchange said it will keep closer tabs on company officials who engage in stock trading using nonpublic information, sources said.The move came a

The size of assets under management by South Korea's state pension fund surpassed the 600 trillion won ($536.2 billion) mark for the first time ever, the government said Sunday. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the total value of funds controlled by the National Pension Service reached 601 trillion won as of Monday, making it the world's third-largest in terms of size after Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund and the Government Pension Fund of Norway. The NPS has over 20 m

South Korea's car exports to the United States have declined, rather than increased, after the two countries abolished import taxes last year as part of their free trade agreement, data showed Sunday.  The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association published the analysis that rebuts a widespread belief in the US that lower tariffs increased Korean car sales in the country. It underlies the recent US calls for amendments to their five-year-old FTA. Korea's car exports to the US have increase

A majority of South Korean retailers remain downbeat on their business conditions in the third quarter amid concerns over weak domestic demand and high household debt, a poll showed Sunday. The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry said its retail business survey index stood at 91 for the July-September period of the year, up from 90 from three months earlier.The figure is based on a poll of some 1,000 retail businesses in Seoul and six other major cities nationwide. A reading below 100 means

South Korea's top economic policy chief said Sunday the government will promptly come up with measures to relieve smaller businesses of the burden from a decision to hike the minimum wage for next year. A panel representing the government, labor and management decided Saturday to raise the minimum hourly wage to 7,530 won ($6.64) for 2018, up 16.4 percent from this year. It is the highest on-year increase after a 16.6 percent hike in 2000.  "The decision will be a huge momentum for an

The value of South Korea's overseas investment funds has jumped more than 40 percent over the past year as big-time investors look overseas for high returns despite the recent bull of the domestic stock market, data showed Sunday. According to the data by the Korea Financial Investment Association, the combined net worth of overseas investment funds came to 110.75 trillion won ($97.7 billion) as of Wednesday, up 40.4 percent from a year earlier.Funds investing in special overseas assets, excludi

South Korea's central bank is expected to maintain its key interest rate at a record low until mid-2018, according to an economist at Goldman Sachs on Saturday, after the Bank of Korea hinted that it may keep a dovish tone. Goldman Sachs economist Kwon Goo-hoon also expected the nation's inflation rate to slow down as prices of raw materials are predicted to fall off. This week, the central bank announced it will keep its policy rates at the present record-low of 1.25 percent for a 13th consecut

South Korea's initial public offering market is expected to lose ground sharply in the second half of the year as several large candidates have scrapped or postponed their plans, sources said Sunday. The country's IPO market was white-hot in the first six months of the year thanks to share sales by South Korea's largest mobile games maker Netmarble Games Corp. and three other companies that were listed on the main stock market.The four companies raised 3.9 trillion won ($3.44 billion) by selling

South Korea's corporate lobbies on Sunday expressed concerns over a decision to hike the minimum wage for next year, saying it could worsen business conditions and hamper job creation.  A panel representing the government, labor and management decided Saturday to increase the minimum hourly wage to 7,530 won ($6.64) for 2018, up 16.4 percent from this year. It is the highest on-year increase after a 16.6 percent hike in 2000. "It was a decision that ignored small and mid-sized business

The number of unemployed college graduates in South Korea hit a record in the second quarter amid tightened job markets for young adults, government data showed Saturday.The number of jobless people with a bachelor's degree and above reached 546,000 in the April-June period, up 11.8 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea.It marked the largest quarterly figure since 1999 when the agency changed its calculation standard for compiling jobless data.Unemployed people mean those wh

South Korea's jobless rate edged up in June as the number of newly employed people recorded a five-month low amid a feeble economic recovery, government data showed Wednesday.The unemployment rate stood at 3.8 percent last month, up 0.2 percentage point from the same month last year, according to the report compiled by Statistics Korea. From a month earlier, it also rose 0.2 percentage point.The number of employed people reached 26.86 million in June, up 301,000 from a year earlier, marking the

South Korean stocks closed at an all-time high Tuesday for a second straight session, helped by a net purchase by retail investors. The Korean won rose against the US dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index climbed 3.29 points, or 0.14 percent, to close at 2,391.95. Trade volume was moderate at 289 million shares worth 5.2 trillion won ($4.5 billion). The local stock market opened lower on profit-taking but turned positive on the back of retail investors' buying. Individual invest

“땅콩 회항”으로 논란이 불거진 조현아에 이어 동생 조현민의 과거 발언이 다시 화제가 되고 있다. 　조현민 전무는 과거 방송에서 조인성을 이상형으로 꼽으면서 “키 크고 옷 잘 입는 남자가 좋다. 연예인으로 치면 이상형은 조인성”이라고 언급했었다. 　한편, 조현민 전무는 2013년에 31세 나이로 최연소 대기업 임원으로 이름이 알려지며 세간의 관심을 끌었다. 　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　　

소위 “땅콩 리턴”으로 불리는 사건으로 전 대한항공 부사장 조현아가 논란이 됐던 와중에 최근 인터넷에 올라온 동생 조현민의 사진들이 화제가 되고 있다. 　 (인스타그램)최연소 대기업 임원 타이틀을 가진 조현민은 자신의 인스타그램에 업무 보는 사진부터 소소한 일상 사진까지 올려 왔다. 　한편, 과거 한 방송에서 이상형으로 조인성을 지목한 발언도 다시 관심을 끌고 있다.　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　　

일본 산케이 신문이 한국 검찰이 박근혜 대통령의 세월호 참사 당일 행적에 의혹을 제기한 자사의 가토 다쓰야 (加藤達也·49) 전 서울지국장에게 징역 1년 6개월을 구형한 데 대해 “놀라움과 분노를 금할 수 없다”고 밝힌 가운데 과거 기사에 실린 한국관련 막말이 다시금 화제다. 　지난 8월에는 박 대통령을 일제 강점기 시대에 암살된 명성황후에 빗대어 실은 칼럼이 논란이 된 바 있다. 　당시 암살이 일본 공사의 지휘를 받은 낭인이었다는 사실과 같이 세부적인 사항은 명시하지 않은 채 일본 우익 시각으로 기사를 작성했다. 　1933년에 창간된 일본 최대 미디어 그룹인 후지-산케이 그룹 계열사로서 산케이는 우리나라 광복절 전후로 각종 망언을 담은 기사들을 게재해 왔다. 　“한국은 자주독립을 하지 못한 탓에 일본을 향해 끊임없이 사죄와 보상을 요구하고 있다,” “대외적으로 한국을 대표하는 이미지는 위안부” 등의 발언으로 한국 사람들의 공분을 사왔다. 　심지어, 세월호 참사 당시에 가토 다쓰야

  (123rf)지난달 30일, 인도에서 17살짜리 소녀가 무려 27명의 남자들로부터 24시간 넘게 성폭행을 당했다는 사실을 외신이 보도해 충격을 주고 있다. 　알코올 중독자인 아버지로 인해 빚더미에 쌓인 집을 다시 일으키고자 했던 소녀는 호텔에서 일자리를 제공해준다는 제안에 넘어간 것으로 전해졌다. 　강간자 27명 중에 호텔 직원도 포함되어 있었다. 　소녀의 신고로 출동한 경찰에게 6명만 붙잡히고 나머지는 도주한 것으로 알려져 있으며 현재 CCTV분석을 통해 범죄자들을 추적하고 있는 중이다. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)　 　 　　　

호주에 거주하는 브론윈 파커(22)가 합의하에 남자친구의 성기를 고데기로 태웠다고 외신이 보도해 충격을 주고 있다.전 여자친구와 하룻밤을 지낸 사실이 발각되자 그 벌로 브론윈은 뜨거운 고데기를 남자친구의 성기에 몇 초 동안 갖다대겠다고 요구했고 남자친구는 그녀의 제안을 받아들였다. 그녀는 햇볕에 탄 것과 비슷한 현상이 나타날 줄 알았지만, 결과적으로 남자친구의 성기는 앞으로 정상적인 기능을 하지 못할 정도의 수준으로 심각한 화상을 입었다.창피함에 곧바로 병원을 찾지 않았기 때문에 남자친구의 상태가 더 심각해진 것으로 알려졌다. 재판 결과, 자신의 범행 잘못을 시인한 그녀에게 징역 9개월이 선고되었다. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)