The hit Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” is losing its longtime superhero but producers are holding open casting calls for anyone who wants to don the red and blue suit.Reeve Carney, who has been playing the musical's title character and his alter ego Peter Parker since the show began previews in late 2010, will leave Sept. 15 and two casting calls will be held next month to find his replacement, as well as a future actress to play Mary Jane.The casting calls will be in New York

South Korean intelligence officials are investigating a local IT company owner suspected of helping a North Korean hacker distribute malignant codes to South Korea, officials said Wednesday.The National Intelligence Service reportedly raided the home and offices of the South Korean businessman, identified only by his surname Kim, on Tuesday after obtaining a search warrant from a local court.Kim is suspected of sharing his office computer network with the North Korean hacker through which malici

South Korean stocks opened a tad lower Wednesday as investors took a wait-and-see approach on advanced countries' July economic data slated to be announced this week, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 2.81 points, or 0.15 percent, to 1,914.24 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Tech shares traded lower, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics falling 0.31 percent and its domestic rival LG Electronics losing 0.41 percent. Flat panel maker LG Display shed 0

South Korea's new venture-driven stock market has posted stagnant growth since its launch earlier this month, data showed Wednesday, as its low trading volume has dented investors' sentiment.The Korea New Exchange (KONEX) market saw its market capitalization reach 497.3 billion won ($446.6 million) Tuesday, a tad higher than 468.8 billion won tallied on July 1, the Korea Exchange (KRX) data showed.The KONEX market was officially launched earlier this month to foster the growth of young venture f

The nominee to become the top commander of American troops in South Korea said Tuesday he supports the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON) as scheduled in 2015, despite Seoul's call for some flexibility on the timeline.The stance by Army Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti reflects a gap between the allies on the appropriate timing for the OPCON transfer in the face of growing threats from nuclear-armed North Korea."I do agree with the timetable. It is a bilateral agreement, Strategic Alli

U.S. college basketball fever will spring from an unlikely place this season -- an American military base in South Korea.The Georgetown Hoyas and Oregon Ducks will face off at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 8, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.The upcoming match is part of ESPN's Armed Forces Classic series honoring the men and women who are serving and who have served in the U.S. military, both at home and abroad."We are honored

A former chief of the national tax agency will be summoned this week over suspicions that he took bribes from CJ Group in return for providing favors during a tax audit into the local food and entertainment conglomerate in 2006, prosecutors said Wednesday.Jeon Goon-pyo, who headed the National Tax Service (NTS) from July 2006 to November 2007, has been notified to show up for questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul on Thursday morning, they said.Jeon is un

The deal to sell state-run Woori Finance Holdings Co. is estimated to fetch at least 5.42 trillion won ($4.85 billion), the financial regulator said Wednesday, amid the government's push to wrap up the long-pending privatization of the banking giant. The Financial Services Commission (FSC), the country's top financial regulator in charge of the Woori sale, said the estimated value has grown by 1.9 trillion won from the figure it came up with a year earlier. The latest sale value was estimated ba

South Korean savings banks saw their net losses nearly halve in fiscal 2012 from a year earlier, as they reduced loss reserves upon the stringent restructuring after a whirl of bankruptcies, the financial regulator said Wednesday. The combined net loss of 91 savings banks here came in at 880.3 billion won ($791.9 million) between July 2012 and June this year, down 45.9 percent from the 1.7 trillion-won net loss logged in the previous fiscal year, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (F

A military judge on Tuesday acquitted former U.S. intelligence analyst Bradley Manning of the most serious charge against him, aiding the enemy, but convicted him of espionage, theft and computer fraud charges for giving thousands of classified secrets to the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks. He faces up to 136 years in prison.The judge deliberated for about 16 hours over three days before reaching her decision in a case that drew worldwide attention. Supporters have hailed the 25-year-old Manning as

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co., South Korea's No. 1 builder, said Friday that its second-quarter net profit jumped 9.7 percent from a year earlier as its margins improved.The company's consolidated net income rose to 129.9 billion won ($116 million) in the April-June period, from 118.4 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.The builder said sales jumped 9.1 percent to 3.4 trillion won, and its operating profit gained 27.4 percent to 200.7 billion won.Shares o

Hyundai Mobis Co., South Korea‘s largest auto parts maker, said Friday its second-quarter net profit edged up 1.1 percent from a year earlier due to increased sales and operating profit.Net profit came to 893.6 billion won ($804 million) in the April-June period, from 883.8 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing.The company said sales jumped 13.1 percent to 8.7 trillion won, and its operating profit gained 2.3 percent to 733.1 billion won.Shares of Hyundai Mobis were

KB Financial Group Co., South Korea‘s No. 2 banking group, said Friday its second-quarter earnings fell 70.4 percent from a year earlier on squeezed profit margin and one-off valuation loss from its investment in a Kazakhstani bank.Net profit amounted to 163.5 billion won ($147 million) in the April-June period, compared with 551.6 billion won the previous year, the group said in a regulatory filing. In the first half, the group’s earnings declined 50.3 percent to 575 billion won.The group‘s bot

국회 '국가정보원 댓글 의혹사건 국정조사특위'의 26일 국정원 기관보고가 무산됐다.회의공개 여부에 대한 여야 합의가 끝내 불발되자 새누리당 의원들은 회의를 '보이콧'했고, 남재준 국정원장을 비롯한 국정원 간부들도 출석하지 않았다.당초 특위는 이날 오전 10시 남재준 원장을 출석시킨 가운데 댓글작업의 경위, 전•현직 국정원 직원 매관매직, 국정원 여직원 인권유린 논란 등을 추궁할 예정이었다. 법무부와 경찰청에 이은 3일째 기관보고이자, 국정조사특위 활동의 '하이라이트'이기도 했다.그러나 회의 공개 여부를 놓고 새누리당은 비공개로 진행하자고 주장한 반면, 민주당은 공개하자고 맞서 합의가 이뤄지지 못했다.새누리당은 이를 근거로 회의 불참을 선언했고, 남 원장 등 국정원 간부들도 출석하지 않았다.새누리당 특위간사인 권성동 의원은 당 주요당직자회의에서 "외교안보상 중대한 국가이익과 관련된 사안은 비공개로 해야 한다"면서 "공개 여부에 대한 여야 합의가 이뤄지지 않았기에 예정된 의사일정은 무효

방한 중인 존 키 뉴질랜드 총리가 26일, 정체되어 있는 한국과 뉴질랜드 간의 자유무역협정(FTA) 협상에 불만을 드러내며 압박을 가했다.한국과 뉴질랜드는 FTA 협상을 지난 2009년에 시작했으나, 아직까지 결과물을 보지 못하고 있다.키 총리는 이날 서울에 거주중인 뉴질랜드 참전 용사들과 뉴질랜드 국민들과의 자리에서 양국간의 무역에 대해 “공정한 경기를 할 수 있는 환경이 아니다 (not exactly a pretty level playing field)”라고 비판했다.그는 뉴질랜드 회사들이 한국에 수출할 때 매년 2억달러 (한화 약 2223억원)의 관세를 지불하고 있는 한편 한국 회사들은 뉴질랜드에 총 18억 달러 액수의 상품을 수출하면서 500만달러의 관세밖에 내지 않는다고 주장했다.키 총리는 자국의 회사들이 “한 팔을 묶인 상태에서 경쟁하고 있다”면서 “그것은 공정하지도 옳지도 못하다. 우리가 지금까지 한 모든 것, 공헌해온 모든 것을 감안하면 더욱 그렇다”라고 강조했다. 그

 성재기 남성연대 대표가 남성연대 홈페이지를 통해 예고했던대로 한강 다리 위에서 투신했다. 성 대표는 26일 자신의 트위터에 “정말 부끄러운 짓이다. 죄송하다. 평생 반성하겠다”라는 글과 함께 한강 다리 위에서 뛰어 내리는 자신의 모습을 찍은 사진을 공개했다.한 네티즌도 “성재기씨가 마포대교에서 투신했습니다. 아무 생각없이 지나가다가 깜짝 놀랐네요”라는 글과 함께 성 대표가 한강 다리 난간을 붙들고 투신할 준비를 하는 모습을 담은 사진을 트위터에 올렸다. 성 대표 투신 현장에는 영등포소방서가 출동했다. 영등포소방서는 “26일 15시20분께 사고 접수됐으며 현재 구조활동 중이다. 현재 서강대교 방면으로 수색을 계속하고 있다”고 밝혔다. 성 대표는 지난 25일 남성연대 홈페이지에 “남성연대 부채 해결을 위해 1억원만 빌려 달라. 한강에서 뛰어내리겠다”는 글을 올려 논란을 불렀다. 목숨을 담보로 한 무모한 제안으로 성 대표에 대한 비난이 쏟아지자 그는 “내가 무식하고 유치해도, 비겁하진

‘한스밴드’에서 드러머로 활동했던 김한나 (30)씨가 이혼하게 되었다고 연합뉴스 등 언론이 26일 보도했다.서울가정법원 가사9단독 김주석 판사는 지난 24일 김씨가 남편 이모(40)씨를 상대로 낸 이혼 청구소송에서 원고 승소 판결을 내렸다. 김 판사는 남편 이씨의 주된 책임으로 혼인 관계가 회복할 수 없이 망가졌다고 판단한 것으로 알려졌다.두 사람은 지난 2009년에 만나 작년 2월에 혼인신고를 했으며, 그해 결혼식을 올릴 예정이었으나 서로 간의 갈등이 심해지면서 김씨가 이씨를 상대로 6월 이혼소송을 내기에 이르렀다. 당시 이씨는 직장을 그만두고 김씨와 다투다가 작년 5월께 그녀를 발로 차고 폭행한 적도 있었다고 알려졌다..일부 보도에 따르면 김씨 측에서는 이씨가 협박 및 폭언과 폭행을 일삼아 그녀가 두려움을 갖고 있었다고 한다. 김씨는 지난 1998년 동생 한별, 한샘씨와 '한스밴드'로 데뷔해 '오락실', '호기심' 등 히트곡을 발표했다.<관련 영문 기사>Hans Band’s Ki

South Korean stocks closed 0.06 percent higher Friday on improved economic outlook for advanced countries, analysts said. The local currency traded higher against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 1.2 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 1,910.81. Trading volume was moderate at 316 million shares worth 3.75 trillion won (US$3.37 billion), with gainers outpacing losers 415 to 384."Seoul shares edged up as the United States, Japan and the euro zone's eco

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest smartphone maker, posted a record shipments in the second quarter of the year, data showed on Friday.According to the data compiled by research firm Strategy Analytics, Samsung Electronics shipped a record 76 million smartphones in the second quarter, compared with 69.4 million in the previous quarter.The South Korean smartphone maker also continued to dominate the global smartphone market in terms of market share, with its stake in the April-June per

A group of South Korean law school students said Friday that they have lodged a constitutional petition against a quota that limits the number of candidates allowed to pass the bar exam.In the petition filed with the Constitutional Court, third-year students at six graduate-level law schools nationwide claimed the quota violates their fundamental human rights, including freedom of occupation."Anyone who successfully completes law school should be able to pass the exam without much difficulty," t