SK hynix Inc., the world's No. 2 memory chip maker, said Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with Rambus Inc. on a new license deal that would cost the South Korean company a total of US$240 million over the next five years, ending a decade-long legal battle over memory chip technology. Under the new agreement, SK hynix will pay $12 million in royalties each quarter over the next five years to the U.S.-based technology licensing company for using its semiconductor technology, the South Ko

The world's oldest person and the oldest man ever to have lived has died of natural causes aged 116 years, media reported Wednesday.Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, who was born in 1897, died in hospital early Wednesday morning, Kyodo News cited the local government as saying.Kimura, from Kyotango in Kyoto Prefecture, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person in December 2012 when a woman from the United States died at the age of 115.On the 28th day of that month he br

Edward Snowden, who admitted leaking details of secret U.S. government surveillance programs, was fired by his employer Tuesday while the U.S. government considers criminal charges against him.Booz Allen Hamilton said in a statement that it fired Snowden on Monday “for violations of the firm's code of ethics and firm policy.” It said he had earned a salary of $122,000 a year. The firm called Snowden's actions “shocking” and said he had been a Booz Allen employee for less than three months.Presid

A massive battle is taking place in the skies over Europe _ and airplane passengers across the continent are feeling its effects.A plan to simplify the European Union's patchwork air traffic control system and open up more air traffic duties to private enterprise has sparked strikes and job actions by controllers that began Tuesday in France and were to spread Wednesday to 10 other European nations.Nearly two decades after the 27-nation EU began eliminating checks along its land borders, its air

A bill that stigmatizes gay people and bans giving children any information about homosexuality won overwhelming approval Tuesday in Russia's lower house of parliament.Hours before the State Duma passed the Kremlin-backed law in a 436-0 vote with one abstention, more than two dozen protesters were attacked by hundreds of anti-gay activists and then detained by police. The bill banning the ``propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations'' still needs to be passed by the appointed upper house and

South Korea's jobless rate fell in May from a month earlier but job creation slowed amid concerns labor market conditions might remain tough for many job seekers, a government report showed Wednesday.According to the report by Statistics Korea, the jobless rate stood at 3 percent last month, down from the previous month's 3.2 percent. The rate also fell from a year earlier when it was 3.1 percent.The jobless rate adjusted for inflation, however, edged up to 3.2 percent from April's 3.1 percent.J

Global investment index provider MSCI Inc. retained South Korea's emerging market status on its global equities index Wednesday, citing the country's high barrier in the financial sector."Many international institutional investors consider that the accessibility of the Korean equity market is not at Developed Market standards," MSCI said in a statement.MSCI, the research arm of U.S. banking group Morgan Stanley, announced the decision on its Web site early Wednesday morning (Seoul time). "The li

The government is set to review and rewrite all of its business regulations from square one as a means to deregulate or remove burdensome rules to boost private investment in Korea, sources said Tuesday. The Office for Government Policy Coordination, part of the Prime Minister’s Office, will lead all related state agencies in the so-called “zero-based” process of evaluating more than 1,800 regulations and guidelines governing business investments.It will then draw up comprehensive measures aimed

China's latest manned spacecraft successfully blasted off Tuesday on a 15-day mission to dock with a space lab and educate young people about science.The Shenzhou 10 capsule carrying three astronauts lifted off as scheduled at 5:38 p.m. (0938 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert.It is China's fifth manned space mission and its longest. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket and will transport the crew to the Tiangong 1, which functions a

 남북 양측이 11일 당국회담 수석대표 '격(格)'을 놓고 대립하던 끝에 타협에 실패, 12일 서울에서 열릴 예정이던 박근혜  정 부 출범 후 첫 남북 회담이 무산됐다.김형석 통일부 대변인은 이날 저녁 긴급 브리핑에서 "북측이 우리 수석대표의 급을 문제삼으면서 북측 대표단의 파견을 보류한다고 일방적으로 통보해 왔다"고 회 담 무산 사실을 발표했다.우리측은 김남식 통일부 차관을, 북측은 강지영 조국평화통일위원회(조평통) 서기국 국장을 각각 수석대표로 하는 5명씩으로 구성된 대표단을 선정해 서로 통보했다.하루 앞으로 다가온 회담이 수석대표 급 문제로 전격 무산됨에 따라 남북간에 앞으로 치열한 책임공방이 벌어질 것으로 예상된다.그러나 서울에서 열릴 당국회담이 일단 무산됐지만 남북 모두 대화 필요성을 인 식하고 있다는 점에서 타협이 조만간 이뤄져 회담 개최에 다시 합의할 가능성도 있는 것으로 관측된다.정부는 북한의 대남기구인 조평통에는 공석인 위원장과 부위원장 여러 명이 있어 이보다 하위직

  The two Koreas on Tuesday evening canceled their planned meeting due to irreconcilable differences over the level of their delegations.The cancellation, just one day before the opening of what would have been the first high-level government talks since 2007, is expected to deal a blow on the resurgent mood for reconciliation.The two-day meeting was to be held in Seoul to discuss the resumptions of the joint industrial park in Gaeseong, tours to Mount Geumgang and reunions of separated families

Apple unveiled a long-expected Internet radio service called iTunes Radio on Monday and said it will personalize listeners' music based on what they've listened to and what they've purchased on iTunes.Apple said iTunes Radio will be available this year in the U.S. It will be free with advertisements included, although subscribers of Apple's iTunes Match music-storage service will get a commercial-free version. That service costs $25 a year.In unveiling the service at its Worldwide Developers Con

애플은 10일 (현지시간) 미국 샌프란시스코 시에서 열린 세계개발자 대회(WWDC)에서 아이폰와 아이패드 등에서 사용할 수 있는 iOS7을 공개했다.애플의 최고경영자 (CEO) 팀 쿡은 iOS7을 공개하며 “아이폰의 출시 이후 iOS에 있어서 가장 큰 변화”라고 강조했다.쿡은 “우리는 가만히 있지 않는다. 앞으로도 많은 혁신을 할것이다,” “작년에도 맥(Mac)을 위한 여러 번의 혁신이 있었다”고 언급하는 등 발표회 도중 몇번이나 ‘혁신(innovation)”이란 단어를 언급했다. 쿡이 이렇듯 변화와 혁신 등에 집착하는 이유는 ‘혁신의 아이콘’이었던 애플의 전 최고경영자 고(故) 스티브 잡스와의 비교로 인한 것으로 보인다.잡스가 2009년 사망하기 얼마 전 그로부터 최고경영자 자리를 이어받은 쿡은 계속해서 잡스와 비교되어왔다.포브스에 글을 기고하고 있는 최근 글을 통해 앤소니 윙 코스너는 두 사람간의 가장 큰 차이는 잡스가 ‘선지자(visionary)’라는 것이라고 적었다. 그는 “

 4인조 여성그룹 씨스타가 11일, 정규 2집을 발표하며 컴백했다.씨스타는 이날 오후 서울 마포구 서교동 롯데카드 아트센터에서 컴백 쇼케이스를 열고 “지난해 ‘러빙유’ 이후로 완전체로 1년만의 컴백이라 굉장히 무대가 고팠다”고 밝혔다.씨스타의 타이틀 곡 ‘기브잇투미’는 발매 직후 멜론, 엠넷, 올레 뮤직, 네이버 뮤직 등 주요차트에서 1위를 차지했다.또한 씨스타는 ‘기브잇투미’의 공식 뮤직비디오도 출시했는데, 이 비디오에서는 인기 개그맨 신동엽 씨가 출연해 코믹 연기를 펼친다.씨스타는 오는 13일 Mnet ‘엠카운트다운’을 시작으로 본격적인 컴백 활동에 돌입한다. (코리아헤럴드) <관련 영문 기사>Sistar makes comeback with 2nd albumSouth Korean music group Sistar made its much-anticipated return on Tuesday by releasing its second album.The popular all-fema

Prosecutors said Tuesday they will charge former spy agency chief Won Sei-hoon with illegally interfering in politics before last year’s presidential election.The longtime aide to former President Lee Myung-bak has been accused of directing his agents to advocate government policies and counter opposition claims online. Wrapping up two months of investigation, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office plans to indict him on charges of violating the laws on elections and the National Intelli

검찰이 '국가정보원의 대선•정치 개입 의혹' 사건과 관련, 원세훈 전 국정원장을 불구속 기소하기로 했다.이 사건을 수사 중인 서울중앙지검 특별수사팀(팀장 윤석열)은 11일 원 전 원장 에게 공직선거법 제85조 1항 위반 및 국정원법 제9조 위반 혐의 등을 적용해 불구속 기소할 방침이라고 밝혔다.해당 선거법 조항은 공무원의 지위를 이용한 선거운동을, 국정원법 조항은 국정 원장과 직원의 정치 관여를 각각 금지하고 있다.김용판 전 서울경찰청장은 형법상 직권남용, 경찰공무원법 위반, 공직선거법 위반 혐의로 불구속 기소하기로 했다.검찰은 "수사 결과 밝혀진 범죄 혐의 내용과 촉박한 공소시효 만료를 감안해 불구속 기소하기로 결론을 내린 것"이라고 말했다.이어 검찰은 "나머지 전직 국정원 직원들의 기밀 누설 사건, 여직원 감금 사건 등에 대해서는 수사 결과 발표시에 일괄해 설명할 예정"이라고 말했다.이진한 중앙지검 2차장검사는 "결정이 늦어진 이유는 선거법 성립 여부에 대한 증거 판단 및 법리가

South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday as investors' sentiment was dented by the weak Japanese currency, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved down 9.43 points, or 0.49 percent, to 1,923.27 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Tech blue chips traded lower, with market behemoth Samsung Electronics falling 1.47 percent and its smaller domestic rival LG Electronics losing 0.26 percent. Top chipmaker SK hynix declined 0.31 percent.Brokerage houses also traded b

애플이 10일(현지시간) 샌프란시스코에 서 공개한 iOS7은 디자인 측면에서 기존 OS에서 가장 큰 변화를 보였다는게 중론이다.아이폰의 외관 디자인을 지휘하며 '미니멀리즘'을 뽐냈던 조너선 아이브 애플 수석부사장이 소프트웨어까지 총괄하게 된 이후에 나온 운영체제(OS)라는 정체성을 그대로 드러냈다.◇미니멀리즘 뽐낸 iOS7아이브는 iOS의 아이콘이나 기능의 모양새는 좀더 단순미를 강조하는 방향으로 했지만 색상은 오히려 더 산뜻한 원색 느낌을 살렸다.아이폰 잠금 화면에 정지화면만 쓸 수 있었던 기존 OS와 달리 iOS7은 손목의 움직임을 반영해 잠금 화면이 움직이는 기능을 보여준다. 배경 화면은 아이폰의 좌우 움직임은 물론이고 상하 기울임에 따라서도 반응한다.기능 면에서 가장 큰 변화는 모든 앱에 대한 다중작업을 지원한다는 점. 애플은 지금껏 빠른 배터리 방전 등을 염려해 음악 재생과 인터넷전화 착발신 등 일부 기능에 한해 다중작업을 허용했지만 iOS7에서는 이런 제한을 없앴다.아이폰

South Korea sees the currency swap contract with Japan as a matter of "financial cooperation" between the two countries, a high-ranking government official said Tuesday.The remarks come in response to a Japanese media report that Tokyo would not extend the soon-to-be-expired US$3 billion currency swap contract unless Seoul asks for its extension. It is to expire on July 3."The amount is not that significant given our current financial market situation. I think that it is a matter of bilateral fi

The U.S. government views the resumption of inter-Korean talks as distinct from the prospects for dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, an official said Monday.The statement was apparently intended to caution the international community against excessive expectations that the U.S. may soon respond to North Korea's peace overtures following months of warlike threats."Well, that's a slightly separate issue," State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said at a press briefing. In Korea, the S