South Korean stocks closed 0.33 percent higher Monday, as a hike in Japanese government bond yields last week lifted concerns over the yen's weakness, prompting foreigners to increase risky bets in local equities, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 6.52 points to finish at 1,979.97. Trading volume was light at 245.9 million shares worth 2.83 trillion won ($2.51 billion) with gainers outpacing decliners 444 to 367. "Worries about the weakening yen have aba

The Seoul police agency on Monday denied allegations that it had destroyed evidence and hampered a probe into the national spy agency's alleged attempt to influence public opinion ahead of last year's presidential election.Prosecutors on Sunday said that a mid-ranking official of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), whose identity has been withheld, had allegedly permanently deleted data on a computer hard disk ahead of a prosecution raid into the agency's headquarters.A team of prosecut

가수 싸이(본명 박재상, 36)가 이탈리아에서 축구장 공연 도중 관중으로부터 야유를 받아 인종차별 논란이 불거지자, 해외의 네티즌들은 이를 두고 “인종차별이 아니다”고 반박하고 나섰다.싸이는 26일(현지시간) 로마의 올림피코 스타디움에서 열린 이탈리아 프로축구 AS로마와 라치오 간의 코파 이탈리아(이탈리아컵) 결승전에 앞서 “강남스타일”을 공연했는데, 일부 관중들은 야유를 퍼붓고 폭죽을 터뜨리는 등 소란을 빚었다.이를 두고 외신은 한국언론은 인종차별 가능성을 제기했는데 양팀 팬들이 최근 잇따른 인종차별 행위로 구설수에 휘말린 적이 있기 때문이다.그러나 한국 연예계 관련 영문 웹사이트 “네티즌 버즈 (Netizen Buzz)의 해외 팬들은 “싸이가 야유를 받은 것은 한국인이기 때문이 아니라 입장료가 올라갔기 때문”이라고 주장했다.자신을 이탈리아인이라고 밝힌 한 네티즌은 “이탈리아 축구 팬들은 그의 공연 때문에 돈을 더 많이 내야했다. (그런 듯 하다. 실제로 그랬는지는 모른다.) 또한

Lazio took city bragging rights by beating Roma 1-0 Sunday in a derby to win a heated Italian Cup final and maintain its recent edge in the series.Senad Lulic scored in the 71st minute at the Stadio Olimpico after goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont failed to clear a cross from Antonio Candreva, leaving the unmarked Bosnia-Herzegovina midfielder to put the ball into the net at the far post.“This victory won't be forgotten,” Lulic said. “I found myself there in the right moment. I dedicate this goal to my w

The Miami Heat rediscovered its offensive punch and beat the Indiana Pacers 114-96 on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference finals.LeBron James profited from a tactical switch, scored 22 points and got plenty of help as the Heat reclaimed the home-court advantage they lost two nights earlier. Dwyane Wade had 18 points, and Udonis Haslem added 17.“I made a conscious effort to get down in the post tonight, to put pressure on their defense,” James said. “The coaching staff wanted

South Korean rapper PSY has been met with boos and small firework explosions during his performance at the Stadio Olimpico ahead of the Italian Cup final and derby between Roma and Lazio.Organizers responded by raising the volume during PSY's performance of his hit, ''Gangnam Style.''The rapper appeared embarrassed but told fans afterward in Italian, ''I love Italy.''It was unclear if the boos were of a racist nature, although fans for both clubs have come under attack this season for racist cha

방송 도중 정인영 아나운서에게 물을 뿌린 LG 트윈스의 임찬규 선수가 인터넷 상에서 맹비난받고 있다.LG는 26일 서울 송파구 잠실동 잠실야구장에서 열린 SK 와이번스의 경기에서 정의윤의 끝내기 안타로 1대0 짜릿한 승리를 거뒀다. 경기가 끝나고 임 선수는 인터뷰를 하고 있던 정 선수에게 플라스틱 통에 가득한 물을 뿌렸는데, 이 물의 상당 부분을 인터뷰를 진행하던 정인영 아나운서가 맞으면서 문제가 불거졌다.경기가 끝난 26일 오후부터 하루가 지난 27일까지 이틀간 임찬규 선수의 미니홈피에는 사건과 관련된 댓글이 1,600개 이상 달렸으며 그 대부분은 임 선수를 맹렬히 비난하는 내용이었다.네티즌들은 그가 한 행동이 “프로답지 못하고 미성숙하다”면서 사과를 요구했다.이와 관련해 임 선수와 정 아나운서 측에서 아직 공식적인 입장을 밝히지 않은 상태이다.한편 장유례 아나운서는 사건이 불거지자 자신의 트위터에 “(임) 찬규선수한테 물어보니 선배가 시키셔서 후다닥 물 세례하고 온건데 각도가 잘

Samsung Electronics Co. has sold more than 10 million smartphones in China in the first three months of this year, retaining its position as the top smartphone seller in the world's most populous country for the fifth straight quarter, data showed Monday.Samsung sold 12.5 million smartphones in China between January and March, accounting for a 18.5 percent market share, up 2.2 percentage points from the previous quarter, according to the data compiled by Strategy Analytics, a U.S. market researc

South Korea on Monday rejected the North’s offer to host a joint gathering to mark the 13th anniversary of the June 15 inter-Korean joint declaration.The Ministry of Unification said in a statement that Pyongyang should not try to stir internal discord within South Korea by calling for a joint gathering involving private organizations who do not have the authority to resolve outstanding issues that can only be handled at the government level.The June 15 declaration reached at the historic 2000 s

Childbirths in South Korea fell for the third straight month in March amid worries over the country's chronically low birthrate, a report showed Monday.According to the report by Statistics Korea, the number of babies born in March came to about 38,800, down 10.2 percent or 4,400 from the same month a year earlier. The decline followed 0.4 percent and 9.1 percent falls in January and February.The latest childbirth report comes as South Korea is pushing to raise its chronically low birthrate, whi

The number of Chinese gamblers visiting South Korean casinos surpassed that of Japanese high-rollers for the first time last year, the culture ministry said Monday, as fears of North Korea's provocations and the falling yen curtailed growth of Japanese customers.According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, more than 970,000 or 40.7 percent of foreigners visiting local casinos came from mainland China last year, compared with 33 percent from Japan.The number of Japanese gamblers plun

South Korean banks are further turning their focus to the Asian market as squeezed profit margins and the economic slowdown at home are prompting them to find new sources of income, market watchers said Monday.Local banks' move to tap the overseas market is not a new trend, but top lender Kookmin Bank and its three major rivals are ramping up efforts to make inroads into the Asian market where economic growth remains relatively solid, they added.Top lender Kookmin Bank is aiming to provide tailo

South Korean consumers' confidence rebounded in May from the previous month as the government's extra budget and the central bank's rate cut raised optimism about the economic recovery, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Monday.The consumer sentiment index (CSI) -- a gauge of consumers' overall economic outlook, living conditions and future spending -- came in at 104 for May, up from 102 tallied for the previous month, according to a monthly survey by the BOK. The index stayed above the benchmark 100

Two rockets hit Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut on Sunday, tearing through an apartment and peppering cars with shrapnel, a day after the Lebanese group's leader pledged to lift President Bashar Assad to victory in Syria's civil war.The strikes illustrated the potential backlash against Hezbollah at home for linking its fate to the survival of the Assad regime. It's a gambit that also threatens to pull fragile Lebanon deeper into Syria's bloody conflict.Despite such risks, Hezbollah chief Hassan

Secretary of State John Kerry declared Sunday he believes a potential $4 billion plan is emerging that could expand the Palestinian economy by up to 50 percent in the next three years. It could also cut unemployment by almost two-thirds, and average wages could jump 40 percent, he said. But Kerry said it all depends on parallel progress on peace between Israel and the Palestinians.Kerry has been working with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and global business leaders to devise economic

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Monday, as a hike in Japanese government bond yields last week lifted lingering concerns over yen weakness, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 2.98 points, or 0.15 percent to 1,976.43 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Blue-chip exporters drove up the main index, with tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics gaining 0.61 percent and Kia Motors, smaller affiliate of No. 1 carmaker Hyundai Motor, rising more than 1 p

A week like no other on the LPGA Tour ended in a most appropriate manner Sunday when Il-hee Lee won for the first time.Lee made a clutch par putt on the second-to-last hole in a raging wind to keep a one-shot lead, and then she drilled a fairway metal out of light rough and onto the par-5 18th green to set up a two-putt birdie. That gave her a 5-under 42 for a two-shot win over Irene Cho in the Bahamas LPGA Classic.It was only fitting that she finished in a downpour. Flooding earlier in the wee

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday she would use her country's economic clout to prevent the European Union from imposing punitive tariffs on some Chinese products to avoid a trade war.Germany will push for “very intense talks” between the EU and China to seek a negotiated solution as swiftly as possible, the leader of Europe's biggest economy told visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.The EU Commission, the 27-nation bloc's executive arm, accuses China of pricing its solar panels and som

The Colombian government and the country's biggest rebel group announced an agreement Sunday on one of their main bones of contention, land reform, after more than a half year of slow-moving peace talks in Cuba's capital.Both said the agreement constituted a major breakthrough, although several key details still needed to be worked out in the coming weeks and months. They did not release the text of the accord, but said it dealt with issues like property rights, access to land and rural infrastr

최근 정부재정지원 제한대학으로 지정된 배재대학교가 학제개편안을 발표했는데, 이 개편안에는 국문과를 한국어학과와 합쳐져 한국어문학과로 통합하는 안이 있어 논란이 일고 있다.학교 측에서는 이를 두고 “국문과를 없애는 것은 아니다”고 밝혔으나, 국문과 학생들은 “130년 가까이 지켜온 배재학당(설립 1885년)의 교육정신의 맥을 끊으려 하고 있다”고 크게 반발했다.이번 사태는 배재대학교의 전신인 배재학당이 국어연구의 기념비적인 인물인 주시경 선생과 민족시인 김소월 등을 배출한 역사가 깊은 곳이어서 더욱 충격을 주고 있다.최근 철학과 등 인문계 학과들이 통합되거나 폐과되는 일이 계속되는 가운데, 수년째 계속 언급된 인문학의 위기론이 다시 고개를 들고 있다. 취업난이 장기화됨에 따라 학생들이 취업에 직접적인 도움이 되지 않는 인문학 공부를 피하고 있다는 것이다.그러나 이에 반해 인문학이 부흥이 일어나고 있다는 주장도 제기되고 있다.서울대를 포함한 일부 대학에서는 일반인들을 대상으로 한 인문학