Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc., the country's two major air carriers, are being shunned by institutional investors in the local debt market as they fret over their high indebtedness, although their third-quarter earnings are forecast to be better than expected, industry sources said Thursday.According to the sources, Korean Air attempted to sell bonds worth 150 billion won ($134 million) earlier this week, to repay maturing debts, but not a single institutional investor expressed

South Korea's top business conglomerates have steadily expanded their support for smaller companies but the lack of incentives to do so continues to hinder such efforts, a survey showed Thursday.In a survey conducted by the Federation of Korean Industries, the country's 30 largest business groups and their subsidiaries said they have increased their combined cash payment to their suppliers to 81.7 percent from 64.3 percent six years earlier when the government launched the state commission on co

선수 대신 자동차가 경기를 뛰는 축구 시합 영상이 보는 이의 간장을 졸이게끔 하고 있다.　　바로 지난 4월 영상 공유 사이트 유튜브에 게재된 이 영상은 지름 2미터 축구공을 자동차들이 골대에 몰아넣는 모습을 보여준다. 　　골키퍼는 팔이 긴 굴삭기다. 　　아슬아슬한 인터셉트와 패스에 차량이 부딪치거나 긁혀 흡사 놀이 공원의 ‘범퍼카’를 실제 자동차로 구현한 듯한 이색 경기다.　　이 경기는 지난 2014년부터 매해 미국 뉴욕 주 레드훅(Red Hook)에서 열리고 있다. (사진=유튜브)　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　

South Korea's top financial regulator on Thursday stressed the role of boards of directors at financial services firms in spreading the performance-linked pay system for employees."A board of directors representing shareholders should demand a change (in the pay mechanism), wisely judging what's important in the growth and development of their companies," Yim Jong-yong, chairman of the Financial Services Commission, said. Yim Jong-yong, chairman of the Financial Services Commission, speaks at a

일본 나고야의 한 호텔에 숙박한 중국인 관광객 커플이 화장실 변기 시트를 가져갔다 반환하는 사건이 벌어졌다.　　닝보 일보의 19일 온라인 보도에 따르면 이 커플은 침대 밑의 예비 변기 시트가 “앞서 다녀간 숙박객이 두고 간 것”이라고 생각해 무단으로 챙겼다고 한다. 　 (cnnb.com)　이들이 떠난 후 비품이 사라진 것을 발견한 호텔측이 관광 업체에 연락해 결국 시트는 반환되었다. 　　커플은 관광의 연장선으로 후지산에 도착한 후 우편으로 시트를 돌려보냈다.　　이후 이들은 온라인에 “호텔과 현지 관광사의 용서를 바란다”며 “다시는 이런 일이 재발하지 않도록 하겠다”는 내용의 사과문을 올렸다. 　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　

The United States warned Wednesday that any attack on American allies or use of nuclear weapons by North Korea would be met with an “overwhelming” US response as it sought to reassure close ally South Korea that the US has its back.The statement by Defense Secretary Ash Carter came as top US and South Korean diplomats and military officials met, weeks after North Korea’s most powerful nuclear test explosion to date, and days after its failed test launch of a ballistic missile -- one of more than

Samsung Electronics Co. has rolled out the semiconductor industry's first 8-gigabyte mobile DRAM package for smartphones, based on its advanced 10-nanometer production technology, the company said Thursday. The new package of mobile chips is expected to significantly improve mobile user experiences for those using high-definition, large-screen devices, Samsung said in a statement.  Samsung Electronics' chips (Yonhap file photo)Choi Joo-sun, executive vice president of Samsung, said in the statem

South Korea and the United States agreed Wednesday to launch a high-level dialogue to discuss how to carry out the US "extended deterrence" protection of the Asian ally from nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.The agreement to establish the "Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group" was reached in "two plus two" alliance talks that brought together South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Defense Minister Han Min-koo, and their US counterparts, Secretary of State John K

The chief of Samsung Heavy Industries Co. said Wednesday that further job cuts will be possible if the shipbuilder fails to meet this year's order target. "Achieving this year's order target of $5.3 billion will be possible, but if not, additional layoffs are an option to keep the company afloat," Samsung Heavy Chief Executive Park Dae-young said in a global shipbuilding forum held in Gyeongju, a city 371 kilometers south of Seoul hit by a recent earthquake.  In this photo, taken on July 15, 201

South Korea's market for packaged kimchi has been growing sharply in recent months as more consumers resort to them due to sky-high prices of napa cabbage, the pickled side dish's key ingredient, a market tracker said Thursday.The market for packaged kimchi rose 13.5 percent in July from a year ago before spiking 23.6 percent in August and surging more than 30 percent in September when cabbage prices were at their peak, according to LinkAztec.Sales of packaged kimchi flirted with 100 billion won

South Korea will take various measures to promote the quality of its mineral water products and brands to tap into the rapidly growing global water market currently worth 500 trillion won ($445 billion), the science ministry said Wednesday. The global water market is forecast to grow to as much as $800 billion by 2025, as rapid economic growth, rising population and industrialization in emerging economies are expected to boost demand for clean water.The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planni

한 여성이 프랑스 텔레비전 채널에서 생방송 도중 가슴에 키스를 당한 추행 사건이 벌어졌다. 　　이 장면은 지난 16일 사회공유망서비스(SNS)에 게재된 후 3일만에 7백만 조횟수를 기록하는 등 거센 파장을 일으키고 있다.　  (TPMP/CBTV)　소라야 (Soraya) 라는 이름의 이 여성은 텔레비전 프로그램에 재연 배우로 출연해 파리 패션위크 참석 중 호텔에서 무장 강도에게 습격 당한 킴 카다시안을 연기했다. 　　상대역 남성 장 미셸 메흐 (Jean-Michel Maire)가 그녀를 위기에서 구해주자 진행자 시릴 하누나 (Cyril Hanouna)는 소라야에게 답례로 키스를 요구했다. 　　이에 소라야는 거절했고, “왜 싫냐”는 질문에 해명까지 해야 했다.　　그녀가 “사람들이 보고 있어서”라고 대답하자 진행자 시릴 하누나는 “백스테이지에 가서 해도 된다”며 집요하게 키스를 권했다. 　　거듭된 거절에도 상대역 장 미셸 메흐가 입술을 들이밀자 소라야는 고개를 돌려 피했는데, 이에 메흐는

President Park Geun-hye visited a major industrial complex in the southern city of Gumi on Wednesday in her latest move to call for efforts to foster new industries and reinvigorate the local economy.Her provincial tour to Gumi, where she has a strong following, came amid flagging public support. Park's approval rating fell to a record low of 26 percent in a survey released Friday by the local pollster Gallup Korea.Park first met with officials and employees at an industrial-academic convergence

The volatility in the won-dollar exchange rates eased in the third quarter from a quarter earlier as a possible US rate hike and other uncertainties have already been factored in the markets, central bank data showed Wednesday.The average gap between the daily high and low of the won-dollar exchange rates came to 7.2 won in the July-September period, smaller than the 7.7 won fluctuation a quarter earlier, the Bank of Korea said.  A Seoul bank's foreign exchange dealing room (Yonhap file photo)Th

The top Chinese envoy in South Korea said Wednesday that the row over Seoul's plans to deploy an advanced US missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula will not affect economic cooperation between the two countries, though it could hurt their political and military ties."I would not mention a specific pending issue between China and South Korea," Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong said during a forum held by a local business association in Seoul."(But) if a certain factor in the S

North Korea on Wednesday threatened to destroy Seoul and the South Korean presidential office if there is any sign of pre-emptive strikes by the United States and the South against Pyongyang.Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said that the country will strengthen its nuclear capabilities in quantity and quality in response to what it called its enemies' scheme for aggression."We have warned that South Korea will be engulfed in a sea of fire and the US military units in the Pacific region

Prosecutors raided around 10 brokerage houses on Wednesday amid allegations that the firms were involved in short-selling Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. shares based on leaked information.Investigators also raided Hanmi's headquarters on Monday on speculation it leaked confidential data before an official regulation filing, which could have resulted in unfair trading of shares on the stock market.The South Korean drugmaker said last month its license deal on a lung cancer treatment drug with Boehringe

지난 16일 미국 온라인 매체 버즈피드에 올라온 한 사진이 누리꾼들 사이 화제가 되고 있다.　　바로 입 안에 다 들어가지 않을 정도로 거대한 혀를 가진 아기 사진이다. 　 (Madison Kienow) 　미국 사우스다코타 주에서 태어난 페이즐리 모리슨-존슨 (Paisley Morrison-Johnson)은 생후 16개월 나이에 성인보다 큰 혀를 가져 축소 수술을 받아야 했다. 　　신체 특정 부위가 과다발육되는 베크위트 비데만 증후군의 영향으로 밝혀졌다. 　 (Madison Kienow)　이 증후군은 1대 13,700의 확률로 전세계 신생아에게 나타나는 매우 희귀한 병이다. 　　페이즐리의 모친 매디슨 키나우 (Madison Kienow)는 제왕절개로 아이를 출산했고, 직후 아이의 희귀병을 통보 받았다고 한다. 　 (Madison Kienow)　큰 혀가 아기의 기도를 막아 질식사할 것을 우려한 의료진은 곧바로 아이를 특별 관리실로 보냈다. 　　이후 페이즐리는 생후 6개월만에 1차 혀 축

The cost of owning and living in a home rose 2.7 percent in the first nine months of this year from a year earlier due mainly to a hike in home prices, government data showed Wednesday.The cost of owning a house and living there refers to overall spending related to maintenance, utility payments and other residential services, Statistics Korea said.In comparison, consumer prices rose 0.9 percent during the cited period. It means that the cost of owning and living in a home has jumped three times

Major South Korean food and beverage companies are diversifying their business portfolios as they are reeling from a drawn-out slump, industry officials said Wednesday.The country's biggest confectionery Orion Corp. said it has joined with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (Nonghyup) to venture into the food market. Under the deal, the two will construct a facility for processed food by the end of 2017.Orion said it aims to advance into the rapidly growing market for premium proce