South Korea's science ministry said Wednesday that it will spend over 160 billion won ($144 million) on developing government-funded research institutes in the field of science and technology.Under the plan, the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning will allocate the budget next year to assist the research institutions.The ministry said it will first select some 170 research institutions out of more than 4,800 across the country that have the most growth potential.The selected institutes

North Korea's latest missile provocation will bolster the case for South Korea and the United States to place an advanced missile defense system on the peninsula as it demonstrates the threats from Pyongyang's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, Seoul's top diplomat said Wednesday.Earlier in the day, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the North test-fired a mid-range Rodong missile from the western area of the country into waters off its east coast. The U.S. later said that the No

The three opposition parties on Wednesday agreed to set up two special parliamentary panels to address an ongoing controversy over the deployment of an advanced U.S. antimissile system and reform the prosecution.The agreement was reached after the floor leaders of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea and two minor parties -- the People's Party and Justice Party -- held talks over an array of pending issues, including the planned deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery.Th

미국 민주당 대선 후보 힐러리 클린턴의 비키니 사진 위에 무슬림 여성들의 부르카 의상이 덧그려졌다. 부르카란 무슬림 여성들이 전신을 가리기 위해 입는 의복이다. 　지난 2일(현지시각) 미국 방송 CNN은 ‘러쉬석스(Lushsux)’라는 이름으로 활동하는 예술가가 힐러리 그래피티 작품 위에 부르카 의상을 추가해 넣었다고 보도했다.　 힐러리 클린턴 (Lushsux Twitter)　앞서 러쉬석스는 노출이 심한 비키니 의상의 힐러리 그래피티 작품으로 논란의 중심에 섰다. 　　이에 인스타그램은 러쉬석스의 계정을 중지시키기까지 했다. 　러쉬석스는 “노출을 줄인다”는 명목 하에 힐러리의 비키니 사이사이에 달러 지폐를 추가하기도 했다. 　 도널드 트럼프 (Lushsux Twitter)　그러나 빗발치는 반발에 러쉬석스는 최근 자신의 작품 속 힐러리를 까만 스프레이로 덮고는, “이제 이 그림은 벌거벗은 힐러리 클린턴이 아니라 아름다운 무슬림 여성이다”며 “이 그림마저 불쾌하다고 한다면 당신들은 성 차

South Koreans' direct purchases from foreign countries edged up in the second quarter of this year, with online purchases of Korean products by overseas shoppers nearly doubling, government data showed Wednesday.Koreans' direct purchases of foreign goods via overseas online shopping malls reached 411.8 billion won ($369.3 million) during the April-June period, up 5 percent from 392 billion won a year ago, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.At the same time, internet-based direct

The U.S. Strategic Command said it detected North Korea's launch of two Rodong intermediate-range ballistic missiles and one of them exploded right after launch."U.S. Strategic Command systems detected what we assess were two North Korean missile launches," the command said in a statement. "The simultaneous launch of two presumed (Rodong) intermediate range ballistic missiles occurred near the western city of Hwangju."Initial indications showed that one of the missiles "exploded immediately afte

The Seoul city government started a controversial program that provides allowances to thousands of young job seekers Wednesday, which it said aims to help people maintain basic living standards while they try to find work.The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it has selected a total of 3,000 applicants and will provide them with 500,000 won ($448) per month, for up to six months. The plan, which has been opposed by the central government, is designed to support people from ages 19 to 29, who ha

[THE INVESTOR] NEW YORK -- Samsung Electronics took the wraps off the much-anticipated Galaxy Note 7 smartphone at its annual Samsung Galaxy Unpack event in New York on Tuesday.Although the latest large-size smartphone -- often called a “phablet,” a combination of phone and tablet -- is the sixth in the Note lineup, it has been dubbed the Note 7 to align the numbering with the Galaxy S lineup.It comes with a slew of new features that will probably provide reason enough for those currently using

South Korea will hold a food fair in the Chinese city of Chengdu later this week to promote the country's agricultural products and foodstuffs in the neighboring country, the ministry here said Wednesday.The 2016 Chengdu K-Food Fair will kick off on Thursday and run through Wednesday, with 28 South Korean food and dairy firms to present their products, according to the Ministry Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.During the four-day event, South Korean firms including Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co.

Despite years of government efforts to remove regulations that hinder investment and employment, too many old and new regulations continue to discourage business activities in South Korea, some even discouraging local firms from expanding their size, a report said Wednesday.According to the report from the Federation of Korean Industries, a business lobby that represents the country's top 600 companies, large firms were currently subject to 81 separate regulations under 39 laws as of end-July.Th

The Korea Development Bank on Wednesday said the country's major industries could post negative growth in the second half of the year.The South Korean policy lender said the prospects of shipping lines and shipbuilding are "very bad," while describing those for the car, steel, machinery and construction industries as "a bit bad" in a new report.South Korean shipbuilders have been under severe financial strain in the face of declining new orders amid a protracted slump in the world's economy.The

South Korean companies are confronted with growing trade barriers in overseas markets as major economies toughen import rules amid a protracted economic slowdown, industry sources said Wednesday.As of the end of July, South Korean products were affected by 179 anti-dumping measures, safeguards and other import regulations worldwide, according to the sources and the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.In the first seven months of this year alone, 24 new complaints involving import r

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday dismissed suspicion that President Park Geun-hye's plan to meet lawmakers representing part of the country's southeastern region may be related to the ruling Saenuri Party's leadership race slated for next week.Cheong Wa Dae has been coordinating with lawmakers representing Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province to schedule a meeting as the president seeks to solicit their views on the planned deployment of an advanced U.S antimissile system in the

North Korea on Wednesday denied what it called a "preposterous" allegation that it has hacked into emails of South Korean diplomats and other government officials.The North's propaganda website Uriminjokkiri lashed out at South Korean prosecutors' latest probe results showing that suspected North Korean hackers broke into the emails of about 90 South Korean diplomats, security-related officials and journalists, stealing dozens of their passwords."Without any reasonable ground, South Korea blindl

Listed units of South Korea's top 10 conglomerates account for slightly over half of the country's stock market capitalization, data showed Wednesday, pointing to their huge clout in Asia's fourth-largest economy.According to the data by corporate tracker CEO Score, 181 listed subsidiaries of the 10 largest family-controlled business groups, known as chaebol here, had a combined market capitalization of 778.5 trillion won ($700 billion) as of end-July, or 51.2 percent of the value of all shares

Annual sales of a diabetes drug manufactured by LG Life Sciences Ltd., the pharmaceuticals unit of South Korea's LG Group, are likely to exceed 50 billion won ($44.9 million) this year, the drug firm said Wednesday.It would mark the first time for the annual sales of a single homegrown drug to breach the 50 billion-won mark.The combined sales of Zemiglo , which was approved as the nation's 19th new drug in 2012, and its composite drug Zemimet came to 23.7 billion won in the first half of the yea

Samsung Group, the country's top conglomerate, saw its affiliates log weaker than expected earnings during the second quarter of the year, while No. 2 Hyundai Motor Group managed to rack up decent bottom lines, data showed on Wednesday.According to the data compiled by market researcher FnGuide, 35 companies affiliated with the nation's top five conglomerates reported their second-quarter earnings and 22 of them posted market forecast-beating profits.In the case of Samsung, four out of its 11 af

North Korea on Wednesday fired off a ballistic missile into waters off its east coast, the South Korean military said, in an apparent show of force against Seoul's move to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system.The missile was test-fired from near Eunyul in southwestern South Hwanghae Province at 7:50 a.m., South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that it is analyzing its trajectory.A military source said that the projectile, presumed to be a mid-range Rodong missile, is projecte

Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate, Kia Motors Corp., saw their combined sales in the United States rise 6 percent in July, thanks in large part to strong sales in sport utility vehicles, data showed Tuesday.The two South Korean auto giants sold a combined 134,972 units in the U.S. last month, up from 127,324 units in the same month last year, the data showed. Hyundai's sales rose 5.6 percent from last year to 75,003 while Kia's totaled 59,969 units, up 6.4 percent compared with a year

경기도에 있는 A대학교 모 단과대학 학생회 회장이 신입생 오리엔테이션(OT) 비용을 부풀려 결제한 뒤 업체로부터 수백만원을 되돌려 받았다는 주장이 제기돼 경찰이 조사에 나섰다. 3일 경기 용인동부경찰서에 따르면 A대 학생자치 감사기구는 "단과대 학생회 회장이 신입생 오티비를 부풀리고 남은 돈을 가로챘다"는 내용의 고발장을 지난 1일 경찰서에 제출했다.감사기구는 재학생들로 구성되며, 각 학생자치기구가 운용하는 회비 사용처 등에 대한 투명성을 검증한다. 감사기구 관계자는 "해당 학생회장은 지난 2월 신입생 OT에서 학생들에게 나눠줄 수건 500장을 맞추면서 한 장당 원가 9천원을 1만5천원으로 부풀려 결제하고서 차익 300만원을 차명계좌로 돌려받은 의혹을 받고 있다"면서 "감사기구에서 수 차례 감사를 진행하려고 했지만, 단과대 학생회 측이 '감사 받을 의무가 없다'고 거부해 경찰에 수사를 의뢰했다"고 설명했다.이어 "오티비는 개인 돈이 아니라 학생들이 낸 돈이기 때문에 모든 사용 내용이