South Korea's top financial regulator on Tuesday stressed the need for robust global partnerships to prepare for the consequences of a new industrial revolution."The financial sector can't avoid the trend of the fourth industrial revolution either," Yim Jong-yong, chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), said at a conference here.Through financial reform, he added, the world should step up efforts to support the real economy and enhance the convenience of financial consumers.Yim was

South Korea has allocated 1.19 billion won ($1.63 million) next year for the honorable treatment of the country's former presidents, the interior ministry said Tuesday.The budget, approved by the National Assembly on Saturday, includes 149 million won to be given to ex-President Lee Myung-bak and 328 million won in total to be spent on the spouses of three late presidents -- Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, according to the Ministry of the Interior.Under the law, former presidents a

자기 아들을 '찜통 차'에 방치해 살해한 비정한 아버지가 살아서는 교도소 바깥에 나오지 못할 전망이다.미국 조지아 주 코브 카운티 지방법원 메리 스테일리 클라크 판사는 2014년 6월, 22개월 된 아들 쿠퍼를 찜통 차에 둬 고의로 살해한 죄로 기소된 쿠퍼의 아버지 저스틴 로스 해리스(36)에게 5일(현지시간) 가석방 없는 종신형과 함께 징역 32년형을 추가로 선고했다.해리스는 계획 살인, 두 건의 중죄 모살(계획 살인) 등 총 8건의 혐의로 기소됐다. 조지아 주 법원은 계획 살인과 중죄 모살 유죄 인정자에게 강제적 종신형을 선고한다. (사진=연합뉴스)해리스의 변호인단은 의뢰인이 아침에 쿠퍼를 보육원에 데려다주는 것을 깜빡 잊어 발생한 우발적인 비극이라고 주장했다.쿠퍼는 조지아 주 애틀랜타의 한 주차장에서 32℃에 육박하는 차 안에 7시간가량 갇혔다가 결국 열사병으로 숨졌다.검찰은 해리스가 주변 인물들과 나눈 대화를 토대로 순탄치 못한 결혼생활을 하던 피고가 아이 없는 삶과 가족으로

Massive short selling has sent share prices of biopharmaceutical firm Samsung BioLogics Co. and defense contractor Hanwha Techwin Co. into a tailspin since their inclusion in the Morgan Stanley Capital International's Korea Index last week, sources said Tuesday.The Geneva-based MSCI announced Thursday that Samsung BioLogics, a Samsung Group unit that makes generic drugs, and Hanwha Techwin newly made its Korea Index designed to measure the performance of the large- and mid-cap segments of the So

A group of lawmakers in the ruling Saenuri Party who support President Park Geun-hye's ouster said Tuesday they have completed all preparation for her impeachment, adding the scenario of having her step down voluntarily by April is no longer an option.The dissenters' group in Saenrui has been embroiled in a conflict with Park loyalists, who claim that the president should step down on her own in April and the presidential election should be held in June instead of December.While the group earlie

The number of foreigners who visited South Korea this year surpassed 16 million in early December thanks to the rising influx of travelers from Asian nations, the state-run tourism agency said Tuesday. A total of 15.9 million foreigners visited the nation in the January-November period, up 31.3 percent from a year earlier, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said.  Myeongdong, a major shopping district in downtown Seoul, is crowded with travelers on Dec. 4, 2016. (Yonhap)Considering the average

North Korea and Cuba reaffirmed their friendly ties as a senior North Korean official visited Havana to attend Fidel Castro's memorial service, Pyongyang's media said Tuesday.Choe Ryong-hae, a vice chairman of the ruling party's central committee, met with Cuba's leader Raul Castro on Saturday during his visit to Havana, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).North Korea sent Choe to Havana on Nov. 28 to pay tribute to the late leader in a move seen as highlighting its close ties wit

South Korea's business tycoons denied that their conglomerates donated money to two foundations in return for getting business favors when they attend a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday.Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong stressed that his conglomerate’s donation was not intended to earn business favors. Samsung's Lee Jae-yongThe Samsung heir-apparent was questioned over allegations that the company received support from the National Pension Service for its controversial merger of two affil

South Korean households' overseas spending rose 16.8 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier on increased outbound travel to foreign countries, the central bank said Tuesday.South Korean households spent 8.21 trillion won ($7 billion) overseas in the July-September period, compared with 7.03 trillion won in the same period last year, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said.It marked the first time that households' overseas quarterly spending has surpassed 8 trillion won.The figure accounts for 4.3

A South Korean airliner made an emergency landing in Russia on Monday after a smoke alarm went off, but all aboard are safe, officials said.Asiana Airlines Flight OZ521 was on its way to London with 197 people on board when it landed at an airport in the central Russian city of Khanty-Mansiysk about 10:50 p.m. following an alarm that smoke was detected near the engine, officials said.It was about eight hours after the flight departed from Incheon International Airport around 2:50 p.m.Russian off

미국 서던캘리포니아 대학교에서 한 학생이 교수를 찔러 사망에 이르게 한 사건이 일어났다. CNN 보도에 따르면 현지시간 2일 오후 4:30분 응급신고가 접수되었고, 대원들이 출동한 현장엔 수 차례 흉기에 찔려 쓰러진 피해자가 있었다. 범행이 일어난 부지 (사진=서던캘리포니아 대학 신문)가해자 학생 또한 현장에 남아 있어 긴급 체포되었다고 한다.범행동기는 아직 파악되지 않았으나 무차별 범행은 아니라고 한다. 범행이 일어난 날은 대학 기말 고사 기간이 시작하기 전 마지막 수업 날이었다고 한다.  보스코 챤 교수 (사진=서던캘리포니아대학 웹사이트)피해자 보스코 챤 (Bosco Tjan) 교수는 2001년부터 이 대학에서 강의했으며, 심리학계 시각인지 분야에서 잘 알려진 인사다. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

Choi Soon-sil, the confidante of President Park Geun-hye standing at the center of the ongoing influence-peddling scandal, said on Monday she will not participate in the parliamentary investigation slated for this week.Choi was originally scheduled to go to the National Assembly on Wednesday for questioning as part of the investigation into allegations that she exerted undue influence on state affairs and conglomerates, despite not holding any official seat in the administration.Choi handed in a

The South Korean government said Monday it will revise errors detected in the state-authored history textbooks unveiled last week, after listening to public opinion on the controversial books that have ignited fierce debate over the country's history. The Ministry of Education said it will revise 13 factual errors found in the draft versions of the new textbooks for middle and high school students to be introduced next year, announcing the interim results of the opinion gathering which will last

시리아의 바나 알라베드 (7)가 4일 트위터 계정을 삭제했다. 바나와 모친 파테마가 함께 운영하는 이 트위터에 마지막으로 쏘아 올려진 메시지엔 “군대가 우리를 곧 잡을 것이 분명하다”며 “사랑하는 세계여, 우리는 언젠가 다시 만날 거예요. 안녕 – 파테마”라고 적혀있었다.  "사랑하는 세계여, 우리는 언젠가 다시 만날 거예요" (사진=트위터)이후 계정은 삭제되었고, 그 이유는 아무도 알지 못한다. 바나 알라베드는 내전의 포화 속에 찢긴 알레포의 생생한 현장을 9월 트위터에 게재하기 시작해 국제적 관심과 안타까움을 불러 모았었다. 바나의 영상 속엔 포탄이 떨어지는 굉음과 울림이 고스란히 담겨 있어 전쟁의 흉포함을 널리 알렸고, 곧 계정에는 10만 명이 넘는 팔로워가 따랐다.바나는 11월 28일 “오늘 밤 우리에겐 집이 없다”며 “폭탄이 내려와 산산조각이 났다. 사방에 죽음을 보았고 나도 죽을뻔 했다”고 쓴 바 있다.  "사방에 죽음을 보았고 나도 죽을뻔 했다" (사진=트위터)바나와 파

The 2017 budget allocated for South Korea's unification ministry dropped 20.5 percent from a year earlier, as inter-Korean ties remain frayed amid North Korea's nuclear standoff, government officials aid Monday.A total of 1.208 trillion won ($1.02 billion) has been set aside for next year's budget for the ministry handling inter-Korean affairs, including 958.8 billion won for the state inter-Korean cooperation fund, they said.The country's parliament on Saturday passed a 400.5 trillion won gover

Speculation is growing that President Park Geun-hye may deliver yet another address to the nation over a corruption scandal involving her and her longtime friend, in a last-ditch effort to foil an impeachment vote slated for later this week.Observers said that the embattled president may specify the exact time for her resignation during a speech that could be made on Tuesday or Wednesday -- at least a few days before an impeachment motion is put to a vote on Friday.Last week, Park already expres

The Chevrolet Malibu and SM6 midsize sedans have been named safest cars of the year in an annual government safety assessment of new cars launched in South Korea, the transportation ministry said Monday.Both the Chevrolet Malibu and the SM6 received the highest points of 92.1 in the government assessment program that reviewed 14 new cars, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The two cars were followed by the K7 midsize sedan from Kia Motors Corp., which received 91.7 p

This year's Korean Intangible Cultural Heritage Week will open in Mexico City to provide the locals chances to learn and enjoy Korea's traditional arts, organizers said.The Korean Cultural Center in Mexico said on Sunday it is planning a variety of special events to mark the weeks between Dec. 5 to 23 in cooperation with the National Intangible Heritage Center and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.The events are to provide education sessions on art as well as performances and exhibitions of

The number of admissions to local theaters this year is expected to surpass 200 million for the fourth straight year, a market tracker said Monday.According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), both domestic and foreign films have attracted more than 199.31 million viewers this year as of Monday morning.The annual figure is sure to hit 200 million given that a daily average of 250,000 go to see movies on weekdays.Korean cinemas have sold 215 million tickets in 2014 and 217.3 million in 2015 after

Floods from torrential rains have killed 13 people in central Vietnam, with more rain forecast for the region. Local disaster officials said Monday that floods since late November have killed six people in Binh Dinh province and three in Quang Nam province. The floods have largely receded, they said. The government said in a report that another four died in Quang Ngai. The floods damaged the region's infrastructure, agriculture and livestock, it said.The report says a cold spell from the north i