Excess funds held by South Korean households fell sharply in the second quarter due to increased spending and debt repayment, while local companies saw their shortage of funds dwindle, central bank data showed Wednesday.Excess funds held by local households, including nonprofit organizations, came to 13.7 trillion won ($12.4 billion) as of end-June, compared with 24.3 trillion won from three months earlier, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea.Nonprofit organizations include inst

Nearly 30 billion won ($27 million) in revenue was generated from an online platform to commercialize creative ideas in the past three years, the science ministry said Wednesday.In September 2013, the government launched the website, "creative economy town," that invites anyone to post and market creative ideas. The goal of the website was to boost the local economy by turning innovative ideas into businesses through science and technology, while generating business opportunities by converging d

Shinsegae Group and a joint venture between Shilla Hotel and Hyundai Development said Wednesday that they will apply for a new duty-free license to open new stores in Gangnam, the most affluent district in the capital city.HDC Shilla Duty Free said it has picked iPark Tower in Gangnam, one of the most expensive apartment complexes in Seoul, as the site to open its second duty-free shop, following the first in Yongsan. "We will make the second duty-free store a tourism attraction that presents Ko

South Korea's Navy said Wednesday it has recovered the bodies of all three crew members who were aboard a chopper that crashed into the sea off the country's east coast earlier this week.The Navy found one body at 12:21 a.m. and another at 4:28 a.m. Wednesday, after the first was pulled from the water at around 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Navy officials told reporters. It said a remotely operated underwater vehicle was used for the search operations. The three Navy personnel went missing after their Lynx

A much-debated anti-graft law has officially kicked off in South Korea, calling for workers in certain sectors who should maintain higher ethical standards to refrain from receiving any gift priced beyond a legal ceiling.Under the Kim Young-ran Law, people working for the government, media outlets and schools are banned from receiving meals priced higher than 30,000 won ($27), gifts exceeding 50,000 won, and congratulatory and condolence money over 100,000 won.The law aims to root out corruption

South Korea's top economic policymaker denounced unionized workers of the country's railway and subway services Wednesday for staging a joint strike for the first time in 22 years to protest the introduction of a performance-based pay system.Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho also condemned the labor union of Hyundai Motor Co., the country's biggest carmaker, for orchestrating a walkout in the midst of rising challenges at home and abroad that weigh heavily on the South Korean economy."Strikes at the pu

Publicly placed stock funds have suffered a massive capital outflow, totaling 24 trillion won ($21.9 billion) over almost four years, as investors' appetites for risky assets declined amid a tepid local stock market and increased uncertainties, industry data showed on Wednesday.According to the data compiled by the Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA), the outstanding deposit for publicly placed stock funds stood at 63.6 trillion won as of end-August, compared to 87.5 trillion won at t

The World Bank unanimously reappointed its Korean-American president, Jim Yong Kim, to a second five-year term on Tuesday."Executive Directors cited the achievements of Bank Group staff and management during Dr. Kim's first four years in office, and recognized his leadership and vision. Chairs acknowledged several accomplishments the institution has achieved during this time with strong Board support," the World Bank said in a statement. (Yonhap)Kim, a renowned health expert and educator, took o

The United States intends to deploy the THAAD missile defense system to South Korea "on an accelerated basis" and "as soon as possible," given the ever-growing missile threats from North Korea, the top US diplomat on Asia said Tuesday.Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel made the remark during a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, stressing it's important to upgrade defensive systems to cope with the North Korean threats."I can't speak as assistan

Britain has effectively deported two London-based officials of North Korea's state insurance firm by refusing to renew their visas after the firm was slapped with sanctions in the wake of Pyongyang's January nuclear test, a diplomatic source said.In April, Britain blacklisted the North's Korea National Insurance Corp. and its London office in line with European Union sanctions imposed after the North's fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February."It's part of implem

작년 미국에서 처음 소개된 후 국내에서도 호평을 얻은 신종 애견 샤워기 우프워셔 (Woof Washer 360)가 또다시 화제다. 　(유튜브)　우프워셔 360은 물 호스를 연결해 분사하는 즉시 샴푸와 물이 섞여 비눗물이 되는 훌라후프 모양 샤워기다. 　　샴푸를 섞지 않은 채 물만 분사할 수도 있다.　　360도로 분사되는 부드러운 물줄기가 마사지처럼 느껴져 강아지들도 얌전히 목욕을 한다는 설명이다. 　(유튜브)　구석구석 강아지를 씻기는데 걸리는 시간을 배로 절감할 수 있다는 장점이 있다. 　　국내 애견인들은 두 달가량 걸리는 배송기간을 들여서라도 해외 직구를 하는 추세다. 　(유튜브)　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　영상보기 =>

모델 카라 델레바인의 아찔한 스포츠웨어 화보가 26일 (현지시간) 공개됐다. 　　퓨마 (Puma)는 델레바인이 찢어진 상의를 걸친 채 포효하는 듯한 사진을 사회공유망서비스 (SNS)를 통해 선보였다.　　드러난 상체에는 ‘내 것 (MINE)’ 이라는 글씨가 쓰여 있다. 　　퓨마는 델레바인의 화보를 통해 여성들에게 ‘자신의 몸에 대한 자주권을 찾으라’는 메시지를 전달하고 싶다며 사진에 “다른 누구도 아닌 온전한 자신이 되어라”는 글을 곁들였다.　　델레바인은 개인 인스타그램에 “자신의 것이니 자신이 가져라”는 문구와 함께 동일 사진을 게재했다.　　영국출신 카라 델레바인은 영화 수어사이드 스쿼드 (Suicide Squad)에 인챈트리스 역할로 등장하며 국내 유명세를 탔다.　　(khnews@heraldcorp.com)　

Seven South Korean food and beverage firms recorded 1 trillion won ($910 million) or more in production last year, a government ministry said Tuesday.Their combined output of 9.18 trillion won accounted for 12.8 percent of the entire domestic market worth 70.41 trillion won, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.A total of 37,793 companies here reported their food production data to the ministry in 2015.Nongshim ranked first with 1.8 trillion won of production, followed by Lotte Chil

An opposition lawmaker said Tuesday an average of 3,000 South Koreans with separated families in the North are dying every year, while only a few of them given the opportunity for a reunion.According to the data compiled by Rep. Lee Seok-hyun of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, 67,740 of 130,982 South Koreans with families in North Korea have died so far, with only 1.8 percent of them having been granted a chance to be reunited with long-lost loved ones.A separate data compiled by Hyun

뉴욕 주 호프스트라 대학교에서 26일 오후 9시(현지 시간) 진행된 제 1회 미국 대선 후보 텔레비전 중계 토론에서 도널드 트럼프의 마이크에 결함이 있었다는 주장이 나오고 있다. 　　영국 타블로이드 데일리메일의 보도에 따르면 트럼프는 토론 후 기자들과 자리에 앉아 “고장난 마이크를 나한테 준걸 보았느냐”며 행사 주최 측을 비난했다. 　(abc뉴스 캡쳐)　그는 “고의였나 궁금하다”고 물으며 “마이크가 제대로 작동하지 않았다”고 주장했다. 　　공화당 전국 위원회 의장 린스 프리버스 (Reince Priebus)는 “진행 도중 마이크 음량이 힐러리 것 보다 떨어졌던 적이 있었다”고 인정했다.　　하지만 토론장에 있던 취재 기자들은 각 후보의 말을 정확히 들을 수 있었고, 심지어 트럼프가 힐러리의 주장에 동의하지 않을 때 숨죽여 콧방귀 소리를 낸 것까지 마이크를 통해 들렸다고 말했다. 　(연합-AP)　다만 당시 토론장 연단을 살펴보면 두 후보의 키 차이를 감안해 진행측에서 연단 높이에 약간의

Carmakers in South Korea saw their overseas production exceed domestic output in the first eight months of this year, industry data showed Tuesday, as local automakers have built more assembly lines in foreign countries in recent years.Seven carmakers, including top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its sister company Kia Motors Corp., produced 2,773,067 units in the January-August period, according to data compiled by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association.In comparison, Hyundai and Kia b

An appeals court on Tuesday overturned a jail term handed down to former Prime Minister Lee Wan-koo and acquitted him of allegations he received bribes from a deceased businessman, citing a lack of evidence.The Seoul High Court acquitted Lee of allegations he received 30 million won ($27,000) from Sung Wan-jong, the late chairman of a local construction firm who was at the center of a lobbying scandal, in April 2013.The ruling came a few weeks after Hong Joon-pyo, governor of South Gyeongsang Pr

The third wife of the embattled Lotte Group's founder has been indicted on charges of tax evasion without being questioned as she failed to comply to prosecutors' summons, authorities said Tuesday.The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office looking into alleged corporate crimes of the country's fifth-largest conglomerate said Seo Mi-kyung, 57, is suspected of evading some hundreds of billions of won in gift taxes.The common-law wife of group founder Shin Kyuk-ho became the second member of th

에콰도르의 한 트렌스젠더 커플이 기이한 형태로 2세를 임신, 출산했다. 　　영국 타블로이드 데일리메일의 23일 보도에 따르면 페르난도 마차도와 다이앤 로드리게스는 성전환 시술을 받아 외모를 바꿨지만, 자연 임신과 분만을 꿈 꾸며 생식기관은 태어났던 성별 그대로 유지했다고 한다. 　(유튜브)　이 둘은 2세를 가지기로 결심했고, 그 결과 겉모습이 남자인 페르난도가 만삭의 부푼 배를 안고 다니는 기이한 광경을 나으며 작년 언론의 관심을 받았다. 　　지난 6월 첫 아이를 출산한 이 부부는 “우리는 다른 가족과 다를 것이 없다”고 주장한다. 　(페르난도 마차도 페이스북)　페르난도는 “우리가 아이를 가지는 것은 법적으로 또는 생물학적으로 금지되지 않은 행위다”며, “임신한 사실을 알았을 때 (미래에 대한) 두려움과 행복감이 함께 몰려오며 눈물이 흘렀다”고 말했다. 　　그는 “그 같은 기분은 처음이었다. 마침내 행복해진 순간이었다”고 회고했다. 　　(페르난도 마차도 페이스북)　한편, 다이앤은 2

The global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones may cut Samsung Electronics' projected third-quarter operating profit by over 5 percent, but the global giant's earnings are expected to rebound in the fourth quarter, industry analysts said on Tuesday.A survey by financial information provider FnGuide showed that Samsung is expected to post an operating profit of 7.67 trillion won ($6.89 billion) for the third-quarter of this year, a fall of 5.3 percent from a pre-recall forecast. Before Samsun