Supreme Court justice nominee Kim Jae-hyung on Tuesday espoused the National Security Law, alternative services for faith-based draft objectors and the abolition of capital punishment.In his written answers to questions raised by Saenuri Party Rep. Kim Jin-tae, the top court nominee said that the National Security Law has a role to play, particularly at the time of a continuing military standoff between the two Koreas.Kim, currently a professor at Seoul National University's School of Law, noted

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., a major South Korean shipbuilder, said Tuesday that it returned to the red in the second quarter of the year from three months earlier, largely thanks to increased costs.Net loss came to 1.22 trillion won ($1.12 billion) in the April-June period, compared with a profit of 31.4 billion won in the previous quarter, the company said in a regulatory filing.Second-quarter operating loss came to 424 billion won, widening from an operating loss of 26.3 bill

State prosecutors said Tuesday the managing director of Volkswagen Korea will be summoned later this week to be questioned over allegations the German automaker fabricated emissions results here. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said it will summon Volkswagen Korea Managing Director Thomas Kuehl on Thursday to gain reference over allegations the carmaker illegally changed parts of the Golf 1.4 TSI to obtain approval from the local government between 2014 and 2015.Kuehl has been in

South Korean stocks trimmed earlier gains to end flat due to reduced foreign buying and poor-performing Chinese stocks. The local currency climbed against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 2.71 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,047.76.The main index fell after marking a 1.61 percent increase for the whole of last week. On Friday, it closed at 2,050.47 points, hitting fresh yearly highs.Kim Ye-eun, an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities, said the local stocks fel

Four South Korean companies applied for government approval on Tuesday to become the first beneficiary of the newly established law aimed at facilitating voluntary corporate restructuring, the trade ministry here said.The Special Act on the Corporate Revitalization, dubbed "one-shot act," came into effect on Saturday to help businesses carry out an intra-corporate merger and spin-off through simplified procedures including exemptions from the strict antitrust laws and financial market regulation

Chinese drone manufacturer DJI said Tuesday that it has opened the world's first indoor drone arena in South Korea in a move to target one of the world's fastest growing industries.The 1,395-square-meter arena in Yongin, about 50 kilometers south of Seoul, allows hobbyists and racers to fly unmanned aerial vehicles safely without restrictions.DJI, which claims 70 percent of the global drone market, said the venue aims to target the South Korean market for content provided by the aerial device."W

Major South Korean airlines will not impose any fuel surcharge on international passengers in the upcoming month, the companies said Tuesday.Local industry leader Korean Air Lines Co. and its local rival Asiana Airlines Inc. have not charged any fuel surcharges since September 2015, the longest streak since the surcharge system was introduced in July 2005.Local airlines are allowed to impose a certain amount of fuel surcharges to help cover their costs when the average price of jet fuel from Sin

South Korea's consumer watchdog said Tuesday it has discovered some imported frozen fruit containing a high level of colon bacillus, which could cause diarrhea and other dysenteric symptoms.The Korea Consumer Agency said it has examined the remaining agricultural chemicals from 25 imported frozen fruits and found two of them had colon bacillus beyond the permissible level.Frozen mangos distributed by Sdail contained 15-560 CFU/g of colon bacillus, with its maximum level more than five times the

South Korea's central bank said Tuesday that more than 3 million people are likely to get paid below minimum wage next year.The Bank of Korea said in a report that the number of workers, whose pay is below the minimum wage, could reach 3.13 million people in 2017, up from 2.06 million in 2010.The report also showed that the ratio of workers, who are paid less than the minimum wage, could account for 16.3 percent of total workers next year, compared with 12.4 percent in 2010.The bank said agricul

Doosan Bobcat Inc., a unit of power and construction equipment conglomerate Doosan, has received preliminary approval for its initial public offering planned for this year, the country's main bourse said Tuesday.Doosan Infracore Co. and Doosan Engine own a majority 78.4-percent stake in Doosan Bobcat, which operates 31 subsidiaries in 20 countries. Doosan Bobcat is a leading player in the small construction machinery sector in the United States, according to the Korea Exchange.Doosan Bobcat is e

Morgan Stanley, the lead manager for South Korean private equity firm MBK Partners, has extended the deadline for final bids to sell ING Life Insurance's Korean unit, a source familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The move sparked speculations that the bidding could fall apart again or MBK Partners could withdraw its plan to sell its 100-percent stake in the country's fifth-largest life insurer, with 30.3 trillion won ($26 billion) in assets.Morgan Stanley had planned to conclude the final bidd

집중력이 쉽게 흐트러지고 툭하면 공상에 잠기는 멍한 사람이 지능지수가 높다는 연구가 발표되어 주목을 받고 있다.　　플로리다 걸프 코스트 대학의 연구진이 지난 12일 건강 심리학 저널에 발표한 내용에 따르면 높은 지능을 가진 사람은 무엇이든 쉽게 싫증을 내고 시시각각 새로운 생각에 잠기곤 한다. 이들은 생각하는 시간이 많은 만큼 움직이는 시간이 적어 게으른 사람으로 비추어질 수 있다고 한다. 　 (123RF)　이와 반대로 활동적인 사람들은 상념에 잠기는 것을 피하기 위해 육체적 활동, 즉 운동을 즐긴다는 것이다.　　대학 연구진은 30명의 ‘생각하기 좋아하는 사람’과 같은 수의 ‘생각을 즐기지 않는 사람’을 골라 그들의 운동량을 연구했다. 　　연구 결과 생각하는 그룹은 생각하지 않는 그룹에 비해 주중 활동량이 현저히 떨어졌다. 한편, 주말에는 양측의 활동량에 차이가 없었다. 연구진은 연구에 응한 사람의 수가 적고 연구 진행 기간이 짧기 때문에 보다 오랜 관찰이 필요하다고 덧붙였다. 　　

국가 공무원의 장시간 근로 관행을 개선하겠다며 일본 정부가 여름철 정시퇴근 운동을 추진하는 가운데 야근하는 공무원들이 줄어든 것으로 조사됐다. (123RF)16일 요미우리(讀賣)신문과 교도통신에 따르면 일본 중앙 정부의 성청(省廳) 밀집지구인 도쿄 가스미가세키(霞が關) 근무자를 상대로 조사한 결과 정시에 퇴근한 공무원의 비율은 78.5％로 작년 조사 때보다 13.7％ 포인트 증가했다.교대 근무 대상자 등이 아닌 각 성청 직원 가운데 퇴근 시간이 오후 4시∼오후 5시 15분으로 설정된 약 2만4천 명을 지난달 7월 27일(수요일) 조사한 결과 5시 15분까지 청사를 나선 이들은 약 1만9천 명에 달했다.작년 정시퇴근 조사도 수요일인 7월 29일에 실시됐다.일본 정부는 일조 시간이 긴 여름철에 평소보다 약간 일찍 출근해 낮에 집중해 일한 뒤 일찍 퇴근하는 이른바 '저녁놀 시간 활동 추진'을 작년에 이어 올해도 7월 1일∼8월 31일에 시행 중이다. (연합뉴스)

The South Korean archery teams made a triumphant return home Tuesday after sweeping the gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. South Korea captured all four archery titles -- the individual and team events for men and women -- in Rio, an unprecedented feat in Olympic history. The men's team and the women's team breezed through the competition to win gold medals on the first weekend of the Olympics. Last Thursday, Chang Hye-jin claimed the women's individual gold and on the following day, Ku

반려동물 거북이를 햄버거 안에 숨겨 비행기에 태우려던 중국 남성의 이야기가 3년이 지난 오늘 다시금 회자되고 있다.　　3년전 리 씨는 광저우 바이윤 공항에서 북경행 중국남방항공 345편에 탑승하려 공항 보안 심사를 거치던 중 가방 속 햄버거 때문에 집중 심사를 받았다. 　 (Photo by flickr user ‘flaunted’)　엑스레이 기계를 거친 햄버거에 거북이의 사지처럼 보이는 ‘특이한 돌출물’이 발견되어서였는데. 　　리 씨는 완강히 부인하며 햄버거 봉지를 열어 보이기를 거부했다고 한다. 　　계속된 공항 요원들의 요구에 마지못해 거북이를 꺼낸 리 씨는 ‘사랑하는’ 반려동물과 함께 여행하고 싶어 이와 같은 계획을 꾸몄다고 인정했다. 　　리 씨는 거북이는 비행기에 오를 수 없다는 설득을 수차례 들은 후에야 친구에게 그를 맡기고 탑승했다고 한다. 　　당시 광저우 일보의 보도를 접한 중국 시나 웨이보 이용자들은 리 씨의 거북이 사랑이 ‘귀엽다’는 반응 일색이었지만 개중에 햄버거 속

South Korea said Tuesday that more information is needed to analyze whether control of North Korea's intelligence agency has changed following the latest overhaul of its cabinet organization.The Ministry of State Security, Pyongyang's intelligence agency, was previously placed under the control of the powerful National Defense Commission before the country's parliament replaced the NDC with a newly created state apparatus named the State Affairs Commission in late June.The NDC previously had thr

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Tuesday called for a "reasonable" solution to improving South Korea's controversial electricity rate system, which critics say excessively overcharges users.His remarks came amid mounting concerns among households here that their electricity bills will soar as they increasingly rely on air conditioners to cope with the heat wave."As electricity rates for households are something closely related to people's day-to-day lives, (the government) should craft a reasonab

The number of products recalled for defects dropped last year amid rising voluntary recalls by companies, government data showed Tuesday.A total of 1,586 recall cases were reported in 2015, down 9.5 percent from a record 1,752 tallied in 2014, according to the data compiled by the Fair Trade Commission.The 2015 figure is still higher than the previous numbers which had hovered around 900 between 2010 and 2013, added the FTC.The recalled items include food, medical drugs and manufactured goods, a

South Korea's defense chief will visit Seongju, the selected site for an advanced U.S. anti-missile system this week, to hold talks with local residents angered by the "unilateral" deployment decision, the defense ministry said Tuesday. Han Min-koo will visit the rural county, 296 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Wednesday, "mainly to listen to the opinions of local residents about the planned deployment of the THAAD battery," Moon Sang-gyun, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, sa

Monday was a tough one for South Korean badminton doubles teams, as three out of four tandems lost in the quarterfinals.The list of victims included the No. 1-ranked men's team, Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong. The Malaysian upstarts Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong upset the South Koreans 2-1 (17-21, 21-18, 21-19).The other South Korean men's doubles duo, Kim Sa-rang and Kim Gi-jung, also got knocked out of the quarters, as Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan of China beat them 2-1 (11-21, 21-18, 24-22). The