South Korea's population is expected to start contracting in 2032 amid widespread concerns that the country's chronic low birthrate and aging citizens will undermine growth potential, a government report showed Wednesday.According to the report by Statistics Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy will likely see its population peak at 52.96 million in 2031, rising gradually from 51.01 million tallied at the end of last year.And the number will begin declining in the following year and reach 43.02

South Korea Thursday unveiled a list of 60 submarine components that will be banned from being shipped to North Korea as part of efforts to curb the reclusive country's drive to develop weapons of mass destruction.The items on the watch list can all contribute to North Korea's development of submarines that can potentially be armed with ballistic missiles.The watch list is intended to caution the international community against selling such components to Pyongyang. Seoul plans to share the list

South Korea will provide 6.6 billion won ($5.7 million) in financial assistance to companies struggling with losses from their investments in the shuttered industrial complex in North Korea, the unification ministry said Thursday.The government plans to deliver 5.1 billion won to companies that withdrew their businesses from the Kaesong Industrial Complex to help offset their investment losses and 1.5 billion won to the workers in compensation, according to the Ministry of Unification. The addit

이재용 삼성전자 부회장이 갑자기 화장품 마니아들의 관심을 한 몸에 받고 있다.지난 6일 열린 최순실 국정농단 의혹 진상규명을 위한 국회 국정조사 특위 청문회에 참석한 이 부회장은 의원들의 질문에 답변하는 중간중간 손을 가리고 립밤을 발라 화제가 됐다. 이재용 삼성전자 부회장이 지난 6일 오후 국회에서 열린 최순실 국정농단 의혹 진상규명을 위한 국정조사 특위 1차 청문회에서 증인으로 출석해 입술에 립밤을 바르고 있다. (사진=연합뉴스)7일 업계에 따르면 이 부회장이 사용한 길쭉한 형태의 립밤은 '소프트립스'(softlips)로, 가격은 소프트립스 공식 홈페이지에서 1.99달러(한화 약 2천400원)에 불과하다.하지만 국내에서 판매되지 않는 제품이라 해외 직구로만 구매할 수 있다.용량은 1개에 2ｇ, SPF(자외선차단지수)는 20이다. 이재용 부회장이 사용한 소프트립스 립밤(왼쪽에서 세번째가 바닐라 향) (사진=연합뉴스)체리 향, 수박 향, 산딸기 향, 초콜릿 향 등 여러 향이 있지만,

기록적인 청년 실업과 황혼 육아 증가에 최근 '최순실 게이트'까지 겹쳐 분노와 상실감이 사회 전반으로 퍼지면서 다양한 신조어들을 낳고 있다.올해 교육업계에서는 '순실증', '할빠', '티슈인턴' 등의 신조어가 주목을 받은 것으로 나타났다.8일 영어교육 전문업체 윤선생은 사회 현상을 빗댄 올해의 교육업계 신조어를 정리해 발표했다. '순실이 빨리와' 게임 (사진=연합)이 가운데 '비선실세' 최순실씨 이름을 따 만든 '순실증'이 온라인 소셜네트워크서비스(SNS)를 중심으로 퍼지고 있다. 순실증은 대학 수능 수험생들의 무력감과 가치 상실을 의미하는 신조어로 최 씨의 딸인 정유라씨가 집안의 든든한 배경을 등에 업고 이화여대에 부정 입학한 사실이 알려지면서 생겼다.'비선실세'로 주목받는 최순실씨의 국정농단 의혹을 풍자하는 스마트폰 게임이 나왔다. IT업계에 따르면 국내 스마트폰 사용자의 약 76%가 이용하는 안드로이드폰용 앱 장터인 '구글 플레이'에는 최근 한 주 사이 이런 풍자 게임 3종이

Recent political turmoil surrounding President Park Geun-hye will likely create a bigger drag on the South Korean economy in the future, which is experiencing a tepid recovery due to faltering exports and lukewarm domestic demand, a government report said Thursday."The recovery pace of the South Korean economy slowed down to some extent due to sluggish production and investment," the finance ministry said in its monthly economy assessment report called the "Green Book.""With intensifying uncerta

About 70 percent of subcontractors say that their business environment with big companies is improving, as their clients expand cash payments to help protect their profitability, a survey showed Thursday. Under the so-called "shared growth" policy, South Korea has urged big firms not to hand over their losses to their suppliers with unfair transactions.The survey of 317 subcontractors, conducted by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), the country's largest business lobby, showed that 71.6

Egg prices in South Korea are showing signs of jumping as a large number of chickens have been culled due to the recent outbreak of avian influenza, industry sources said Thursday.The country has seen highly pathogenic bird flu cases spread at a rapid pace since mid-November when the first outbreak was reported at a chicken farm on the southwest coast. A woman passes by stacks of eggs at a large discount store in Seoul on Dec. 7, 2016. (Yonhap)According to the sources, the wholesale price of a l

Samsung Heavy Industries Co., a major shipyard here, is in final talks to secure an offshore facility deal from a Norwegian firm, industry sources said Thursday, with the final contract to be sealed next month.According to the sources, Samsung Heavy has signed a letter of intent with Hoegh LNG Holdings to build a floating storage regasification unit. Samsung Heavy has an option to build three more FSRUs.If the deal is officially signed, the ordered vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2019 and

Several major securities companies in South Korea are set to move into new offices in Seoul this month either in line with new operational plans or as a result of mergers, industry sources said Thursday.Samsung Securities Co., the brokerage arm of South Korea's top family-controlled conglomerate, is slated to move from its current headquarters in downtown Seoul to the new office in the so-called Samsung Town in southern Seoul late this month, which houses other Samsung financial firms, including

Premium refrigerators and washing machines manufactured by South Korean consumer appliance maker LG Electronics Inc. have been recently named the best products of 2016 by online consumer magazines for home appliances in Europe, the company said Thursday. British online magazine Trusted Reviews picked LG's front-loading washing machine with the model name FH4A8FDH2N, which delivers cleaning and drying in one continuous cycle, as the best home appliance of this year, LG said in a statement.The was

Asset management companies in South Korea may face criticism from clients for backing Samsung Group's controversial merger of two units last year, industry watchers said Thursday.In an extraordinary shareholders' meeting in mid-July last year, all asset managers in the country supported the combination of then-Samsung C&T Corp. and Cheil Industries Inc. The merged entity was renamed Samsung C&T. This combined image shows Samsung Group heir apparent Lee Jae-yong, who appeared for a parliamentary

The number of cash dispensers (CD) and automated teller machines (ATM) fell for a second straight year in 2015 on growing demand for Internet and mobile banking services, South Korea's central bank said Thursday.The Bank of Korea said the number of CDs and ATMs across the country came to 121,344 as of the end of 2015 after hitting an all-time high of 124,236 in 2013.It said South Korea had 291 ATMs per 1,000 people -- the world's largest amount -- as of the end of 2014. In comparison, the United

Annual exports from South Korea's health care businesses are forecast to reach $10 billion in 2016, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday.Outbound shipments of locally manufactured medicines, medical equipment and cosmetics products are expected to total $9.8 billion by the end of this year, up 19.1 percent from the previous year, the ministry said.Exports of cosmetics products surged 37.1 percent on-year, followed by medicine with 15.2 percent and medical equipment with 5.9 percent,

A pilot flying the F-15K fighter jet has been tapped as the South Korean Air Force's Top Gun this year by displaying stellar performance at the air-to-ground strike competition during the annual aerial shooting championships.Maj. Kim Hak-seon, 36, accumulated 995 out of 1,000 points in the 2016 Boramae Air Shooting Competition held from Oct. 4-19, the Air Force said in a statement.Top Gun is one of the most coveted titles in the country's Air Force and a mark of excellence.   Maj. Kim Hak-seon,

North Korea is building another runway exclusively for its leader Kim Jong-un in the North's South Pyongan Province, a US-based broadcaster said Thursday.Curtis Melvin, a researcher at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the 870-meter-long airstrip in Unsan County, the eighth one for Kim, is located near a cement plant, mine and new industrial complex being built. A footage captured from North Korea's Korean Central Television on Dec. 30, 2014, sho

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday denied allegations that President Park Geun-hye's confidante at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal purchased a large number of clothing and bags as bribes for the president.Cheong Wa Dae said that the president herself paid for all the clothes and bags, which she bought for official and private occasions through her confidante Choi Soon-sil. It said Choi did not use her own money for Park's garments and accessories.Choi has been susp

South Korea's car exports turned around for the first time in 17 months in November on the back of increased production after the end of strikes at major carmakers, government data showed Thursday.The total value of overseas car shipments rebounded to rise 1.5 percent on-year to US$3.98 billion in November, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.It is the first time since June 2015 that the country's monthly auto exports have logged an on-year growth.The number of exported vehic

South Korea's three opposition parties are set to make an official report on the impeachment motion against President Park Geun-hye later Thursday at the National Assembly in regards to her alleged involvement in a corruption scandal rocking the country.The report on the motion will pave the way for a vote Friday, with the fate of the president to be decided by the country's Constitutional Court. The opposition parties handed in the motion to parliament last week, saying that Park violated the C

It may seem odd for the governor of a lightly populated agricultural state to be chosen as US ambassador to China, especially amid escalating talk of a trade war with the major US trading partner. But Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad boasts a 30-year relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese leader in decades.“Given Xi's penchant to keeping things close-hold, it is important for the US to have a reliable and direct communication channel to him,” said Bonnie Glaser, senior