South Korean stocks rose 0.2 percent on Tuesday, buoyed by automakers, but gains were limited as investors stepped to the sidelines ahead of major events, analysts said Tuesday. The local currency gained against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 3.92 points to 1,985.83. Trading volume was moderate at 339.9 million shares worth 2.8 trillion won (US$2.6 billion), with gainers outnumbering decliners 435 to 366."Investors refrained from trading ahead of It

South Korean stocks traded 0.25 percent higher late Tuesday morning on the back of gains in carmakers and construction firms, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved up 4.98 points to 1,986.89 as of 11:20 a.m.Carmakers led the market gain, with No. 1 player Hyundai Motor advancing 0.95 percent and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors adding 1.9 percent. Top auto parts manufacturer Hyundai Mobis moved up 1.18 percent.Local builders also traded higher, with Daewoo E

South Korean stocks began higher on Tuesday on the back of gains in major automakers, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched up 0.31 points, or 0.02 percent, to 1,982.22 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Autos led the climb with the country's top automaker Hyundai Motor gaining 0.72 percent and its parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis adding 0.84 percent. Some large caps, however, traded in negative territory, with market bellwether Samsung Electronics slipping 0.

South Korean stocks closed nearly flat on Monday as lingering concerns over a weakening Japanese yen weighed on major exporters, analysts said. The local currency fell against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched up 0.73 points, or 0.04 percent, to 1,981.91. Trading volume was moderate at 411.6 million shares worth 2.8 trillion won (US$2.6 billion) with decliners outnumbering gainers 412 to 383."The G-20 meeting kept mum on the weakening Japanese yen. Th

 South Korean stocks traded 0.21 percent lower late Monday morning, dented by losses in blue-chip exporters, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) moved down 4.17 points to 1,977.01 as of 11:20 a.m.Tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics shed 0.53 percent, and its smaller local rival LG Electronics decreased 0.4 percent. Top flat panel manufacturer LG Display lost 1.53 percent.Carmakers also traded lower, with No. 1 player Hyundai Motor falling 2.11 percent and its s

President-elect Park Geun-hye on Monday named her close ally Huh Tae-yeol as her chief of staff in the latest appointment of top-level presidential secretaries.The presidential transition committee’s state planning and coordination subcommittee chief Yoo Min-bong was tapped as the senior secretary for state planning while prosecutor-turned-lawyer Kwak Sang-do was named senior secretary for civil affairs. Former SBS Media Holding chief Lee Nam-ki was appointed as senior secretary for public affai

South Korean stocks got off to a weak start on Monday due to losses in major exporters, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 2.87 points, or 0.14 percent, to 1,978.31 in the first 15 minutes of trading.Automakers were trading in negative territory, with Hyundai Motor falling 1.17 percent and Kia Motors losing 0.56 percent.Market bellwether Samsung Electronics lost 0.33 percent.The local currency was trading at 1,080.65 won to the U.S. dollar as of 9:15 a.

  샘 해밍턴이 한국에 처음 온 것은 1998년, 해외교환확생 자격으로였다. 그는 한국어와 또 다른 학문을 복수전공 하고 있었다. 그가 2002년에 한국에 정착했을 때, 그는 이미 상당 수준의 한국어를 구사하고 있었고, 한국에서 2-3년을 보내서 다시 그의 모국인 호주로 돌아갔을 때에도 한국어를 잊어버리지 않게 되기를 바랬다. 그러나 한국어를 할 수 있는 외국인이라는 점은 여러모로 좋은 기회를 가져다 주었고, 그는 호주로 되돌아가지 않기로 했다. “몇 차례 돌아가려 했지만, 그럴 때 마다 거절할 수 없는 제안들이 쏟아져왔다. 그래서 자꾸 미루게 되었다,” 해밍턴이 코리아헤럴드와 지난 2월 9일 가진 인터뷰에서 말했다. 헤밍턴의 연예계 데뷔는 우연의 연속이었다. 그는 월드컵 기간에 한국에 들어오게 되었고, 방송사들은 한국어를 잘하는 외국인에 대한 수요로 절실했다. 그는 TV에서 “이것저것” 잡다한 것들을 했고, 회사에서 잠깐 일해본 후 그의 갈 길이 아니라는 점을 깨달았다. 그는 TB

A Japanese right-wing activist will face trial in South Korea for setting up provocative wooden stakes in Seoul and Tokyo last year to lay claim to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, prosecutors said Sunday.Nobuyuki Suzuki, a member of an ultra-right Japanese party, was sued by a group of former South Korean sex slaves for defamation in connection with a controversial wooden post he tied to a symbolic statue of a sex slave in front of the Japanese embassy in downtown Seoul in June.The wo

이번 주, 북한의 3차 핵실험 강행 이후, 국방부는 선제타격론의 핵심인 킬체인 (Kill Chain) 시스템과 전략 순항 미사일 공개 등 대북 억지력 제고에 분주하다. 하지만 전문가들은 북한의 이동식 발사대, 비대칭적 전력에 이러한 무기 체계들이 크게 효용성을 발휘하지 못할 것이라고 지적했다.전문가들은 또한 지나치게 한국이 미국의 정보자산에 의존한다고 지적하면서, 2015년 전시작전통제권 이양 이후를 대비해 군 정찰위성 및 고고도 무인 정찰기 도입을 서둘러야 한다고 주장했다.이 뿐만 아니라, 변화된 안보환경에 적합한 군 구조, 전략, 전술을 새로 수정해서 적절하게 북한의 위협에 대응할 수 있도록 노력해야 한다고 조언했다.싱가폴의 난양기술대학교 소속의 군사전문가인 마이클 라스카는 북한이 한미동맹의 군사적 우위를 상쇄할 수 있는 전략과 비대칭 능력을 찾아 지속적으로 군사력을 발전시켜 왔다고 지적하면서, 한국군도 더 큰 유연성, 적응력 있는 군대로 발전 시켜야 한다고 주장했다.북한의 핵

South Korean stocks closed 0.18 percent higher Thursday as a spate of negative factors began to fade, whetting investors' appetite for risk, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 3.54 points to finish at 1,977.42. Trading volume was moderate at 330.5 million shares worth 3.36 trillion won (US$3.09 billion) with gainers outstripping decliners 481 to 304. "North Korea's nuclear test had little impact, curren

The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a suspended prison term for Rep. Roh Hoe-chan for violating the Communications Privacy Act, stripping the minor opposition party's co-chairman of his parliamentary seat.Roh of the Progressive Justice Party was found guilty of releasing a list in 2005 of seven former and sitting senior prosecutors who allegedly received bribes from Samsung Group, the country's biggest family-owned conglomerate.Roh made the list public through a press release and on his priv

South Korean stocks traded 0.13 percent higher late Thursday morning, buoyed by gains in steelmakers and tech shares, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 2.51 points to 1,978.58 as of 11:20 a.m.Leading steelmaker POSCO moved up 1.3 percent, with tech behemoth Samsung Electronics rising 0.07 percent. But telecom shares continued to trend downward from the previous session, with top mobile carrier SK Telecom dipping 1.7 percent. The local currency was changi

프로포폴 불법투여 의혹을 수사 중인 검찰이 프로포폴 투약 혐의로 탤런트 박시연(34)씨를 조사했다. 서울중앙지검 강력부에 따르면 박씨가 서울 강남구 청담동 일대 성형외과나 피부과에서 수면 유도제인 프로포폴을 수차례 투약한 바가 있다고 밝혔다. 검찰이 지난달 청담동 일대 성형외과와 피부과 7곳에서 압수수색한 진료기록과 병원관계자 진술에서 탤런트 장미인애(29), 탤런트 이승연(45), 방송인 현영(37)씨의 혐의도 포착했다. 이들은 그러나 '미용이나 치료 목적이었을 뿐 일부러 프로포폴을 맞은 것은 아니다'며 혐의를 부인한 것으로 알려졌다.프로포폴은 주로 수면 내시경이나 간단한 성형수술에 쓰이는 마취제로 많이 쓰이는 전문의약품으로 시술을 받는 도중 숙면을 취하게 도와준다. 또한, 스트레스 완화 및 안정을 취할 수 있도록 도와줘 사용자가 환각상태에 빠지기도 한다. 프로포폴의 과다 복용은 고(故) 마이클 잭슨의 사망원인이기도 하다.박씨는 최근 한미합작영화 <더 라스트 나이츠>를 클라이브 오

South Korean stocks closed 1.56 percent higher on Wednesday as concern over a global currency row eased following a warning from major advanced economies against Japan's aggressive monetary easing, analysts said. The Korean won gathered ground against the U.S. dollar.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) soared 30.28 points to finish at a three-week high of 1,976.07. Trading volume was moderate at 324.9 million shares worth 3.62 trillion won (US$3.33 billion) with gainers far o

South Korean stocks traded 1.14 percent higher late Wednesday morning, fueled by gains in brokerage firms and steelmakers, analysts said.The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) climbed 22.11 points to 1,967.90 as of 11:20 a.m.Major local brokerage firm Mirae Asset Securities spiked 4.5 percent and steelmaker Hyundai Steel soared nearly 3 percent. In contrast, telecom shares trended downward, with top mobile carrier SK Telecom falling 0.6 percent. The local currency was changing h

South Korean stocks began higher Wednesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, as investors were buoyed by encouraging remarks by U.S. President Barack Obama before his State of the Union address, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 5.58 points, or 0.29 percent, to 1,951.37 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Most shares trended upwards, with brokerage houses and insurance companies driving up the index. No. 2 brokerage firm KDB Daewoo Securities r

VATICAN CITY (AFP) -- Pope Benedict XVI will bid his followers farewell in a final audience in St Peter's Square on Feb. 27, the day before he officially steps down, a Vatican spokesman said on Tuesday."The last general audience will be held in the square since a lot of people will come," Federico Lombardi said at a press briefing.Lombardi also said the pope's traditional Ash Wednesday mass on Feb. 13 would be his last major religious ceremony as pope together with other prelates.The mass, which

North Korea said its nuclear test Tuesday was only a "first" step and warned of stronger action if it was faced with tougher sanctions as a result."The latest nuclear test was only the first action, with which we exercised as much self-restraint as possible," the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the country's official news agency."If the US further complicates the situation with continued hostility, we will be left with no choice but to take even stronger second or third rounds of

South Korean stocks closed 0.26 percent lower Tuesday, driven by foreign-led program selling, with North Korea's nuclear test having little effect on the market, analysts said. The local currency rose against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) inched down 5.11 points to finish at 1,945.79. Trading volume was light at303.5 million shares worth 2.81 trillion won (US$2.56 billion) with losers outstripping gainers 465 to 311. “Foreigners went on a net selloff in