A local court on Thursday acquitted the head of the country's leading tobacco maker of receiving some tens of millions of won in bribes from a lobbyist for striking a deal with an advertising agency, citing a lack of evidence.The Seoul Central District Court found Baek Bok-in, who led KT&G Corp. from 2015, not guilty of receiving 55 million won ($47,000) from the person, surnamed Kwon, between 2011 and 2012 in return for securing a contract with the company. This file photo taken on March 31, 20

The parliamentary motion to impeach President Park Geun-hye has been revised to incorporate recent allegations that she dismissed government officials who were opposed to a blacklist of liberal artists, the motion showed Thursday.The original motion, which passed through parliament on Dec. 9, centered on allegations that Park let her friend Choi Soon-sil meddle in state affairs and colluded with her to extort money from conglomerates.In revising it, a parliamentary panel serving as the prosecuti

South Korea condemned North Korea on Thursday for threatening pre-emptive nuclear strikes in response to a joint military exercise by Seoul and Washington scheduled for next month. North Korea's agency handling inter-Korean affairs said Wednesday that the upcoming military drill will lead to "shameful destruction" for the two allies as North Korea is ready to take action against what it called their preparation for a nuclear war."If North Korea wants to see an improvement in the inter-Korean tie

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday rejected political parties' calls to attend a parliamentary interpellation session next week, citing the possibility of a government vacuum at a time of a national crisis. Hwang's rejection came a day after former UN chief Ban Ki-moon renounced his presidential ambitions -- a surprise decision, which observers say could help boost the acting president's prospects in this year's presidential race. Hwang has so far remained noncommittal

The price of imported Korean cosmetics in China dropped by some 40 percent last year, Chinese customs data showed Thursday, for reasons industry watchers see as driven both politically and by the market. Records from the Tianjin Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau indicated an average 40 percent drop in the price of cosmetics shipped in from South Korea. The volume of the imported shipments totaled 2,200 tons last year, down 46 percent from the year before.  (Yonhap)The monetary value of

Rep. Yoo Seong-min, a potential presidential contender from the Bareun Party, said Thursday that Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn should clarify his political ambitions, amid the outlook he may run for the country's top office."If Hwang plans to run for president, he should immediately express the intention and step down from his post," Yoo said during an interview with CBS Radio. "If the acting president only thinks of the presidential election, he will be distracted in his dut

Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday called on the government and businesses to enhance industrial safety management, especially for smaller subcontracting companies.During a regular meeting of ministers on pending state affairs, Hwang warned that the government will take "stern measures" against companies that are negligent of workplace safety obligations. Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn speaks during a meeting of ministers on pending state affairs at

More South Koreans, noticeably young people and women, are putting less emphasis on traditional values such as family and marriage, a survey showed Thursday.The survey was conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on people aged over 18 in 2006 and 2016. It showed that 46.4 percent of the respondents agreed that married women are happier than single women in 2016, compared to 57.1 percent in 2006Moreover, 78.1 percent of the respondents said the authority of a father should

Facility investments by South Korean firms could edge up 0.1 percent in 2017 from a year earlier, but there is a divide between large and small companies, South Korea's state-run Korea Development Bank said Thursday.The combined facility investments planned for this year reached 179.7 trillion won ($156 billion), up 300 billion won from a year earlier, the bank said, citing its recent survey of 3,550 local firms. (Yonhap)Big companies said they would spend 154.6 trillion won on facility investme

South Korea's three mobile carriers have been under pressure to cut fees as a law helps them save about 310 billion won ($269.2 million) in marketing spending last year, according to a consumer advocacy group Thursday. The Mobile Device Distribution Improvement Act came into force in October 2014 with the aim of keeping fierce competition to woo customers with hefty subsidies in check. (Yonhap)The law had originally been designed to benefit customers by eliminating illegal subsidies, but critics

S-Oil Corp., the No. 3 oil refiner in South Korea, said Thursday that its earnings doubled last year from a year earlier, helped by a surge in its refining margins and widening spreads for chemicals goods.Net profit reached 1.26 trillion won ($1.1 billion) last year, compared with a profit of 631 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. (Yonhap)Operating income also more than doubled to a record 1.69 trillion won from 817 billion won over the cited period, while sales

Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung, one of potential presidential candidates from the main opposition Democratic Party, said Thursday the resignation of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon may adversely impact the party's current front-runner.Ban, who had been a leading conservative candidate, was viewed as a real threat for the presidential ambitions of Moon Jae-in, a contender representing the opposition, until Ban decided to drop out Wednesday.During an interview with YTN Radio, however, Lee sa

SK Innovation Co., the country's No. 1 oil refiner, said Thursday that its affiliate has decided to take over Dow Chemical Co's ethylene acrylic acid business in a bid to diversify its business portfolio.Its affiliate SK Global Chemical Co. will buy Dow Chemical's EAA business for $370 million, it said in a regulatory filing. (Yonhap)The deal includes the purchase of EAA production facilities in the US and Spain, and the related technology, it added. The company said the takeover is aimed at hel

South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party said Thursday it wishes to join forces with the splinter People's Party so the liberal bloc can grab a clear lead in the upcoming presidential election against conservative rivals."Experts say a change of the government can only be made through cooperation between the Democratic Party and People's Party," Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the main opposition party, said during the extra session at the National Assembly."We are not making the sug

Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin star in a scene from “Confidential Assignment.” (CJ Entertainment)South Korean comedy-action film "Confidential Assignment" topped 5 million in attendance in only 15 days since its release in local theaters, data from a market tracker showed on Thursday.The film passed the milestone to reach 5,046,970 on Wednesday, according to the Korean Film Council, the government agency for the promotion of Korean films.Starring Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin, "Confidential Assignment" gar

Apple Inc. and its South Korean archrival Samsung Electronics Co. will roll out their latest tablet PCs in the first half of this year amid a prolonged slump in global sales, market watchers said Thursday.No. 1 player Apple, which has seen its signature iPad sales fall to the lowest level since its launch in 2011, is gearing up to launch three new models sometime around March and April, they said. Apple Inc.'s iPad Pro (Apple Inc.)First, the so-called iPad Pro 2 -- a bigger version of the iPad P

South Korean flag carriers will soon be required to carry rope and even handcuffs on each of their flights to restrain passengers causing violence or a disturbance during the flight, the government said Thursday.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it will also require flight attendants to film any in-flight incidents to be used as evidence.Such changes will be made in a revision to airline safety regulations announced Thursday, it said."Airlines will be asked to revise their

President Park Geun-hye's birthday a year ago was filled with an air of festivity with her secretaries and Cabinet ministers attending celebratory events at her office, though the mood was slightly dampened by North Korea's nuclear test the previous month.But her 65th birthday on Thursday appeared subdued with no public figures coming forward to openly congratulate the suspended president who has been grappling with a probe into her corruption allegations and an impeachment trial. She only plann

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis departed for South Korea on Wednesday in his highly symbolic first overseas trip designed to underscore the US security commitment to the Asian ally in the face of a saber-rattling North Korea.The trip, which also includes a stop in Japan later this week, comes as tensions are running high on the Korean Peninsula after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the country is close to test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile apparently capable of reaching the U

About 70 percent of Americans believe the US should have long-term military presence in South Korea, a survey showed Wednesday.The Chicago Council on Global Affairs survey, conducted jointly with research institutes in five other nations, also showed that 62 percent of South Koreans are supportive of long-term US military presence in their country."The South Korean public and the American public are closely aligned on their views of US bases in South Korea," the council said.The high American su