South Korea's preventable death rate has dropped dramatically over the past decade due to improvements in the public health care system, a report showed Wednesday.Avoidable mortality means deaths that could have been potentially prevented with the help of the right medical infrastructure and treatment. Visitors look at the latest medical equipment displayed at the Korea International Medical Clinical Laboratories and Hospital Equipment Show held at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul o

 배우 설리와 ‘절친’ 가수 구하라가 서로 입을 맞추는 장면이 인스타그램 라이브를 통해 공개됬다.(사진=인스타 라이브 캡쳐)생일 하루 전인 28일 저녁, 설리는 구하라와 함께 둘만의 생일 파티를 가졌다. 이 둘은 파티 도중 라이브를 진행하였다. 커플 원피스를 맞춰 입은 둘은 방송 내내 서로에게 다정한 눈빛을 보내고 대화를 나누다 입술에 뽀뽀를 하며 ‘특별한’ 우정을 과시하기도 했다. 설리는 또한 29일 자신의 생일을 기념하여 인스타그램에 구하라와 함께 한 생일 파티 인증 사진을 올렸다. 그는 사진과 함께 “고맙습니다. 즐겁게 살겠습니다”라고 적기도 했다.  (사진=인스타 라이브 캡쳐)연예계 대표 ‘절친’인 설리와 구하라는 지난해 화보 촬영을 함께 하기도 했다. 설리는 지난 1월 구하라 생일 때에 함께 시간을 보내기도 했다. 코리아헤럴드 지예은 인턴기자 (yeeunjie@heraldcorp.com)

Residents in Hawaii and Alaska, among US citizens, are the most sensitive to North Korean developments, with the number of searches with the keyword "North Korea" the highest among the states, a US broadcaster reported Wednesday. Hawaii and Alaska, among US states, are US territories located closest to North Korea, and thus their residents are the most responsive whenever North Korean issues hit newsstands, Voice of America said.  A defector activist holds up a placard denouncing Pyongyang for t

From the beginning of a presidential campaign, fundraising is one of the most daunting tasks facing each candidate struggling to pay for campaigners, office rental contracts and media advertising, to name a few, observers said Wednesday.Then, a series of questions arise about how much and through what methods presidential hopefuls can raise funds and whether their election-year expenditures can be recouped after the May 9 presidential vote.The presidential hopefuls of the conservative Liberty Ko

A global agency fighting against nuclear tests said Wednesday it's keeping close tabs on North Korea's reported preparations for another nuclear test.The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization warned that the reclusive communist country won't be able to mask its nuclear activity. Satellite imagery of North Korea's nuclear test site in Punggye-ri in this photo provided by DigitalGlobe and 38 North website. (Yonhap)"We have also seen the reports (of the N

South Korea's unification ministry on Wednesday dismissed a report that it had opposed the country's decision to shut down a joint industrial complex in North Korea last year until the last minute.A local media report said that the ministry handling inter-Korean affairs was opposed to the closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea's border city of the same name, instead calling for running the factory zone on a small scale.The now-shuttered Kaesong Industrial Complex, a joint indus

Surplus funds held by South Korean households and nonprofit institutions fell in 2016 from a year earlier as they reduced their investments in stocks and bonds, central bank data showed Wednesday.The excess funds held by households and nonprofit institutions came to 70.5 trillion won ($63 billion) at the end of last year, down from 94.2 trillion won from the previous year, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea." (Yonhap)The surplus funds held by households and nonprofit institutio

In an unusually tough anti-smoking move, one of Seoul's main boulevards will be declared a no-smoking zone and violators will face fines, officials said Wednesday.Seoul's Seocho-gu Ward Office said Gangnam-daero, a 5-kilometer-long major boulevard that cuts through the busy commercial district of Gangnam in southern Seoul, and its sidewalks will be designated as a no-smoking zone starting April 1.A civil servant cracks down on a smoking rule violator on Gangnam-daero in Seoul. (Seocho-gu Ward Of

Rice production costs in South Korea fell for three straight years in 2016 due to a decline in land-borrowing expenses, a government report showed Wednesday.Farmers spent 674,340 won ($605) to grow rice on a 1,000-square meter paddy last year, down 2.5 percent from the previous year's 691,869 won, according to the report by Statistics Korea. (Yonhap)Total costs, including the ones to buy fertilizer and pesticides, inched up 0.8 percent on-year to 440,821 won, but the rise was offset by a fall in

South Korea's corporate watchdog said Wednesday that it has imposed a combined 1.8 billion-won ($1.6 million) fine on two duty-free shop operators -- Lotte and Shilla -- for colluding on discount events.Hotel Lotte Co., the operator of the country's biggest Lotte Duty Free, and Hotel Shilla Co., the accommodations unit of Samsung Group that operates Shilla Duty Free, allegedly colluded to exclude electronic devices from their regular promotions held five times a year between September 2009 and M

South Korean stocks traded nearly flat late Wednesday morning, as a fall in shares of domestic-focused firms offset gains in tech issues, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index was up 0.33 points, or 0.02 percent, to 2,163.64 as of 11:20 a.m.Shares of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix jumped more than 1 percent, with those of LG Display, a leading flat panel maker, soaring nearly 3 percent. In contrast, SK Telecom, the country's top mobile carrier, shed nearly 2 percent. B

South Korea's top 50 brands are estimated to be worth 136 trillion won ($122 billion), data showed Wednesday, with Samsung Electronics Co. standing as the most expensive on the list.According to the data compiled by industry tracker Interbrand the combined brand value of South Korean company names advanced 6 percent on-year in 2017. (Yonhap)By company, Samsung Electronics topped the list with an estimate of 50.7 trillion won, followed by Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. with 13.8 trillion

Prosecutors are looking into various allegations surrounding a former associate of ousted President Park Geun-hye's close friend, who made key testimonies in relation to an influence-peddling scandal that resulted in Park's removal from office, sources said Wednesday.Prosecutors questioned Ko Young-tae, who used to be Choi Soon-sil's close associate, on Tuesday over a number of complaints filed against him. In this file photo taken on Oct. 31, 2016, Ko Young-tae, an associate of Choi Soon-sil, i

A Democratic Party lawmaker defected Wednesday apparently to join a burgeoning middle-of-the-road campaign to challenge presidential frontrunner Moon Jae-in of the liberal party. Journalist-turned-lawmaker Choi Myung-gil announced his resignation from the largest party, pledging to support a party or a presidential candidate who can better change the country."A race has just started among those who spearheaded the impeachment (of former President Park Geun-hye) to win the support of the people.

South Korea's Woori Bank said Wednesday it has offered a won-denominated usance letter of credit worth 85 billion won ($76.2 million) to some Chinese banks, including the Bank of China and the Bank of Communications. The facility allows South Korean firms doing businesses in China to help ease their risks related to foreign currency fluctuations, Woori Bank said in a statement.  (Yonhap)Using the credit facility, a South Korean firm can swiftly receive a payment with the Korean currency when it

The chief of cash-hungry Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. urged its workers Wednesday to accept a pay cut and other bold restructuring moves to overcome its worsening financial status.In a message delivered through an in-house broadcast to its workers, Jung Sung-leep, president of Daewoo Shipbuilding, said this is the last chance for him and his workers to survive.(Yonhap)"Our creditors and shareholders demand that we share pain and implement self-rescue efforts," Jung said, adding t

Samsung Electronics Co. is not planning to release the refurbished version of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 phablet in the United States, an industry tracker said Wednesday.Citing Samsung sources, Consumer Reports said the refurbished phablets will not be sold nor rented out in the US.  (Yonhap)Earlier this week, Samsung said it will seek to sell refurbished Galaxy Note 7s, whose production was suspended last year due to safety issues.The tech giant unveiled the Galaxy Note 7 in early August, but

Actor Jang Keun-suk has helped a Mongolian teenager get treatment for ovarian cancer in South Korea, his management agency said Wednesday.Tree J Company said Jang covered the cost for the patient's trip and medical treatment after he had heard that her family wasn't able to pay for the expenses. He also thought it would be better for her to receive treatment in Korea with better medical facilities.  The undated photo provided by Tree J Company shows South Korean actor Jang Geun-suk. (Yonhap)The

South Korea and India agreed to hold a meeting of their vice defense and foreign ministers this year in a move to bolster their "strategic cooperation" on political and security areas, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam speaks during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul. (Yonhap)The agreement over the "two-plus-two meeting" was announced after Seoul's First Vice Foreign Ministry Lim Sung-nam held talks with his counterpart Preeti S

South Korea and Egypt have signed an agreement on strengthening bilateral defense cooperation, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday, as Seoul is actively reaching out to African nations.South Korean Vice Defense Minister Hwang In-moo inked the memorandum of understanding with Egyptian Defense Minister Sedki Sobhy in Cairo on Tuesday (local time).A halal food restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul (Yonhap)The deal is expected to serve as a chance for promoting substantive military exchanges and