Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's top flag carrier, said Sunday that its new Boeing 787-9 passenger jet has started service on a domestic route.Late last month, the airline introduced the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the latest of its series, with 50 percent of its body made of reinforced carbon fiber that makes it lighter and thus more efficient than most conventional aircraft. The new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (Korean Air)The new passenger jet is 20 percent more efficient, while it produces 20 per

A majority of businesses in the content, tourism and retail sectors said they are suffering from the ongoing spat between South Korea and China over the deployment of a US missile defense system, a survey showed Sunday.According to the survey conducted on 597 firms in those sectors by the Korea International Trade Association, 56.2 percent of the respondents said that China's apparent economic retaliation has already "negatively affected" their businesses, with 32.9 percent responding that they

South Korean political parties will begin negotiations for a constitutional amendment in earnest this week, seeking to narrow their differences on the procedure and timing, and possibly the draft revision outline, party officials said Sunday.The parliamentary committee for constitutional reform will begin a three-day session Monday, according to the panel's coordinator, Rep. Lee Cheol-woo of the Liberty Korea Party. Rep. Lee Cheol-woo of the Liberty Korea Party (Yonhap)"The aim is to propose the

South Korea will expand participation in overseas infrastructure projects co-financed by international development banks to help its businesses tap more deeply into developing countries, the finance ministry said Sunday.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said the state-run Economic Development Cooperation Fund will extend its reach further through cooperative agreements with five major international banks. (Yonhap)The EDCF was launched in 1987 aimed at helping developing and less-developed cou

South Korea and five Central American countries have initialed their free trade agreement, which is expected to pave wider ways for Asia's fourth-largest economy to tap deeply into the continent, the trade ministry here said Sunday.In November of last year, South Korea and six Central American nations -- Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala -- struck the FTA deal, 1 1/2 years after the two parties launched official negotiations in June 2015.Officials from South Kore

A group of South Korean scientists has developed a convenient and accurate blood glucose monitoring device that does not require a blood sample, the state-run research center said Sunday, a development that would help diabetes patients.The team led by Lee Hyun-jae at the Center for Nanoparticle Research under the Institute for Basic Science developed the sweat-based system that allows rapid glucose measurement and also comes in a disposable strip sensor.(Photo courtesy of the Institute for Basic

The South Korean government is making its best efforts to stably manage state affairs after the ouster of President Park Geun-hye, the government spokesman said in a letter addressed to foreign correspondents in Korea and over 400 journalists who have visited the country.Park was dismissed from the presidency Friday as the Constitutional Court ruled to uphold her impeachment over a massive corruption scandal.Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn (2nd from R) presides over a National

The chief of logistics conglomerate Kumho Asiana Group is accelerating his move to buy back a tiremaking unit from its creditors, which are set to sign a deal to sell Kumho Tire Co. to a Chinese firm, industry sources said Sunday.The creditors of the country's No. 2 tiremaker, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, plan to sign a deal with Chinese tiremaker Qingdao Doublestar Co. on Monday to sell their combined 42.1 percent stake in Kumho Tire. (Yonhap)Qingdao Doublestar has reportedly of

The South Korean Army plans to study ways to introduce "swarming warfare" in its tactical operations, which uses scores of drones equipped with high explosive bombs, a military official here said Sunday. "We're planning to make a full-fledged research on applying military swarming, which is already in operational use in the United States, China and Russia, to our ground and naval operations," the official said. A group of 300 drones flies at a military festival at South Korea's military headquar

LG Electronics Inc. said Sunday that its latest high-end smartphone, the G6, has sold over 30,000 units in just two days since its debut here, heralding better-than-expected sales down the road.LG Electronics began selling the G6 in South Korea on Friday, as it seeks to revive its money-losing smartphone business. The G6, which features a 5.7-inch screen and dual 13 mega-pixel rear-facing cameras, was unveiled last month at an annual technology fair in Spain. (Yonhap)Its popularity has been wide

Creditors of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. are in a dilemma over whether to provide additional assistance to the cash-strapped shipbuilder as the company is facing a liquidity shortage amid a sharp fall in new orders, industry sources said Sunday.The creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, announced a rescue package worth 4.2 trillion won ($3.63 billion) in October 2015 for Daewoo Shipbuilding, on expectations that the shipbuilder would clinch up to $12 billion wor

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Sunday that it has sold over 30,000 units of the G80 midsized luxury car in the eight months since its launch here.The automaker's G80, one of its luxury Genesis brand models, made its debut in the country in June last year. Hyundai Motor Co.'s G80 (Hyundai Motor)In late 2015, the carmaker turned Genesis into a separate brand that does not carry the Hyundai emblem to better compete with Mercedes and other foreign rivals on the global stage.Hyu

South Korean duty-free operators are holding back from expanding their businesses on grim prospects that the intensifying trade spat between South Korea and China over the US anti-missile system will further weigh down sales, industry sources said Sunday. HDC Shilla Co., a latecomer in the local duty-free industry, may drop its bid to open a new store in the posh district of Gangnam, in the upcoming licensing bidding slated for around June, sources familiar with the matter said.(Yonhap)The joint

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to visit South Korea later this week for meetings with senior government officials to discuss issues of mutual concern including the growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, officials said Sunday.US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will stay in South Korea for two days from March 17 during which he will meet with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and other senior government officials. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (L) meets with US Secretary of Sta

Always a hit and never a miss, the South Korean girl group Twice has proved again, as it bows out from publicity appearances on Sunday for its latest hit "Knock Knock" following a raving reception. "Knock Knock" is the lead track off TWICE's new album "TWICEcoaster: LANE 2," which came out on Feb. 20. Upon release, it immediately topped most streaming service charts, including Melon, Mnet and Naver Music. The team ends media promotion for the song through SBS TV's pop music program Inki Gayo.  (

South Korea's top economic policymaker said Friday that the government will remain steadfast in implementing economic policies and make full efforts to stabilize the economy in the aftermath of an unprecedented court ruling to oust the country's president."The government will keep close tabs on pending trade issues and a possible US rate hike and take swift and resolute action against any possible internal and external risks if necessary," Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said in an emergency staff me

Creditors of Kumho Tire Co. said Friday that they have agreed to sell the country's No. 2 tiremaker to a Chinese tiremaker which was chosen as the preferred bidder in mid-January.The creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, said they will sign a deal with Chinese tiremaker Qingdao Doublestar Co. on Monday to sell their combined 42.1 percent stake in Kumho Tire.The logo of Kumho Tire (Yonhap)Qingdao Doublestar has reportedly offered to buy Kumho Tire for some 1 trillion won ($864 m

South Korea's top military officials on Friday called for vigilance against any possible North Korean provocations following the Constitutional Court's ruling to remove President Park Geun-hye from office. In a video conference with military commanders, Defense Minister Han Min-koo told them to maintain watertight vigilance against the North, the defense ministry said in a statement. In this photo, taken on March 10, 2017, and provided by the defense ministry, Defense Minister Han Min-koo holds

South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday warned against North Korea's possible attempts to worsen social and political divisions here in the wake of the Constitutional Court's decision to unseat Park Geun-hye as president.During a session of the National Security Council, Hwang also called for full military readiness to deter Pyongyang's additional provocations and a stepped-up push to make the communist regime change tack towards denuclearization.Acting Presiden

The organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games said Friday preparations for the upcoming multi-sports competition will go on regardless of President Park Geun-hye's impeachment. With the first ever Winter Olympics in South Korea less than a year away, the Constitutional Court in Seoul unanimously upheld the parliamentary impeachment of Park and permanently removed her from office after a 92-day leadership crisis.This file photo taken on Feb. 5, 2017, shows the venue for the opening