The ruling party chairman expressed hope Friday that a 2018 deal signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump will be retained under the incoming US administration under President-elect Joe Biden. "I wish that South Korea and the US will work together to reactivate the Korean Peninsula peace process," Rep. Lee Nak-yon, the chairman of Democratic Party (DP), said during a top party council meeting. "The starting point for that will be the reaffirmati

President Moon Jae-in has formally congratulated US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other key American congressional figures for their recent election wins, requesting their continued support for the Seoul-Washington alliance, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. In congratulatory telegrams, Moon expressed thanks to the US congressional leadership and Korea-related organizations for their interest and support toward the alliance, according to Moon's office. Moon also asked for their sustained interest an

Three Army officers, an Air Force civilian worker and seven airmen have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the defense ministry said Friday. The airmen and the civilian employee in Seosan, 150 kilometers south of Seoul, were confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 after a guest lecturer who visited their base earlier this week tested positive for the virus, according to the ministry. "The education took place in compliance with anti-virus rules, such as wearing masks and keepi

New monthly ecological programs for Seoul residents are now available at the capital's Han River parks, Seoul city government said Friday. The city government is accepting visitors for 45 programs that begin in November, including those that offer hands-on experience of nature across 10 river parks in the city, including Ttukseom Han River Park, Amsa Ecological Park and Godeok Riverside Ecological Park. At Yeouido Saetgang Ecological Park, stress-relief sessions, such as recitals and meditatio

The remains of two Korean independence fighters will be returned home from the United States this weekend for burial at a national cemetery, the veterans affairs ministry said Friday. Cho Chong-hee and Na Sung-don took part in various movements for the country's independence from the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule, according to government data. They were recognized by the state as patriots in 1990. The two had stayed in the US and died there earlier this year. Their remains will arrive at

SEJONG-- The South Korean economy is on a recovery path, but it faces lingering uncertainty amid a global resurgence in new coronavirus cases, the finance ministry said Friday. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said South Korea's exports are on a mild recovery track and the country's production, consumption and investment are improving. "While the service sector and the job market have seen recovery momentum being capped, the Korean economy faces continuing uncertainty amid the fast spr

만취 상태에서 시내버스를 운행하던 40대 운전기사가 경찰에 검거됐다. 부산 사상경찰서는 도로교통법 위반 혐의로 버스 기사 A씨를 현행범 체포해 조사하고 있다고 13일 밝혔다. A씨는 이날 오전 7시 10분께 혈중알코올농도가 면허취소 수준인 상태에서 부산 사상구 일대에서 시내버스를 운전한 혐의를 받고 있다. 승객들이 "기사에게 술 냄새가 나고, 운전도 상당히 서행해 이상하다"고 112에 신고해 경찰이 출동, 버스를 정차시켜 음주 측정을 했다. 당시 버스 안에는 승객 12명이 있었다. 경찰은 A씨의 음주 경위를 조사하고 있다. (연합뉴스)

South Korean stocks opened a tad higher Friday on chip gains, despite concerns over the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 3.31 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,478.93 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks traded choppy, with investors paying keen attention to the COVID-19  circumstances in global financial markets, particularly in the United States. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the world's largest economy is on

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Friday the government "may have to seriously consider" toughening social distancing measures, citing alarming increases in new daily COVID-19 cases. "The warning light for disease control has lit up. If the current growth trend continues, (we) may have to seriously consider raising the (social) distancing level," Chung said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters at the government complex in Seoul. H

South Korea's new coronavirus cases spiked to almost 200 Friday, the highest in 70 days, due to sporadic cluster infections from informal gatherings across the nation, forcing health authorities to consider raising the social distancing scheme. The country added 191 more COVID-19 cases, including 162 local infections, raising the total caseload to 28,133, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The daily caseload was the highest since Sept. 4, marking a triple-dig

Saved by their goalkeeper, South Korea ended up in a scoreless draw with Egypt to open a men's under-23 football friendly tournament in Cairo. Goalkeeper Song Bum-keun stood on his head and made several stops at Al Salam Stadium in the Egyptian capital on Thursday (local time), while his teammates up front barely mounted any attack. This was the first of two matches South Korea will play in Cairo. Coached by Kim Hak-bum, South Korea will next face Brazil at the same venue, at 10 p.m. Saturday

South Korea has completed the deployment of the K-9 self-propelled howitzer, about 20 years after it was first put into force in the country, the arms procurement agency said Friday. Manufactured by Hanwha Defense, a South Korean defense firm, the 155-millimeter K-9 artillery gun was first deployed on the western border islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong in 1999. South Korea plans to continue to improve its capabilities, including its navigation equipment and operating system, and add remot

Apple Inc. and three South Korean mobile carriers began taking preorders Friday for the iPhone 12 mini and the 12 Pro Max. The US tech giant said the smallest and the largest versions of its latest generation smartphone will go on sale in South Korea starting Nov. 20. The iPhone 12 mini is the smallest of Apple's new smartphones, with a 5.4-inch screen, compared with the standard model's 6.1-inch display. It, however, has the same dual-camera setup on the back as the 12 model. The 12 Pro Max

The KT Wiz will live to see at least another day in the South Korean baseball postseason. The Wiz defeated the Doosan Bears 5-2 to stave off elimination in the best-of-five penultimate round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason on Thursday. Starter William Cuevas fired eight strong innings, and the Wiz broke out for five runs with two outs in the top of the eighth inning for the victory at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. This was the Wiz's first postseason win in franchise history, w

Hanjin Group, which owns South Korea's top flag carrier Korean Air Lines, is mulling acquiring the country's No. 2 carrier Asiana Airlines Inc., sources here said Thursday. Hanjin Group is in talks with the state-run Korea Development Bank, the main creditor of Asiana, to buy the debt-ridden carrier, the sources said. "The KDB first came up with the idea, and they have been negotiating for about two months," a source familiar with the matter said. A KDB official said a deal with

Lawmakers from South Korea and Japan on Thursday vowed to step up efforts to help mend the frayed ties between the two countries. Seven members of the Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union arrived in Tokyo for a three-day visit as the two countries are quickening moves to improve relations since the inauguration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. They held a face-to-face meeting with their counterparts to discuss ways to boost cooperation and exchanges between the two sides. "Political ci

South Korea will provide $700,000 in humanitarian assistance to five Central American nations to help them recover from recent hurricane damage, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. South Korea will support Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador after they were severely hit by Hurricane Eta, which left more than 120 dead and more than 2.5 million people displaced. The ministry said it hopes the aid will help people who suffered damage to be able to swiftly return to their

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong convened a design strategy meeting Thursday in his first business activity since his father's death last month. Lee and high-ranking executives discussed the tech giant's future design plans during the meeting at its research center in Seoul, the company said. It was the first time that the 52-year-old tycoon led a company event since the passing of his father and longtime Samsung Group chief Lee Kun-hee, who died at age 78 on Oct. 25. Lee, the

K-pop megastar BTS is set to appear in a year-end concert organized by its agency, Big Hit Entertainment, the agency-label announced Thursday. Big Hit Entertainment, which also runs a namesake label, said the seven-member act will be included in the lineup for the "2021 New Year's Eve Live presented by Weverse" gig. The concert is expected to be a rare treat for K-pop fans to see their favorite singers in person after a spate of in-person concerts were cancelled amid the new coronavi

South Korean shares snapped an 8-session winning streak Thursday, as growing lockdown concerns in major economies sapped investor sentiment. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. After a choppy session, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 10.25 points, or 0.41 percent, to close at 2,475.62. Trading volume was high at about 1.3 billion shares worth some 15.7 trillion won ($14.1 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 443 to 402. Foreigners bought a net 490 bill