South Korean stocks opened lower Tuesday, tracking an overnight tumble on Wall Street amid concerns of a global resurgence in COVID-19 cases. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 7 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,336.91 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 650.19 points, or 2.29 percent, to close at 27,685.38 on Monday (US time). The sharp drop came after countries saw a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases over the past few days, with Fran

Credit card loans in South Korea soared more than 34 percent in September as cash-strapped people scrambled to borrow from card firms amid a protracted coronavirus outbreak, industry data showed Tuesday. New loans extended by seven credit card firms -- Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Woori, Hana, Samsung, Hyundai and Lotte -- reached 4.2 trillion won ($3.7 billion) last month, up 34.3 percent from a year earlier. September represents the second-consecutive month of an on-year increase following an 11.7 p

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- A US trade panel on Monday postponed its final decision on a high-stakes trade secret case involving two South Korean electric vehicle battery markers -- LG Chem Ltd. and SK Innovation Co. -- to early December. The delay marks the second of its kind after the US International Trade Commission (ICT) pushed back its final ruling from Oct. 5. The decision has now been set for Dec. 10, the US panel said, without providing specific reasons for the further delay. "The Commi

South Korea's economy returned to modest growth in the third quarter, marking the first quarterly expansion since the coronavirus pandemic began, as exports showed signs of improvement, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Tuesday. In the July-September period, the nation's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.9 percent from the previous quarter, when it shrank 3.2 percent, according to the BOK data. The third-quarter reading marked the fastest expansion since the first quarter of 2010. Compare

K-pop megastar BTS has been nominated for this year's American Music Awards (AMAs) for a third consecutive year, the band's agency said Tuesday. The seven-member band was nominated in two categories -- "Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock" and "Favorite Social Artist" -- in the ceremony scheduled for Nov. 22 (US time). Other nominees in the "Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock" category were the Jonas Brothers and Maroon 5. Four other musicians were nominated for the &q

South Korea's exports are expected to decrease 3.12 percent on-year in October after enjoying a brief rebound the previous month, due mainly to the resurgence of new coronavirus cases around the globe.   The country's outbound shipments are estimated to reach $45.1 billion this month, according to the poll by Yonhap Infomax, the financial news arm of Yonhap News Agency. The survey was conducted on seven local brokerage houses.   Imports were estimated to reach $41.3 billion

South Korea's top online portal operator Naver and entertainment and logistics giant CJ Group signed a share-swap deal Monday in a strategic tie-up to boost their competitive edge in the e-commerce and entertainment industries, officials said. Under the deal worth 600 billion won ($531 million), Naver will acquire a 7.85 percent stake in CJ Logistics Corp., a parcel delivery company, a 5 percent stake in entertainment giant CJ ENM Corp. and a 6.26 percent stake in Studio Dragon, a drama produc

K-pop act Tomorrow X Together said Monday their upcoming album captures the stories and sentiments of teens who are living in an unprecedented world amid the new coronavirus pandemic. "Like everyone else, we were taken aback and confused by the situation that we're experiencing for the first time. Above all, it was sad not to be able to listen to MOA's cheering sounds when we perform on stage," Taehyun said during a media conference, referring to the group's dedicated fan base called

  YouTube ranked as the fifth most trustworthy media in South Korea in the third quarter, beating other traditional local outlets, a survey showed Monday. The state-run broadcaster KBS topped the list with 17.7 percent trust level in the survey conducted by Kantar Korea, a research firm, and commissioned by KBS, from Sept. 24-26 on 1,009 adults across the country. Public broadcaster MBC came in second with 10.6 percent, followed by two cable channels, JTBC with 7.9 percent and TV Chosun w

Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa said Monday that it didn't take a great deal of courage to make his Venice-winning film that directly deals with his country's wartime atrocities. "It didn't require strong determination or bravery," the prolific director said in an official press conference for "Wife of a Spy" at the 25th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). "I just thought I have to tell the story based on historical facts." The winner of best director at

Thirteen American service members have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon arrival in South Korea from the United States this month, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Monday. Eight of them arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on US government chartered flights, and the other five arrived on international commercial flights at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, between Oct. 9 and 22, according to the US military. Of them, five individuals

The annual K-Music festival in London will kick off this week for a 17-day run as a hybrid event combining live performances and YouTube livestreaming amid the global coronavirus pandemic, its organizer said Monday. This year's K-Music 2020 celebrates the 7th year of its presence in the British capital, showcasing traditional Korean music, called "gukak," as well as rock and jazz to British audiences. K-Music 2020 will kick off on Saturday (London time) to run till Nov. 16, co-hoste

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Monday she sees a "problem" with recent remarks by the country's ambassador to the United States that sparked criticism for belittling South Korea's alliance with Washington. Kang also told a parliamentary audit session that she is considering taking unspecified "necessary action" over Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuck's remarks that just because South Korea chose the US as its ally 70 years ago does not mean that it has to choose the US for the n

South Korea's health authorities said Monday they will continue a nationwide flu vaccination program, citing no direct links between flu shots and deaths. So far, a total of 59 people, mostly elderly people in their 70s and 80s, have died after getting flu shots, up from 48 last Saturday, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said in a statement. An investigation showed that 46 deaths were believed to have no link to flu shots, the KDCA said, adding it has conducted a probe

South Korean stocks closed lower Monday as investors remained skeptical of a much-coveted global economic recovery amid a resurgence in the new coronavirus. The Korean won rose to an over 19-month high against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) fell 16.90 points, or 0.72 percent, to close at 2,343.91. Trading volume was moderate at 803 million shares worth 11.29 trillion won ($10 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 759 to 119. Foreigners offloaded a

President Moon Jae-in stressed the need Monday to expand flu vaccinations this year, as South Korea strives to stem the potential simultaneous spread of the novel coronavirus and seasonal influenza. He advised the people not to be excessively concerned about the safety of flu shots administered under a state-led free vaccine program. The president said it is "being confirmed" that there is no direct link between the recent deaths of dozens of people and the flu shots they had taken.

After becoming the first K-pop girl group to rank No. 2 on the Billboard main album chart, BLACKPINK has set another record by becoming the first all-female act to sell more than 1 million albums, its agency said Monday. "The Album," the group's first studio album released earlier this month, has sold 1.2 million units worldwide, including 871,335 copies here and 319,300 in Europe and the United States, according to YG Entertainment. The previous record is known to be 760,000 album s

The government is looking to exclude mobile phone numbers from handwritten visitor registrations, introduced to track coronavirus cases among visitors to multiuse facilities, to prevent possible breaches of personal information, its top official in charge of personal information protection said. Yoon Jong-in, chairman of the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), said his agency is pushing to strengthen the management of handwritten visitor entry logs by doing away with mobile phone

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries Co. said Monday it has launched its project along with DNV GL, a Norwegian ship quality assurance company, to develop floaters for offshore wind turbines. Under the deal with DNV GL, a leading global technical certification and standardization of offshore wind power, Samsung Heavy plans to develop large floaters that work to stabilize offshore wind turbines and remote-control maintenance technologies for them. Demand for offshore floating win

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul has signed a three-year extension with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club after leading them to their first-ever postseason. The Wiz announced Monday that Lee has agreed to a new three-year deal worth 2 billion won ($1.78 million), with 500 million won in annual salary and a signing bonus of 500 million won. Lee's current deal was to run through 2021, but the Wiz wasted no time in giving him extra years. The Wiz, who joined the KBO in 2015, are enjoying th