K-pop boy group Enhypen embraced a new musical direction, unveiling a bright and romantic song from its upcoming album "Romance: Untold," which captures the heartfelt confessions of a young boy. Set for release on Friday at 1 p.m., the second full-length album from the group follows its fifth EP, "Orange Blood," released last November. "We've released many dark songs in the past, so it feels unfamiliar and nerve-wracking to return with a bright and sweet song as

Seoul shares closed higher Thursday to extend their winning streak to a third day as investors also wait for the US inflation data. The local currency gained against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 23.36 points, or 0.81 percent, to 2,891.35. Trade volume was moderate at 453 million shares worth 14.4 trillion won ($10.4 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 438 to 414. Foreigners bought a net 606 billion won, while individuals sold a net 351 billion won.

South Korea's exports jumped 33.8 percent on-year in the first 10 days of July on strong global demand for semiconductors, data showed Thursday. Outbound shipments reached $17.75 billion in the July 1-10 period, compared with $13.26 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Per-day exports also gained 10.2 percent on-year to $2.09 billion. Imports grew 26.7 percent on-year to $19.7 billion during the period, resulting in a trade deficit of $2 bill

Seoul shares opened higher Thursday as Wall Street rallied after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank will not wait until inflation "gets all the way down to 2 percent" for a rate cut. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index jumped 27.35 points, or 0.95 percent, to 2,895.29 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 rose to record highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also increased 1.09 percent.

South Korea and Japan held joint talks between their senior defense officials in Tokyo on Wednesday, the defense ministry said, amid efforts to improve bilateral ties and deter threats from North Korea. It marked the first time the director general-level meeting was held since August 2015. The meeting had usually been held on an annual basis since it was launched in 1994. Lee Seung-beom, director general for international policy at the defense ministry, and his Japanese counterpart, Atsushi Ando

The driver responsible for a deadly car crash that killed nine pedestrians in central Seoul last week underwent a second round of police questioning Wednesday, officials said. The 68-year-old man, identified only by his surname Cha, was questioned for approximately four hours while receiving treatment at a hospital, according to the Seoul Namdaemun Police Station. Cha reportedly reiterated his claim that the brakes of his car did not function properly at the time of the accident, consistent with

WASHINGTON -- President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Washington on Wednesday to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit with a strong message against North Korea's military cooperation with Russia amid the prolonged war in Ukraine. South Korea was invited to the NATO summit for the third consecutive year as one of the Indo-Pacific partners, alongside Japan, Australia and New Zealand. During his two-day stay, Yoon is expected to have a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from ov

Ulsan HD FC head coach Hong Myung-bo said Wednesday he understands the anger Ulsan supporters feel toward him for leaving their K League 1 club for the South Korean national team. Before Ulsan hosted Gwangju FC at Munsu Football Stadium in the southeastern city of Ulsan, Hong met with the media for the first time since being named the new head coach for the men's national team on Sunday. Hong's hiring came as a surprise to many, because Hong had publicly rejected offers from the Kore

Seoul shares closed nearly flat Wednesday as investors sat on the sidelines ahead of the release of the latest US inflation data that may give more clues on future rate directions. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index inched up 0.61 points, or 0.02 percent, to 2,867.99. Trade volume was moderate at 459 million shares worth 11.2 trillion won ($8 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 432 to 423. Foreigners sold a net 599 billion won, w

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday that the government will devise measures to increase housing supply if needed, as South Korea has seen growing volatility in the real estate market. "Volatility has risen in the real estate market as housing prices have gone up in Seoul and some adjacent regions, though overall industry indices remain stable," Choi said during a meeting of economy-related ministers in Seoul on the day. "The government will enhance the monitoring of the

South Korea added fewer than 100,000 jobs for the second consecutive month in June due to the slowing growth of manufacturing jobs and the weak construction industry, data showed Wednesday. The number of employed people came to 28.91 million last month, up 96,000 from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. In May, 80,000 new jobs were added on-year, which was the fewest since February 2021, when the country shed 473,000 positions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In Januar

President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to bolster South Korea's combined defense readiness with the United States to deter North Korea's growing threats during his visit to the Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii on Tuesday. Yoon made the remark during his meeting with Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of Indo-Pacific Command, and Gen. Paul LaCamera, commander of US Forces Korea, and other US military leaders. "North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities and continued provocations

Seoul shares opened lower Wednesday, as investors sat on the sidelines after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell fell short of offering more details on the path of the Fed's rate policy. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 5.96 points, or 0.21 percent, to 2,861.42 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite and the S&P 500 rose to record highs, although the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down 0.13 percent. During his congression

"Anything" that South Korea can provide to help strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities will be "warmly welcomed," a senior NATO official said Tuesday, stressing the "strategic" implications of Russia's war in Ukraine for both Europe and Asia. The official made the remarks as Seoul has said it would reconsider its policy ban on the provision of lethal weapons to Ukraine following last month's summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North

The labor segment of the Minimum Wage Commission proposed a 13.6-percent increase in next year's minimum wage Tuesday, while management representatives called for a near freeze. The proposals were made during the ninth plenary session of the commission tasked with determining the legal minimum wage per hour for 2025. This year's rate is set at 9,860 won (US$7.13), with an eye being placed on whether it will surpass 10,000 won for the first time. The labor side of the commission, which

The growing alignment between Russia and North Korea will end when the war in Ukraine is over, and bringing the conflict to a stop will be a priority if ex-U.S. President Donald Trump returns to the White House, a former U.S. official said Tuesday. Fred Fleitz, a former chief of staff of the National Security Council under the previous Trump administration, also said it will be a "bad precedent" for South Korea if it were to acquire its own nuclear weapons. "This relationship show

Another round of monsoon rains will hit most regions of the country till late Wednesday with the greater Seoul area to receive up to 120 mm of rainfall until late Wednesday, the state weather agency said Tuesday. Heavy downpours have left one person missing, and many houses and roads inundated in the southern regions, and heavy rain warnings across the country may be issued later in the day, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The downpours will continue in the wider Seoul area

Seoul shares closed slightly higher Tuesday as investors awaited a congressional testimony by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell this week. The local currency gained against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 9.62 points, or 0.34 percent, to 2,867.38. Trade volume was moderate at 443.2 million shares worth 10.8 trillion won ($7.83 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 453 to 406. Foreigners bought a net 313 billion won, while individuals offloaded a net

The government has notified hospitals that it will reduce next year's quota of trainee doctors unless they accept their resignations by next week, according to officials and the medical community Tuesday. The move is seen as a measure to put pressure on trainee doctors, who have left their worksites since late February in protest of the medical reform, to return to hospitals. The notice was sent to training hospitals Monday, when the government announced a decision to withdraw its plan to t

The Cabinet again passed a motion Tuesday demanding the National Assembly reconsider a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death, the second time it did so in less than two months. The bill calls for the appointment of a special counsel to look into allegations the presidential office and the defense ministry inappropriately interfered in the military's investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who was killed during a search mission