South Korea's trade ministry announced Tuesday that it has launched the first round of negotiations with Thailand to seek an Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at bolstering bilateral trade and investment. The South Korean delegation, led by Deputy Minister for FTA Negotiations Roh Keon-ki, plans to discuss related matters with his counterpart, Chotima Iemsawasdikul, in Bangkok through Thursday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. An EPA is intended to establish a mut

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Hawaii on Monday to kick off his trip to the United States focused on bolstering South Korea's security against North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. Yoon will stay in Honolulu for two days ahead of his visit to Washington, DC, to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit Wednesday and Thursday. Upon arrival, Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and laid wreaths in honor of veter

Seoul shares opened higher Tuesday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street buoyed by technology shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 10 points, or 0.35 percent, to 2,867.76 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Overnight, the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite and the S&P 500 rose to hit record highs as investors scooped up technology shares, including Apple and Nvidia. Investors have been waiting for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's congressional testimony and

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is not expanding into the Indo-Pacific, but it has a "wide" opportunity for greater cooperation with South Korea and other regional partners, a senior US official said Monday. Ambassador Michael Carpenter, senior advisor for Europe at the White House National Security Council, made the remarks as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and the leaders of Japan, Australia and New Zealand have been invited to the NATO summit set to take place in Washin

South Korea and the United States will hold their fifth round of negotiations this week on sharing the costs for stationing the 28,500-strong US Forces Korea (USFK), the foreign ministry said Monday. The latest round of talks on the Special Measures Agreement will take place in Seoul from Wednesday to Friday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The fourth round of talks was held in late June. The allies launched the negotiations in April, earlier than expected, amid speculation that Se

Seoul shares closed lower to snap their three-day rise Monday as investors moved to lock in profits. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index fell 4.47 points, or 0.16 percent, to 2,857.76. Trade volume was moderate at 420.2 million shares worth 9.8 trillion won ($7.1 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 518 to 344. The Kospi declined as retail investors and institutions sold shares worth 184.2 billion won and 347.6 billion won, respect

Tensions between former ruling party chief Han Dong-hoon and the presidential office have surfaced again following allegations Han snubbed text messages from first lady Kim Keon Hee early this year, a development that threatens to consume the party's national convention just weeks away. Han, who served as interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) ahead of the April 10 general elections, reportedly ignored five Telegram messages the first lady sent to him in January to offer to r

LG Energy Solution Ltd., South Korea's leading battery maker, said Monday its second-quarter operating profit plunged 58 percent from a year earlier due to slowing sales of electric vehicles. Operating profit for the three months ended in June is estimated to have plummeted to 195.3 billion won ($142 million) from 460.6 billion won in the same period of last year, LGES said in a statement. "Decreased lithium and other metal prices weighed on EV battery prices, and lower demand from aut

The government is likely to halt the suspension of licenses and other administrative steps against striking trainee doctors in an effort to seek a breakthrough in monthslong medical service disruptions, officials said Monday. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong is scheduled to hold a press briefing later in the day after a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, during which he will announce measures that would help facilitate dialogue and resolve the ongoing standoff

The ruling People Power Party on Monday publicly proposed that President Yoon Suk Yeol veto a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death. PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho made the appeal during an emergency committee meeting, saying that his party cannot accept such an "unconstitutional" bill that was railroaded by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP). "We strongly ask that the president exercise his veto rights on

Unionized workers of Samsung Electronics Co. are set to launch a three-day strike Monday, but the planned labor action is unlikely to disrupt production at the technology giant due to low participation. The National Samsung Electronics Union, the biggest labor union with 29,000 members, will kick off the strike with a rally at the entrance of the company's facility in Hwaseong, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, according to industry sources. The strike is scheduled to last through Wednesday. Th

President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to embark on a trip to the United States on Monday to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Washington, where he will address concerns over deepening defense cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Yoon will visit Washington from Wednesday and Thursday to meet with NATO leaders for discussions on the ongoing war in Ukraine and enhancing cooperation between the transatlantic security alliance and the Indo-Pacific region. South Korea was invited t

Seoul shares opened slightly higher Monday as last week's US jobs data buoyed hopes the Federal Reserve will start cutting its rates this year. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index gained 2.23 points, or 0.08 percent, to 2,864.46 in the first 15 minutes of trading. On Friday, Wall Street closed higher as data showed US hiring moderated in June, bolstering expectations the Fed's policy pivot would start in September. The eyes of investors are now on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell

Heavy rain pounded much of the country Monday, leaving roads flooded and many residents evacuating for safety, as rescue efforts are under way to find a person missing in the central county of Okcheon following a landslide. In Yeongyang county in North Gyeongsang Province, 55.5 mm of rainfall hit the region in an hour from 3 a.m., and 52.5 mm of downpours per hour had been recorded as of 3:30 a.m. in nearby Andong, 192 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the Korea Meteorological Administ

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday denounced South Korea's resumption of live-fire artillery drills near the border as "suicidal hysteria" and warned of possible military actions against such acts. The South has conducted live-fire artillery exercises near the land and sea borders in recent weeks after fully suspending an inter-Korean 2018 military tension reduction agreement that bans such maneuvers and other acts deemed hostile against each other. K

The government borrowed over 91 trillion won ($65.8 billion) from the Bank of Korea in temporary loans in the first half of the year to fill its fiscal shortfall, data showed Sunday. According to the BOK data submitted to Rep. Yang Boo-nam of the main opposition Democratic Party, the total amount of the government's temporary loans from the central bank during the January-June period came to 91.6 trillion won. Compared with the same period in previous years, it marked the largest amount of

The government is expected to announce measures to deal with trainee doctors who refuse to return to hospitals in protest of medical reform as early as this week, officials said Sunday. The government is set to announce its measures on the junior doctors, who have left their worksites since late February, as early as Monday, according to government officials. Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong earlier pledged to introduce such measures in early July, as hospitals need to prepare for the recruitment o

North Korea's state media on Sunday called for loyalty to its leader Kim Jong-un ahead of the death anniversary of the founder of the country, Kim Il-sung, later this week, amid tensions over the North's weapons testing and defense pact with Russia. The North's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, made the call as the nation is set to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Kim Il-sung, who ruled the country from 1948 to 1994 and is the grandfather of the current ruler, Kim Jong-un, o

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Sunday instructed officials to take emergency containment measures as authorities confirmed more cases of African swine fever at a pig farm in a southeastern county. The instruction came after the sixth case of the virus, which is deadly to pigs but not harmful to humans, was confirmed at the farm in Yecheon County, 161 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Han ordered authorities to take relevant measures, including culling, a standstill order and an epidemiological anal

European shares fell on Friday, weighed down by losses in banks and energy stocks as investors became more cautious ahead of the second round of voting in French parliamentary elections. The pan-European STOXX 600 index ended 0.2% lower, after notching a more than one-week high early in the day. The index, however, clocked a 1% gain for the week. French financial markets have come under selling pressure since President Emmanuel Macron called for a snap election last month, with concerns that a f