"BE," the latest album by K-pop megastar BTS, came in at No. 3 on the Billboard's weekly main albums chart. "BTS' 'Be' falls from No. 1 to No. 3 on the new Billboard 200 in its second week," the US music publication and chart tracker reported on Sunday (US time). The band earned 55,000 equivalent album units, down 77 percent from the previous week, it said. "BE," fronted by the ballad "Life Goes On," is an eight-track album released on Nov. 20. It is the

지난달 화재 사고 후유증으로 사망한 미국 온라인 쇼핑몰 재포스(Zappos)의 공동 창업자 토니 셰이가 사망 전 이상행동을 보인 것으로 전해졌다. 월스트리트저널(WSJ)은 6일(현지시간) 지인들을 인용해 46세로 세상을 뜬 셰이가 자신의 신체를 극단적인 상황까지 몰아붙이는 행동을 했다고 보도했다. 그는 음식을 먹지 않고 얼마나 버틸 수 있는지 알기 위해 음식물 섭취를 중단했고, 결과적으로 몸무게가 45㎏도 되지 않는 상태까지 이르렀다. 또한 소변을 보지 않으려고 노력하기도 했고, 생존에 필수적인 산소가 희박한 환경 속에 들어가기도 했다. 일례로 그는 자신의 자택 창고를 밀폐시킨 뒤 온도를 올려 산소 농도를 낮추려고 했다는 게 주변의 전언이다. 특히 그는 지난 8월 재포스의 최고경영자(CEO)직을 사임한 뒤 술과 약물에 대한 의존도가 커졌다. 셰이는 지난 2009년 신발 전문 온라인 쇼핑몰 재포스를 아마존에 12억 달러(한화 약 1조3천억 원)에 매각한 뒤에도 회사 경영을

South Korean stocks opened slightly higher Monday due to strong pharmaceuticals and chip gains, following the government's decision to toughen the quarantine measures against the new coronavirus. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 3.65 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,735.1 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Stocks lifted after closing at an all-time high Friday, as hopes of vaccine development and chip demands continued to run high in the financial markets. The gain

South Korea on Monday issued a standstill order for all poultry farms in Gyeonggi Province after the region that surrounds Seoul identified one suspected case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI). Under the decision, all poultry farms will be banned from moving birds as well as related automobiles for the next 48 hours through early Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. On late Sunday, the ministry said it was carrying out an investigation into the s

After winning trophies at major music awards around the world, BTS picked up the top prizes at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), the biggest year-end music awards show in the K-pop industry, held late Sunday. The seven-piece group took home all four of the grand prizes -- Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Worldwide Icon of the Year -- at the annual music ceremony that was held virtually amid the new coronavirus pandemic. BTS also picked up Best Male Group, as well a

Gold prices in South Korea have been on the skids in recent months amid a soaring local stock market, data showed Monday. A gram of gold changed hands at 64,320 won ($59.23) on the domestic market Friday, down 0.80 percent from the previous session, according to the Korea Exchange. The closing prices were down 19.7 percent from an all-time high of 80,100 won per gram recorded on July 28 this year. International prices of the yellow metal have also dropped to the $1,800 range per ounce from th

South Korea's imports of Japanese beer spiked in October from a year earlier due to stepped-up marketing activities amid a weaker local boycott of goods from the neighboring country, data showed Monday. Seoul brought in $370,000 worth of Japanese beer in October, up a whopping 873.7 percent from the same month last year when the boycott was in full swing, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service and the liquor industry. Imports of Japanese beer had been on the upswing in recent mon

Foreign investors remained net buyers of South Korean stocks in November, extending their buying spree for a second straight month, partly thanks to the weak US dollar, data showed Monday. Foreigners bought a net 6.12 trillion won ($5.6 billion) worth of local stocks in November, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). British investors net purchased 2.2 trillion won worth of stocks, while American investors bought a net 989 billion won last month, according to the

US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will visit Seoul this week for talks with South Korean officials about alliance issues and the stalled nuclear dialogue with North Korea, officials said Monday. The four-day trip starting Tuesday is expected to be Biegun's last visit to Seoul as the No. 2 American diplomat and the US point man on North Korea before the administration of President Donald Trump ends its four-year term. "He will meet with officials in the Republic of Korea to discu

South Korea is looking into another suspected case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI) from a chicken farm in the south of Seoul, in yet another sign that the disease could be spreading quickly nationwide. Local authorities are carrying out an investigation into the suspected case at an egg farm in Yeoju, 105 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The farm raises around 193,000 chickens. The ministry said it may take up to three days

The high-income group should spend more to revive South Korea's public consumption amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a report said Sunday. Public consumption has recovered slightly from the second quarter of the year, but it is still lackluster compared with before the new coronavirus pandemic occurred, said the report by the Korea Institute of Finance (KIF). According to data from the Bank of Korea (BOK), private consumption rose an average 0.7 percent from 2017 to 2019. But the first quarter o

South Korea confirmed another case of highly pathogenic bird flu at a duck farm in a southern county Saturday, putting quarantine authorities on high alert. The latest case was reported at a duck meat farm in South Jeolla Province‘s Yeongam County, according to the provincial government. It marks the third highly pathogenic case reported at a poultry house this year and the first such case confirmed in South Jeolla Province in three years. Having blocked access to the affected farm and

South Korea on Sunday decided to raise distancing regulations for the greater Seoul area to the second-highest level as part of its utmost efforts to stem a resurgence of the novel coronavirus. The government announced that the Level 2.5 distancing, the second highest in the country's five-tier COVID-19 alert system, will be applied to the nation's capital area, which covers Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, for the next three weeks. Health authorities are expected to announce when the upgr

South Korea will support an additional 200 billion won ($184,000) worth of relief and sanitary goods to help overseas Koreans fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, the foreign ministry said Sunday. Face masks, hand sanitizers and other health care items will be sent to 57 ethnic Korean associations in 26 countries, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The aid is aimed at helping overseas Koreans who are struggling with lockdowns or curfews in many countries amid the recent hug

South Korea's economy is predicted to recover from the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the second half of next year unless the pandemic resurges, a report said Sunday. But the report by the Hyundai Research Institute said the South Korean economy is expected to face another downturn in the first quarter of next year if the pandemic resurges. A resurgence of the pandemic next year would cause the economic recovery of the country to be delayed till the first half of 2022, the repor

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Sunday it has decided to fine 11 logistics firms a combined 5.45 billion won ($4.98 million) for colluding to fix their bidding prices for transportation of imported agricultural products. Leading logistics firms CJ Logistics, its rival Lotte Global Logistics and 10 other firms colluded to fix their quotations in 2006-2018 for 60 rounds of bidding over distributions of imported agricultural goods, according to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC). They

All good things must come to an end, even a memorable two-year coaching run for Jose Morais with the K League champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Jeonbuk announced Sunday they have parted ways with the Portuguese coach after his two-year deal expired following the end of their 2020 campaign. In his two seasons, Morais led Jeonbuk to consecutive K League 1 championships in 2019 and 2020, and also added the Korean FA Cup title this year to complete Jeonbuk's first "double," or winning tw

고속도로에서 차 사고를 수습하던 중 2차 사고로 차량에 다리가 깔린 30대 운전자를 시민들이 힘을 합쳐 차량을 들어 올려 구조했다. 6일 부산경찰청에 따르면 지난 5일 오후 3시 51분께 경부고속도로 언양휴게소 3㎞ 지난 지점에서 쏘렌토 차량이 도로 구조물을 들이받고 멈춰 섰다. 30대 운전자 A씨가 사고 수습을 위해 밖으로 나와 자신의 차량 앞에서 보험사에 전화하던 중 2차 사고가 발생했다. 뒤에서 달려오던 쏘나타 승용차가 멈춰 서 있던 쏘렌토를 충격하면서 차량이 움직여 A씨가 쏘렌토와 중앙분리대 사이에 다리가 끼는 사고를 당한 것이다. 사고를 목격한 다른 운전자들은 갓길에 차량을 정차한 뒤 힘을 합해 A씨를 구조했다. 경찰에 따르면 차량 7대에 타고 있던 운전자 10여 명이 한꺼번에 달려들어 쏘렌토 차량을 들어 올린 뒤 A씨를 구조해 병원으로 옮겼다. 운전자 중에는 정형외과에 근무하는 간호사가 있어 현장에서 응급조치한 것으로 알려졌다. 경찰은 "A씨가 중상을

A majority of South Korean exporters expect their business conditions to improve in the first quarter of next year on the back of the growing hope over the post-pandemic economic recovery, a survey showed Sunday. The country's export business survey index (EBSI) for the January-March period in 2021 came to 112.1, according to a survey carried out by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). It marks the first time since 2017 that the EBSI has exceeded 110. A reading above 100 means op

The Seoul metropolitan government said Sunday that a traditional bell-ringing ceremony at midnight on New Year's Eve will be canceled amid a recent surge in novel coronavirus infections. "Considering the rapid spread of COVID-19, we have to cancel the year-end bell-ringing ceremony," said an official from the municipal government of the capital city. It is the first time in 67 years that the annual year-end celebration held at Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul on the last day of the