North Korea's top economic technocrat called for all-out efforts to successfully carry out leader Kim Jong-un's call for an "80-day campaign" to recover from flood damage and make as much progress as possible in the country's economic development project by year's end. Pak Pong-ju, vice chairman of the State Affairs Commission, made the appeal during a military-civilian rally held in Pyongyang, days after the North staged a massive military parade over the weekend to mark the 75th fou

그룹 방탄소년단(BTS)과 블랙핑크(BLACKPINK)가 전 세계 인기곡 순위를 집계하는 2종류의 빌보드 글로벌 차트 정상권을 휩쓸었다. 12일(이하 현지시간) 빌보드 보도에 따르면 이번 주 '빌보드 글로벌 200'(Billboard Global 200) 차트에서는 조시 685와 제이슨 데룰로, 방탄소년단의 '새비지 러브' 리믹스가 1위를 기록했다. '새비지 러브'는 뉴질랜드 출신 프로듀서 조시 685가 만든 '랙스드'(Laxed)에 미국 가수 제이슨 데룰로가 보컬을 더한 곡으로, 지난 2일 방탄소년단이 보컬과 랩으로 참여한 두 종류의 리믹스 버전이 발매됐다. 이에 힘입어 전세계에서 스트리밍은 90%, 다운로드는 283% 급등하며 1위로 뛰어올랐다. 이 차트에서는 지난 2일 발매된 블랙핑크 첫 정규앨범 '디 앨범' 타이틀곡 '러브식 걸즈'가 2위, 방탄소년단의 '다이너마이트'가 3위에 올랐다. '빌보드 글로벌 200'은 빌보드가 전 세계 200여개 지역의 스트리밍과 음원 판

South Korean stocks opened higher Tuesday on overnight Wall Street rallies, led by strong advances by tech and e-commerce heavyweights. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) gained 5.93 points, or 0.25 percent, to 2,409.66 in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI opened with a mild gain after an eight-day winning streak. Investor sentiment remained high, following gains by US tech and e-commerce heavyweights, ahead of Apple's upcoming presentation of a new smartphone

Eastar Jet Co. said Tuesday it will lay off more than half of its workforce this week as it strives to find a new investor after Jeju Air Co. scrapped its plan to acquire the smaller budget carrier amid the coronavirus pandemic. Eastar plans to deliver pink slips to 605 of its 1,200 employees Wednesday before it begins the process of finding a new investor, Eastar Senior Vice President Kim You-sang said over the phone. "Our lead managers and two private equity funds (that have an interest

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump on Monday picked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as one of the world's "sharp" leaders, even after the North unveiled a massive new missile believed to be capable of striking any part of the United States. "Look. We can't play games. The one thing I know for sure, President Xi of China ... President Putin of Russia. You look at around Kim Jong-un ... They are 100 percent sharp. We have somebody running who is not 100 percent," Trump sa

The operator of Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway, failed again Tuesday to attract enough bidders for its duty-free concessions in the latest sign of the industrywide slump amid the new coronavirus pandemic. Incheon International Airport Corp. has been seeking to award licenses for its six duty-free concessions in Terminal 1, after its two previous attempts fell through earlier this year due to lack of bidders. Only one duty-free operator run by a conglomerate and anoth

WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korean boy group BTS has achieved its second No. 1 on Billboard's main singles chart with a song featuring the South Korean septet climbing to the summit this week, Billboard reported Monday. "Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat)," the latest version of hit song "Savage Love" by US singer Jason Derulo and New Zealand producer Jawsh 685 featuring BTS, has taken the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Billboard. "The song becomes the sec

People will be required to wear face masks on mass transportation, at demonstrations, and medical and health care facilities starting Tuesday, health authorities said. The requirement is in line with the implementation of the country's infectious disease control and prevention act aimed at stemming the spread of the deadly disease, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). If people do not wear masks on public transportation and at demonstrations, as well as medical

The Seoul office of the UN human rights body held a meeting Monday with a brother of a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea after he called for a UN probe into the killing. During the two-hour meeting, the human rights office said it will report the case to the UN General Assembly as early as next week, according to Lee Rae-jin, the elder brother of the late official. Lee earlier said he received an interview request from the UN office, calling it the first official reaction

SEJONG -- South Korea's finance minister said Monday the government will spare no efforts to maintain momentum of recovery in exports in the fourth quarter of this year. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki made the remarks at a meeting with senior ministry officials earlier in the day, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a statement. On Monday, South Korea eased social distancing rules as daily infections of the new coronavirus appeared to come under control, following a resurgence in mid-A

Hanssem Co. on Monday estimated its third-quarter operating profit at 24 billion won ($20.9 million), up 236.4 percent from a year earlier. Sales increased 25.4 percent to 514.9 billion won. The data for net earnings was not available. The operating profit was 9.1 percent higher than the average estimate, according to the survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency. The company will release its final earnings report later. (Yonhap)

Nearly 90 percent of those who died last year were cremated, but crematorium services in South Korea are falling short of the growing demand, government data showed Monday. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare data submitted to Rep. Nam In-soon of the ruling Democratic Party, the bodies of 260,920, or 88.4 percent, of the 295,107 people who reportedly died last year were cremated. The rate of cremation has been on a steady increase over the years, rising from 79.2 percent in 2014 t

JEJU -- Despite concerns from a large influx of outside visitors, South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju has managed to fend off new COVID-19 cases after two back-to-back extended holiday periods, according to officials Monday. South Korea began its five-day fall harvest holiday of Chuseok on Sept. 30, but many started taking days off Sept. 26. People also enjoyed a three-day break this past weekend, starting with the national Hangeul Day holiday Friday. According to officials, the combi

Nearly 1 million viewers watched an online concert of K-pop superstar BTS held over the weekend, the band's agency said Monday. Some 993,000 viewers from 191 countries and territories watched "BTS MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E" that was streamed online due to the pandemic, according to Big Hit Entertainment. The two-day concert, held in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday, was initially planned to be held in person and livestreamed. But the agency decided to only livestream it, as the new coronaviru

President Moon Jae-in convened a high-level meeting Monday to discuss strategies on supporting Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee's bid to become the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon raised the need to publicize that the minister with 25 years of experience in trade affairs is the right figure to reform the WTO, speaking in the session joined by Yoo, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seo

South Korea's No. 2 shipbuilder, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., said Monday that it has signed deals worth 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion) to build six liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers for two European companies. Under the two separate deals, Daewoo Shipbuilding will deliver the vessels to the European companies by July and December 2023, respectively, the shipbuilder said in regulatory filings, without providing the names of the clients. With the deals, Daewoo Shipbuildin

South Korean shares extended gains for an eighth consecutive session Monday on the back of strong advances by chipmakers and the government's decision to loosen quarantine measures against the new coronavirus pandemic. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 11.77 points, or 0.49 percent, to close at 2,403.73. Trading volume was moderate at about 832 million shares worth some 10.5 trillion won ($9.2 billion), with gainers outnumbe

The government will restrain group visits to autumn foliage hot spots nationwide by temporarily banning large buses from national parks during the upcoming peak foliage season, its coronavirus task force said Monday, as part of efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said the ban on large buses will be enforced at the parking lots of 21 national parks across the country from Oct. 17 to Nov. 15 in time for the peak in fall folia

President Moon Jae-in assured the public Monday that his government will maintain strict measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus in spite of the decision to relax social distancing guidelines. "(The government) will ensure that there will be no loophole, even for a moment, in antivirus measures for high-risk and multiuse facilities," he said at the outset of a weekly meeting with senior Cheong Wa Dae aides. Moon's remarks came as the government has lowered its social dist

The South Korean pro football league will reopen the gates to its stadiums later this week, following the recent easing of social distancing restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, the Korea Professional Football League announced Monday. According to the K League, starting with the K League 1 match between Gangwon FC and Incheon United on Friday, supporters will be readmitted to stadiums. The government announced Sunday it would soften social distancing rules and allow pro sports leagues