Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Koji Tomita last week to discuss various topics, including an easing of entry restrictions for businesspeople, diplomatic sources said Thursday. South Korea and Japan have imposed entry curbs over coronavirus concerns, further dampening bilateral exchanges already strained by disputes over wartime forced labor. "Ambassador Tomita is said to have met Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong as part of his diplomatic ac

South Korea's top national security officials agreed Thursday to continue efforts for the development of Seoul-Tokyo ties, as Yoshihide Suga was sworn in as Japan's new prime minister, Cheong Wa Dae said. During the weekly standing committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), they reviewed the recent security conditions around the Korean Peninsula and pending alliance issues involving the United States. They discussed ways to "manage South Korea's diplomatic and national sec

The driver of a South Korean sport utility vehicle involved in a deadly crash into a US armored vehicle in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, last month has been found to be intoxicated and speeding at the time of the accident, police said Thursday. On Aug. 30, the SUV rear-ended the US armored vehicle at around 9:30 p.m. on a Hantan River bridge in Pocheon, about 50 kilometers northeast of Seoul, killing all four SUV occupants in their 50s and slightly injuring an American soldier in his 20s. The v

President Moon Jae-in has invited a group of Buddhist community leaders to Cheong Wa Dae this week for discussions on efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, his office said Thursday. In the session to open at 11 a.m. Friday, Moon is expected to express his appreciation for cooperation by South Korea's Buddhist community in the antivirus fight, including the decision to suspend Buddhist services and other formal events. Moon will likely request continued support for the governmen

South Korean stocks decreased more than 1 percent Thursday, as more investors turned to profit-taking that stemmed from tech valuation concerns. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 29.75 points, or 1.22 percent, to close at 2,406.17. Trading volume was moderate at about 834 million shares worth some 13.9 trillion won ($11.8 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 655 to 200. Foreigners sold a net 126 billion won, whil

A new feature-length documentary film on K-pop group BTS will hit theaters next week in South Korea following a postponement due to a resurgence of the new coronavirus across the country, multiplex chain CGV announced Thursday. "Break The Silence: The Movie" will be released on Sept. 24 exclusively at CGV theaters in South Korea, according to CGV. The release was initially scheduled for Sept. 10 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 situation. The fourth documentary on the global

South Korea is ready to hold reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War at anytime if there is an agreement with North Korea, a unification ministry official said Thursday. On Wednesday, Unification Minister Lee In-young told reporters during his trip to Panmunjom that he hopes to hold a "small-scale" reunion of war-torn families at the truce village as soon as concerns over the coronavirus pandemic ease. "We are fully prepared to hold a reunion of separated famil

About 8 out of every 10 South Koreans support the idea of stronger punishment for passengers who overlook and abet those driving under the influence, a poll showed Thursday.  A total of 83.4 percent of 500 people aged 18 or above, surveyed by polling company Realmeter, expressed support for heavier punishment of passengers who let drunk companions go behind the wheel. The recent nationwide poll was conducted by Realmeter at the request of radio broadcasting firm TBS. It has a margin of

The portion of virus cases with unidentified transmission routes reached a fresh record high of 26.4 percent of the total new infections identified over the past two weeks, health authorities said Thursday. Of the 2,013 new cases reported over the past 14 days, 532 cases were grouped as infections with unknown transmission routes, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). It marked a fresh daily record high since health authorities began compiling related data in Ap

South Korea, the United States and Japan should work together to protect shared liberal values against Chinese threats undermining such principles, a US State Department official said Thursday. Marc Knapper, deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, made the remark as he expressed hope for Seoul and Tokyo to mend their ties badly frayed over wartime history so as to promote trilateral cooperation for security in the region. "Our three countries share the values of freedo

K-pop girl group TWICE debuted at the top of two daily music charts in Japan with its latest compilation album "#TWICE3," according to its agency Thursday. The record, which repackages the group's past Korean and Japanese hits, topped Oricon's Daily Albums chart by scoring 67,808 points, JYP Entertainment said, citing Oricon data. The album released Wednesday also ranked first on the daily album sales chart run by the Japanese unit of international music retailer Tower Records. The

Internet cafes in the greater Seoul area reopened this week after the government relaxed its social distancing guidelines for COVID-19, but few reported better business due to bans on food consumption and minors on the premises. Industry representatives said food sales account for a large proportion of their income, with some estimates putting the figure at 30 percent. Underage customers are believed to account for another 30 percent. Food sold at these establishments has evolved over the yea

Foreign currency deposits at banks in South Korea touched a new all-time high in August as companies boosted dollar holdings, central bank data showed Thursday. Outstanding foreign currency-denominated deposits held by residents came to $88.5 billion as of end-August, up $1.14 billion from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The August amount was the largest tally since the central bank began to compile related data in June 2012. Foreign currency deposits

A former chief of staff to US President Donald Trump said Thursday that there will be a "deal of some sort" with North Korea that includes its "incremental concession" should Trump win reelection in November. Reince Priebus, who served in the White House post in 2017, made the remarks during a local forum, in response to an expert's view that Trump will seek to reach a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un should he get another term. "I don't know what it will be,

South Korea and the United States are discussing when and how to hold their defense ministers' annual meeting amid the coronavirus pandemic, the defense ministry said Thursday. This year's annual ministerial defense talks between Seoul and Washington, named the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), are supposed to take place around October in Washington. "Consultations are under way to arrange the talks in consideration of the COVID-19 situation and other factors," Deputy Spokespers

South Korea's carbon dioxide concentration rate exceeded the global average last year, a report showed Thursday, raising concerns over climate change. The annual carbon dioxide concentration rate in South Korea averaged 417.9 parts per million (ppm) last year, compared with the global average of 409.8 ppm, according to the report by the National Institute of Meteorological Sciences. The global average came from figures analyzed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the Unit

The US Forces Korea (USFK) held an honor guard ceremony Thursday to mark the planned departure of South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Park Han-ki. Park is scheduled to retire as JSC chairman next week after serving in the post since October 2018. No official term of office is set, but the JCS chairman is supposed to serve for around 18 months to two years. The ceremony took place at the US military garrison in Yongsan, Seoul, hosted by USFK commander Gen. Robert Abrams. "H

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will deliver a pre-recorded video speech at the annual United Nations General Assembly session next week, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. It is expected to be played during the virtual event at around 2 a.m. Wednesday (Seoul time), according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. Moon plans to request the international community's support for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and stress the importance of the world's solidarity in response t

The number of film productions in South Korea decreased more than 20 percent in the first eight months of this year due to the protracted novel coronavirus pandemic, a report showed Thursday. A total of 18 films were shot from January through August, down 22 percent from 23 over the same period last year, according to the monthly report by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). The fantasy drama "Our Season" and the crime movie "Bogota," starring Song Joong-ki, started filming i

Unification Minister Lee In-young said Thursday that South and North Korea should build a joint monitoring system in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to better cope with flooding, forest fires and other natural disasters. In a speech at the DMZ Forum 2020 broadcast online, Lee also expressed hope that the world's most fortified border between the two Koreas could be turned into an "international peace zone" by bolstering cross-border exchanges and cooperation. "If the South and the