Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo emphasized on Monday that all efforts should be focused on thoroughly preparing to minimize uncertainties for businesses as former US President Donald Trump is set to take office for his second term. Cheong made the remarks during a meeting with ministry officials, as Trump, who is set to return to the White House in January next year, has pledged to implement significant policy changes, including higher tariffs on imported goods. The ministry has held a series of me

South Korean financial authorities said Monday the recent stock market plunge was excessive, given economic fundamentals, vowing to enhance market monitoring and swiftly implement a policy fund to strengthen valuation of local companies. The message was released during an interagency meeting among chiefs of the Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service and the Korea Exchange, as well as market experts and relevant institutions, in Seoul, in response to steep losses incurred in

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday to attend the Group of 20 (G20) summit, a multilateral forum representing the world's major economies. Yoon flew from Lima to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the G20 summit slated for Monday and Tuesday, which marks Yoon's third consecutive attendance at the summit. On the first day, Yoon will join the launch of the Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty and outline South Korea's contributions to combat global h

The chief of South Korea's arms procurement agency has met Peru's defense minister and discussed ways to expand their arms industry cooperation on the ground, sea and air, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Monday. The meeting between DAPA Minister Seok Jong-gun and Peru's Defense Minister Walter Astudillo in Lima on Saturday came as President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Peru for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. In a separate summit held with his Peruvian co

In taking an early exit from the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 in Taipei this month, South Korea was held back by its lack of depth among young, homegrown starting pitchers. South Korea's fate was sealed Sunday, its first offday of the tournament, when Japan and Chinese Taipei each won its game to grab spots in the Super Round as the top two teams in Group B. South Korea will not finish higher than third regardless of its result against Australia in the final Group B game

A new long-range radar system developed with homegrown technology has been approved for combat suitability, the state arms procurement agency said Monday, with the equipment expected to bolster surveillance of aircraft in the country's air defense identification zone (KADIZ). The new radar system is capable of conducting around-the-clock surveillance in KADIZ and transmitting real-time data to the Air Force's Master Control and Reporting Center, the Defense Acquisition Program Administ

Following the best performance of her LPGA career on Sunday in Florida, South Korean Im Jin-hee has put herself in the hunt for the tour's top rookie award. Im finished tied for second place at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican at 11-under 269, after shooting a two-under 68 at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. She had three birdies and one bogey Sunday. Im, Charley Hull of England and Zhang Weiwei of China all ended up three strokes behind the champion, Nelly Korda of the U

North Korea again sent balloons carrying trash toward South Korea on Monday, the military here said, resuming its balloon campaign after about a three-week hiatus. North Korea floated some 40 balloons in the early hours, with approximately half of them falling in the Seoul metropolitan area and surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The fallen objects were leaflets critical of South Korea and included no hazardous items, it added. Since late May, North Korea has sent more

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Monday, led by gains from large-cap shares. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 36.08 points, or 1.49 percent, to 2,452.94 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Market bellwether Samsung Electronics soared 5.79 percent, and leading battery maker LG Energy Solution increased 2.43 percent. Top automaker Hyundai Motor rose 3.4 percent, and its sister affiliate Kia jumped 2.84 percent. Energy shares were the biggest winners as KEPCO climb

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for bolstering the country's nuclear forces "without limitation" and completing war preparations as the country's enemies have increased "frantic" military confrontations with North Korea, state media reported Monday. Kim made the remark during the 4th Conference of Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the Korean People's Army on Friday, the final day of the two-day event held in Pyongyang, according to the Korean Centra

President Yoon Suk Yeol departed Peru on Sunday for Brazil to attend the Group of 20 summit, concluding his four-day visit to Lima for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Yoon traveled from Lima to Rio de Janeiro, the second stop of his South American trip, to join the G20 meetings slated for Monday and Tuesday. During his stay in Peru, Yoon attended APEC sessions, an economic forum and other events on Friday and Saturday. On the sidelines, he held a trilateral summit with US President

A consultative body involving the ruling People Power Party, the government and doctors' groups held their second round of talks Sunday but failed to narrow their differences as they seek to resolve a prolonged walkout by trainee doctors. Thousands of trainee doctors have left their workplaces in a mass resignation since February to protest the government's decision to sharply raise the medical school quota, causing major disruptions to the national health care service. In a press brie

South Korean railway workers will kick off a "work-to-rule" protest this week to demand higher pay and a bigger workforce, railway officials said Sunday. The Korean Railway Workers' Union said it will launch the work-to-rule industrial action starting Monday, which could cause delays in some train services. Delays are highly likely on subways in the capital Seoul area while regular and KTX high-speed trains could also be affected by the slowdown, according to Korea Railroad Corp.

Jin, a member of global K-pop sensation BTS, marked the release of his first solo album, "Happy," with a two-day fan showcase in Seoul. The 33-year-old artist, who completed his mandatory military service earlier this year, expressed his excitement about reconnecting with BTS fans, known as ARMY. "Since returning to civilian life, I've been looking forward to meeting ARMY in person. Thank you for filling the seats and joining online as well. I feel excited and nervous,"

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said Sunday that any talks between North Korea and the United States will be difficult without South Korea's involvement. Kim made the remark during an interview with broadcaster KBS, acknowledging there are concerns South Korea could be overlooked in the event North Korea and the US pursue a resumption of dialogue. "It will be difficult for North Korea to go to Washington without going through Seoul," the minister said. "That's how firml

North Korea's jamming of GPS signals across the border with South Korea continued Sunday for the 10th consecutive day, the military said. GPS jamming was detected in the northern part of Gangwon Province early Sunday morning, according to the military. The latest jamming attacks began near the northwestern islands before they began spreading to the northern parts of Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces last Thursday. The military has said the jamming has involved weaker signals than in May and Ju

Foreign ownership of South Korean shares fell to the lowest level of this year following Donald Trump's presidential reelection, data showed Sunday. Foreign holdings of Korean stocks on the main bourse Kospi accounted for 32.3 percent, or 637.48 trillion won ($456 billion), of the market capitalization worth 1,973.51 trillion won as of Friday, according to the data compiled by the Korea Exchange. Foreign investors held 32.7 percent of Kospi-listed stocks early this year, but the ratio conti

President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Vietnam's new President Luong Cuong to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries and other issues of mutual concern, Yoon's office said Saturday. The bilateral summit, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, marked Yoon's first meeting with Cuong, who took office last month. Yoon emphasized the importance of "mutually beneficial" cooperation in key areas, including infrastructure develop

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Sunday that South Korea will have to pay a "dear price" for sending propaganda leaflets across the border the previous day. Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the central committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said "various kinds of political agitation leaflets and dirty things" were dropped by the South near the border and further inland. "We strongly denounce the shameful and dirty act

President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Peruvian counterpart, Dina Boluarte, agreed to strengthen cooperation in the defense industry and the mineral sector during their summit in Peru on Saturday. The talks, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, came as Seoul has been seeking to expand cooperation with Peru, an increasingly crucial partner for South Korea given its rich mineral resources and growing potential for deeper bilateral defense industrial collaboration. Yoon a