Samsung Electronics Co. is considering launching the upcoming budget model of the Galaxy S21 smartphone in the United States and Europe only, industry sources said Friday, due to global semiconductor shortages. Samsung is reviewing a plan to release the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE) in the U.S. and Europe after skipping the domestic market and other countries following the tight supply of mobile application processors, according to the sources. The Galaxy S21 FE will be reportedly powered by the

The UN nuclear watchdog has formed a team of experts, including a South Korean researcher, to monitor Japan's planned discharge of treated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, the government said Friday. Kim Hong-suk, a nuclear expert from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), joined the team that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) formed Thursday, it said, noting his participation will help ensure the safety of the planned water release. The team is known

South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI Co. is considering investment in the United States to meet growing demand for electric vehicles, industry sources said Friday, stoking speculation over potential partnership with major automakers. The battery making arm of Samsung Electronics Co. has been reviewing various options to build a new battery factory in the US to supply potential clients but has remained cautious over its plan despite rising market expectations. "We are considering US inve

The finance ministers of South Korea and Argentina have held talks over ways to ease volatility of cross-border capital flows and strengthen economic cooperation, the finance ministry said Friday. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki and his Argentine counterpart, Martin Guzman, held the meeting in Venice, Italy, on Thursday (local time) on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G-20) meeting of top finance and economic officials, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. They shared the view that

The brother of a South Korean fisheries official killed in North Korean waters said Friday he sent emails to the North's diplomatic missions in Hong Kong and Mongolia asking them to deliver his letter to leader Kim Jong-un. The fisheries official was shot and killed by North Korea's military in September while adrift in waters north of the inter-Korean sea border in the Yellow Sea, a day after he went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeong. On Frida

Defending champions Ulsan Hyundai FC have qualified for the knockout stage at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, moving forward in their bid for a second consecutive title at the continent's top club football tournament. The South Korean club defeated Viettel 3-0 at Pathum Thani Stadium in Bangkok on Thursday (local time) for their fifth consecutive victory in Group F. Sitting at 15 points with one match remaining against BG Pathum United on Sunday, Ulsan have assured them

WASHINGTON -- North Korea poses a significant cyber threat to the United States and other countries, particularly to financial institutions, a State Department spokesman said Thursday. Ned Price also highlighted the need for joint efforts to counter such threats posed by the North. "North Korea's malicious cyber activities threaten the United States. They threaten our allies and partners, countries around the world," the spokesman said at a press briefing, also elaborating that the N

South Korean stocks opened lower Friday as the country decided to impose a semi-lockdown in the greater Seoul area, a hotbed for the recent spike in the new coronavirus. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (Kospi) fell 23.3 points, or 0.72 percent, to trade at 3,229.38 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The Kospi came off to a lackluster start, as the country decided to raise its virus restrictions in the wider Seoul area to the highest level. The announcement came after t

WASHINGTON -- The United States is still considering the possibility of its first lady, Jill Biden, traveling to Japan for the summer Olympics there, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday. "We are still assessing the feasibility of the first lady attending and our advance team arrives in Tokyo later this week," Jen Psaki told a daily press briefing. Her remarks come shortly after Tokyo said the Olympics will take place without any spectators, amid a resurgence in COVID-19 infection

  South Korea's health authorities said Thursday they will announce new social distancing measures for the greater Seoul area soon, amid expectations that the capital area may be placed under the highest level in the four-tier system. South Korea reported 1,275 new COVID-19 cases on the day, setting a new daily record. The government will announce a readjusted level of social distancing Friday after a COVID-19 control meeting in the morning, officials said. South Korea earlier planned t

  Twenty-four more newly enlisted soldiers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total of recent infections at an Army boot camp to 77, the defense ministry said Thursday, as South Korea braces for another wave of infections. The conscripts at the Korea Army Training Center in the central city of Nonsan were confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 as of 6 p.m., after 53 others were found to be infected the previous day, according to the ministry. Following the mass inf

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., a major shipbuilder here, said Thursday it has sought a court order against unionized workers occupying a shipbuilding crane, the latest development in a drawn-out wage dispute with the labor union. The crane occupation by unionized workers at its shipyard in Ulsan started Tuesday after the management did not propose tangible proposals to solve the two-year-long wage dispute. "The workers plan to go on strike until Friday, but how long the situation will go o

South Korean stocks plunged nearly 1 percent Thursday as investors turned risk-averse amid a surge in new coronavirus cases. The Korean won fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) retreated 32.66 points, or 0.99 percent, to close at 3,252.68 points. The figures mark the steepest daily fall since May 13. Trading volume was moderate at about 1.5 billion shares worth some 16.5 trillion won ($14.4 billion), with losers outnumbering gainers 777 to 106. F

The foreign ministry expressed "deep condolences" Thursday over the death of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise, pledging to support efforts to restore political and social stability in the country. Moise was killed during an attack at his private residence on Wednesday morning, creating political turmoil when the country struggles with poverty. First lady Martine Moise was also attacked and is under treatment, according to reports. "We express deep condolences to the bereaved fam

Samsung Display Co. on Thursday signed a wage agreement with its labor union as some of its unionized workers have been staging strikes for the first time in the company's history. The union on Monday accepted the company's proposal of a 4.5 percent raise, which was approved by 83 percent of its members in a vote. The agreement came after six union representatives began industrial actions on June 21, demanding a 6.8 percent hike in base pay, in the first-ever walkout at the world's largest mob

The number of South Korea's listed firms with a market capitalization of 1 trillion won ($875 million) or more rose by more than 30 in the second quarter amid a stock market rally, a corporate tracker said Thursday. A total of 274 listed companies were worth 1 trillion won or more as of end-June, up 32 from three months earlier, according to a survey of 2,357 corporations by CXO Institute. The total market capitalization of the companies came to 2,604 trillion won as of the end of June, up 8 p

KT Wiz's second-year starter So Hyeong-jun has been named the best player in South Korean baseball for the month of June. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said So, the 2020 Rookie of the Year, won the vote by media and fans to earn the Player of the Month honor for June. So earned 11 out of 32 votes cast by media and then earned 121,857 out of 258,241 votes from fans. He scored 40.78 in the converted voting points, edging out NC Dinos catcher Yang Eui-ji (20.86 points). So went 2-0 in fo

North Korea's official newspaper on Thursday ran detailed reports about recent spikes in coronavirus infections in South Korea. In an article with a headline mentioning South Korea's coronavirus conditions, a rarity, the Rodong Sinmun provided information on the latest COVID-19 confirmed cases in the South. "Reports show that a huge stir is being caused as the number of new coronavirus infections in South Korea has spiked," the paper said, mentioning the number of confirmed cases h

South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator, Noh Kyu-duk, spoke by phone with his US counterpart, Sung Kim, on Thursday and discussed efforts to advance the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said. During the phone call, Noh and Kim discussed how to work together to swiftly implement agreements reached between President Moon Jae-in and US President Joe Biden at their May 21 summit and to make substantive progress in efforts to realize complete denuclearization on the penins

Ham Sang-wook, deputy foreign minister for multilateral affairs, has met top officials of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to discuss bilateral ties and exchanges during his trip to the country, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Ham paid courtesy calls on President Felix Tshisekedi and Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula Apala Pen'Apala during his trip to Kinshasa from Monday through Thursday -- the first such visit by a senior Seoul official since the peaceful transfer of power in DR C