SK Telecom Co., a major mobile carrier, denied a news report Monday that it is planning to sell a stake in its e-commerce unit 11Street to US retail giant Amazon.com Inc. in a bid to bolster its online retail business. Local media had earlier reported that Amazon will exercise its right to acquire a 30 percent stake in 11Street, and that the US retailer could acquire up to a 50 percent stake in the South Korean e-commerce company. SK Telecom and Amazon strengthened ties in November last year t

South Korean stocks opened higher Monday as investor sentiment was boosted by slower-than-expected US jobs data that partially eased concerns of early inflation. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 17.48 points, or 0.54 percent, to reach 3,257.56 points in the first 15 minutes of trading. The KOSPI got off to a bullish start as investors are relieved that the increase in US non-agricultural jobs in May turned out to be slower than the market consensus. The key stock i

"F9," the latest chapter in the "Fast and Furious" series, has become the third title to attract more than 2 million moviegoers in South Korea in 2021, box office data showed Monday. The action blockbuster drew 173,000 people over the Friday-Sunday period, bringing its combined total to 2.05 million, according to the data from the Korean Film Council. It is the third film released in 2021 to hit 2 million in the country, following the Disney-Pixar fantasy animated film &quo

Public opinion appears to be almost evenly divided over to whom the upcoming new round of COVID-19 relief payments should go, an opinion poll showed Monday. According to the poll conducted on 500 voters nationwide Friday by Realmeter, 38 percent said the stimulus checks should be paid to all nationals. Another 33.4 percent, however, responded the relief funds should selectively go to underprivileged people, the poll results showed. A total of 25.3 percent opposed the payment of emergency relie

Foreign investors turned to net sellers of South Korean stocks last month, ending their one-month buying spree, data showed Monday. Foreigners sold a net 10.1 trillion won ($9 billion) worth of local stocks in May, according to the data from the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS). Investors from the United States sold 2.9 trillion won of stocks last month, while investors from Singapore purchased a net 654 billion won of stocks, according to the FSS. As of end-May, local stocks held by forei

Two South Korean golfers have finished tied for seventh at the US Women's Open, as the country failed to produce its third consecutive champion at the oldest major tournament in women's golf. World No. 1 Ko Jin-young and second-ranked Park In-bee both finished the championship at one-over 285 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on Sunday (local time). Ko shot a two-under 69 in the final round, thanks to three birdies against one bogey. Park, a two-time US Women's Open champion, had a 72 on Sun

The military began administering Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine to soldiers under 30 years old Monday, the defense ministry said. Of the around 414,000 eligible service members, about 86.5 percent applied for the inoculation, and the vaccine will be given at 91 military clinics across the nation through July 16, according to the ministry. Soldiers aged 30 and older were already given AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, with about 88 percent, or 116,900 members, of the age group agreeing to take thei

The chairman of the ruling Democratic Party on Sunday hinted at the potential parole of Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of Samsung Group. Business conglomerates have recently called for Lee to be pardoned, especially ahead of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, an anniversary on which South Korea's presidents have often used their right to grant a special pardon as part of efforts for promoting national unity. "(Lee) could possibly be freed on parole, not limited only to a pardon," Re

President Moon Jae-in on Sunday met with the bereaved families of a female Air Force officer, sexually assaulted by a male colleague, and apologized to them for failing to protect her. Moon headed to her funeral home shortly after attending a national ceremony to mark the 66th Memorial Day. The annual event was held at Seoul National Cemetery. Speaking to the victim's parents at Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, just south of the capital, the president said he was sorry that the count

Unification Minister Lee In-young called Sunday for "maximum flexibility" in deciding what to do with joint military exercises with the United States set for August, saying such drills should never serve as a chance to cause additional tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Lee said on KBS TV's "Sunday Diagnosis Live" that additional consideration should be given to how to deal with the upcoming combined military exercises at a time when the new US policy on Pyongyang has shaped

Big-name bidders are believed to be carefully weighing how much to offer on the eve of bidding for eBay Korea, South Korea's no. 3 retail behemoth, as the deal is expected to bring a seismic change to the local retail industry, industry sources said Sunday. Most of the preliminary bidders are expected to attend the bidding Monday, including South Korea's No. 1 mobile carrier, SK Telecom Co.; retail giant Lotte Group, discount store franchise E-Mart; and MBK Partners, private equity firm and la

Apartment prices in Seoul and its adjacent areas grew more than 1 percent for the fifth straight month in May despite the government's efforts to stabilize skyrocketing home prices, data showed Sunday. Housing prices in greater Seoul grew 1.21 percent in May from the previous month, compared with a 1.33 percent gain in April, according to data from the Korea Real Estate Board. Since January, the growth of apartment prices in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, 40 kilometers west of the capit

South Korea may collect around 32 trillion won ($28.6 billion) in excess tax revenue this year, potentially securing ammunition to finance another round of an extra budget under review, government sources said Sunday. Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday the government is considering creating this year's second extra budget with a larger-than-expected tax revenue in a bid to underpin an economic recovery and support vulnerable groups hit hard by the pandemic. The country is estimated to co

President Moon Jae-in offered a public apology Sunday apparently over the recent death of a female Air Force officer, who had been sexually assaulted by a male colleague. "I am very sorry to the people over such an evil practice in the barracks culture that led to the tragic and unjust death," he said during his Memorial Day speech at the Seoul National Cemetery. The president stopped short of elaborating, but it was clear he was referring to the noncommissioned officer. She was sexu

Kim Ji-woo (alias), a 36-year-old office worker, found herself near the end of the line to get a COVID-19 vaccine, as she is not among the groups that are prioritized in the country's nationwide inoculation plan. But she learned that the newly-launched "leftover" vaccine booking system was a way for her to "cut in line" and get the vaccination that would allow her to gradually return to normal life. Anybody older than 30 who is not yet officially eligible to receive vaccine

A total of 20 doctors lost their medical licenses over the past six years for having unlicensed people practice medicine on their behalf, including plastic surgeries, a report showed Sunday. Two dentists, two doctors of Korean medicine and one nurse had their medial licenses revoked for engaging in such illegal practices over the 2015-2020 period, according to the report compiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and submitted to the parliament. Out of the 20 doctors who were stripped of t

South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back to the 500s on Sunday due to less testing over the weekend, while the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout is gathering pace. The country reported 556 more COVID-19 cases, including 541 local infections, raising the total caseload to 144,152, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The tally fell from 744 on Saturday and 695 Friday, but the decline was attributable to fewer tests over the weekend. The number of daily virus

South Korean player Kwon Soon-woo couldn't get past the third round of the French Open against a top-10 opponent. Kwon, world No. 91, dropped a straight-set decision against the ninth-ranked Matteo Berrettini, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-4, in their men's singles match at Court Simonne-Mathieu inside Roland-Garros in Paris on Saturday (local time). This was Kwon's first appearance at the third round of a Grand Slam tournament. The 23-year-old is expected to crack the top 80 in the next world rankings.

The Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of Buddhist wooden printing blocks, will open to the public every Saturday and Sunday starting later this month. Considered the most comprehensive set of Buddhist scriptures found to date, the Tripitaka Koreana, or "Palmandaejanggyeong" in Korean, comprises 13th-century Buddhist scriptures carved on more than 80,000 wooden printing blocks. They are stored at Janggyeong Panjeon in the Haein Temple, in Hapcheon, 354 kilometers south of Seoul. The sto

St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun is on the injured list (IL) for the second time this season, with the same condition that kept him sidelined in spring. The Cardinals placed Kim on the 10-day IL on Saturday (local time) with right back tightness, a day after the left-hander exited his start against the Cincinnati Reds before the start of the fourth inning. Kim also missed time during spring training and at the start of the regular season with the back problem. In Frida