WASHINGTON -- Lloyd Austin, US President-elect Joe Biden's pick for defense secretary, pledged Wednesday to work with and help protect US allies. "I understand the important role in the Department of Defense and the role that it plays in maintaining stability and deterring aggression and defending and supporting critical alliances around the world, including in the Asia-Pacific, and Europe and around the world," the retired US Army general said at a press conference in Wilmington, Del

The National Assembly on Wednesday approved a number of bills, including those related to corporate governance, police overhaul and labor reform. But a highly contentious proposal aimed at facilitating the launch of a new investigative agency for high-profile corruption failed to pass due to objection by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The ruling Democratic Party (DP) said it will proceed with the bill Thursday when an extraordinary session opens. More than 110 bills were passed

President Moon Jae-in formally requested Wednesday that lawmakers hold confirmation hearings on his picks to serve as new ministers of interior, land, health and gender equality. Moon signed related documents on the four nominees and submitted them to the National Assembly earlier in the day, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok told reporters. Last Friday, Moon picked Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol of the ruling Democratic Party as the interior and safety minister and Kwon Deok-cheol, head of the Korea

The US Forces Korea (USFK) expressed regrets Wednesday over recent dance parties at its bases where participants ignored requirements to wear masks and other social distancing rules amid the resurgent new coronavirus. The US military has come under fire for a party that took place at Flightline Tap Room at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, on Friday, with dozens of people dancing side by side without wearing face masks. A similar incident took place earlier at Osan Air Base in the

South Korean stocks closed at an all-time high Wednesday, driven by progress of COVID-19 vaccines amid optimism over US stimulus talks. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 54.54 points, or 2.02 percent, to close at 2,755.47. Trading volume was high at about 1.2 billion shares worth some 16.8 trillion won ($15.5 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 658 to 192. Foreigners bought a net 162 billion won, while retail investo

Posco Chemical Co., an affiliate of South Korea's steel giant Posco Group, said Wednesday it will provide a key element for Ultium Cells' rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). Posco Chemical said it will supply cathodes, one part of lithium-ion batteries used in EVs, to Ultium Cells, a battery joint venture of American automaker General Motors Co. and South Korean chemical firm LG Energy Solution Ltd. The two companies will separately negotiate a supply deal of anode, a key mater

The chiefs of 20 large business groups in South Korea, including top conglomerate Samsung Group, did not register themselves as board members of their affiliates, the antitrust regulator said Wednesday, a move widely seen as an attempt to avoid managerial responsibilities. As of May, the owners of Samsung, chemicals-to-construction conglomerate Hanwha, leading shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries and 17 other conglomerates were not board members of the groups' affiliates, the Korea Fair Trade C

Samsung Electronics Co. was the largest smartphone vendor in Russia in the third quarter of the year, beating its Chinese rival Huawei Technologies Co., a report showed Wednesday. Samsung accounted for 28.4 percent of smartphone sales in Russia in the July-September period, edging out Huawei by 2.9 percentage points, according to market researcher Counterpoint Research. China's Xiaomi Corp. came in third with a 22.6 percent share in the third quarter, followed by Apple Inc. with a 9.2 percent

Samsung Electronics Co. was the fourth-largest vendor of wearable devices in the third quarter of the year, a market report showed Wednesday, amid soaring global demand for wearables. Samsung shipped 11.2 million units of wearable devices in the July-September period, up 32.2 percent from a year earlier, for a market share of 9 percent, according to the latest report from market tracker International Data Corp. (IDC). "Samsung's strategy to attack the earwear market with multiple brands

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) was poised to push for the passage of a set of controversial bills through the National Assembly's plenary session Wednesday despite fierce protests from the conservative main opposition bloc. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) requested a filibuster to block the passage of five bills during the plenary session scheduled for 2 p.m., a parliamentary source told Yonhap News Agency. The DP currently holds a majority in the 300-member assembly. One of the

South Korean banks' household loans continued to grow at a faster clip in November, fueled by the strong growth of non-mortgage loans, central bank data showed Wednesday. The value of outstanding bank loans to local households came to 982.1 trillion won ($905.3 billion) as of end-November, up 13.6 trillion won from the previous month, according to the data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). The November reading, which is compared with a 10.6 trillion-won gain in October, marked the highest monthly

The number of newly establishment companies in South Korea increased by the most in five years in 2019, with one in four new entities engaged in the real estate business, data showed Wednesday. Last year, the number of newly created firms reached a record 997,000, up 77,000 or 8.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. It marked the largest on-year increase since 2014, when such firms grew by 94,000, according to the statistics agency. Of the newly cr

An international forum kicked off in Seoul on Wednesday to share South Korea's achievements in global cooperation and explore its future roles and challenges in the post-COVID-19 era. Global Korea Convention 2020 opened in a ceremony at the K-Hotel Seoul for a three-day run, with the in-person and online attendance of about 30 dignitaries, including Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun; and National As

tvN 드라마 '막돼먹은 영애씨' 시리즈로 친숙한 배우 김현숙(42)이 동갑내기 남편과 6년 만에 결별했다. 김현숙 소속사 이엘라이즈는 9일 "김현숙이 이혼 조정 중"이라고 밝혔다. 김현숙은 2014년 동갑내기 비연예인과 결혼했으며 올해 초에는 TV조선 부부 관찰 예능 '아내의 맛'에 동반 출연하기도 했다. 아들은 김현숙이 양육할 것으로 알려졌다. 김현숙은 연극배우로 데뷔해 KBS 2TV '개그콘서트'에서 출산드라 캐릭터로 인기를 얻었으며 이후 '막돼먹은 영애씨' 주인공 영애로 큰 사랑을 받았다. 최근작은 MBC TV 드라마 '저녁 같이 드실래요?'다. (연합뉴스)

South Korea said Wednesday it has confirmed the sixth case of highly pathogenic bird flu from a duck farm, raising concerns over the disease penetrating deeper into the local livestock industry. Local authorities identified the latest case from Naju, 355 kilometers south of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The country has been reporting highly pathogenic cases from different regions, ranging from Gyeonggi Province to South Jeolla Province. Highly pathoge

Samsung Electronics Co. accounted for 10 percent of the global feature phone market in the third quarter of the year, a report showed Wednesday, amid the decline of the sector. Global feature phone shipments declined 17 percent on-year to 74 million units in the July-September period, according to market researcher Counterpoint Research. Samsung had a 10 percent share in the feature phone market in the third quarter, sharing third place with China's Tecno Mobile, a subsidiary of Transsion Gr

South Korea said Wednesday it will make efforts to help local exporters utilize a mega trade pact accounting for one-third of the world's gross domestic product, hinting the deal could give a boost to the steel and automobile segments. "Amid the growing uncertainties stemming from COVID-19 and protectionism, the RCEP will grant exporters access to new markets, along with unified trade rules," the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement. In November, members of ASEA

South Korea's agricultural exports rose nearly 7 percent on-year over the January-November period, data showed Wednesday, setting a fresh high despite the new coronavirus pandemic. Outbound shipments of agricultural products came to $6.8 billion over the first 11 months of 2020, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The segment was among a handful of winners in South Korean exports, which suffered from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pand

One soldier in the inter-Korean border town of Yeoncheon tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of virus patents at barracks to 432, the defense ministry said Wednesday. The enlistee at the Army boot camp in Yeoncheon developed symptoms while in isolation after coming into close contact with his colleague who earlier tested positive, according to the ministry. The total number of COVID-19 cases there has now grown to 82, it added. Currently, 1,649 service members a

South Korea's vice finance minister warned Wednesday against potential excessive overheating in stock and property markets, saying that asset prices could spike amid ample liquidity and the economic recovery. First Vice Finance Minister Kim Yong-beom made the remarks as the country's stock prices hit a fresh record high in recent sessions and housing prices have not stabilized despite a series of the government's measures. "We need to be wary of the possibility that market volatility coul