A recent surge in coronavirus infections at home and abroad is likely to come as a big draw on South Korean oil refiners already battered by the fallout from the pandemic, industry sources said Tuesday. Whipsawed by weak oil prices and sluggish refining margins, industry leader SK Innovation Co. and three other players posted a combined net loss of more than 5 trillion won ($4.5 billion) in the first half of the year. The situation didn't improve much in the third quarter despite rising demand

Air Busan Co. said Tuesday it will resume flights to the Chinese city of Ningbo next month to meet travel demand from businessmen. The budget carrier unit of Asiana Airlines Inc. will begin offering one flight per week on Dec. 6 on the Incheon-Ningbo route after suspending the route for 10 months due to the coronavirus impact on the airline industry, the company said in a statement. Instead, the carrier plans to suspend the Incheon-Shenzhen route beginning Nov. 27, it said,  In July, t

BUSAN -- A fire broke out at an apartment building in the southeastern city of Busan on Tuesday, leaving one dead and 23 injured, fire authorities said. The fire started at around 6:50 a.m. on the 12th floor of a 24-story apartment building in the northern ward of Geumjeong in the city, some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. A man in his 40s was found dead in the bedroom of his home on the 12th floor, while 23 others, including his teenage son, have been sent to a nearby hospital for smoke i

WASHINGTON -- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday dismissed news reports that South Korean-made new coronavirus test kits were defective, saying the kits have been and continue to be "the cornerstone" of the state's long-term testing strategy. "While the entire testing process has been a struggle at the federal and state levels, and there have been and continue to be challenges, these Korean test kits represent one of the greatest success stories of our battle against COVID-19,&q

WASHINGTON -- US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun may visit South Korea next month as part of a multi-nation Asia tour, diplomatic sources here said Monday. The trip is expected to take place in early December, and Biegun is set to be accompanied by Alex Wong, deputy assistant secretary of state for North Korea, multiple sources told Yonhap News Agency, asking not to be identified. Biegun's trip to South Korea, if made, will mark the first of its kind since July. His trip, however, wi

WASHINGTON -- US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday tapped former Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken to be his first secretary of state in a pre-inauguration nomination of five other top security officials that included national security adviser. Jake Sullivan, a senior policy adviser to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was tapped the new national security adviser, while Alejandro Mayorkas, former deputy secretary of homeland security, was named the new head of the Department o

The NC Dinos are one win away from capturing their first South Korean baseball championship. Starter Koo Chang-mo fired seven shutout innings, and cleanup Yang Eui-ji blasted a two-run home run in the bottom sixth, lifting the Dinos to a 5-0 victory in Game 5 of the Korean Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Monday. Yang's shot followed Aaron Altherr's tiebreaking RBI single in the fifth. The Dinos added two insurance runs in the seventh. After their second straight shutout, the Dinos lea

The state human rights watchdog on Monday advised police to make interpretation services available when questioning foreign nationals involved in a criminal case. The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) advised the National Police Agency chief to improve the system and remove language barriers in order to protect the lawful rights of foreign nationals under investigation. The recommendation came as a result of a petition by a South Korean woman to the commission that her Morocca

US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said Monday that the decadeslong relationship between Seoul and Washington will remain strong "whoever" is inaugurated as president in January. In a telephone conference with reporters during his visit to Manila, O'Brien also voiced hope that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will eventually live up to his denuclearization commitment, amid worries Pyongyang could undertake provocations to test the incoming Joe Biden administration. "What

South Korean stocks rose for a fourth consecutive day to near an all-time high Monday on massive foreign buying, backed by hopes for a quick economic recovery, shrugging off concerns over a resurgence of the new coronavirus. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) rose 49.09 points, or 1.92 percent, to close at 2,602.59 points, after reaching as high as 2,605.58 points at one point. Monday's closing price is just shy of the index's a

The chief of the US Space Operations Command called Monday for closer defense cooperation with South Korea in the domain of space to better cope with emerging threats and boost mutual capacity. Gen. John Raymond made the remarks in his video message for the 2020 Defense Space Power Development Symposium organized by Seoul's defense ministry and held in the day in Seoul. "Today, space power is a growing source and conduit for national power, prosperity and prestige ... However, access to t

The government announced Monday that it will suspend a nationwide discount coupon program aimed at promoting spending in the arts and leisure industries, as health authorities and local governments remain on alert over a new wave of COVID-19 cases. The culture ministry said it will halt the program that offers coupons in six areas -- concerts, exhibitions, films, sports, lodging and travel -- starting Tuesday. The decision was announced in line with the government's plan to adopt tougher Leve

Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn will visit Myanmar this week for talks with his counterpart and other officials to discuss joint efforts to fight the new coronavirus and bilateral cooperation in other areas, the foreign ministry said Monday. During his visit to Myanmar from Tuesday to Friday, Kim plans to hold policy talks with his counterpart, U Chan Aye, on ways to deepen practical cooperation on the occasion of the 45th anniversary this year of the establishment of the two countries' diplom

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said Monday that the government was currently at the last stage in negotiations with COVID-19 vaccine developers to purchase coronavirus vaccines and will soon report the progress of the talks to the public. "Following recent news of breakthroughs in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials by global vaccine developing companies, the public's interest in the government's vaccine procurement readiness has gone up," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said during a vacc

Twenty-two more people affiliated with US Forces Korea (USFK), including 18 service members, have tested positive for the new coronavirus upon their arrival in South Korea this month, the US military said Monday. Eight service members and three dependents arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, on US government-chartered flights, while the other 10 service members and a civilian contractor arrived here on commercial flights via Incheon International Airport, west of the capital,

Unification Minister Lee In-young on Monday called on South Korean conglomerates to prepare for possible inter-Korean cooperation despite the current stalled relations, stressing that a breakthrough in cross-border ties could "come sooner than expected." Lee made the remark at a meeting with officials from South Korean conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics, SK Group, LG Group and Hyundai Motor Group, whose leaders accompanied President Moon Jae-in during his visit to Pyongyang

K-pop megastar BTS has bagged two prizes at the 2020 American Music Awards (AMA) and put on its first televised performance of "Life Goes On" in a purple-lit stadium. The septet won the favorite duo or group in pop/rock for the second straight year and the favorite social artist for the third year in a row at the 2020 AMA show held at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night (US time). Other nominees who competed for the favorite duo or group in pop/rock were the Jonas Brothe

South Korea's manufacturing confidence improved sharply to a record high in November despite the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, a poll showed Monday. The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade (KIET) said its professional survey index (PSI) for the manufacturing sector's business conditions came to 133 for November, up from 124 the previous month. November's PSI remained above the benchmark 100 for six months running and reached the highest-ever point. A PSI reading above

President Moon Jae-in has picked Kang Chang-il, a former four-term ruling Democratic Party lawmaker, as South Korea's new ambassador to Japan, Cheong Wa Dae announced Monday, expressing expectations for his role in improving relations between the neighboring countries. Moon's office took note of Kang's expertise in Tokyo-related affairs. Having earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo, he has long conducted academic research on Japan, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-

South Korean firms are again beefing up their virus prevention measures after the country decided to enforce enhanced social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area over a resurgence of the novel coronavirus, industry insiders said Monday. Health authorities will start implementing the Level 2 distancing scheme, the third highest in the country's five-tier COVID-19 alert system, in the capital region, home to half of the nation's population, Tuesday as sporadic cluster infections continue to