Govt. ministers call for exemption of semiconductor workers from 52-hour workweek system

Industry and labor ministers on Tuesday called for an exemption of researchers in the semiconductor industry from South Korea's 52-hour workweek system that prevents them from working extended hours even when needed. The government has been calling for a revision to the system to allow such workers to put in additional hours when necessary. Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo made the call during a meeting with officials from the semiconductor industry, including those

March 11, 2025

KG Mobility launches Torres Hybrid, company's 1st HEV model

KG Mobility Corp. on Tuesday launched the Torres Hybrid, the automaker's first hybrid electric vehicle model that comes with enhanced fuel efficiency and convenience features. The Torres Hybrid is equipped with a 1.83 kilowatt-hour high capacity battery and a parallel dual-motor system. Its fuel efficiency is rated as having a 41 percent improvement over the gasoline model counterpart, according to the company. The model's next-generation infotainment platform provides an intuitive display of dr

March 11, 2025

Industry ministry to expand trade commission to strengthen trade protection functions

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will reorganize the trade commission as part of efforts to strengthen its trade safeguard functions amid the expansion of global protectionism, officials said Tuesday. The Korea Trade Commission will have two new departments on dumping investigations starting next Tuesday, to better protect domestic industries amid global oversupply and protectionist policies of major economies, according to the officials. With the envisioned reorganization, the KTC wil

March 11, 2025

Hanwha Ocean discusses naval shipbuilding cooperation with Thai envoy

Hanwha Ocean Co. said Tuesday it has held discussions with Thailand's ambassador to South Korea on ways to bolster maritime security and shipbuilding cooperation between the two countries. In the meeting with Ambassador Tanee Sangrat held Monday, the company presented its vision to strengthen Thailand's shipbuilding capabilities through cooperation and to expand collaborations with local shipyards. According to the shipbuilder, the ambassador stressed that bilateral cooperation in the defense an

March 11, 2025

Court to rule on state auditor's impeachment Thursday

The Constitutional Court said Tuesday it will deliver its impeachment ruling for chief state auditor Choe Jae-hae this week. Choe, chair of the Board of Audit and Inspection, was impeached by the National Assembly in December for allegedly conducting a poor review of suspected irregularities surrounding the 2022 relocation of the presidential office. The court said its ruling will be announced at 10 a.m. Thursday, along with its verdict on the impeachments of three top prosecutors -- Lee Chang-s

March 11, 2025

Acting president vows 'zero tolerance' for any violence amid imminent ruling on Yoon's impeachment

Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Tuesday pledged "zero tolerance" for any acts of violence as the Constitutional Court is set to deliver its ruling on whether to reinstate or remove impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. The court is expected to announce its decision as early as this week, raising concerns over potential clashes as both Yoon's supporters and opponents are anticipated to gather in large numbers. "The government will guarantee the right to hold lawful and peaceful rallies to the full

March 11, 2025

Navy holds maritime drills against WMD proliferation

The Navy said Tuesday it conducted maritime drills aimed at curbing weapons of mass destruction proliferation in connection to an ongoing major South Korea-US military exercise. The WMD interdiction exercise took place in waters off the southwestern island of Gageodo, mobilizing three warships, including the ROKS Jeonbuk frigate, along with Navy special forces and a coast guard vessel, a day after the allies launched the annual Freedom Shield exercise. The maritime drills focused on detecting an

March 11, 2025

LG Electronics unveils 2025 OLED, QNED TV lineup

LG Electronics Inc. said Tuesday its new advanced organic light-emitting diode and quantum nanocell-emitting diode TVs will soon hit the market, with their user-friendly artificial intelligence and upgraded image quality. The 2025 OLED evo incorporates brightness booster technology, which optimizes the display algorithm and organic compound structure to deliver images up to three times brighter than those of conventional OLED TVs, LG Electronics said. The upgraded Alpha 11 processor enhances pic

March 11, 2025

S. Korea, EU hold inaugural meeting of space security dialogue

South Korea and the European Union have held the inaugural talks of their newly launched space security consultative body to jointly respond to space threats, the foreign ministry here said Tuesday. Youn Jong-kwon, the ministry's director-general for international security, held the inaugural meeting of the Space Security Dialogue with Marjolijn Van Deelen, the EU's special envoy for space, in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday, according to the ministry. The launch of the dialogue was agreed upon in

March 11, 2025

Retail investors dominate alternative stock exchange

Retail investors are flocking to the country's first alternative stock exchange as the trading platform runs for extended trading hours and offers cheaper trading fees, data showed Tuesday. The Nextrade, launched last Tuesday, runs for 12 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., longer than the trading hours of the main Korea Exchange bourse, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The NXT also offers lower fees compared with the main bourse and introduces different stock bid and ask prices. According to the data compile

March 11, 2025