Korea sees consumer prices slow to 11-month low in June

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's consumer price index, a key indicator of consumer sentiment, stood at 113.83 in June, up 2.4 percent from a year earlier, according to Statistics Korea. But the figure was the lowest over the past 11 months. The pace of increase has remained below three percent for the third consecutive month. The rise in consumer prices in June was driven primarily by higher prices for fresh agricultural produce. Seasonal fruits were particularly sharp i

July 2, 2024

Vietnamese PM discusses enhanced cooperation during meetings with Samsung, Hyundai chiefs

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has met with the heads of major Korean business groups to discuss expanded investment and cooperation. Chinh arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a four-day visit aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries. The premier met with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong in Seoul on Tuesday and Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun on Monday. During the meeting, Lee emphasized the imp

July 2, 2024

PHOTOS: Korea, Canada connect through friendly hockey tournament

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - Korean and Canadian players faced off against each other at a hockey tournament in central Seoul on Monday. Hosted by the Embassy of Canada to Korea, the friendly tournament was part of celebrations for the 157th anniversary of the country's founding, also called Canada Day. Despite a valiant effort, the Korean team fell short to the host who emerged victorious.

July 2, 2024

Samsung Electronics union threatens three-day strike next week

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - Samsung Electronics' largest labor union has threatened to go on a three-day full-fledged strike next week, demanding higher wages for some workers. The National Samsung Electronics Labor Union (NSELU), representing about 22 percent of Samsung's 125,000 employees, declared the strike on Monday evening following failed negotiations with management. The union will walk out from Monday to Wednesday, demanding higher wage increases for 855 members

July 2, 2024

Canadian Embassy celebrates founding day with hockey tournament in Seoul

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - The Embassy of Canada to Korea held a street hockey tournament in central Seoul on Monday. Held in a garden near the embassy, the friendly tournament was part of celebrations for the 157th anniversary of the country's founding, also called Canada Day. The tournament came after last week's port call of His Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Montréal in Korea's western port city of Incheon. The frigate's crew members joined in Monday&

July 2, 2024

McDonald's installs voice guidance kiosks for visually impaired

SEOUL, July 02 (AJU PRESS) - McDonald's Korea said Tuesday it has installed kiosks with voice guidance functions at all stores nationwide to assist visually impaired customers. "Visually impaired customers can now access product information and freely order their menu items through voice guidance at any McDonald's store across the country," the company said in a press release. The kiosks can be connected to earphones, allowing visitors to easily select their foo

July 2, 2024

LG Energy Solution secures first major LFP battery order from Renault

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - LG Energy Solution has signed a large-scale supply contract for electric vehicle LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries with Renault's electric vehicle division, Ampere, the Korean battery maker said Tuesday. Under the agreement, signed at Renault's headquarters in Paris on Monday (local time), LG will supply about 39GWh of battery cells, enough to power 590,000 electric vehicles, for five years from late 2025 to 2030. LG became the first Korea

July 2, 2024

PHOTOS: Heavy rain alerts issued as monsoon downpours hit many parts of Korea

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - Heavy rains dampened much of the country on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue rain alerts for Seoul and other central and southern regions. Downpours ranging from 30 to 80 millimeters were expected in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces during the day, with some areas forecast to receive over 120 millimeters. The one-month monsoon season began across the country on Saturday.

July 2, 2024

N. Korea says it successfully test-fired new tactical ballistic missile

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea successfully test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile, state media reported Tuesday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the previous day that two projectiles were fired eastwards from a launch site in South Hwanghae Province at around 5:00 a.m. (2000 GMT) and traveled about 600 kilometers (372 miles) and 120 kilometers, respectively. Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the missile, codenamed "H

July 2, 2024

NewJeans' Hanni takes Japanese fans by storm with nostalgic song

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop girl band NewJeans captivated some 90,000 Japanese fans during their gigs at the Tokyo Dome in Japan last week. The quintet, consisting of Danielle, Haerin, Hanni, Hyein and Minji, held the two-day concerts on June 26 and 27 to promote their Japanese debut album. The highlight of the concerts came when Vietnamese-Australian Hanni performed a fresh rendition of Japanese oldie "Aoi Sangoshou," meaning "blue coral reef" in Englis

July 2, 2024