Last Update: 10:55 am ET

South Korea

Samsung Sees Weaker Earnings

SEOUL—Samsung Electronics Co. said it expects weaker third-quarter earnings, reflecting a decline in demand for its computer chips and flat panels, although brisk sales of its smartphones may help offset slower sales of other products.
The relative strength of the Korean giant’s telecom sector underscores the significance of a global legal battle [...]

S. Korea’s Lee invited to address Congress

US House Speaker John Boehner said Friday that he had invited South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak to address a joint session of Congress during his state visit next week.
US President Barack Obama will host Lee for talks and a state dinner on October 13 — a visit that will showcase the solidarity between Washington and Seoul on confronting the nuclear threat posed by [...]

Japan’s new PM to visit South Korea: minister

Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will visit South Korea this month for summit talks with President Lee Myung-Bak, Japan’s visiting foreign minister said Thursday.
Noda, who took office in late August, will visit Seoul from October 18-19, Koichiro Gemba told a press conference after talks with his counterpart Kim Sung-Hwan.
The ministers confirmed the schedule during [...]

N. Korean heir apparent cements status: S. Korea

The son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has cemented his status as leader-in-waiting through frequent field trips with his ailing father, the South’s unification ministry said Monday.
Kim Jong-Un has accompanied his father 100 times, or on two-thirds, of his trademark “field guidance” trips, since he was confirmed as leader-in-waiting a year ago, the ministry [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 26, 2011

S.Korean jailed after seeking asylum in N.Korea

A South Korean has been jailed for a foiled attempt to defect to North Korea, a court official said, in an unusual reversal of the prevailing trend.
The man in his 50s, surnamed Oh, visited the North’s consulate in the northeastern China city of Shenyang last October to seek asylum, saying he wanted to campaign for [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 26, 2011

China down S.Korea 56-43 in Asian basketball semis

Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi led China to a 56-43 Asian championship semi-final victory over South Korea Saturday in a low-scoring physical battle that thrilled the homecourt crowd.
In Sunday’s championship game, China will face Jordan, who beat the Philippines 75-61 in the first semi.
Yi and Wang scored 11 of the team’s final 15 points with [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 25, 2011

President’s Lee Slept Here

When South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was elected president in early 2008, he moved out of the house he and his wife had been renting for nearly two years and the home’s owner, Lee Sook-hee, had trouble finding new tenants.
After trying — but failing — for several months to find a new renter, Ms. Lee [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 24, 2011

Samsung’s Lee Younghee: ‘Apple Is Free Riding’

SEOUL, South Korea — A top Samsung executive says the company will take a bolder stance in its patent battle with smartphone and tablet rival Apple, which Samsung claims has been “free riding” on its patented wireless technologies.
“We’ll be pursuing our rights for this in a more aggressive way from now on,” Lee Younghee, head [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 24, 2011

Samsung Eyes Top Spot in India Smartphone Market

BANGALORE — South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. aims to be the top smartphone vendor in India by the end of this year in a market where Apple Inc. isn’t aggressively pushing its iPhones and Nokia Corp.’s share is fast shrinking.
The Korean company is targeting a 40% share in India’s smartphone market, Ranjit Yadav, head of [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 24, 2011

S. Korea seeks wildlife listing for tense border area

South Korea is seeking international recognition of its tense border region with North Korea as an area rich in wildlife, officials said Friday.
The environment ministry said it has submitted an application to register a 2,979 square kilometre (1,150 sq mile) area, including the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) and the surrounding restricted area, as a UNESCO biosphere [...]

Read More » No commentSeptember 24, 2011