Japan emperor formally proclaims enthronement [PHOTOS]

Japan's new Emperor Naruhito on Tuesday completed his ascension to the ancient Chrysanthemum throne in a solemn, ritual-bound ceremony performed before hundreds of dignitaries in the Imperial Palace.

Gov't to boost hydrogen infrastructure

Korea will install 310 hydrogen charging stations throughout the country by 2022, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Tuesday.

Banks face double whammy on falling key rates

Local banks are facing tough times, suffering from falling profitability and worsening financial soundness following a couple of rate cuts by the central bank amid the deepening global downturn.

Gov't urged to take China to WTO for banning Korean games

The government is facing growing calls to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China's refusal to permit Korean game companies to sell their products in the mainland, according to industry officials and politicians.

Employees no longer required to attend work dinners: survey

Evening staff dinner and drinking sessions known as “hoesik,” once an essential part of working life in Korea, are starting to change, in line with the adoption of 52-hour workweek system and bans on workplace bullying implemented earlier this year.

Lho Shin-yong, advocate of 1980s military junta and mentor of ex-UN chief, dies at 89

Lho Shin-yong, a former Prime Minister and foreign minister who stood with the military junta in the 1980s and was a go-to person for former United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, has died of natural causes. He was 89. He died on Monday at Seoul National University Hospital in Jongno, Seoul, hospital officials said.

Asiana bid likely to be two-way race

The bidding for Asiana Airlines is likely to be a two-way race, as Aekyung Group has joined hands with Stonebridge Capital. The Aekyung consortium is set to compete with a consortium of Hyundai Development Company and Mirae Asset Daewoo, which has been considered the strongest contender thus far.

Anthropologist traces 'spooky' sites across Seoul

Halloween is not traditionally celebrated in Korea, although the elements are in place, from the availability of pumpkins and other gourds and a love of costumes and candy, to the widespread belief in ghosts and demons. A higher proportion of Koreans believe in the supernatural (up to 51 percent in Gallup polls) compared to Americans (32 percent) and Canadians (25 percent). The belief in the paranormal is nearly ubiquitous across Korea, due to a unique combination of cultural and historic factors.

Hyundai Motor heir vows to make drastic changes

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun said Tuesday the world's No. 5 automaker has been “stagnant” regarding innovation over the past decade, and will work towards more drastic changes in years to come.

Consumption polarized amid slowdown

A man in his early 30s surnamed Lee has yet to decide which designer store he wants to shop at. Judging from the latest updates from an email alert, the fall-winter season clothing line from Gucci does not seem to be too bad a choice.

Mercedes-Benz to help nurture Korean startups

Mercedes-Benz and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will team up to support the growth of Korean SMEs, holding multiple programs for prospective startups to enter overseas markets and strengthen cooperation with global companies, the German carmaker said Tuesday.

Six Russian military aircraft break into South Korea's air defense zone

Six military aircraft believed to be from Russia violated South Korea's air defense identification zone over the East Sea on Tuesday, prompting the Air Force to scramble fighter jets to turn them back, a Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) officer said. The planes entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) earlier in the day without prior notice, the officer said, adding that F-15K fighter jets were scrambled to the area to force the planes to retreat. Other details, including the type of the planes, their flight courses and how long they stayed in the zone, were not immediately available. Russian military planes have entered the KADIZ more than 13 times so far this year, according to government data.

TVXQ first foreign act to top Japanese music chart for 8th time

K-pop duo TVXQ has topped Japan's Oricon weekly album chart for the eighth time, becoming the first foreign artists to reach the milestone. TVXQ's 15th anniversary celebration album “XV” sold 155,000 copies during the first week of its release (Oct. 14-20), according to Oricon, Tuesday.

BVNDIT in comeback with first mini-album

K-pop rookie girl group BVNDIT is set to release its first mini-album “BE!” on Nov. 5. Its new teaser photo was uploaded to its official Instagram account at midnight Monday.

Eric Nam's new song set for Oct. 30 release

Korean American singer Eric Nam is set to release his new digital single “Love Die Young,” written in English, on Oct. 30, according to his Twitter account. It will follow the digital single “Runaway,” released on April 8.

Soprano Kim Jee-Hyun leads globalization of Korean 'gagok'

Korean soprano Kim Jee-Hyun, one of the best-known Asian vocalists, is going all out to help globalize Korean 'gagok.' Gagok refers to a genre of vocal music using lyrics from a poem.

[Yongsan Legacy] Walking through Itaewon in 1968

In 1968, leaving Yongsan Garrison and heading toward Itaewon, meant walking on a road GIs called the MSR, or Main Supply Route. More often than not, you'd be immediately set upon by a group of ragamuffin boys shouting “Ten Won! Ten Won!” They'd hang around for a while and if you didn't hand them a coin they'd soon lose interest and move on to the next GI exiting the gate.

World's top female golf stars compete for the BMW Ladies Championship

The BMW Ladies Championship 2019 will take place at the 6,726-yard par-72 LPGA International Busan. Starting Oct. 24, the four-day event will be its inaugural edition.