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"We had to wait two weeks," said Lee Bo-mi, a 35-year-old mother with a sick 3-year-old boy, at the Healthy Children's Hospital. By comparison, it costs about A$335 for initial standard consultation with an Australian paediatrician, while observation at Nationwide Children's Hospital in the U.S. costs $208 per hour, according to its website. Data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service shows paediatricians are South Korea's lowest paid doctors, making 57% less than the average doctor's salary. Sowha Hospital, South Korea's oldest children's hospital, recently suspended Saturday afternoon and Sunday treatment for the first time in 77 years due to a lack of staff. "If the number of children's hospitals decreases and the number of doctors falls, it's going to be difficult to get children treated."

Persons: Song Jong, geun, Jung Seung, Kim Hong, Ji, paediatrics, Lee Bo, Dae, it's, Choi Yong, jae, Dr Lim Hyun, I'm, Kim Eun, Lee Ju, yul, there's, Lee, Lim, Joyce Lee, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Seoul Institute, Reuters, The, of Health, Welfare, Children's, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea Children's Hospital, Korean Pediatric Association, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Health Insurance, Service, Namseoul University, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Ji SEOUL, Seoul's, Korea, Australian, U.S

☆ Tesla beats second-quarter delivery estimates as price cuts pay off
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 2 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) on Sunday said it delivered a record number of vehicles in the second quarter, topping market estimates as price cuts and U.S. federal credits helped make its electric vehicles more affordable. "The price cuts was a smart poker move for Tesla and paying major dividends in the field especially for the China market," Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, said. Tesla is expected to hit record sales in China, its second-largest market after North America, despite stiff competition from market leader BYD . Tesla has cut prices starting in China since late last year, eroding its first-quarter margins. Reuters GraphicsThe company delivered 446,915 Model 3 compact cars and Model Y sport-utility vehicle, as well as 19,225 of its Model S and Model X premium vehicles.

Persons: Elon, Tesla, Dan Ives, BYD, Ives, Elon Musk, Akash Sriram, Shivani, Hyun Joo Jin, Sriraj Kalluvila, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Tesla Inc, Refinitiv, Tesla, Wedbush Securities, Reuters Graphics, Ford, General Motors, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, North America, United States, Shivani Tanna, Bengaluru

☆ North Korea: "No intention to examine" Hyundai Group chief's bid to visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 1 (Reuters) - North Korea has no intention to "examine" South Korea's Hyundai Group chief's plan to visit the North's Mount Kumgang, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun has been seeking to visit North Korea in August and submitted applications to South Korea's unification ministry, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, citing an unnamed official at the ministry. Hyundai's late founder, Chung Ju-Yung, was born in North Korea. Mount Kumgang is on North Korea’s east coast near the demilitarised zone separating the two countries. North Korea has long rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers.

Persons: Kumgang, Hyun Jeong, Chung, Yung, Yoon Suk, Heekyong Yang, Sandra Maler, William Mallard Organizations: Korea's Hyundai, Hyundai, DPRK, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, North Korea’s, Kaesong, Pyongyang

☆ South Korea shoppers buy up salt before Japan's Fukushima water dump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Hyun Young Yi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Lee Young-Min and her children pose for photographs during an interview with Reuters in Seongnam, South Korea, June 28, 2023. The release of the water from huge storage tanks into the Pacific is expected soon though no date has been set. The rush to stock up contributed to a nearly 27% rise in the price of salt in South Korea in June from two months ago, though officials say the weather and lower production were also to blame. South Korean fisheries authorities say they will keep a close eye on salt farms for any rise in radioactivity. South Korea has banned seafood from the waters near Fukushima, on Japan's east coast.

Persons: Lee Young, Min, Kim SEOUL, Song Sang, keun, Japan's, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kim Myung, Hyun Young Yi, Jack Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Fisheries, ., Thomson Locations: Seongnam, South Korea, Japan, Tokyo, Seoul, Korea, Fukushima, Japan's, China

☆ South Koreans become a year or two younger as traditional way of counting age scrapped
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, June 28 (Reuters) - South Koreans became a year or two younger on Wednesday as new laws that require using only the international method of counting age took effect, replacing the country's traditional method. Under the age system most commonly used in South Koreans' everyday life, people are deemed to be a year old at birth and a year is added every Jan. 1. But many South Koreans continued to use the traditional method for everything else. In December, South Korea passed laws to scrap the traditional method and fully adopt the international standard. Another age system exists in South Korea for conscription, school entrance and calculating the legal age to drink alcohol and smoke: a person's age is calculated from zero at birth and a year is added on Jan. 1.

Persons: Lee Wan, Choi Hyun, It's, Choi, Soo, hyang Choi, Daewoung Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Koreans, South, South Korea, Seoul

More than 85% of the South Korean public oppose Japan’s plan, according to a survey last month by local pollster Research View. Seven in 10 people said they would consume less seafood if the wastewater release goes ahead. "We are getting more customers than usual lately and many of them seem worried about the planned wastewater release," he said. Social media posts talking about buying salt in large amounts and urging people to do the same have also gone viral. Order volumes and inquiries about buying salt have increased as of late, according to the local branches of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation known as Nonghyup in Sinan County, a region famous for producing sea salt.

Persons: Japan's, Hyun Yong, gil, Daewoung Kim, Jimin Jung, Hyunsu Yim Organizations: sil, South, South Korea's Ministry of, Fisheries, “, country’s, Of Fisheries Cooperatives, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, NHK, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Fukushima, Seoul, Tokyo, Sinan County, South Korea, Insanaga, KS, Japan

☆ Japan, South Korea to speed up talks over pending military issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, June 4 (Reuters) - Japan and South Korea agreed on Sunday to quickly resolve disputes over past military encounters that stand in the way of closer security cooperation, Japan's defence minister said at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore. Yasukazu Hamada held talks with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, as part of Asia's top security conference. "We discussed pending issues" and agreed "to accelerate talks, including steps to prevent a recurrence" of a 2018 radar incident, Hamada told reporters after the meeting. "We will continue to keep close communication with South Korea," he said. Hamada said he and Lee agreed on the importance of promoting defence cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Persons: Yasukazu Hamada, Lee Jong, Hamada, Lee, Kaori Kaneko, Tim Kelly, Hyonhee Shin, Hyun Young Yi, Gerry Doyle, William Mallard Organizations: South Korean, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Seoul, Korean, North Korea, U.S, United States

SEOUL, May 31 (Reuters) - Rare wailing air raid sirens and mobile phone alerts calling for evacuations rattled residents of the South Korean capital, Seoul, early on Wednesday after North Korea launched what it said was a satellite. North Korea launched the rocket southward, South Korea's military said, prompting emergency alerts and evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan. [1/2] People watch a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing what it called a space satellite toward the south, in Seoul, South Korea, May 31, 2023. The two countries are still technically at war seven decades after the Korean War ended in an armistice. "Alerts" and "evacuation" were the most trending topics on Twitter in South Korea on Wednesday morning, with confused tweets scrambling to grasp what was going on or to find evacuation areas.

Persons: Lee Juyeon, Lee, Kim Hong, Kim Jong, Ed Davies, Lincoln, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, REUTERS, Twitter, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Seoul, North Korea, South, South Korea, Japan, Korean, Seoul's

SEOUL, May 27 (Reuters) - A passenger on an Asiana Airlines (020560.KS) flight told police he opened a door on the plane minutes before it landed in Daegu, South Korea, on Friday because he was "uncomfortable", Yonhap News Agency reported. He told police that he opened the door because he "wanted to get off the plane quickly," Yonhap said on Saturday, citing the Daegu Dongbu Police Station. The man opened the door when the plane was about 700 feet (213 metres) above the ground, causing panic onboard. [1/2] Asiana Airlines' Airbus A321 plane, of which a passenger opened a door on a flight shortly before the aircraft landed, is pictured at an airport in Daegu, South Korea May 26, 2023. Police sought an arrest warrant for the detained man on Saturday for violation of the Aviation Security Act and other offences, Yonhap said.

☆ 'Big Short' investor Burry bet on regional banks in first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A branch of First Republic Bank is seen. First Republic collapsed May 1, making it the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. The filings did not show whether Scion had sold its positions before then. The positions were revealed in quarterly securities fillings known as 13-fs. Burry was featured in the 2010 nonfiction book "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis which was made into a popular movie five years later.

Kevin Lambert grew up in North Carolina in the 1980s, and first visited his mother's native South Korea in 2000. Courtesy Kevin LambertIt might seem an odd desire given many have never set foot in South Korea. But life in South Korea brings its own challenges – and many eventually return to the US. For Kim, it’s a relief to be back in South Korea, where the safety is “100% better.”“I plan to live (in South Korea) until I die,” he said. “If South Korea today was as impoverished as it was when I left, why would I return?” he said.

☆ Korean content is targeting the global market: Studio Dragon CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailKorean content is targeting the global market: Studio Dragon CEOThe global popularity of Korean dramas is prompting production house Studio Dragon to create projects that appeal to an international audience, says CEO Kim Jey Hyun.

☆ Our A.I. chip is optimized exclusively for A.I. computation, says South Korean startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailOur A.I. chip is optimized exclusively for A.I. computation, says South Korean startupSung-hyun Park of Rebellions says its artificial intelligence chips have "much better energy efficiency" in terms of "A.I.

☆ Samsung union threatens first strike in company's history as pressure mounts after profit plunge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Samsung is facing a testing time with profit slumping due to weak demand for its memory chips. An influential Samsung Electronics workers union on Thursday warned that its members could walk out over a wage dispute in what could be the South Korean tech giant's first strike in its history. The National Samsung Electronics Union claims that Samsung management has cut the union out of wage negotiations. If the walkout goes ahead, it would be the first strike since the founding of Samsung Electronics in 1969. Samsung Electronics encompasses Samsung's consumer hardware, semiconductor, display and mobile carrier businesses.

Hyundai and partner SK On, a battery unit of SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS), will set up a new battery manufacturing plant in the state of Georgia, the companies said, formalising an earlier provisional agreement. Accompanying Yoon on the trip are top executives of some of South Korea's biggest companies, including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung. Rivals General Motors Co (GM.N) and Samsung SDI (006400.KS) said they would invest over $3 billion to build a joint venture EV battery manufacturing plant in the United States. That compared with a Refinitiv SmartEstimate for first-quarter profit of 2.3 trillion won from 16 analysts. Hyundai and Kia cars are competitive in the U.S., based on their prices and a favourable exchange rate, he added.

After the verdict on Friday, juror Mitchell Vasseur, 63, told Reuters that he and his fellow jurors felt badly for Hsu, but ultimately determined that Autopilot was not at fault. Jury foreperson Olivia Apsher, 31, said the Autopilot system reminds drivers when they are not adequately taking control. "There are audible warnings and visual warnings both for the driver, indicating that it is your responsibility." The trial unfolded in Los Angeles Superior Court over three weeks and featured testimony from three Tesla engineers. Reporting by Abhirup Roy in Los Angeles, and Dan Levine and Hyun Joo Jin in San Francisco Editing by Peter Henderson and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ K-pop singer Moonbin, member of boy band Astro, dies aged 25
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, April 20 (Reuters) - South Korean singer Moonbin, a member of K-pop boy band Astro, has died at the age of 25, his music label Fantagio said on Thursday. Mooonbin was a child actor before making his debut as a member of Astro in 2016. Local media reported that the singer was found dead at his home in the Gangnam district of Seoul and that suicide was suspected. Following the news about the death of Moonbin, "all idols" trended on Twitter in South Korea. In 2017, Kim Jong-hyun, the lead singer of top South Korean boy band SHINee died in an apparent suicide aged 27.

☆ Forest fire in central Seoul forces evacuation of 120 homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, April 2 (Reuters) - A forest fire raged in central Seoul on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of at least 120 homes in the densely populated capital, authorities said. The fire, which started on a mountain in the middle of Seoul at around 11:53 a.m. (0253 GMT), razed forests the size of some 30 soccer fields before it was nearly extinguished as of 5 p.m. (0800 GMT), according to officials. Smoke billowing from forests was seen across the city as firefighters battled to put out the fire with water-bombing aircraft. Multiple helicopters were seen flying over the Han River in an apparent effort to supply water to extinguish the fire, a Reuters witness said. Reporting by Hyun Young Yi and Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kakao's stake in K-pop agency SM climbs to 40%, HYBE retains 8.8%
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 28 (Reuters) - South Korean social media giant Kakao's stake in K-pop agency SM Entertainment (041510.KQ) has reached 40%, the target said on Tuesday, in a deal that has left former bidder HYBE (352820.KS) stuck with more than half of its stake in SM. But Kakao's tender offer for a 35% stake at 150,000 won per share attracted acceptances for more than double the targeted stake, forcing it to scale back allotments in proportion. HYBE said it was left with an 8.81% stake in SM. Kim Hyun-yong, an analyst at Hyundai Motor Securities, said maintaining the remaining stake in SM could help HYBE contain Kakao in the long run. HYBE plans a substantial number of acquisitions and investments this year as the K-pop giant looks to boost its U.S. presence, its chairman Bang Si-hyuk said this month.

☆ Older workers pull South Korea jobless rate down to record low
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Choonsik Yoo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, March 15 (Reuters) - South Korea's unemployment rate has fallen back to a record low, data showed on Wednesday, mainly due to increased employment among people aged 60 and over, and as shrinking exports and a sluggish housing market have yet to significantly hit payrolls. The unemployment rate was 2.6% in February versus 2.9% in January on a seasonally adjusted basis, matching a record low also touched in August, showed data from Statistics Korea. "Manufacturing and construction sectors, among others, will soon begin to show the effects of shrinking exports and a weakening housing market," said Park Sang-hyun at HI Investment and Securities. People aged 60 or older contributed most to the declining unemployment rate with the figure in this age group falling to 1.6% from 2.6% a month earlier. Reporting by Choonsik Yoo; Editing by Tom Hogue and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Exclusive: Seoul mayor calls for South Korean nuclear weapons to counter threat from North
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon added new fuel to a growing debate over how South Korea should arm itself as the North races to perfect its capability to strike the South with tactical nuclear weapons. "North Korea has nearly succeeded in miniaturising and lightening tactical nuclear weapons and secured at least dozens of warheads," Oh said. Oh, an influential member of President Yoon Suk Yeol's conservative People Power Party, is one of the highest-profile officials to actively advocate for a South Korean nuclear weapons programme. He dismissed opponents who warned of punishments from other countries, including sanctions, saying a South Korean nuclear programme would send a message to countries like China to curb the North's military buildup. "If North Korea’s nuclear threat becomes more visible and South Korea takes its own path to nuclear development, it will signal the start of a nuclear domino effect in Asia."

☆ South Korean romance reality shows boom, but marriage no longer the end game
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Jihoon Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Choi Seo-eun, a participant in Single's Inferno 2 takes a selfie with her fans during a fan meeting event in Seoul, South Korea, February 11, 2023. While official statistics on their numbers are not kept, unmarried couples living together no longer raise eyebrows in South Korea. And while romance reality shows may be all the rage, a substantial number of Koreans also appear prepared to eschew relationships altogether. Even on dating shows like Netflix's (NFLX.O) hit "Single's Inferno" which transports young people to a deserted island, most of the shows' content revolves around long conversations between participants. The conversations in and around dating and relationship shows are good for South Korea, says Lim Myung-ho, a professor of psychology at Dankook University.

[1/2] Kim Tae-hyun, Chairman & CEO of South Korea's National Pension Service, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Seoul, South Korea, March 3, 2023. National Pension Service/Handout via REUTERSSEOUL, March 6 (Reuters) - South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS), manager of the world's third-largest public pension fund, will collaborate with foreign exchange authorities when needed to help stabilise the market, its chairman told Reuters. "Based on last year's experience, we have prepared measures aimed at easing dollar demand and volatility in the foreign exchange market," Kim said. "A predictable and stable foreign exchange rate is also advantageous to us," he said, adding that cooperation with foreign exchange authorities would be based on achieving good investment returns. With the fund expected to be depleted by 2055, his top priority is to provide support for the government's plan to reform the national pension system, he said.

☆ Why the dollar keeps winning in the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Francesco Guerrera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The outsized role played by the United States in capital markets, trade and debt reinforces the status quo. Unless the global economy undergoes a complete overhaul, the dollar will remain on top. America may have never “run on Dunkin’”, as the donut-maker’s slogan claimed, but the global economy runs on the dollar. The United States has spurred the search for alternatives by wielding its currency as a weapon against its adversaries. The greenback’s function as the lubricant of global economic activity has another important effect: a stronger dollar curbs global trade.

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