DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Analysis: China's Micron ban highlights chipmakers' dilemma as Sino-U.S. tensions grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SEOUL, May 22 (Reuters) - China's ban on the use of U.S.-based Micron Technology's (MU.O) chips in certain sectors, announced on Sunday, is a stark reminder of risks facing the global chip industry as it braces for escalating Sino-U.S. trade tensions. China's move against Micron, the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker, was widely seen as retaliation for Washington's efforts to restrict Beijing's access to key technology. Such tit-for-tat policies will make investment decisions difficult for all chipmakers, said Kim Sun-woo, analyst at Meritz Securities in Seoul. Analysts recommended accepting the rounds of Sino-U.S. trade war as status quo, while roundabout ways of importing memory chips may emerge in response to any further geopolitical pressure. "(Korean chipmakers) are stuck in the middle and being bothered by all sides," said Kim at Meritz.

☆ Liverpool top-four hopes hit despite late equaliser, Everton grab vital point
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Liverpool had won seven games in succession to make a late run for Champions League qualification but defeat by Villa would have guaranteed that Newcastle United and Manchester United finish in the top four. Liverpool's top-four hopes looked over with Manchester United winning at Bournemouth, but Brazilian Firmino, making his Anfield farewell after eight glorious seasons, struck an equaliser in the 89th minute after coming off the bench. Even the point leaves their chances wafer thin, though, as fourth-placed Manchester United and third-placed Newcastle United have 69 points with two games left while Liverpool have 66 with only one game remaining. Casemiro's superb acrobatic volley was enough for Manchester United to win 1-0 on the south coast and one more point from their last two games will guarantee them Champions League football. Newcastle can seal their return to Europe's elite competition after a two-decade absence if they take a point against relegation-threatened Leicester on Monday.

CNN —South Korean soccer star Son Jun-ho has been arrested in China for allegedly accepting bribes as Beijing clamps down on alleged corruption in the upper ranks of Chinese football. A South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday the ministry was aware of Son’s situation and that local Korean diplomatic missions were providing consular assistance. Wang said China would provide South Korean officials with the “necessary facilitation” to perform their consular duties. The Korea Football Association (KFA) said it had written to the Chinese Football Association and the Asian Football Confederation regarding the player on Tuesday but had not yet heard back. Vice President Kim Jeong-bae was checking on Son’s condition with the South Korean Foreign and Sports Ministries, a KFA official told CNN.

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska asked South Korea to provide non-lethal military hardware when she met with President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Tuesday, both countries have reported. But an official from Yoon’s office said Zelenska stopped short of asking for lethal weapons, acknowledging that South Korea would have found it difficult to oblige had any such request been made. Since the war broke out in Ukraine, South Korea has maintained its stance of not providing lethal weapons to a warring country, although Yoon has hinted at a possible major policy shift. The Ukrainian first lady handed Yoon “a personal letter and an invitation from the president of Ukraine” to visit her country, the Ukrainian side said. Last year, she met US first lady Jill Biden privately at the White House to discuss American support for Ukraine.

Last year the former leader of Yoon’s party hit out at what he said was the “evil influence” YouTube channels. “After President Yoon Suk Yeol came to power, there have been many cases where the presidential office filed complaints to the media,” Jung said. It has since consistently ranked top in terms of real-time daily viewership on YouTube in South Korea. To Professor Jung, it’s a success that demonstrates “voices cannot be silenced.”Kim, meanwhile, hopes to build a show with as much recognition as any on traditional media. “I will create a type of press that has not yet existed on YouTube,” Kim said.

☆ Jill Biden and the Statement of No Statement Dressing
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The day after President Biden released a video announcing he would be running for a second term, he and the first lady, Jill Biden, stood in black tie and evening gown on the red carpet outside the north entrance to the White House to welcome President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, to the second state dinner of the Biden administration. If the dinner itself largely takes place behind closed doors, one photo always goes wide: the greeting portrait, the two couples, side by side, dressed in pomp and circumstance and symbolism. It tells an implicit story of soft power and priorities. The chairs were bamboo, with cushion designs evoking traditional Korean brush painting! — the one subject they did not officially communicate on was what the first lady was wearing?

☆ South Korea's Yoon sings 'American Pie' at White House state dinner
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] U.S. President Joe Biden gifts a guitar signed by artist Don McLean to South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol at an official State Dinner, during Yoon Suk Yeol's visit, at the White House in Washington, U.S. April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - It turns out South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol can sing. When the singers finished, President Biden and President Yoon took the stage and Biden invited Yoon, because of his love of the song, to give it a whirl himself. "Something touched me deep inside, the day the music died," he finished, sparking a standing ovation and loud applause from the audience and the Broadway singers, who were still on stage. Biden told Yoon he had "no damn idea" he could sing, and then presented him with a guitar signed by Don McLean, who wrote the song.

CNN —President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden capped South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official state visit with a glamorous state dinner at the White House Wednesday night to celebrate the two nations’ 70-year alliance. May we do it together for another 170 years.”But Biden wasn’t the only leader who took the mic. Following a round of musical performances, his South Korean counterpart joined him on stage to give his own – a karaoke rendition of Don McClean’s “American Pie” – which received a standing ovation from the crowd. The elaborate dinner is the result of weeks of careful diplomatic preparations, with each detail meticulously planned by a team of White House chefs, social staff, and protocol experts. U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pose with South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee in front of the Grand Staircase of the White House before an official State Dinner, in Washington, U.S. April 26, 2023.

“We need to have tabletop exercises that go through a variety of scenarios, including possibly nuclear weapons,” a senior official told CNN earlier this month. Leaks loomRecent online leaks of Pentagon documents involving South Korea also loom over the visit. One of the leaked documents describes, in remarkable detail, a conversation between two senior South Korean national security officials about concerns by the country’s National Security Council over a US request for ammunition. Plans and pompWednesday’s events mark just the second state visit of the Biden presidency (Biden hosted French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte in December 2022). President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, Tuesday.

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol are expected to agree on Wednesday to deepen collaboration meant to deter nuclear escalation by North Korea amid heightened anxiety about its growing arsenal of missiles and bombs, U.S. officials said. The Republic of Korea is South Korea's official name. The officials stressed that no U.S. nuclear weapons would be returned to the peninsula, and South Korea would continue not to have control over the U.S. nuclear arsenal. South Korea will also reaffirm its commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and its non-nuclear status, they said. It is only the second state visit Biden has hosted since he took office two years ago - the first such guest was France's president.

☆ The Full Guest List for Biden’s State Dinner With South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Chris Cameron | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The White House invited more than 180 guests to the state dinner hosted by President Biden for President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea on Wednesday night, including government officials, athletes, business leaders and prominent Asian Americans. Here is the full list of those invited as provided by the White House. THE PRESIDENT AND DR. BIDENHIS EXCELLENCY YOON SUK YEOL, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA AND MRS. KIM KEON HEEMichael ArdenLloyd J. Austin III, secretary of defense, and Charlene AustinJoe Bae and Janice BaeCharlie Baker, former governor of MassachusettsStephen K. Benjamin, senior adviser to the president for public engagement, and DeAndrea BenjaminRepresentative Ami Bera, Democrat of California, and Dr. Janine Bera

☆ Crabcakes, ribs, banana splits for South Korea state dinner at the White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The first course of Maryland crab cake, main course of braised beef short ribs, and dessert of banana split are displayed at a media preview of the state dinner during Wednesday's visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee at the White House on April 24, 2023 in Washington, DC. Crabcakes, beef short ribs and a deconstructed banana split have made the cut for this week's White House state dinner honoring South Korea's seven decades of relations with the United States. First lady Jill Biden and her team previewed the menu and decor on Monday. Some 200 guests are expected at Wednesday's glamorous black-tie dinner, which will be held in the East Room, the largest room in the executive mansion. Guests will move down the hallway to the State Dining Room to be entertained after dinner by a trio of Broadway stars: Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga and Jessica Vosk.

☆ South Koreans tap cash-giving apps to help offset rising living costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

As many as three in four adults earn cash through such applications, showed a recent survey by job portal Incruit. Retiree Han Sun-jae, 77, said he had made some 50,000 won ($37.91) so far through the Toss app. The trend shows people are going the extra mile to help overcome an increasingly dire economic situation, experts said. "While the effort to make pocket money is commendable, it could also leave people vulnerable to personal data use," said Lee Eun-hee, a consumer studies professor at Inha University. ($1 = 1,318.79 won)Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Additional reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Crab cakes, beef and banana splits: Biden's South Korea state dinner menu unveiled
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - Guests at President Joe Biden's and first lady Jill Biden's state dinner with their South Korean counterparts will feast on Maryland crab cakes and braised beef short ribs followed by banana splits for dessert, the White House said on Monday. The meal itself will kick off with crab cakes along with cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel and cucumber slaw. "We hope to showcase the harmony of our cultures and our people intertwined," at the dinner, she said. The first lady worked with Chef Edward Lee, author of "Smoke & Pickles" and "Buttermilk Graffiti," along with the White House chefs to design the menu. "The first person I called was my mother," Lee said, noting she had immigrated to the United States from Korea.

☆ Top lawmakers invite South Korean president to address Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Megan Lebowitz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (not pictured) at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on March 16, 2023. Congressional leaders on Thursday invited South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to address a joint meeting of Congress on April 27. A bipartisan delegation arrived in Taiwan on Thursday, a day after McCarthy defied Beijing by meeting with the president of the self-ruling island. It was the delegation's third overseas trip following visits to U.S. allies in Japan and South Korea. During that trip, Biden and his South Korean and Japanese counterparts vowed to stand together in coordinating a response to North Korea's nuclear programs.

☆ Florida insiders react with shock, amusement, and dread after Disney outmaneuvers DeSantis to keep most of its power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It appears Walt Disney World won't be losing power over its land after all — at least not yet — following a high-profile battle with Republican Gov. "It was a pretty brilliant move by the outgoing board to basically take all the power away," one Florida-based lobbyist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Insider. Ron DeSantis got married at Disney World in 2009. Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida who co-authored the book "Politics in Florida," told Insider. The company told Insider in a statement that it was "discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums."

☆ China's Xi appeared more relaxed than Putin in first Moscow meeting, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony before Russia - China talks in narrow format at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 21, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Byrkin/Kremlin via REUTERSMarch 21 (Reuters) - Body language experts say Chinese President Xi Jinping came across as more relaxed and commanding than his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at Monday's televised first meeting of Xi's state visit to Moscow. "If you juxtapose it with Xi, Xi is the composed statesman," she said. Putin, 70, is in fact a few months older than Xi, and has been in power more than twice as long. Leong said Xi had offered a sign that he too had been feeling some pressure, blinking unusually frequently during the sit-down.

[1/5] Badminton - All England Open Badminton Championships - Utilita Arena, Birmingham, Britain - March 19, 2023 South Korea's An Se-young celebrates on the podium after winning the women's singles final Action Images via Reuters/Andrew BoyersBIRMINGHAM, England, March 19 (Reuters) - South Korea's An Se Young smashed her way to the women's singles title at the All England Open badminton championships on Sunday, beating Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medallist Chen Yu Fei of China. "I'm so tremendously happy," said An, 21, who had knocked Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan out in the semi-finals on Saturday. It was touch-and-go for An in the second half of the final game, with Chen pressing with aggressive smashes and smart backhands. China beat South Korea in the mixed doubles final 21-16 16-21 21-12. Later on Sunday, Li Shi Feng will play fellow Chinese shuttler Shi Yu Qi in the men's final.

☆ South Koreans sceptical as president offers olive branch to Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SEOUL, March 16 (Reuters) - As South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol landed in Tokyo on Thursday his plan to patch up relations with Japan faces lingering scepticism at home. Sixty-four percent of the respondents said South Korea did not need to rush to improve ties with Japan if there were no change in Tokyo's attitude, according to the poll. Yoon is the latest of many South Korean conservatives who embrace the argument that Seoul must heal divides with Japan to confront security challenges. Boycotts of Japanese products and vacations have largely faded in South Korea, and a growing number of South Koreans are travelling to Japan as COVID restrictions ease. Three Japanese animated films are among the top five at box office in South Korea.

☆ South Korea's Yoon arrives in Tokyo hours after North's missile launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee arrive at Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) in Tokyo, Japan March 16, 2023. Before Yoon's flight, North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile, which landed in the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan, emphasising both the urgency of regional security and the threat posed by North Korea. "There is an increasing need for (South) Korea and Japan to cooperate in this time," Yoon said in a written interview with international media on Wednesday, calling both North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and supply chain disruptions a "polycrisis". South Korea and Japan at the time agreed to exchange real-time intelligence on North Korea's missile launches, which experts say will help both countries better track potential threats. Tokyo worries that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has set a precedent that will encourage China to attack self-ruled Taiwan.

☆ World-class ships and new supersonic jets mark the quiet rise of a new defense industry powerhouse in Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

South Korea's defense industry has seen meteoric growth in recent years. 2023 is also shaping up to be a good year for South Korea's defense industry. South Korea's defense industry was originally tailored to meet the country's own needs, and Seoul assisted its growth with subsidies and other incentives. As South Korea's defense products increased in quality, so too did its exports. The South Korean defense industry's most anticipated product might be the KF-21 Boramae, a multi-role combat jet optimized for air-superiority missions.

☆ South Korean court recognises spousal coverage of state insurance for same-sex couple -Yonhap
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A South Korean court on Tuesday recognised spousal coverage of state health insurance for a same-sex couple in a landmark verdict, overturning a lower court's ruling that said the union cannot be considered a common law couple under current law, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. The plaintiff, So Sung-wook, filed a suit against the National Health Insurance Service in 2021 after the state health insurer denied his rights to receive spousal coverage despite granting such rights to other common law couples. But the appellate court said the spousal coverage system under the state health insurance scheme is not just for families as defined by law, and not granting the rights to same-sex couples was discrimination, Yonhap reported. Protecting the rights of minorities is the "biggest responsibility" of the court as the "last bastion" of human rights, the court added. Telephone calls by Reuters to the National Health Insurance Service seeking comment went unanswered.

Not only can you have multiple life insurance policies, but you can purchase multiple at once. I talked to some life insurance experts to find out when it makes sense for individuals to have several life insurance policies. Life insurance agent Steven Ogle of Redwood Life Group says it's fairly common for families to invest in a standard, 20-year term life insurance policy when each of their children are born. Multiple policies for multiple needsFinally, financial planner Jaimin Garabedian of Assurance Wealth Management says many people have multiple life insurance policies because each type serves a different purpose. Garabedian adds that there are those who use life insurance for certain "living benefits" such as long-term care or the tax-advantaged growth some life insurance policies offer.

☆ Sorry Liverpool thrashed 3-0 at Wolves
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Andrew Cawthorne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In their best performance of the season, Wolves cut through Liverpool's shaky defence from the off, missing two good chances before a Hwang Hee-Chan cutback went in off the heel of Joel Matip for a fifth minute own goal. Defeat left Liverpool 10th on 29 points after a terrible start to 2023 in which they have won just one of seven matches - against Wolves in the FA Cup - in all competitions. The result was the first time in a decade that Liverpool have lost three consecutive Premier League away games. "We love super Lopetegui," the Molineux crowd sang to their Spanish manager Julen Lopetegui, who took over in November charged with saving Wolves' Premier League status. Wolves' boss was thrilled with the performance but cautioned his team still had plenty of work to ensure safety.

[1/3] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin during their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea January 29, 2023. Kim Min-Hee/Pool via ReutersSEOUL, Jan 30 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg urged South Korea on Monday to increase military support to Ukraine, citing other countries that have changed their policy of not providing weapons to countries in conflict after Russia's invasion. Speaking at the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in Seoul, he thanked South Korea for its non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but urged it to do more, adding there is an "urgent need" for ammunition. "I urge the Republic of Korea to continue and to step up on the specific issue of military support," he said. Last year South Korea opened its first diplomatic mission to NATO, vowing to deepen cooperation on non-proliferation, cyber defence, counter-terrorism, disaster response and other security areas.

Search resuls for: "Hee"

25 mentions found