Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup returned home Thursday, 11 days after he left to assume the job, amid criticism of his appointment and departure when he is subject to an investigation into a Marine’s death

South Korea’s exports rose 11.2 percent on-year in the first 20 days of March on surging global demand for semiconductors, data showed Thursday.

Outbound shipments reached US$34.13 billion in the March 1-20 period, compared with

Samsung Display Co. said Thursday it will pay out dividends for the first time since its establishment in 2012, a move that will lead its parent company Samsung Electronics Co. to receive about 5.6 trillion

South Korean stocks opened sharply higher Thursday following record-high finishes on Wall Street afforded by hopes for U.S. rate cuts this year.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 37.38 points, or 1.39 percent,

South Korean shares rallied by more than 2 percent Thursday amid growing hopes for U.S. rate cuts in the near future. The local currency also rose sharply against the U.S. dollar.

The benchmark Korea Composite