SK Bioscience made a hot debut on the local stock market Thursday, soaring to its maximum trading ceiling of 169,000 won ($150) just two minutes after the market’s opening.
 
The company started trading on the country’s main bourse at a starting price of 130,000 won, double the subscription price of 65,000 won and also the highest possible starting price set based on a spread of bid and ask prices before the market opened Thursday.

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/18/business/finance/sk-bioscience-kospi-sk-biopharm/20210318175300389.html

The number of people employed shrunk for the 12th month in a row, with 473,000 fewer jobs in February than a year before — marking the longest stretch of consecutive monthly job losses since the Asian economic crisis.

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/17/business/economy/Februrary-job-figures-Covid19-and-jobs-Hong-Namki-optimism/20210317135600419.html

LG Energy Solution is building a second plant with General Motors (GM) and it will be in Tennessee, a source directly related to the deal told the Korea JoongAng Daily.  
 
The exact location in Tennessee is still under negotiation, the source said, adding that Clarksville and Spring Hill are included on a shortlist but other options are also being considered.  

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/15/national/socialAffairs/Covid19-coronavirus-vaccination/20210315183600390.html

People 75 and older will be vaccinated starting next month, according to health authorities as they announced the second stage of Korea's vaccination program Monday, while teachers of younger students can expect to be inoculated earlier than expected.
 
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) announced details of vaccinations for the second quarter, from April to June, which covers seniors 65 and over, high-risk groups, health care professionals and essential social workers. The government aims to inoculate a total of 12 million people during the first half of the year.

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/15/national/socialAffairs/Covid19-coronavirus-vaccination/20210315183600390.html

Any hope of LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation reaching a settlement that allows both companies to continue operating in the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) battery market seems to be fading fast, as LG looks to firmly shut the door on its long-term rival.
 
The wholly owned subsidiary of LG Chem sent a letter to U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock earlier this month, suggesting that it would build its own battery plant in Georgia. 

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/14/business/industry/battery-dispute-lg-energy-solution-sk-innovation/20210314163200416.html

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced Thursday that a government inquiry identified 20 employees from the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) and Land Ministry as possibly using inside information to purchase land on the site of LH's Gwangmyeong-Siheung New Town development.
 
The inquiry’s preliminary results add seven people to an initial 13 LH employees accused on March 2 by two civic groups –– the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) and Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) –– of using inside information and third-party intermediaries to purchase land in the areas slated for development.

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/11/national/politics/LH-insider-scandal/20210311185900374.html

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced Wednesday that the military's validation of locally-made defense products will be expanded to beef up Korea's arms exports.

The revised policy expands the program to other kinds of equipment and materials starting at the end of March.

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/10/national/defense/DAPA-military-exports/20210310180700292.html

Amid snowballing fallout over the government's handling of a real estate scandal involving Korea Land and Housing Corp (LH) employees, police Tuesday raided the company's headquarters and regional branches.
  
The operation took place seven days after civic groups first accused LH employees of using inside information about the location of the Gwangmyeong-Siheung New Town development to buy land in the area.

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/09/national/politics/LH-scandal-police/20210309185200367.html

Korea and the United States reached agreement on defense cost-sharing Sunday after 18 months of wrangling and threats by the Donald Trump administration to charge Seoul up to $5 billion per year.
 
Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Monday that the two sides reached an “agreement in principle” in their first in-person meeting in nearly a year. But details of the new multi-year deal were not disclosed.

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/08/national/diplomacy/Special-Measures-Agreement-SMA-defense-costsharing/20210308162707025.html

An inebriated Buddhist monk torched the main hall of Naejang Temple in North Jeolla on Friday and turned himself in by calling the police just five minutes later. 

Police say the 53-year-old trainee monk committed arson after getting entangled in an internal feud with some of the other monks and "started a fire in a fit of anger after drinking alcohol." 

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Full Article: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/03/07/national/socialAffairs/arson-temple-crime/20210307175500404.html