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Business Standard
14-05-2025
- Business Standard
Families of S Korea plane crash victims file complaint against 15 officials
Police and government officials have already been investigating the Jeju Air crash, so the complaint is largely seen as a symbolic step calling for a swifter and more thorough probe AP Seoul Families of victims of December's devastating plane crash in South Korea have filed a complaint against 15 people including the transport minister and the airline chief who they believe are responsible for the disaster that killed all but two of the 181 people on board. Police and government officials have already been investigating the Jeju Air crash, so the complaint is largely seen as a symbolic step calling for a swifter and more thorough probe. Many bereaved families complain of what they see as a lack of meaningful progress in efforts to determine what caused the disaster and who is responsible. On Tuesday, 72 bereaved relatives submitted the complaint to the Jeonnam Provincial Police agency in southern South Korea, according to their lawyers and police. The 15 people cited in the complaint include the transport minister, Jeju Air's president and airline officials handling maintenance and safety issues, along with officials at Muan International Airport who are responsible for preventing bird strikes, air traffic control and facility management, according to a statement from a lawyers' group supporting the relatives. Four months after the disaster, we can't help feeling deep anger and despair over the fact that there has been little progress in the investigation, Kim Dae-hye, a bereaved family member, said in the statement. Lawyer Lee So-Ah said Wednesday the complaint would formally require police to brief bereaved families of their investigation, though police have so far only voluntarily done so. The Boeing 737-800 operated by Jeju Air skidded off the runaway at the Muan airport on December 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames. Authorities have since said they found traces of bird strike in the plane's engines and that the plane's two black boxes stopped recording about four minutes before the crash. Many analysts said the concrete structure, which housed a set of antennas called a localiser that guides aircraft during landings, should have been built with lighter materials that could break more easily upon impact. But no exact cause of the crash has been announced and no one has been legally persecuted yet over the crash, the country's deadliest aviation disaster since 1997. Jeonnam Provincial Police agency officials said they've been investigating the accident. They suggested a complex incident like the Jeju Air crash would require a lengthy investigation but declined to say when they expect to wrap up their probe. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Business Standard
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Samsung reports revenue increase on heels of higher mobile phone sales
The South Korean semiconductor and smartphone giant said in a statement that it posted 79.14 trillion won ($56 billion) in consolidated revenue for the January-March quarter AP Seoul Samsung Electronics reported Wednesday a sharp increase in consolidated revenue for the first quarter thanks to strong sales of its new smartphones, but its semiconductor business suffered a setback. The South Korean semiconductor and smartphone giant said in a statement that it posted 79.14 trillion won ($56 billion) in consolidated revenue for the January-March quarter, calling it an all-time quarterly high. It said its operating profit rose to 6.7 trillion won ($4.7 billion), up from 6.61 trillion won ($4.6 billion) in the same period last year. Samsung attributed the results to strong sales of its flagship Galaxy S25 smartphone and other high-value-added products. However, the operating profit of the company's semiconductor business fell to 1.1 trillion won ($774 million) from 1.91 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in the corresponding quarter last year. The company said its profits were squeezed by falling average sale prices, as well as reduced demand for high-bandwidth memory as customers wait for the release of next-generation memory chips. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Business Standard
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
North Korean leader Kim unveils new naval destroyer, cites US as threat
Kim described the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the US and its Asian allies, citing their expanding joint drills amid growing tensions over North Korea's nuclear programme AP Seoul North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled a new naval destroyer, claiming it as a significant advancement toward his goal of expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, state media said Saturday. North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said Kim attended the launching ceremony for the 5,000-ton warship on Friday at the western port of Nampo. Kim framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and its allies in Asia, who have been expanding joint military exercises amid rising tensions over the North's nuclear programme. He added that the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next big step in strengthening his navy. The new multipurpose destroyer, touted by state media as the first in a new class of heavily armed warships, is designed to handle various weapons systems, including anti-air and anti-naval weapons, as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, Kim said. He said the destroyer will be handed over to the navy early next year and begin active duty. Kim criticised recent efforts by the United States and South Korea to expand joint military exercises and update their nuclear deterrence strategies, portraying them as preparations for war. He vowed to respond decisively to this geopolitical crisis and ongoing developments, according to his speech carried by KCNA. South Korea's military didn't immediately comment on the North Korean claims about its new warship. North Korea's unveiling of the new warship follows its March revealing of a purported nuclear-powered submarine under construction. However, some experts question whether the impoverished and largely isolated nation could develop such advanced capabilities without foreign assistance. Nuclear-powered submarines were among a broad list of advanced weapons that Kim pledged to develop at a major political conference in 2021, citing growing US-led threats. His wish list also included solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites, and multi-warhead missiles. Since then, North Korea has conducted a series of tests aimed at acquiring these capabilities. Regional tensions have increased as Kim continues to flaunt his military nuclear capabilities and align with Russia over President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. US President Donald Trump has said he would reach out to Kim again to revive diplomacy, but the North has not responded to that offer. While the two leaders met three times during Trump's first term, negotiations broke down over disagreements on easing US-led sanctions in exchange for steps toward the North's denuclearisation. Kim's foreign policy focus has since shifted to Russia, which he has supplied with weapons and military personnel to support its warfighting in Ukraine. South Korean officials are concerned that, in return, Pyongyang could receive economic aid and advanced military technology to further develop its weapons programmes. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
