Seoul's top security adviser in Washington to arrange summit between two countries

SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, who is visiting Washington, met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday to arrange a summit between the leaders of the two countries. Wi told Rubio that Seoul hopes to hold a summit between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump "at the earliest possible," the presidential office here said on Tuesday. He also stressed the importance of close cooperation between the two countries to

July 8, 2025

TRAVEL: The still lake in the sky: A journey to Baekdu Mountain's Heaven Lake

Baekdu Mountain, July 07 (AJP) - Surrounded by steep cliffs streaked with greens and reds, Heaven Lake at the top of Baekdu Mountain appears like a pool painted with deep blue and navy ink. Not a ripple disturbs its surface. From the western and northern slopes, the lake mirrors the jagged ridgelines and the fractured walls that encircle it, an untouched reflection resting in complete silence. In late June, I visited both the North and West Slopes

July 8, 2025

Insulin pump maker Sooil inks $21.6 million deal with Mediq

SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - Sooil Development, a South Korean medical device company known for portable insulin pumps, says it has signed a four-year, 30 billion won (approximately $21.6 million) supply agreement with Mediq, Europe’s largest medical device distributor. The deal marks a significant step in Sooil’s effort to expand its footprint in Europe’s diabetes care market. Under the agreement, Sooil will supply Mediq with its Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) sy

July 8, 2025

Trump says will impose 25 percent tariffs on all Korean goods starting August

SEOUL, July 8 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to impose 25 percent tariffs on all South Korean goods starting Aug. 1, unless Seoul agrees to a new trade deal with the United States. In a letter posted to his social media platform, Trump gave the government of President Lee Jae Myung just three weeks to reach an agreement before the sweeping duties take effect. The announcement comes as his previous tariff measures are set to expire on Tuesday, heightening pressure o

July 8, 2025

Samsung Electronics reports 55.9 percent drop in Q2 operating profit

SEOUL, July 08 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics forecast a steep decline in its second-quarter operating profit, highlighting persistent challenges in the global tech industry despite signs of recovery in the semiconductor sector. The South Korean tech giant on Tuesday said it expects an operating profit of 4.6 trillion won, or approximately $3.5 billion, for the April to June period — down 55.9 percent from a year earlier. Revenue is projected to total 74 trillion won, a marg

July 8, 2025

South Korea to repatriate six North Koreans rescued at sea

SEOUL, July 7 (AJP) - Six North Koreans who were rescued after drifting into South Korean waters earlier this year are expected to be repatriated to North Korea soon. The Ministry of Unification here said on Monday that it plans to send them back to the North as early as this week, as they have expressed their willingness to return to their country. "They have expressed their strong desire to return to North Korea, so we decided to repatriate them promptly from a humanitaria

July 7, 2025

Ex-President to face another arrest as prosecutors seek detention with new charges

SEOUL, July 7 (AJP) - A hearing to determine whether to re-arrest former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law debacle last year is set to be held later this week. The Seoul Central District Court said Monday that the hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, following a request by independent prosecutors seeking Yoon's arrest on fresh charges related to his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. Yoon is expected to attend the hearing to defend himself against the charge

July 7, 2025

Hyundai Glovis deploys autonomous drones for inventory management at Georgia

SEOUL, July 07 (AJP) - Hyundai Glovis said Monday it has introduced two autonomous drones at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) Consolidation Center in Ellabell, Georgia. The drones are being used to perform inventory inspections on semi-knockdown automotive parts, cutting average inspection times by more than 90 percent. Inspection cycles have been reduced from 300 minutes to just 30 minutes. Unlike conventional drones that rely on GPS, the Glovis system operates

July 7, 2025

LG Electronics partners with Saudi institutions for extreme heat HVAC research

SEOUL, July 07 (AJP) - LG Electronics has entered into a joint research partnership with King Saud University, Pusan National University in South Korea, and Saudi-based distributor Shaker Group to develop HVAC technologies designed to withstand extreme heat in desert and tropical environments. The agreement, signed on July 3, will focus on testing LG’s residential and commercial air conditioning units in actual Saudi climate conditions. Researchers will collect data to enhan

July 7, 2025

First heat wave warning issued as scorching heat grips capital

SEOUL, July 7 (AJP) - This summer's first heat wave warning was issued in Seoul and surrounding metropolitan areas on Monday, with scorching heat and tropical nights persisting for more than a week. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the warning was issued for the capital region at around 10 a.m., about 18 days earlier than last year amid an early heat wave after the monsoon season ended sooner than usual. Such a warning is issued when "feels-lik

July 7, 2025