Labor minister vows to reduce industrial accident rate to OECD average by 2030

SEOUL, September 1 (AJP) - South Korea's Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon pledged on Monday to reduce the number of fatal accidents at workplaces, including factories, to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average by 2030. Speaking at a press conference at the government complex in the central city of Sejong, Kim said the ministry will try to reduce the industrial fatality rate from 0.39 deaths per 10,000 workers last year to the OE

September 1, 2025

U.S. tariffs on Chinese batteries open door for Korean battery firms

SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - The United States plans to sharply raise tariffs on Chinese-made energy storage system batteries, a move that could reshape the fast-growing American clean energy market and give South Korea’s battery makers an opening to expand. The Commerce Department said tariffs on Chinese ESS batteries, already steep at 40.9 percent, will climb to 58.4 percent in 2026. The increase stems largely from Section 301 trade penalties, which will rise from 7.5 perce

September 1, 2025

Samsung Electronics retains lead in India's TV market

SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics strengthened its grip on India’s television market in the first half of 2025, holding a 23.8 percent share by shipment volume and extending its run as the top seller for a ninth consecutive year, according to data released Monday by the research firm Omdia. Samsung first captured the No. 1 spot in India in 2017 and has kept it ever since, fending off challenges from both domestic and Chinese competitors. LG Electronics ranke

September 1, 2025

KAIST develops AI that restores clear video through fog and distortion

SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - The Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) has developed an artificial intelligence system capable of restoring sharp images from video footage that is blurred or distorted by fog, frosted glass, or other scattering effects. The research was carried out by Professor Jang Moo-seok of KAIST's Department of Bio and Brain Engineering and Professor Ye Jong-chul of the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI. Their team created what they d

September 1, 2025

Chinese milk tea chains push into South Korea's coffee-saturated market

SEOUL, September 1 (AJP) - South Korea has long been known as a “coffee republic,” with one of the world’s highest concentrations of cafes per capita. But a wave of Chinese milk tea brands is challenging that dominance, betting that young Korean consumers are ready for a new kind of drink culture. ChaPanda, a fast-growing Chinese beverage chain listed in Hong Kong, disclosed last week that South Korea had become its largest overseas market, accounting for nearly ha

September 1, 2025

Kim Jong-un expected to depart Pyongyang Monday by train for Beijing military parade

SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to leave Pyongyang by train on Monday and arrive in Beijing the following day to attend a military parade as part of China's "Victory Day" celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. According to multiple government sources on Sunday, Kim is likely to depart Pyongyang on Monday with a special armored train, which takes about 20 to 24 hours to reach the Chinese capital. A

September 1, 2025

[K-Pop] Stray Kids break record, topping Billboard 200 for seventh time

SEOUL, September 1 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids have claimed their seventh No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with their latest full-length album. According to Billboard's preview on Sunday, the group's latest album "Karma" debuted atop the chart, surpassing the soundtrack album of Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters." "All seven of the group's Billboard 200 chart entries have debuted at No. 1, beginning with 'Oddinar

September 1, 2025

Pyongyang condemns joint statement on cyber threats

SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - North Korea on Monday denounced South Korea, the United States and Japan for pledging joint action against its illicit information technology (IT) activities, calling the move a "political farce." In an op-ed carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the foreign ministry accused the three countries of having "recently made public a joint statement full of fabrication under the pretext of coping with the 'cyber

September 1, 2025

US tightens grip on Korean chipmakers' China operations

SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - For years, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, the two South Korean giants that dominate the global memory chip market, operated their Chinese factories with a special privilege. A designation from Washington allowed their plants to import the American equipment essential for advanced semiconductor production without the usual licensing hurdles, insulating them from the turbulence of U.S.-China trade disputes. That privilege is about to vanish. On Sat

September 1, 2025

Ulsan signs deal to build hydrogen plant

SEOUL, September 01 (AJP) - Ulsan City said Monday that it had signed an agreement with Deokyang Energen, a fuel gas and pipeline company, to build a hydrogen production and distribution center, as the city seeks to cement its role as a leader in the nation’s hydrogen economy. Under the memorandum of understanding, Deokyang Energen will invest 22 billion won, or about $15.9 million, to construct the facility by October 2026 in Hwangseong-dong, within the Ulsan Mipo National

September 1, 2025