S. Korea sets AI transformation as centerpiece of new economic plan

SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea's government and ruling Democratic Party on Wednesday announced plans to push for an "AI transformation" across industry, government, and daily life, while easing heavy penalties on companies and opening public data to the private sector. The announcement followed a policy meeting at the National Assembly attended by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Min

August 20, 2025

South Korea launches petrochemical restructuring plan amid global glut

SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s finance chief pledged government support for sweeping cuts in the country’s petrochemical industry, Wednesday, as officials seek to shore up competitiveness in a sector battered by global oversupply. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol said that 10 major petrochemical companies have agreed to reduce as much as 3.7 million tons of production capacity by the end of the year. The pledge came after the Lee Jae

August 20, 2025

US push for equity in Intel raises alarm for Samsung Electronics, SK hynix

SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - The Trump administration is seeking an equity stake in Intel as part of its semiconductor subsidy package, a move that could reverberate across the global chip industry and unsettle South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, both of which are planning major U.S. investments with government support. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday (local time) that the administration is negotiating for roughly a 10 percent stake in Intel

August 20, 2025

Kim Jong-un's sister throws another tantrum against South Korea

SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Yo-jong, has again criticized South Korea, saying it is not even a "partner" in diplomatic relations. South Korea "cannot be a diplomatic partner of the ," she said in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday. She added that Seoul, as its "most hostile state," is "not serious, weighty, or honest." Snubbing South Korean Pr

August 20, 2025

[K-Pop] BTS' brother band CORTIS releases music video for debut track "What You Want"

SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - CORTIS, the new boy band under BigHit Music, has released the music video for its debut title track "What You Want." The video was posted at midnight on August 20 on the HYBE Labels YouTube channel. It serves as the title track of the group’s debut album "Color Outside the Lines," which is scheduled for official release on September 8. CORTIS, consisting of members Martin, James, Juhun, Sunghyun, and Gunho, took part i

August 20, 2025

Korean food exports to US shrink for first time in 26 months amid tariffs

SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s agricultural and food shipments to the United States declined in July for the first time in more than two years, as new American tariffs began weighing on demand. Exports fell 6.7 percent from a year earlier to $139 million, data from the Korea Trade Statistics Promotion Institute showed on Wednesday. It was the first monthly contraction since May 2023 and followed a stretch of rapid growth that had lifted first-half shipments by 27 perce

August 20, 2025

PHOTOS: A street where time stands still, Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Market

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - The Dongdaemun Stationery and Toy Wholesale Market, with around 100 shops, is the largest of its kind in South Korea. Stretching across a 200-meter intersection in every direction, the market is lined with stores offering every imaginable type of stationery and toy, inviting visitors to browse, touch, and choose at leisure. Walking down the street feels like stepping into a time machine. Shop windows burst with color, filled with red fire trucks, yellow-ha

August 20, 2025

S. Korea's presidential office orders probe into Czech nuclear deal with Westinghouse

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s presidential office on Tuesday ordered an investigation into media reports that state-run energy companies accepted "unfavorable" terms from Westinghouse Electric, the American nuclear technology firm, during negotiations for a multibillion-dollar power plant project in the Czech Republic. Presidential spokeswoman Kang Yu-jung said Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik directed the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to conduct the

August 19, 2025

Annual report on North Korean human rights abuses to be kept under wraps

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - The Unification Ministry here said on Tuesday that it will continue compiling its annual report on human rights abuses in North Korea, though it will be published for internal use only. The report, mostly based on testimonies from North Korean defectors, documents their suffering and harrowing tortures during their escape from the isolated country. The ministry has published the report annually since 2018, although some previous governments had kept it un

August 19, 2025

Mercedes-Benz faces sanctions in Korea over misleading claims on EV batteries

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s antitrust regulator has begun sanction proceedings against Mercedes-Benz Korea over allegations that it misled consumers about the batteries used in its electric vehicles, an issue that has gained public attention after a high-profile apartment fire last year. Mercedes-Benz Korea is suspected of violating advertising and fair trade laws, according to sources from the Fair Trade Commission, Tuesday. Regulators allege that the Korean uni

August 19, 2025