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  Kazakhstan taps South Korea as key partner for its national drive towards digital powerhouse SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Kazakhstan, the Central Asian hub eager to break away from its raw materials-based economy, is turning to South Korea as a strategic partner in its ambitious push to become a global digital and artificial intelligence powerhouse. A high-profile government delegation will visit Seoul this week to present Kazakhstan’s institutional and systemic transformation, highlighting the Alatau Smart City project as its flagship initiative. “Kazakhstan October 14, 2025
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  IAA Korea, Clebus team up to digitize art through NFTs SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - IAA Korea, the Korean branch of the International Association of Art (IAA), has signed a partnership with NFT technology company Clebus to push the art industry into the digital era and expand the global reach of K-art. The agreement marks a rare collaboration between a traditional fine arts institution and a blockchain firm, signaling a growing recognition of NFT technology in the global art world. The signing ceremony took place on September 24 in Seoul&r October 13, 2025
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  Swedish crown princess to visit Korea this week to deepen bilateral ties SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria will make an official visit to South Korea this week, accompanied by a high-level business delegation, in a trip aimed at bolstering economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two nations, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. The visit, scheduled for Oct. 15 to 17, will include meetings with President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok to discuss ways to strengthen collaboration in trade, inv October 13, 2025
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  Sookmyung startup Labincube brings Nobel-winning material into everyday use SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - A startup from Sookmyung Women's University has brought a Nobel Prize-winning scientific material into people’s daily lives. Labincube, founded by Professor Choi Kyung-min from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, became the first company to use Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) materials in consumer products such as air purifiers and cosmetic fillers. Professor Choi previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory October 13, 2025
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  Samsung Electronics Q3 profit set to double from last qtr on chip rebound SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is expected to report third-quarter operating profit of 10.14 trillion won ($7.6 billion), more than doubling from the previous quarter and marking its strongest July–September performance, fueled by a sharp recovery in memory chip prices and progress in landing contracts for AI chips. The South Korean tech giant, due to release preliminary earnings before market open Tuesday, is projected to have logged a 10.4 percent on-year ga October 13, 2025
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  K-beauty buttresses Korean exports while defining global mainstream SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Beauty has joined chips and cars as another defining powerhouse for Korea, with K-beauty now shaping trends and commanding markets in two of the world's largest economies. Korea ranked as the world’s third-largest cosmetics exporter last year, trailing only France and the United States. In both the U.S. and Japanese markets, Korean beauty products have overtaken long-dominant French labels to become the top imported cosmetics. According to t October 13, 2025
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  Pyongyang's new ICBM blends technical ambition with political theater SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - North Korea unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-20, during a military parade in Pyongyang last Friday, underscoring its continued drive to advance long-range missile capabilities—possibly with Russian assistance—and to strengthen its leverage ahead of any potential resumption of dialogue with the United States. The Oct. 10 parade, marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, s October 13, 2025
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  LG Elec Q3 results beat forecasts, raising fanfare ahead of India stock debut SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - South Korea’s top consumer goods maker LG Electronics posted stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings on Monday, driven by record automotive electronics sales, setting the stage for its Indian unit’s stock market debut on a buoyant note. According to its preliminary earnings release on Wednesday, the home appliance and consumer goods giant reported an operating profit of 688.9 billion won ($515 million) for the July–September period October 13, 2025
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  USD-KRW nears annual highs as trade talks stall, China tensions mount SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - South Korean authorities issued a strong verbal warning – and possibly followed up by won-propping action - on Monday, after the U.S. dollar hovered above the psychologically important 1,430-won mark amid stalled tariff negotiations with Washington and renewed trade tensions between the United States and China. The won opened at 1,430.0 per dollar, up 9.0 won from the previous session, briefly touching 1,434.0 before stabilizing in the mid-1,420s. I October 13, 2025
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  South Korea's industry minister defends Czech nuclear deal SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - South Korea’s industry minister on Monday defended the country’s contentious nuclear power contract with the Czech Republic, calling it a “standard agreement” despite mounting criticism over its terms and the involvement of U.S. nuclear firm Westinghouse. Speaking during a parliamentary audit, Industry Minister Kim Jung-gwan acknowledged that “every agreement has its pros and cons,” but argued that the deal gives Sout October 13, 2025