Opinion: Yoon faces foreign policy challenges after the National Assembly election

SEOUL, April 24 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea's parliamentary election of April 10, 2024, was widely seen as a referendum on President Yoon Suk Yeol's first two years in office. That being the case, the nation collectively expressed its strong disapproval. With a relatively high turnout of 67 percent, voters handed Yoon's conservative People Power Party defeat, with its share of the 300-seat National Assembly dropping from 114 to 108. The opposition Democratic Party ret

April 24, 2024

Opinion: US Supreme Court appears open to Starbucks' claims in labor-organizing case

SEOUL, April 24 (AJU PRESS) - What factors must a court consider when the National Labor Relations Board requests an order requiring an employer to rehire terminated workers before the completion of unfair labor practice proceedings? That's the central question that the Supreme Court considered on April 23, 2024, during oral arguments in the Starbucks Corp. v. McKinney case. The global coffee shop chain is challenging the NLRB, the federal agency responsible for enforcing U.S.

April 24, 2024

LG Electronics, Kakao Mobility collaborate on delivery robot service

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - LG Electronics will provide its autonomous robot "CLOi" for Bring, a delivery service app by Kakao Mobility set to be launched this Friday. When users place orders for coffee and food via the Bring app, CLOi robots will deliver them to offices, hotels, and many other facilities. The robot, capable of transporting products weighing up to 30 kilograms (66.1 pounds), can serve up to four locations. Staff members will load the items into the d

April 23, 2024

Analysts predict poor earnings for major Korean game publishers in first quarter

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) – Analysts predict lackluster earnings for Korea’s major game publishers in the first quarter of the year amid an economic slowdown and a dearth of hit games, according to data released on Tuesday. According to FnGuide, a securities information service, securities firms predicted that KRAFTON, the publisher of the popular online and mobile game "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" (PUBG), is likely to report an operating profit of 2

April 23, 2024

Carmakers, tech firms gather in Seoul for premier industry show

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) – The world's leading companies in the electric vehicle industry will showcase their latest products and technologies at the 37th International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS37), which kicked off on Tuesday for a four-day run at COEX in southern Seoul. About 160 companies from 12 countries are participating in the world's largest and oldest EV conference-cum-exposition, known as the "Olympics of the EV Industry,"

April 23, 2024

Label control battle casts shadow over NewJeans' comeback

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - An apparent power struggle over control of the music label behind NewJeans is casting a shadow over the highly anticipated comeback of the popular K-pop girl group. Entertainment giant HYBE said Monday it is conducting an audit of the management of its affiliate, ADOR, on suspicion that CEO Min Hee-jin is seeking to take over the management control of the label. The investigation, launched on the same day, targets Min and another ADOR executive, acco

April 23, 2024

N. Korean leader praises accuracy of short-range ballistic missiles

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has praised the accuracy of Pyongyang's short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) after guiding a nuclear counterattack drill on Monday. Kim said that the drill was part of efforts to enhance its tactical nuclear strike capabilities, which are being developed as deterrents against hostile activities by South Korea and its allied forces. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired multiple SR

April 23, 2024

Opinion: Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department and the art of melodrama

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - Taylor Swift album drops have become cultural moments – whether or not you are a fan of her music. Each album in the Swift catalogue seeks to open up new themes, discussion, sounds and ideas, while retaining a sense of familiarity that doesn't alienate fans. Lyrically, The Tortured Poets Department is a euphoric rejection of societal expectations. It embraces all the Taylor-isms her fans have come to know and love, from her one-note melodies

April 23, 2024

Opinion: A global plastics treaty is being negotiated in Ottawa this week

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - Plastic pollution spans the globe, yet national policies are generally not effective enough, and have so far focused primarily on waste management rather than targeting the root cause. To make matters worse, the global trade in plastic waste tends to push waste to parts of the world with the least capacity to manage it. On this basis, in March 2022, nearly 200 nations endorsed a historic resolution to develop a new global and legally binding agreement o

April 23, 2024

Hyundai Motor, Matrix Renewables sign solar energy deal for EV plant in US

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) - Hyundai Motor Group will use solar energy to power its electric vehicle plant currently under construction in Georgia, the Korean conglomerate said Monday. Hyundai has recently signed a 147-megawatt power purchase agreement (PPA) with Matrix Renewables, under which the carmaker will receive electricity generated from the Spanish firm’s 210-megawatt solar power project in Texas, slated to begin operations in October 2025. In the largest renew

April 22, 2024