PHOTOS: Pyongyang touts Mt. Kumgang's UNESCO World Heritage listing

SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced Wednesday that Mount Kumgang has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The designation came three days after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee formally approved North Korea's long-standing application on July 13. Pyongyang initially submitted its bid for Mount Kumgang's recognition in 2021. However, the evaluation process was protracted, largely due to the Covid-19

July 16, 2025

US beef exporters intensify lobbying as Korea weighs lifting age restrictions

SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - American beef exporters are intensifying their lobbying efforts to convince South Korea to lift its 16-year ban on U.S. cattle over 30 months old. This push comes as Seoul seeks leverage ahead of critical tariff negotiations with Washington. South Korea has maintained the 30-month age limit on American beef imports since the 2008 bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow disease," crisis. Officials have cited a heightened risk of dete

July 16, 2025

Korean dessert chain Sulbing to enter Philippine market

SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - South Korean dessert franchise Sulbing is expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia, announcing a new master franchise agreement with a local partner in the Philippines, Wednesday. The agreement, signed on July 15 at Sulbing’s headquarters in central Seoul, brings the brand into its third Southeast Asian market following Malaysia and Cambodia. Sulbing CEO Kim Eui-yeol and Winnie Go, head of Beyond Bingsu Cafe Inc. — a newly formed company unde

July 16, 2025

Seoul lodges protest against Tokyo's repeated claim over Dokdo

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - South Korea on Tuesday lodged a strongly-worded protest against Japan's latest defense white paper, which once again repeats Tokyo's dubious claim to the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo. The Japanese government officially released the white paper the same day after a Cabinet meeting approved it, explicitly laying claim to Dokdo by referring to it by the Japanese name Takeshima and describing it as a "disputed" territory that "s

July 15, 2025

The Shilla Seoul picked Korea's top hotel in global La Liste ranking

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - The Shilla Seoul has been named Korea’s top hotel and ranked among the world’s 200 best in the 2025 edition of La Liste Top 1000 Hotels, an international ranking published by the French National Tourism Board. The annual list evaluates hotels around the globe based on aggregated scores from international guidebooks, professional media, industry journals, and online reviews. The Shilla Seoul stood out for its highly personalized service and cul

July 15, 2025

NewJeans' producer Min Hee-jin cleared of criminal charges, HYBE to appeal

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) -South Korea's police have cleared former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin of breach of trust allegations filed by HYBE, the parent company behind K-pop girl group NewJeans. The Yongsan Police Station said Tuesday that after more than a year of investigation, the case would not be forwarded to prosecutors. HYBE filed the complaint in April 2024, accusing Min of attempting to take control of ADOR by colluding with outside investors and bypassing the internal decision-m

July 15, 2025

Russian airliner to launch direct flights to Pyongyang

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - A direct flight linking Pyongyang and Moscow will be launched later this month, Russia's Transport Ministry said Monday. According to the ministry, Russian carrier Nordwind Airlines will offer the first-ever direct passenger flights to Pyongyang twice a week starting in late July, connecting the two countries' capitals. The non-stop route, which takes about eight hours, was approved last week by Russia's aviation authorities following a request

July 15, 2025

Saltlux launches AI center to guide corporate adoption

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - South Korean artificial intelligence firm Saltlux on Tuesday announced the launch of its AI Work Innovation Center aimed at helping businesses integrate generative AI and AI agents into their operations from concept to deployment. The center is intended to support companies grappling with the challenges of AI adoption by offering a structured, end-to-end consulting and implementation service. Its offerings span strategy development, technology assessment, pr

July 15, 2025

Korea's budget airlines see passenger decline despite peak travel season

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - South Korea’s low-cost carriers reported disappointing results for the second quarter of 2025, as passenger numbers dipped below last year’s levels despite the start of the summer travel season. Total traffic on budget airlines fell 2.8 percent year-on-year to 17.46 million domestic and international passengers, according to data released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The decline comes amid ongoing fare suppression, pe

July 15, 2025

Biopharmaceuticals account for growing share of new drug launches

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - Biopharmaceuticals made up 42 percent of new drug launches worldwide between 2020 and 2024, reflecting their growing influence in the pharmaceutical landscape, according to new data released Tuesday by market research firm IQVIA. The share of biological medicines among newly approved active substances has steadily increased over the past two decades — from 28 percent between 2005 and 2009, to 30 percent in the following five years, and to 39 percent be

July 15, 2025