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Nvidia meets Korea's would-be challenger Rebellions as AI chip lines blur
SEOUL, August 23 (AJP) - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has recently met with the head of South Korean AI chip startup Rebellions, bringing the world's dominant AI chipmaker face to face with a company built partly around offering an alternative to Nvidia-powered inference. A Rebellions official confirmed to AJP on Sunday that Huang and Rebellions co-founder and CEO Sunghyun Park had recently met. "The
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Korea looks to turn chip windfall into fiscal war chest
SEOUL, August 23 (AJP) - South Korea is looking to turn a tax windfall from its booming semiconductor industry into a new fiscal reserve, extending the economic spoils of the AI memory boom from chipmakers, workers and shareholders to government coffers. The government plans to establish a "Future Response Fund" that would collect tax revenue exceeding longer-term trends and channel it into strate
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China's YMTC moves toward $4.9 billion IPO as memory chip push accelerates
SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - Chinese NAND flash memory maker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. is moving closer to a major Shanghai listing, following the blockbuster market debut of its DRAM counterpart CXMT as China accelerates its push to challenge South Korean and U.S. dominance in memory chips. The Shanghai Stock Exchange accepted an initial public offering application Friday from CCSH Corporation, the parent compa
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Trump claims Hormuz as 'American territory' as Iran seeks deal
SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump has again claimed the Strait of Hormuz as American territory, while saying Iran is desperate to reach an agreement to end the nearly six-month conflict. Speaking at a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Friday, Trump said Tehran badly wanted a deal but questioned whether Washington was still interested in reaching one. “I view the Strait
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North Korea deploys drone operators among 8,500 troops in Russia, Ukraine says
SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - North Korea has deployed about 8,500 troops to Russia, including hundreds of drone operators who could conduct reconnaissance and strikes against targets inside Ukraine, according to a senior Ukrainian intelligence official. Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitskiy, deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, told CNN that the North Korean contingent is deployed mainly in Russia's Kur
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US approves possible $125 million sale of AIM-9X missiles to South Korea
SEOUL, August 22 (AJP) - The United States has approved a possible $125 million sale of more than 100 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II air-to-air missiles to South Korea, a move Washington says will strengthen Seoul's air defense capability and deterrence against regional threats. The U.S. State Department said Friday that it had approved the possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS), of 103 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II ta
How Seoul's hillside neighborhood becomes hidden gem for foreigners
SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - On a steep hillside beneath Mt. Namsan, a neighborhood once known for cheap housing is giving foreigners a reason to look beyond Seoul's better-known hotspots. It is not as crowded as Seoul's hip Hongik University neighborhood, a popular nightlife district known for its youthful energy or as busy as nearby Itaewon, Seoul's best-known international and entertainment district. Yet Haebangchon has plenty of bars, restaurants and cafés within walking dis
by Ryu Yuna
Viet Nam's Gen Z protests without gathering
SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - The flowers under the tree outside No. 55 Nguyen Huy Tu Street arrived one at a time, which is why the police had nothing to break up. Over roughly a week in August, young Vietnamese walked to the spot in central Hanoi, left a bouquet, photographed it and went home. By the time the pile was large enough to be a problem, no crowd had ever formed. The tree marks the place where a car crossed into oncoming traffic on May 30, 2025, and struck a motorbike carrying a father a
BigBang's 20th anniversary comes as older K-pop acts find new life
SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - K-pop boy band BigBang marked their 20th anniversary on Wednesday with their first digital single in four years, hoping to continue attracting attention years after their heyday. Their return comes as older K-pop groups are gaining renewed attention, attracting both longtime fans and younger listeners discovering their music years after their debut. But another shift is unfolding at the same time. While veteran acts are finding ways to stay together, some younger idols
Moody's raises growth forecast for South Korea, putting BOK in dilemma over rate hike
SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - Global ratings agency Moody's raised its growth forecast for South Korea to 3.5 percent in a report published last week. The stronger outlook could support another interest rate hike, although strong exports and already high borrowing costs may reduce the need for the Bank of Korea to raise rates again soon. The forecast also put South Korea's growth at 2.7 percent for next year. The 2026 forecast was 1 percentage point higher than Moody's 2.5 percent estima
Korea's drinking culture loses its buzz as alcohol shipments hit 27-year low
In Busan, Overwatch stops visiting and moves in
