news highlight

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  K-drama, K-pop — and now Hangeul joins the K-wave SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - A decade ago, learning Korean was a way to catch the nuances of K-drama dialogue and song lyrics. Today, foreigners are learning it to enter universities, build careers and make a life in Korea. Few can dispute the global ascent of Korean pop culture as K-everything fills social media feeds. All three seasons of Netflix’s “Squid Game” occupy the top three spots on the platform’s all-time ranking of non-English television series. Its first seas October 7, 2026
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  Energy-poor, tech-rich Korea must link renewables with storage: IRENA chief SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - South Korea, an energy-poor but high-tech powerhouse, must pair renewables and hydrogen with storage technology to power its advanced manufacturing economy, a senior international energy expert said. “Korea has strong technological and industrial capabilities to advance its energy transition,” Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said in an email interview with AJP. “The priority is to mobilize those capa October 2, 2026
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  G-Star goes global by chance as Korean publishers lose home ground SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - South Korean game publishers are losing the battle for attention at home as short-form videos and streaming lure players away from marathon gaming sessions. Their retreat has a floor plan. Foreign publishers are filling the gaps at G-Star, the country's flagship game show in Busan this November, while Korean heavyweights chase audiences abroad. A floor plan released Tuesday for the Nov. 19–22 show in Busan lists Krafton and mid-sized Webzen as the only maj September 30, 2026
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  When ads stop looking like ads SEOUL, September 29 (AJP) - The digital wave has torn down the fence between advertising and entertainment in South Korea. Banks produce web dramas and variety shows. Retailers try short-form comedy. Brands commission songs and music videos, and even create their own idols. Construction companies are joining in, seeking an audience that can swipe past a conventional ad in seconds. As viewing shifts toward streaming services and algorithm-driven feeds, brands are no longer simply buying space September 29, 2026
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  Why buy when you can subscribe to the whole living room? SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - Wedding season has long been a peak period for South Korea’s white-goods makers since couples traditionally purchase their first major appliances with money from their dowries or savings. But as consumer habits change, manufacturers are trying to build relationships that extend beyond the initial sale. “I think this may be a first — holding a media event solely for a service, without a product,” Lim Sung-taek, vice president and head of Samsu September 28, 2026
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  For Gen Z, adulthood comes in small treats SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Once a week, a 28-year-old nurse working at a small hospital in central Seoul walks into a gift shop in Jongno-gu and buys herself something small. It has become a ritual since she changed jobs two years ago. She does not drink or have particularly expensive hobbies. After rent, student loan payments, food, transportation and her phone bill, she says there is little left to save. The life she once imagined for 28 looked very different. “When I moved from Nort September 22, 2026
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  Giant hand to truck-boat, local projects raise questions on cultural spending SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - Lee Ji-hye, a 33-year-old resident of Songdo in Incheon, took her young son to see a new sculpture that had appeared along the waterfront in their neighborhood. His immediate reaction was "Rock and roll," she said, copying the hand gesture. Her son also thought it looked like Spider-Man's hand. "There was a lot of discussion because we simply couldn't make it out," Lee told AJP. She could only laugh when she read the explanation at the b September 21, 2026
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  Will Xi's Washington visit bring North Korea back to dialogue table? SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - A busy week of global diplomacy lies ahead as the world's major powers face a familiar but increasingly difficult challenge of managing a growing number of conflicts while their own rivalries deepen. In New York, the U.N. General Assembly will bring world leaders together as conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continue to grind on, adding to a growing sense of fragility in the international order. In Washington, President Donald Trump will meet Chinese Presi September 21, 2026
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  Chip rebound deepens South Korea's reliance on exports SEOUL, September 21 (AJP) - Exports made up a larger share of South Korea's economy in 2024 as the recovery in the semiconductor industry helped boost manufacturing, according to data by the Bank of Korea (BOK) released on Monday. The central bank said exports accounted for 16.1 percent of total demand, which covers both intermediate materials used in production and finished goods and services, up from 14.7 percent in 2023. Of all spending on finished goods and services, the share going to September 21, 2026