Amorepacific's Hera expands custom makeup service as international demand soars

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Hera, a contemporary beauty brand under South Korea’s Amorepacific, is expanding its personalized cosmetics offering as international demand for bespoke makeup continues to surge. The brand’s popular Custom Match program will now include its flagship Black Cushion foundation, offering hundreds of shade variations tailored to individual skin tones. Launched as a reservation-based service for custom lipsticks and foundation, Custom Match has seen a

May 20, 2025

Nvidia pledges AI supercomputer for Taiwan as Computex 2025 opens

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Asia’s largest information technology trade show, Computex 2025, opened Tuesday with more than 1,400 companies from around the world unveiling their latest innovations, underscoring the central role of artificial intelligence in the industry’s future. The exhibition kicked off with momentum following a keynote speech on Monday by Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia, who announced plans to build Taiwan’s first large-scale artificial intelli

May 20, 2025

Musinsa sees sharp rise in foreign sales at stores after enhancing tourist services

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Korean fashion brand Musinsa Standard reported a sharp rise in sales from foreign customers at its Seoul stores, following the rollout of services tailored to international tourists. According to the company, Tuesday, the Hannam branch saw foreign customer sales increase more than threefold in April compared to February, when the new services were introduced. Across five major locations — Gangnam, Myeongdong, Seongsu, Hannam, and Hongdae — sale

May 20, 2025

Lotte Department Store to host global retail forum next month

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Lotte Department Store will co-host the World Department Store Summit (WDSS) in Seoul next month, marking the first time the global retail conference is held in South Korea, the company announced on Tuesday. The two-day event, set for June 11 and 12 at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, will bring together senior executives from more than 20 department store groups across 10 countries. This year’s theme, “How to Best Captivate Customers,” will explore str

May 20, 2025

Won-based digital currency becomes hot topic in presidential race

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Stablecoins have become an unexpected battleground in South Korea’s presidential election, as major candidates debate the merits and risks of introducing a won-based digital currency. While proponents frame the move as a way to bolster national financial sovereignty, critics warn of regulatory gaps and potential misuse. The opposition Democratic Party (DP), led by presidential contender Lee Jae-myung, has proposed the issuance of a stablecoin backed by

May 20, 2025

LG Electronics targets emerging markets in global HVAC push

SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - LG Electronics is intensifying its push into emerging markets, aiming to capture a growing share of the global heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) market. This week, the technology company hosted its “LG HVAC Leaders’ Summit 2025,” a four-day gathering of industry consultants from across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. The summit, held in South Korea, brought together specialists from countries including Ind

May 20, 2025

Lee Jae-myung bets big on artificial intelligence to revive economy

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series examining the economic campaign promises of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, is wagering his economic revival plan on a massive national investment in artificial intelligence, vowing to elevate the country into the ranks of the world’s top AI powers with a bold 100 trillion won ($70.6 billion) initia

May 20, 2025

SK Telecom breach exposes nearly 27 million subscriber records

SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - Nearly all customers of SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest wireless carrier, may have been affected by a major cybersecurity breach that exposed nearly 10 gigabytes of sensitive subscriber identification data, the government said on Monday. A joint investigation by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) found that the breach compromised more than 26.95 million subscriber identification numbers — a figure t

May 19, 2025

Poultry imports from Brazil suspended over bird flu concerns

SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - South Korea has suspended imports of poultry from Brazil following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the South American nation. The suspension, which took effect for shipments departing Brazil on or after May 16, includes hatching eggs, table eggs, day-old chicks, poultry meat and related products, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Monday. For shipments made after May 1 but before the ban's effec

May 19, 2025

Samsung OLED TVs receive Nvidia G-SYNC Compatible certification

SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics said its 2025 OLED television lineup has received Nvidia’s "G-SYNC Compatible" certification, a move the company says reinforces its position in the high-end gaming display market. The certification, which ensures smoother gameplay by synchronizing the TV’s refresh rate with a connected graphics card’s frame rate, is the latest in a series of gaming-focused upgrades. The announcement follows Samsung’s ear

May 19, 2025