Nokia promotes AI-powered networks as crucial to Korea's tech future

SEOUL, July 2 (AJP) - Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia unveiled its latest suite of AI-powered networking technologies in Seoul, Wednesday, positioning robust network infrastructure — not just graphics processing units — as the true backbone of next-generation artificial intelligence systems. The company showcased its 25G passive optical network (PON) and Ethernet-PON (E-PON) technologies, which promise faster, more scalable internet speeds without the need to re

July 2, 2025

Shilla Duty Free, Paradise City partner to attract foreign tourists

SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - Shilla Duty Free has joined forces with Paradise City, a major integrated resort and casino complex, to launch a collaborative marketing campaign aimed at boosting foreign tourist traffic, the companies announced Wednesday. The agreement outlines a strategic partnership that will combine the two companies’ strengths in duty-free retail and hospitality to enhance services for international visitors. As part of the arrangement, Shilla Duty Free will o

July 2, 2025

Musinsa to sell fashion, beauty products targeting young consumers at GS25 stores

SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - South Korean fashion platform Musinsa is expanding its collaboration with GS25, one of the country’s largest convenience store chains, introducing a new lineup of summer apparel and debuting its first beauty products at retail locations nationwide, the company announced Wednesday. The partnership extension includes five new items from the Musinsa Standard Express collection — the company’s casual sub-label tailored for retail distribution &

July 2, 2025

Hanwha Ocean to build Korea's next-generation icebreaking research vessel

SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - South Korea has taken a significant step in expanding its polar research capabilities with the selection of Hanwha Ocean as the preferred bidder to construct the country’s next-generation icebreaking research vessel. The vessel, to be built under the supervision of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, is scheduled for delivery by December 2029. The new ship will more than double the capacity of the country’s first and only existing icebreaker

July 2, 2025

Inflation hits five-month high in South Korea as food prices climb

SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - South Korea’s consumer inflation edged higher in June, returning to the 2 percent range after a brief dip, as rising food and seafood prices fueled by warming ocean temperatures drove costs upward, government data showed Wednesday. The Consumer Price Index rose 2.2 percent year-on-year, up from 1.9 percent in May, according to Statistics Korea. The index reached 116.31, based on 2020 prices set at 100 — the fastest rate of inflation since January

July 2, 2025

US set to impose new tariffs on Korean goods as steel, automobile exports stumble

SEOUL, July 2 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports declined in the first half of 2025, as mounting U.S. tariffs on key goods — including steel and automobiles — weighed heavily on trade, with additional duties of up to 15 percent set to take effect next week. According to data released Tuesday by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, exports fell 0.03 percent year-on-year to $334.7 billion from January to June. While the drop appears slight, officials say the und

July 2, 2025

HD Hyundai to merge key construction units

SEOUL, July 02 (AJP) - HD Hyundai has unveiled plans to merge two of its major subsidiaries — HD Hyundai Construction Equipment and HD Hyundai Infracore — into a single, unified entity tentatively named HD Construction Equipment. The boards of both companies approved the merger plan in meetings held on July 1. The new company is expected to be officially launched on Jan. 1, 2026, pending regulatory approvals and a shareholder vote. Once combined, the company is proj

July 2, 2025

Korean convenience store chains accelerate global push with growth stalling at home

SEOUL, July 01 (AJP) - Faced with a saturated market and declining sales at home, South Korea’s leading convenience store brands are racing to expand overseas in a bid to secure new sources of growth. Major players GS25, CU, and Emart24 are intensifying their international efforts as the domestic retail environment shows signs of fatigue. According to a May 2025 retail sales report from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, sales in South Korea’s convenience s

July 1, 2025

US faces greatest economic risk in global trade war: BOK

SEOUL, July 1 (AJP) - The United States stands to suffer the most severe economic fallout if President Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policies provoke full-scale retaliation from its global trading partners, the Bank of Korea said in a report released Tuesday. The central bank’s New York office said that U.S. trade exposure has grown significantly since the 1930s, when the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act exacerbated the Great Depression by sharply raising duties on imported

July 1, 2025

US pharma industry urges trade pressure on South Korea over drug pricing

SEOUL, July 1 (AJP) - The American pharmaceutical industry is calling on the Trump administration to use ongoing trade negotiations to pressure South Korea into overhauling its drug pricing system, which the industry argues unfairly suppresses prices and harms U.S. innovation and exports. In comments submitted to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on June 27, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the industry’s primary lobbying group, urged

July 1, 2025