Journalist
Lee Jung-woo이정우
cannes2030@ajupress.com
ReporterMinistry of Unification & North Korea, Politics, Foreign Affairs
I studied philosophy in college, and sociology and journalism in graduate school. I cover North Korea, South Korean politics, foreign affairs and films. I enjoy Nordic cinema, Indian cuisine and Japanese detective novels. I have a cat and like bright, acidic coffee.
"Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
"Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
Latest by Lee Jung-woo
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Han Seong-sook heads for confirmation as Korea's second female PM SEOUL, June 30 (AJP) -Technocrat and SMEs Minister Han Seong-sook cleared a key parliamentary hurdle Tuesday to become South Korea's second female prime minister, as the ruling party pushed ahead with her confirmation despite a boycott by the main opposition. The National Assembly's special committee on Han's confirmation adopted a report endorsing President Lee Jae Myung's nominee, with support from lawmakers largely from the ruling Democratic Party (DP). The report said a majority of committee members found Han qualified for office, while also recording dissenting opinions that deemed her unfit. Lawmakers from the conservative People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the meeting in protest of the ruling party's decision to press ahead with the confirmation process. The DP planned to bring Han's confirmation motion to a vote during a plenary session later Tuesday. With the ruling party and its allies holding a parliamentary majority, the motion was widely expected to pass without opposition support. Under South Korean law, a prime ministerial nominee must win the support of a majority of lawmakers present at a plenary session, provided more than half of all National Assembly members are in attendance. Once confirmed, Han would become the first woman to serve as South Korea's prime minister in two decades and only the second in the country's history, following former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook. Han, 59, began her career as a magazine journalist before moving into the technology sector. She joined internet giant Naver, where she rose to chief executive officer and was credited with expanding the company's mobile and artificial intelligence businesses. She was recruited as the first SMEs and Startups minister by Lee Jae Myung administration. Opposition lawmakers questioned her over an illegally expanded structure on a property she owns in central Seoul, alleging she failed to remedy the violation until after her nomination. The PPP also challenged her real estate holdings and raised concerns over an alleged leak of personal information, arguing that the controversies called into question her suitability for the country's second-highest office. Han has denied any wrongdoing and defended her actions throughout the confirmation hearings. 2026-06-30 15:09:01 -
The trillion-dollar chip project revives Korea's old Jeolla-Yeongnam rivalry SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - Pork-barrel projects are always political. The debate becomes even hotter when the prize is the world's most coveted commodity — AI memory chips — and nearly $1 trillion in investment. A government-backed plan to steer hundreds of trillions of won in new semiconductor investment toward South Korea's southwestern Honam region has erupted into one of the first major political battles of President Lee Jae Myung's administration. The conservative opposition accuses Lee of arm-twisting Samsung Electronics and SK hynix into politically motivated investment decisions, while the president argues the project is essential both to maintaining South Korea's semiconductor leadership in the AI era and correcting decades of regional economic imbalance. The dispute has rapidly expanded beyond industrial policy into a broader debate over how far governments should influence corporate investment, whether balanced regional development can coexist with industrial efficiency, and where the country's next semiconductor frontier should be built. Lee mounted an unusually direct public defense over the weekend after the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) alleged that the administration had improperly pressured Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to build major fabrication plants in Honam, the Democratic Party's traditional political stronghold encompassing Gwangju and the North and South Jeolla provinces. Writing in a series of posts on X, Lee rejected accusations that the region was receiving political favoritism. "Creating a semiconductor ecosystem in Honam is not preferential treatment for a particular region," Lee wrote, urging the opposition to debate the issue on its industrial merits rather than inflaming regional divisions. Lee argued that the country's southwest offers exactly the conditions semiconductor manufacturers increasingly require: abundant undeveloped land, plentiful industrial water, expanding renewable energy resources and relatively low seismic risk. He said South Korea should continue accelerating expansion around the existing semiconductor clusters in Yongin and Pyeongtaek while simultaneously establishing a second large-scale manufacturing hub outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The president framed the proposal as both an industrial necessity and a national development strategy. Responding to criticism from PPP lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo that presidential requests for regional investment could constitute an abuse of authority, Lee argued that the government's role was limited to industrial promotion and administrative support rather than coercion. He also pointed to a 2023 government assessment conducted under former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, which ranked Gwangju and South Jeolla among the strongest candidates for future semiconductor industrial complexes. When former PPP presidential candidate Yoo Seong-min questioned why Honam had been selected, Lee argued that renewable energy would become increasingly important as semiconductor manufacturers face tighter global carbon-reduction requirements. Lee also dismissed allegations by PPP floor leader Jung Jeom-sig that Samsung and SK hynix had acted under political pressure, saying critics were projecting their own past experiences onto others. Kim Yong-beom, the presidential chief of staff for policy, described establishing a major semiconductor fabrication cluster outside the capital region as "a very powerful national strategy." Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan likewise defended the proposal, citing the southwest's strong electricity self-sufficiency, abundant water resources and concentration of research institutions, including Chonnam National University, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology and the Korea Institute of Energy Technology. The opposition, however, intensified its criticism Monday. PPP Rep. Ahn Sang-hoon told AJP that directing Samsung Electronics and SK hynix toward Honam represented "a major policy mistake" that risked weakening one of South Korea's most globally competitive industries while fueling fresh regional tensions. The controversy comes as the Lee administration prepares to launch one of the largest industrial investment programs in South Korean history. Under the proposal, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix would each build two semiconductor fabrication plants in the southwest as part of an 800 trillion won ($519 billion) semiconductor ecosystem forming one pillar of Lee's broader AI strategy. Administration officials argue that expanding production beyond the Seoul metropolitan area has become unavoidable because existing manufacturing hubs around Yongin and Pyeongtaek are approaching practical limits in land availability, electricity capacity and industrial water. Critics counter that dispersing production risks weakening the tightly integrated supplier networks, engineering talent and manufacturing efficiencies that have helped South Korea dominate the global memory-chip industry. The political sensitivity extends well beyond semiconductors. During South Korea's state-led industrialization under former President Park Chung-hee in the 1960s and 1970s, much of the country's heavy industry was concentrated in the southeastern Yeongnam region, while Honam increasingly came to regard itself as economically marginalized. That perception of unequal development became deeply embedded in the region's political identity and has remained one of South Korea's most enduring political fault lines. The electoral map still reflects that history. Honam has long served as the country's most reliable liberal stronghold, while the conservative People Power Party continues to draw much of its support from the southeastern Yeongnam region. Consequently, few large-scale investment decisions involving Honam are viewed solely through an economic lens. The semiconductor initiative therefore represents more than a debate over where the next fabrication plants should be built. It has become an early test of President Lee's industrial philosophy — whether the government can simultaneously pursue AI leadership, reshape the country's economic geography and convince voters that one of the largest industrial projects in Korean history is driven by national strategy rather than regional politics. 2026-06-29 17:34:59 -
South Korea to create second chip cluster at $520 billion *Updated with additional information SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) -South Korea envisions transforming itself into a "Chip Republic," committing more than 800 trillion won ($520 billion) to build a second semiconductor belt spanning the country's southwestern region in an unprecedented industrial strategy designed to preserve its leadership in AI-era chips. The master plan calls for four new wafer fabrication plants in the southwestern Honam region, an advanced semiconductor packaging hub in the central Chungcheong region and a supply-chain manufacturing cluster in the southeastern Yeongnam region, creating a nationwide semiconductor ecosystem beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. The AI-led industrial strategy rests on what Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan called the "three S's" — speed, stronghold and spearhead. The completion of the Yongjin chip cluster project will be fastened by 12 years to 2033, he said. "We will move faster than our competitors, build an unshakable industrial stronghold and spearhead the next generation of AI technologies," Kim said Monday while unveiling what is expected to become the Lee Jae Myung administration's most ambitious state-backed industrial initiative. "I will personally oversee and deliver these three mega projects," President Lee Jae Myung said in his opening remarks, flanked by Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee on his right and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on his left. The three national initiatives comprise semiconductors, Physical AI and AI data centers, placing chips at the center of South Korea's next growth strategy. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will each construct two state-of-the-art fabrication plants in Jeolla Province, creating what the government describes as a second national semiconductor cluster to complement the existing "K-Chip Belt" around Gyeonggi Province. The blueprint reflects the Lee administration's vision of building a fully integrated AI ecosystem stretching from semiconductor fabrication and advanced packaging to hyperscale AI data centers while reducing South Korea's decades-long economic dependence on the Seoul metropolitan area. Honam, encompassing Gwangju and the North and South Jeolla provinces, has historically received far less high-tech investment than the capital region despite its strong manufacturing base. The government hopes the semiconductor push will transform the region into a new growth engine for the AI economy. If completed as planned, the project would create a second semiconductor manufacturing corridor alongside the existing cluster surrounding Seoul, where Samsung, SK hynix and hundreds of suppliers currently concentrate their production. The strategy also reflects an intensifying global race to secure AI infrastructure, as governments increasingly view semiconductors, electricity, water resources and hyperscale computing facilities as strategic national assets rather than ordinary industrial investments. Unlike previous semiconductor policies focused primarily on manufacturing capacity, the new blueprint seeks to integrate the entire AI value chain — from chip production and advanced packaging to data centers and power infrastructure — into a single national industrial strategy. Samsung Executive Chairman Lee outlined a nationwide investment map extending well beyond semiconductors, saying Gwangju had emerged as the leading candidate for Samsung's next fabrication complex. "Among several candidates, Gwangju offers the greatest potential through secure electricity and water supplies, a skilled workforce and strong government support," Lee said. He noted that Samsung's investment timetable has accelerated significantly following the expansion of its Giheung, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek and Yongin semiconductor campuses, making preparations for a new production base necessary sooner than expected. Lee said Samsung will concentrate investment in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) manufacturing around Cheonan and Onyang in the Chungcheong region, where advanced packaging capabilities are already being built. "HBM, which powers AI training and inference, requires cutting-edge chip stacking technology and manufacturing processes equivalent to a front-end fabrication plant," he said. Beyond semiconductors, Samsung plans to concentrate humanoid robots and Physical AI investments in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, supported by AI data centers serving the group's own operations. Samsung SDI will continue expanding next-generation all-solid-state battery and battery energy storage system production in Ulsan, while Samsung Heavy Industries will increase investment in next-generation shipbuilding in Geoje. Samsung Electro-Mechanics will expand production of advanced package substrates in Busan, and Samsung Biologics will continue to concentrate its biotechnology investments in Songdo, west of Seoul. Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, unveiled an even larger investment blueprint, saying SK Telecom and SK hynix would commit about 1,100 trillion won to AI infrastructure and semiconductors through 2035, including 400 trillion won to build a new semiconductor cluster in the country's southwest. "The question is not why Korea should pursue AI, but what we want AI to accomplish," Chey said. "Korea should become a country that produces and exports intelligence." He proposed building multiple AI data centers totaling five gigawatts in the first phase before expanding to 10 gigawatts, describing them as "AI factories" that would manufacture intelligence rather than conventional industrial goods. Chey also confirmed that SK hynix will accelerate construction of its Yongin semiconductor cluster by 12 years, bringing completion forward to 2033, while investing 400 trillion won in the southwestern region to establish a second semiconductor manufacturing base. "Even after these investments, demand will continue to outstrip supply," he said, predicting persistent shortages of AI memory chips as computing demand accelerates worldwide. He compared the AI growth to a child whose brain capacity will grow along with the evolution, requiring that amount of memory capacity. Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon said the government aims to facilitate more than 1,000 trillion won of cumulative investment in AI data centers by 2035, describing computing infrastructure as the next strategic battleground alongside semiconductors. President Lee closed the event by elevating the country's two business leaders to an unusual status rarely bestowed by a South Korean president. "This is a truly moving moment. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in Korea's history," Lee said. Calling Lee Jae-yong and Chey "national heroes," he praised them for choosing to expand investment at home rather than overseas despite fierce global competition to attract semiconductor projects. "You have shown that companies can pursue profits while also serving the nation," Lee said. Lee then bowed separately to each chairman before taking both men's hands in a rare public display of appreciation toward corporate leaders, pledging to establish a dedicated office under the presidential secretariat to oversee what he described as Korea's three defining projects — semiconductors, Physical AI and AI data centers. Investors were equally pleased. The KOSPI that sank to as low as 8,127.99 recovered after the announcement to above 8,400 while the KOSDAQ soared more than 8 percent. 2026-06-29 14:49:49 -
Korean justice minister calls to scrap statute of limitations on state crimes SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - South Korean Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho on Monday called for abolishing the statute of limitations for crimes committed by the state, saying those responsible for torture and other forms of state violence must be held accountable regardless of how much time has passed. In a post on X, Jung referred to the so-called Nakdong River murder case, a wrongful conviction that was overturned in a retrial after two men spent more than two decades in prison for a killing they did not commit. "There should be no statute of limitations for crimes committed by the state," Jung wrote. "Those who committed crimes against humanity through state violence must be punished, and we must firmly establish the principle that there is no statute of limitations for justice." The minister also apologized to the victims, Choi In-cheol and Jang Dong-ik, saying they had endured more than 30 years of suffering. "I sincerely apologize for your sufferings of more than 30 years," Jung wrote. "The Ministry of Justice will do its utmost to ensure that no citizen ever becomes a victim of fabricated criminal cases." The case stems from the Jan. 4, 1990, abduction of a man and a woman near the Nakdong River in the southeastern city of Busan. The woman was killed and the man survived with injuries. Police accused Choi and Jang of the crime after allegedly extracting false confessions through torture. Both men were sentenced to life imprisonment and spent 21 years behind bars before being released. They later sought a retrial, and the Busan High Court acquitted them in February 2021. During the retrial proceedings, Choi and Jang filed perjury complaints against five police officers who testified as witnesses. Prosecutors indicted four of the officers on June 25, one day before the statute of limitations on perjury expired. Jung said the perjury charges were the only remaining legal avenue to pursue accountability because the statute of limitations had already expired for the alleged torture and fabrication of evidence. He urged the National Assembly to consider legislation eliminating the statute of limitations for crimes involving state violence, noting that President Lee Jae Myung has repeatedly emphasized the need to hold perpetrators of such acts accountable. "State violence not only destroys an individual's life but also undermines society's trust in the justice system," Jung wrote. "We must establish a just Republic of Korea where no one falls victim to fabricated criminal cases." 2026-06-29 14:01:59 -
Tajikistan-led UN resolution establishes international peace through 2036 SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - The U.N. General Assembly has adopted a resolution proclaiming 2027 - 2036 as the International Decade of Strengthening of Peace for Future Generations, following an initiative introduced by Tajikistan, the country's embassy in Seoul said Monday. The resolution, adopted on June 25, calls for greater international efforts to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation while encouraging cooperation across generations to ensure that the interests of future generations are reflected in policymaking. According to the resolution, the decade will support engagement among children, young people and older persons and encourage governments, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to share best practices and participate in its implementation. The measure reaffirms the principles of the U.N. Charter, including the commitment to settle disputes by peaceful means and "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war." It also recognizes the U.N. Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace as a framework for promoting peace and nonviolence. The General Assembly also welcomed commitments made at the 2024 Summit of the Future, including the adoption of the Pact for the Future, which calls for stronger international cooperation to protect the interests of future generations. The resolution highlights recent diplomatic progress in Central Asia, welcoming efforts by Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to resolve border issues through peaceful negotiations and agreements. It requests the U.N. secretary-general, specialized agencies, regional commissions and other U.N. bodies to help implement the decade in cooperation with governments and other stakeholders. The Embassy of Tajikistan in Seoul said the resolution reflects the country's longstanding support for peace and dialogue, noting that the initiative was proposed by President Emomali Rahmon. The embassy said the adoption comes as armed conflicts continue to affect civilians in many parts of the world. 2026-06-29 12:48:21 -
Stay-at-home fathers in South Korea hit record high in first quarter SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - The number of South Korean men staying out of the workforce to care for preschool children or manage household duties climbed to a record high in the first quarter, while the number of women doing the same fell to the lowest level since comparable data became available. According to data released Monday by Statistics Korea through the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), 274,000 men were classified as economically inactive because of childcare or housework in the January-March period, up 16.6 percent from a year earlier. It was the highest first-quarter figure since the current classification of the economically inactive population was introduced in 2004. The year-on-year increase was also the largest since 2021. Of the total, 261,000 men cited housework as the reason for remaining outside the labor force, up 16.5 percent from a year earlier, while 13,000 stayed home to care for preschool children or grandchildren, an increase of 16.8 percent. The number of men devoted to childcare or housework has nearly doubled over the past two decades, rising from 151,000 in the first quarter of 2006. It first exceeded 200,000 in the first quarter of 2022. In contrast, the number of economically inactive women engaged in childcare or housework fell 1.9 percent from a year earlier to 6.536 million, the lowest first-quarter level since 2004. The figure had peaked at 7.684 million in the first quarter of 2013 before gradually declining. The trend suggests a gradual shift in traditional gender roles, with more men taking on caregiving and household responsibilities while more women remain in the workforce. The increase may also reflect a growing number of women in high-paying professional occupations. A report released in April by the Bank of Korea found that the ratio of economically active women aged 25 to 34 with four-year college degrees or higher to their male counterparts rose from 51.5 percent in 2002 to 95.5 percent last year. Among young professionals, the number of employed women was nearly equal to that of men last year. In office jobs, employed women outnumbered men, with the female-to-male employment ratio reaching 113.8 percent, according to the report. According to a September 2025 survey by South Korea's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, among dual-income couples, wives spent an average of 2 hours and 51 minutes per day on housework—including household chores and family caregiving—while husbands spent 59 minutes. This means that even in dual-income households, wives spent 112 minutes more on housework than their husbands. Even in single-income households where only the wife was employed, wives spent 2 hours and 40 minutes on housework, 54 minutes more than husbands, who spent 1 hour and 46 minutes. 2026-06-29 12:47:27 -
Young South Korean Ph.D.s face record employment crisis SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - More than one-third of South Korea's newly minted Ph.D. graduates were without jobs last year, with the share of unemployed or economically inactive doctorate holders exceeding 30 percent for the first time since the government began compiling the data, according to a government survey released Monday. The survey also showed that more than half of doctorate recipients under age 30 were jobless, underscoring worsening employment prospects even among the country's most highly educated young workers. According to the 2025 Survey of New Domestic Doctorate Recipients, conducted by the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training and released through the government's statistical portal, 66.7 percent of new Ph.D. graduates were employed or had secured jobs, while 27.7 percent were unemployed and 5.6 percent had left the labor force. Combined, the jobless rate — including both unemployed people seeking work and those classified as economically inactive — reached 33.3 percent, the highest level since the survey began in 2014. The increase was driven largely by a sharp rise in economically inactive doctorate holders, whose share nearly doubled to 5.6 percent from 3.0 percent a year earlier. By comparison, the unemployment rate edged up only 1.1 percentage points to 27.7 percent. South Korea has been producing a record number of Ph.D. graduates, but the expansion of high-quality positions requiring doctoral degrees has failed to keep pace, according to analysts. Universities, traditionally the largest employers of Ph.D. holders, have reduced the number of tenured faculty positions as the country's school-age population shrinks while relying more heavily on adjunct instructors. Government-funded research institutes and private-sector research and development positions have also failed to absorb the growing supply of doctorate recipients. Young graduates faced the greatest challenges. Among 569 respondents younger than 30, 51.1 percent were jobless, marking the first time the figure exceeded half. The share of economically inactive doctorate holders in the age group also jumped to 7.9 percent from 2.6 percent a year earlier. Employment conditions remained weak across other age groups. The jobless rate stood at 44.2 percent among doctorate recipients aged 30 to 34, 32.8 percent for those aged 35 to 39, 22.1 percent for those aged 40 to 44, 16.6 percent for those aged 45 to 49 and 22.7 percent for those aged 50 and older — all record highs for their respective age groups. The findings come as South Korea's youth labor market continues to weaken. The employment rate for people aged 15 to 29 stood at 43.8 percent in May, down 2.4 percentage points from a year earlier and extending its decline to 25 consecutive months. Some economists also believe artificial intelligence may be reducing entry-level opportunities for highly educated workers. The Bank of Korea said in a report last year that youth employment has declined in industries including computer programming, publishing, professional services and information services since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. The survey also highlighted widening income disparities by field of study. Among employed doctorate holders, 15.9 percent earned annual salaries of at least 100 million won ($64,800), up from 14.4 percent a year earlier. Business, administration and law graduates recorded the highest share of top earners at 29.8 percent, followed by health and welfare at 26.5 percent and information and communications technology at 24.1 percent. By contrast, only 3.7 percent of arts and humanities doctorate holders earned at least 100 million won annually, while 26.8 percent reported annual incomes below 20 million won. Women were more likely than men to be jobless after earning doctoral degrees. Among male doctorate recipients, 29.6 percent were unemployed or economically inactive, compared with 38.4 percent of women. Men were also more likely to earn annual salaries above 100 million won, at 20.6 percent, compared with 8.3 percent for women. Conversely, 17.2 percent of women earned less than 20 million won annually, compared with 6.3 percent of men. Rep. Ahn Sang-hoon, a lawmaker from the People Power Party and a former professor of social welfare at Seoul National University, said the problem stems from the government's failure to anticipate and prepare for future labor demand. "The education authorities should work closely with employment policymakers to forecast future industries and cultivate the talent they will need in advance, but that mechanism is not functioning properly," Ahn said. He also described South Korea's entrenched credentialism as a chronic social problem, saying, "The excessive production of advanced degrees in fields with little socioeconomic demand reduces the country's overall productivity." Suh Yi-jong, a sociology professor at Seoul National University, said relatively few people pursue doctoral degrees based on their own long-term career planning. Instead, he argued, many earn Ph.D.s under the influence of South Korea's traditional emphasis on academic pedigree and inertia, leaving them ill-prepared to respond proactively to sweeping social changes. "Having taught at the university for more than 30 years, I've seen many young people enter graduate school to pursue doctoral degrees not because they have anticipated the social changes ahead and chosen to respond to them proactively, but because they passively follow conventional ways of thinking," Suh said. He added that South Korean students generally enter university at a later age than their counterparts in many other countries. "Until they finish high school, students mainly follow prescribed curricula rather than studying independently and creatively," Suh said. "We should shorten the elementary, middle and high school education process so students can begin self-directed learning at an earlier stage." 2026-06-29 12:47:06 -
Seoul backs K-beauty inroads to Saudi Arabia SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) -South Korea is stepping up support for K-beauty companies seeking to enter Saudi Arabia, betting the kingdom's rapidly expanding consumer market will become the industry's next major growth engine as Korean cosmetics exports continue to break records. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said Monday it will launch a new program to help small and medium-sized cosmetics companies expand into Saudi Arabia, one of the Middle East's fastest-growing beauty markets, as Seoul seeks to diversify export destinations beyond its traditional markets. Applications will be accepted through July 23 from Korean cosmetics manufacturers and authorized distributors. Selected companies will receive support to meet Saudi retailers and government agencies, secure shelf space in online and offline stores, promote their products and receive consultations on local regulations. The initiative will be carried out jointly with the South Korean Embassy in Saudi Arabia and more than 20 Saudi distributors and retailers, including Whites, one of the kingdom's largest beauty and wellness retail chains. Following the application process, Saudi buyers will travel to South Korea to evaluate applicants through document screening and interviews before selecting participating brands. The ministry said Saudi Arabia has become an increasingly attractive destination for Korean cosmetics as the kingdom presses ahead with its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy. The reforms have expanded women's participation in the workforce, opened more sectors of the economy and encouraged higher consumer spending, fueling demand for beauty and personal care products. Female labor-force participation has more than doubled over the past decade, exceeding the government's original Vision 2030 target. Despite the growing interest, many smaller Korean brands have struggled to enter the Saudi market because of limited local business networks and complex regulatory requirements, the ministry said. "K-beauty remains South Korea's leading export category among SME products, but securing new customers and diversifying export destinations are essential to sustaining growth," Shim Jae-yoon, director general for global growth policy at the ministry, said in a statement. "We hope this initiative will serve as a stepping stone for expanding the K-beauty boom across the broader Middle East." South Korean Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Kang Shin-chul said rising Saudi interest in Korean cosmetics reflects demand not only for beauty products but also for the healthy and confident lifestyle associated with Korean culture. The ministry and the embassy will hold a briefing in Seoul on July 2 to explain Saudi market trends, application procedures and program details. The latest initiative comes as Korean cosmetics have emerged as one of the country's fastest-growing export industries. South Korea exported a record $11.37 billion worth of cosmetics in 2025, with small and medium-sized companies accounting for $8.32 billion, or 73 percent of the total. Industry estimates project exports could reach $15 billion within the next few years, supported by annual growth of around 11 to 13 percent across major overseas markets. K-beauty has continued to gain recognition abroad. In April, The New York Times included Torriden's Dive-In Serum and Hanyul's Red Rice Hydrating Serum among its five best hydrating serums. Retail expansion has also accelerated. Olive Young recently opened its first U.S. store in Pasadena, near Los Angeles, followed by a second outlet in Los Angeles. Shoppers lined up for four city blocks on opening day in Pasadena, while about 300 customers were waiting before the doors opened at the second location. The ministry has designated K-beauty as one of its strategic export industries and has expanded support for overseas sales through both online and offline channels. Minister Han Sung-sook has made K-beauty exports a priority since taking office last year, visiting cosmetics distributor Silicon2 shortly after assuming office, announcing measures to expand online exports in November and hosting the "K-Beauty Glow Week in Shanghai" promotion during last month's South Korea-China summit to showcase smaller Korean brands. 2026-06-29 09:55:50 -
South Korea backs AI with $130B R&D plan SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - South Korea adopted a new five-year national science and technology blueprint on Friday, pledging to invest more than 200 trillion won ($130 billion) in government-funded research and development through 2030 as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to make artificial intelligence the centerpiece of future economic growth. The Ministry of Science and ICT said the National Science and Technology Advisory Council approved the Sixth Basic Plan for Science and Technology, covering the 2026 - 2030 period. The plan, the country's highest-level framework for science and innovation policy, marks a sharp shift from the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, whose 2024 budget cuts to government R&D triggered widespread criticism from scientists, universities and research institutes before much of the funding was later restored. Under the new roadmap, the government identified four strategic priorities: overhauling the national science and innovation system, accelerating AI transformation, promoting technology-led economic growth and ensuring broader social benefits from scientific advances. The government said it will maintain stable investment of more than 200 trillion won in public R&D over the next five years while strengthening centralized coordination of science policy under the science and technology deputy prime minister. Universities will receive expanded performance-based block funding, while government-funded research institutes will move further away from the long-criticized Project-Based System (PBS) toward mission-oriented operations. Companies will receive customized R&D support tied to different stages of business growth. Artificial intelligence features prominently throughout the plan. The government said it will introduce AI-assisted research tools and autonomous laboratories across scientific disciplines, expand AI-based public services and continue developing sovereign foundation models. It also pledged investment in physical AI, quantum technologies, next-generation AI systems and computing infrastructure, including networks, data and cybersecurity. In strategic industries, Seoul plans to invest more than 60 trillion won over five years in national strategic technologies, including semiconductors, biotechnology, aerospace and defense. The government also aims to strengthen commercialization by expanding technology-transfer programs, venture financing and public-private innovation partnerships. Regional development forms another pillar of the strategy. The government will expand locally managed R&D funding, foster region-specific industries and strengthen science-driven healthcare, renewable energy and advanced nuclear technologies. By 2030, the government aims to increase the number of globally influential researchers from 76 to more than 100, raise AI service usage to above 70 percent from 44.5 percent and narrow South Korea's technology gap with the world's leading countries from 2.8 years to less than two years. The new strategy reflects President Lee's broader effort to restore government support for science after his predecessor's emphasis on fiscal discipline. Former President Yoon's administration drew heavy backlash in 2023 after proposing one of the largest reductions in government R&D spending in decades, arguing that research funding had become inefficient and required structural reform. Universities, researchers and industry groups warned that the cuts threatened basic research and long-term technological competitiveness, prompting the government to partially reverse course in subsequent budgets. Lee has since pledged record levels of research spending while positioning AI as a new engine of economic growth, saying sustained investment in science and technology is essential for South Korea's future competitiveness. 2026-06-26 17:29:10 -
Ex-first lady sentenced to 7 yrs in prison over bribery charges SEOUL, June 26 (AJP) - Disgraced former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday after a court found her guilty of accepting luxury gifts and artworks in exchange for using her influence to help secure appointments and other favors. The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence on charges of influence-peddling and bribery, slightly lighter than the seven years and six months prosecutors had sought. Prosecutors earlier argued that Kim had repeatedly accepted expensive gifts using her status, and requested a harsher sentence. The ruling covered all alleged influence-peddling and bribery charges against Kim, who was accused of accepting luxury goods worth 103.8 million won (US$67,500) including a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace from Seo Hee Construction chairman Lee Bong-kwan in exchange for helping arrange a personnel appointment involving his eldest son-in-law. She was also convicted of receiving a gold turtle figurine worth 2.65 million won from former National Education Commission chair Lee Bae-yong in connection with a request for an appointment. In another case, Kim was accused of accepting a Vacheron Constantin watch valued at 39 million won from robotics entrepreneur Seo Seong-bin in return for business-related assistance. The court also found Kim guilty of receiving Dior bags worth a combined 5.4 million won from pastor Choi Jae-young in connection with requests involving official duties. Kim was further convicted of accepting a painting by renowned Korean artist Lee U-fan, valued at about 140 million won, from former prosecutor Kim Sang-min in exchange for an election nomination request. Kim, 53, is the wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol and served as South Korea's first lady from 2022 until Yoon's ouster from office in April last year. Before entering public life, she ran a company organizing art exhibitions, but soon faced a series of controversies including allegations ranging from a stock-price manipulation scheme to academic plagiarism. Her legal troubles have unfolded alongside proceedings against Yoon, making them the first former couple to face separate criminal cases. Kim has consistently denied wrongdoing in multiple investigations, while prosecutors have pursued a series of corruption-related cases against her over the past couple of years. Kim bowed before the court and said she was "sincerely remorseful" for her "careless conduct," but she is expected to appeal Friday's ruling. 2026-06-26 16:38:08