SRT bullet train clocks up over 205 million passengers in nearly a decade SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) - Tuesday marks the 9th anniversary of high-speed rail service Super Rapid Train (SRT). Operator SR Corporation said its high-speed trains, with a maximum speed of 305 km/h, have carried a total of 205 million passengers over the past nine years. Passenger numbers grew sharply from 1 million in 2016 to 26.69 million last year. As of early this week, approximately 24.33 million passengers have used the service this year. The number of daily commuters also exceeded initial forecasts, rising from 53,334 in 2017 to 70,920 this year. SRT passengers have traveled a combined 45.5 billion kilometers, equivalent to 151 round trips between Earth and the Sun. SR's acting CEO Shim Young-joo said, "We will continue to strive to provide passengers with safe and convenient high-speed rail service." In a related development, the government announced plans the previous day to merge SRT with the primary KTX bullet train service by the end of next year, allowing passengers to transfer between the two high-speed trains. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-09 16:52:31

Half of high-ranking officials own multiple homes SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Nearly half of high-ranking government officials including lawmakers own two or more homes, a recent analysis shows. The analysis of some 2,581 senior officials, released by corporate tracker Leaders Index on Tuesday, found that 48.8 percent hold multiple homes, with 17.8 percent owning at least three. Real estate accounts for 58.7 percent of their total assets estimated at 5.71 trillion won. Apartments make up 58.9 percent, followed by sprawling private residences at 16.6 percent, multi-unit buildings at 8.6 percent, and others. Government officials own an average of 1.89 homes each, local government heads 1.87, and lawmakers 1.41. Nearly 30 percent of these properties, worth 1.33 trillion won, are concentrated in Seoul's affluent districts of Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa, south of the Han River. Cho Sung-myung, a district chief of Gangnam, owns the most properties, with 42 residential units and buildings. Among lawmakers, Park Min-kyu of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) owns the most, with more than a dozen properties including an apartment in Seocho and 11 studios in Gwanak, southwestern Seoul. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-18 10:40:38

Flights to be grounded for 30 minutes to reduce noise for test-takers during their crucial exam SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - All flights in South Korea will be grounded for about 35 minutes on Thursday to help students take their English listening test undisturbed, as more than 550,000 test-takers nationwide will sit for their annual university entrance exam. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, takeoffs and landings at airports nationwide will be suspended from 1:05 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. to minimize noise disruptions for students, affecting around 140 flights. But some emergency and urgent flights will be exempt. Drones and other aerial devices will also be banned, with prior notice provided to the public. The ministry will work with relevant agencies including the Korea Airports Corporation and Incheon International Airport Corporation, to control and monitor air traffic. Joo Jong-wan, a ministry official, advised passengers to be aware of such measures and check their departure times in advance. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-11 15:37:39

Foreign home purchases fall to 32-month low in S. Korea after new restrictions SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - Purchases of residential properties by foreigners in the Seoul metropolitan area fell to their lowest level in nearly three years last month, following the government’s introduction of tighter restrictions on foreign real estate transactions. According to data from the court, 560 foreigners completed ownership transfers for homes in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon in October — the fewest since February 2023, when only 427 transactions were recorded. Foreign purchases had climbed steadily earlier this year, from 606 in January to a peak of 1,051 in August, before slipping to 976 in September and continuing their decline in October. The downturn coincides with a new permit system for home purchases by foreigners, introduced on Aug. 26, which designated all of Seoul and several surrounding districts as restricted zones. The measure limits purchases to properties intended for residence and requires prior approval from local governments. The measure, part of a broader push to cool speculative housing demand, came amid growing public criticism that foreign buyers were gaining advantages in the housing market, including access to loans and tax loopholes. Under the new rules, foreigners seeking to buy houses must obtain government approval and move into the property within four months of purchase, maintaining residence for at least two years. Authorities have also intensified scrutiny of foreign real estate transactions, referring suspected tax evasion cases to the National Tax Service for investigation. Foreign home purchases dropped across all major regions in October: from 174 to 133 in Seoul, from 540 to 288 in Gyeonggi, and from 262 to 139 in Incheon. Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share with 438 transactions, followed by Americans with 133 and Canadians with 33. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-03 15:01:24

Samsung C&T wins $1.4 billion carbon capture contract in Qatar SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - Samsung C&T’s construction division has won a $1.4 billion contract to build one of the world’s largest carbon compression and transport facilities in Qatar. The contract, valued at 1.91 trillion won, was awarded by QatarEnergy LNG, the state-run liquefied natural gas producer, and covers engineering, procurement and construction for the project. The new facility will be built about 80 kilometers north of Doha, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, a hub for Qatar’s energy production. Once completed, it will compress and transport up to 4.1 million tons of carbon dioxide a year to depleted gas fields for permanent underground storage — the largest carbon capture and storage capacity in the country. The project will require sophisticated systems for pressure and temperature control to ensure the safe handling of carbon dioxide, one of the most technically demanding elements of large-scale carbon management. Samsung C&T will oversee the full process from design to construction. The deal marks another milestone in Samsung C&T’s expansion beyond traditional construction into decarbonization and renewable energy sectors, including solar power and battery storage. “With our extensive experience in large-scale projects in Qatar, this contract will strengthen our contribution to the country’s sustainability goals,” said Lee Byung-soo, executive vice president of Samsung C&T’s Overseas Business Division. “It builds on our previous collaborations in solar and other clean-energy projects.” The project aligns with Qatar’s national strategy to reduce emissions from its LNG operations. For Samsung C&T, it reinforces the company’s position as a global contractor capable of integrating advanced environmental technologies into industrial-scale projects, company officials said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-03 13:45:49

OPINION: As technology advances, can wisdom keep up? SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - Human history can be read as the story of technology — a long march from the roar of engines to the quiet hum of algorithms. Each invention begins as a spark of imagination, becomes the engine of industry, and ultimately reshapes the fabric of civilization. From steam to silicon to synthetic intelligence, this evolution has not only transformed economies but also the meaning of being human. The progression of technology tends to follow three distinct stages. The first is the technological stage, the moment of invention — often driven by necessity, curiosity or conflict. The second is the industrial stage, when innovation meets production, and technology becomes widely available. The final stage is civilization, when it seeps into daily life, alters social values and redefines relationships. In the mechanical age, these stages unfolded over decades. Karl Benz’s automobile, first built in 1886, dazzled as a feat of engineering, but it was Henry Ford’s Model T in 1908 that brought cars to the masses. By the 1950s, with highways stretching across nations, the automobile had come to symbolize freedom and modernity. What began as an invention became an industry within two decades — and a defining element of civilization within four. Computing advanced more rapidly. The ENIAC, born in 1945 out of wartime necessity, marked the birth of electronic computation. By the 1950s, IBM had commercialized the machine; by the 1970s, computers were indispensable to business and government. The personal computing revolution — from the Altair 8800 in 1975 to the IBM PC in 1981 — brought the digital world into homes. Laptops in the 1980s and mobile computing in the 2000s collapsed the boundaries between work, home, and everywhere in between. The internet’s rise was even more explosive. ARPANET, launched in 1969, was a tool of defense. The World Wide Web, created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1991, transformed it into a public utility. By the 2000s, social media had woven it into the social fabric — for better and worse — turning connection into currency. Smartphones and platforms like YouTube illustrate how swiftly innovation now races through its life cycle. IBM’s Simon, introduced in 1992, was the first smartphone, but Apple’s iPhone in 2007 turned it into a global necessity. Within a decade, it redefined communication, commerce and culture — giving rise to what some call phono sapiens. YouTube, founded in 2005 and bought by Google a year later, industrialized almost instantly, spawning a new creative economy and an era of digital celebrity. Artificial intelligence, the newest frontier, is still in motion. Conceived in 1956, AI endured long periods of disillusionment before deep learning in the 2010s pushed it into the industrial age. By the 2020s, with tools like ChatGPT, it had entered everyday life. Yet as AI augments creativity and efficiency, it also stirs anxiety about bias, surveillance and the future of work. Across these revolutions, one truth endures: no technology becomes civilization without social acceptance. Progress depends as much on human desire as on technical achievement. Each wave of innovation delivers both liberation and loss — expanding possibilities while unsettling old orders. The next wave may arrive faster than we expect. Quantum computing could industrialize by the 2030s. Virtual and augmented reality may redefine education and experience. Advances in biotechnology may extend lifespans, forcing new ethical reckonings. And if general artificial intelligence emerges, it could transform not only industry but the human condition itself. As technology converges toward a post-human era, we face an ancient question in modern form: Can wisdom keep pace with power? The journey of technology continues, but its destination remains ours to decide. To preserve our humanity in the age of machines, we must look backward as much as forward — learning from each revolution not just how to build, but how to be. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-03 08:28:09

No-fly zones, strict aerial restrictions set for next week's APEC summit in Gyeongju SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Flights and other aerial activities will be restricted near the vicinity of next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on Friday. To ensure safety during the summit scheduled for Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, the no-fly zone will be in effect from next Monday until Nov. 2 at Gimhae International Airport, applying to all aircraft including drones and ultralight vehicles except for some regular passenger flights and those with emergency missions. All aircraft except authorized ones are prohibited from entering a 3.7-kilometer radius around the summit's venue and a 9.3-kilometer radius around the airport, while a broader 18.5-kilometer radius requires prior approval from military authorities. The ministry, in cooperation with police and personnel from the National Intelligence Service and Ministry of Defense, will conduct around-the-clock surveillance to monitor and detect unauthorized flights, drones, and jamming equipment. Violators could face fines of up to 3 million Korean won. A ministry official called for public attention and support to ensure the successful hosting of the multilateral gathering. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-24 15:10:19

OPINION: Potholes, aging tunnels, and tight budgets SEOUL, October 22 (AJP) - South Korea’s once-celebrated expressways and bridges are showing their age. A new analysis by Rep. Bok Ki-wang of the Democratic Party found that more than 26,000 potholes have appeared on highways across the country over the past five years, with most concentrated on older routes long overdue for repair. The Yeongdong Expressway, one of the nation’s busiest arteries linking Seoul and Gangwon Province, accounted for 27 percent of the total, followed by the Jungbu Line, the Seoul Ring Expressway, and the Gyeongbu Line. Roughly 85 percent of all reported potholes formed on roads more than two decades old. In one recent incident, a pothole that opened on the Seoul Ring Expressway near Namyangju in October damaged 23 vehicles and injured two people — a reminder that road wear is not merely an inconvenience but a growing safety risk. In Seoul, the Olympic Highway and Gangbyeonbuk-ro — both built in the mid-1980s — have recorded nearly 18,000 potholes in the past three years alone. While heavy rainfall and extreme temperature swings contribute to the problem, experts say the main culprit is simply age. As the country’s infrastructure matures, accidents linked to deteriorating roads are expected to increase. The problem extends well beyond highways. By 2033, roughly a quarter of South Korea’s tunnels on key expressways, including the Gyeongbu Line, will be more than 30 years old — up from just 6 percent today. Nearly 30 percent of port facilities have already surpassed that threshold, as have more than a quarter of the nation’s railway bridges and tunnels. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 46 percent of public facilities in use as of 2024 were built more than 20 years ago. Yet the government’s maintenance budget remains modest — just over 20 percent of total infrastructure spending — raising concerns that upkeep is lagging far behind the pace of deterioration. A national safety plan introduced in 2019 sought to address the issue, but analysts say public awareness and investment remain insufficient. Although maintenance budgets were expanded in 2025 and 2026, officials and experts argue that longer-term commitments and clearer funding mechanisms are essential. Rep. Bok and other lawmakers have called for greater private-sector participation to supplement limited government resources. Models such as “build-operate-transfer” partnerships, in which companies finance and manage projects before handing them over to the government, could help ease fiscal pressure and accelerate repairs. Legal and institutional reforms are also seen as vital. Stronger coordination between central and local governments, along with clearer legal frameworks for preventive maintenance, would allow more efficient management of aging assets. Technology, too, could play a critical role. Expanding the use of artificial intelligence and big data in inspections and remote monitoring — areas where Japan has already made significant progress — could help detect risks earlier and allocate repair funds more effectively. Improved data-sharing among agencies, experts say, is key to building public trust and awareness. The urgency is clear. A 2024 Social Survey found that only 35 percent of South Koreans feel safe regarding the condition of public buildings and facilities. Without sustained investment and proactive oversight, the costs — both financial and human — could grow far higher in the years ahead. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-22 10:31:36