Asian stocks quiet on '25 final day, Korean chip shares rally on inventory squeeze SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Asian equity markets spent the final trading day of 2025 on a largely subdued note, with South Korea standing out as memory-chip stocks surged to new highs amid signs of tightening supply. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI inched up 2.10 points to 4,222.66 as of 10:10 a.m., while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ fell 0.9 percent to 924.70. The broader index was little changed overall, but heavyweight semiconductor shares extended their rally. Samsung Electronics rose 0.9 percent to 120,600 won ($84), while SK hynix climbed 2.7 percent to 657,000 won, both hitting record highs. On Monday, Samsung Electronics had already advanced 2.1 percent to a record close of 119,500 won, lifting its market capitalization above 700 trillion won ($488 billion) for the first time. The rally has been underpinned by strong export data and tightening chip supply. From January to November, South Korea’s semiconductor exports reached $152.6 billion, up 19.8 percent from a year earlier, leading the country’s export growth in 2025. November industrial output data also showed semiconductor inventories plunging 42.6 percent from a year earlier, highlighting aggressive stockpiling amid fears of supply shortages. LG Energy Solution, the third-largest stock by market value, fell 2.8 percent to 369,500 won. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries slipped 1.7 percent to 514,000 won, Hanwha Aerospace lost 1.6 percent to 934,000 won, Hanwha Ocean declined 1.5 percent to 113,900 won, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering retreated 1.3 percent to 405,000 won, and Korea Zinc tumbled 4 percent to 1,317,000 won. Entertainment stocks, however, moved higher across the board. HYBE gained 0.3 percent to 321,000 won, JYP Entertainment climbed 1.4 percent to 72,100 won, SM Entertainment edged up 0.3 percent to 128,400 won, and YG Entertainment jumped 3.3 percent to 66,800 won. Tuesday marks the final trading day of South Korea’s stock market in 2025. The first regular trading session of 2026 will open at 10 a.m. on Friday. There will be no pre-market trading that day, and the main, block and basket trading sessions will all begin at 10:00:30 a.m. Elsewhere in Asia, market moves were muted. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 slipped 0.2 percent to 50,418.06. Among major heavyweights, Toyota Motor rose 0.1 percent to 3,367 yen ($21.6), Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group edged down 0.1 percent to 2,494 yen, and SoftBank Group fell 1 percent to 4,442 yen. In China, the Shanghai Composite declined 0.3 percent to 3,952.68, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slipped 3.69 points to 25,631.54. The Shanghai market trades on Wednesday. 2025-12-30 11:50:14

Korean stock market reclaims the 4,200 level SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - While Asian markets were mixed—with Japan slightly down and China remaining flat—Korean stocks rose sharply. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI climbed 2.2 percent to close at 4,220 on Monday, while the KOSDAQ gained 1.4 percent to end at 932.59. It was the first time since Nov. 3 that the KOSPI closed above the 4,200 mark. The current level is just one point below the record high of 4,221.87 set on that date. Both Samsung Electronics and SK hynix hit new record closing highs. Samsung Electronics rose 2.1 percent to 119,500 won ($83.4), and SK hynix jumped 6.8 percent to 640,000 won. SK hynix’s sharp rise was driven by expectations of a memory semiconductor supercycle, along with the lifting of its "investment warning" designation, which eased supply-demand concerns and attracted buying. Lee Kyung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities, said, "With recent positive momentum such as expectations for a memory supercycle continuing, both SK hynix and Samsung Electronics rose together," adding that "the strength of these two semiconductor leaders led the KOSPI’s gain." Samsung Biologics gained 0.8 percent to 1,706,000 won, Hyundai Motor rose 2.6 percent to 293,500 won, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries added 2.2 percent to 523,000 won, and Doosan Enerbility climbed 3.9 percent to 76,500 won. Hanwha Aerospace surged 9.1 percent to 949,000 won. The stock’s jump was attributed to news that the company signed a 103.3 billion won ($72 million) contract with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute to develop a "lunar lander propulsion system" scheduled for launch in 2032, and to its removal from the investment warning list. LG Energy Solution, the third-largest by market capitalization, fell 0.9 percent to 380,000 won. Most entertainment stocks advanced. HYBE gained 1.8 percent to 320,000 won, SM added 2.9 percent to 128,000 won, YG increased 0.3 percent to 64,700 won, while JYP was unchanged. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 0.4 percent to 50,526.92. In China, the Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.60 points to 3,945.28. 2025-12-29 17:47:25

Memories linger as truth remains elusive a year after Muan airport crash SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - An 18-year-old boy left a note for his mother, promising that he had finally grown up in his final year of high school — and apologizing that he could not tell her in person. His message is one of hundreds now posted along a hallway at Muan International Airport, where families continue to mourn those lost in South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster. Nearly a year has passed since Jeju Air Flight 2216, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from Bangkok, skidded off the runway during an emergency landing and slammed into a concrete embankment at Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province on Dec. 29, 2024. Of the 181 people on board, 179 were killed, with only two flight attendants surviving. The aircraft attempted an emergency landing after an engine failure caused by a bird strike, according to preliminary findings. Yet for bereaved families, answers have remained scarce in the months since. Presidential apology, lingering questions President Lee Jae Myung, on his first day back at Cheong Wa Dae, issued a formal apology to the victims’ families, calling the tragedy a failure of the state’s duty to protect lives. “As president, responsible for the safety of the people, I extend my deepest apologies,” Lee said, pledging to ensure accountability and prevent a recurrence. “The least we can do is make sure such a tragedy never happens again.” The Muan crash marked the deadliest aviation accident in South Korea’s history, surpassing the 1993 Asiana Airlines crash in Haenam that killed 66 people. Despite the apology, families say accountability has been slow and opaque. On May 13, 2025, they filed a criminal complaint with the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency against 15 individuals, including former Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Park Sang-woo, former Korea Airports Corporation president Yoon Hyung-jung, and Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae. The complaint alleges violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and professional negligence resulting in death. Dispute over legal responsibility Whether the Serious Accidents Punishment Act applies has emerged as a central legal fault line. Its application would determine not only criminal liability for senior officials but also whether families could receive compensation of up to five times the standard level. Police are reportedly leaning toward concluding that the law does not apply — a stance that has alarmed victims’ families. Moon Yoo-jin, a former judge and legal scholar, argues otherwise, saying the crash should fall under the law because it involved defects in public transportation facilities. “An accident occurring during takeoff or landing, linked to a structure such as the embankment, can reasonably be viewed as resulting from defects in design, installation or management,” she said. Conflicting findings and withheld disclosures Shortly after the crash, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the concrete embankment supporting the airport’s localizer met regulatory standards. Subsequent reviews by other institutions contradicted that assessment. The National Forensic Service later found that the structure violated both domestic and international aviation safety standards, a conclusion echoed by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Tensions deepened when the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) canceled a planned July briefing on its engine analysis after objections from victims’ families. The draft findings reportedly suggested that although the right engine suffered severe damage, the pilot had shut down the left engine — a claim families strongly disputed. Families accused investigators of relying too heavily on analysis provided by the U.S. engine manufacturer while downplaying possible structural defects. Requests to access the full original engine analysis were denied. A senior ARAIB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the board had attempted to hold public hearings on Dec. 4 and 5 to present its findings, but was unable to proceed due to opposition from families. He added that earlier disclosure had been avoided because the investigation was still ongoing and premature release could have interfered with the process. Safety upgrades lag behind promises In the wake of the disaster, the transport ministry conducted a nationwide inspection of airport navigation facilities. On Jan. 13, 2025, it announced that nine azimuth structures at seven airports — Gwangju, Muan, Yeosu, Gimhae, Sacheon, Jeju and Pohang-Gyeongju — required safety upgrades. As of Dec. 18, 2025, only Gwangju and Pohang-Gyeongju had completed the improvements. A ministry official said four additional sites had since finished work and that all nine would be upgraded by next year. Lawmakers have criticized the pace of reform. Min Hong-chul, a Democratic Party member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, said repeated tragedies — from the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking to the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush — show a pattern of delayed accountability. “Investigations must be swift and transparent, with the participation of bereaved families,” Min said. “Moving the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board under the Prime Minister’s Office would be a first step toward restoring trust and uncovering the truth.” Nearly a year after the crash, messages of remembrance continue to line the walls of Muan Airport. For families, time has brought neither closure nor clarity — only a renewed call for accountability and structural reform. 2025-12-29 17:41:06

Defense and unification ministries hold joint session on potential inter-Korean military talks SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Ministry of Unification (MOU) held a joint workshop on Friday to prepare for potential military dialogue with North Korea, despite the lack of a response from Pyongyang regarding recent proposals. The session, held at the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue in central Seoul, focused on inter-agency coordination and reviewing readiness measures for future negotiations. During the workshop, defense officials announced plans to form a preparatory task force comprised of personnel with prior experience in inter-Korean negotiations. The ministry also stated it will rename its "North Korea Strategy Division" to the "North Korea Policy Division," a move intended to bolster the unit's administrative legitimacy and shift its focus toward sustainable engagement. The preparations come as Seoul awaits a response from the North. On November 17, the Defense Ministry proposed holding military talks to discuss the baseline for the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Pyongyang has not yet replied to the offer. "We hope a forum for dialogue to ease military tensions between the two Koreas will be arranged soon," the ministry said in a statement. "We will continue strengthening preparations through close coordination with relevant agencies to help establish peace on the Korean Peninsula." The choice of venue for the workshop carries symbolic significance for the current administration’s policy direction. The Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue, located in Samcheong-dong, was originally established in the 1970s but was abolished during the administration of former President Yoon Suk-yeol. The current administration under President Lee Jae-myung reinstated the office on November 4 following a reorganization, reviving the body after a two-year hiatus. The office is responsible for formulating negotiation strategies, maintaining communication channels, and managing logistics for talks between the two Koreas. 2025-12-26 17:27:43

Korean, Japanese stocks and currencies hold ground on foreign buying in chip shares SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - South Korean and Japanese markets held ground Friday, supported by foreign inflows into semiconductor stocks and a recovery in currencies that had been among the year’s weakest performers. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI closed at 4,129.68, up 0.5 percent, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ also edged up 0.5 percent to 919.67. Chip heavyweights led the market. Samsung Electronics surged 5.3 percent to 117,000 won ($81), while SK hynix rose 1.9 percent to 599,000 won, supported by continued strengthening in DRAM prices. Elsewhere market breadth remained weak, with decliners outnumbering advancers 643 to 246, as foreign and institutional buying was concentrated largely in semiconductor shares. LG Energy Solution fell 1.8 percent to 383,500 won, Hyundai Motor slipped 1 percent to 286,000 won, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries declined 1.4 percent to 512,000 won. KB Financial Group lost 1.2 percent to 124,600 won, while Doosan Enerbility dropped 3 percent to 73,600 won. Kia fell 1 percent to 119,800 won, and Hanwha Aerospace eased 0.9 percent to 870,000 won. Entertainment stocks moved broadly lower, with Hybe down 2.6 percent to 314,500 won, JYP Entertainment off 1.5 percent to 71,100 won, SM Entertainment sliding 3.5 percent to 124,400 won, and YG Entertainment falling 2.4 percent to 64,500 won. The Korean won strengthened amid broad strengthening of East Asian peers led by the Chinese yuan. The dollar ended Seoul session at 1,440.3 won, down 9.5 won from Wednesday. The greenback also weakened against the yen, slipping 0.65 yen to 155.74, even as the dollar index edged slightly higher to 97.68. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 held firm, up 0.5 percent at 50,662.22 as of 3:41 p.m., supported by chip-related shares. China’s Shanghai Composite Index edged down 1.09 points to 3,958.53. 2025-12-26 16:23:13

Seoul's presidential office returns to Cheong Wa Dae Monday SEOUL, December 25 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will formerly begin work at the Cheong Wa Dae on Monday, making the end of the presidential office's temporary operation in Yongsan-gu. The official name of the president’s office will change from the Office of the President to Cheong Wa Dae on the same day. At midnight, the phoenix flag symbolizing the head of state will be lowered at the Yongsan presidential office to be raised at Cheong Wa Dae. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office on May 10, 2022, relocated the presidential office to the former Ministry of National Defense compound in Yongsan and opened Cheong Wa Dae to the public as a tourist site. The experiment with relocating a presidential office outside the traditional Cheong Wa Dae ended with his removal from office. On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law, and on Apr. 4, 2025, the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment with a unanimous ruling by all eight justices. A snap election followed on Jun. 3. President Lee Jae Myung upon declared victor began term the following day. In Korean, Cheong Wa in Cheong Wa Dae means “blue tiles,” while dae means “building.” The name comes from the main building’s distinctive blue-tiled roof. The complex was officially renamed Cheong Wa Dae on Dec. 30, 1960, during the administration of President Yun Po-sun. According to the Cheong Wa Dae website, roughly 150,000 blue tiles were used in the roof, each individually fired. Their durability is said to exceed 100 years. The current main building of Cheong Wa Dae, where the president conducts official duties and receives foreign guests, was completed on Sept. 4, 1991. Its construction followed mounting criticism that it was inappropriate for the president of the Republic of Korea to operate from the former office of the Japanese Governor-General, a remnant of the colonial era. Designed in the style of a traditional royal palace, the building was intended to symbolize state authority and represent the Republic of Korea. The president’s main office is located on the second floor. President Lee Jae Myung’s primary office is reportedly planned to be located on the third floor of Yeomin Building 1, part of the Cheong Wa Dae office complex where senior presidential aides work. According to a presidential aide, the arrangement is intended to minimize movement between the president and top staff to enhance communication efficiency. Historically, the site of Cheong Wa Dae has served multiple roles. During the Japanese colonial period, it housed the residence of the Governor-General. Under the U.S. military government, Lt. Gen. John R. Hodge used the residence as his official quarters. South Korea’s first president, Rhee Syngman, later used the same building as both his office and residence. Earlier still, during the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392), the site contained a royal villa, and during the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897), it formed part of the rear garden of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Cheong Wa Dae has also hosted moments of modern diplomatic symbolism. In July 1993, during an official visit to South Korea, then-U.S. President Bill Clinton jogged for 15 minutes and 20 seconds along the Nokjiwon trail with then-President Kim Young-sam. 2025-12-26 14:57:58

Asian stocks rise following record close for S&P 500 SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Asian stock markets climbed on Friday, following a rally on Wall Street after U.S. economic data showed stronger-than-expected third-quarter growth earlier in the week. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 0.6 percent to 4,132.65 as of 10:14 a.m., and the KOSDAQ gained 0.2 percent to 916.70. The regional advance followed a Wednesday close in which the S&P 500 rose 0.3 percent to an all-time high of 6,932.05. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.6 percent to 48,731.16, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.2 percent to 23,613.31. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, third-quarter GDP grew at an annualized rate of 4.3 percent, surpassing the Dow Jones consensus forecast of 3.2 percent. Samsung Electronics led the gains in Seoul, jumping 3.4 percent to 114,900 won. The stock reached an intraday high of 115,100 won, breaking its previous record of 112,500 won set on Tuesday. SK hynix gained 2 percent to 600,000 won. The semiconductor sector was supported by a 3.8 percent rise in Micron Technology to a record high. Additionally, Nomura Securities raised its target price for Samsung Electronics to 160,000 won on Friday. "The memory supercycle is likely to last at least until 2027," Nomura stated. Performance among other large-cap stocks was mixed. Hanwha Aerospace rose 1.3 percent to 889,000 won, but LG Energy Solution fell 1.5 percent to 384,500 won. Other decliners included HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, which dropped 1 percent, and Doosan Enerbility, which fell 1.5 percent. KB Financial Group and Naver slipped 1.2 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively. The entertainment sector saw a broad decline, with Hybe falling 2.5 percent, SM Entertainment dropping 2.6 percent, and JYP Entertainment losing 1.5 percent. In the Seoul foreign exchange market, the won-dollar exchange rate opened at 1,449.9 won per dollar and moved to 1,442.9 won by 11 a.m. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.9 percent to 50,849.62. All of Japan’s 10 largest companies by market capitalization gained, with SoftBank Group jumping 2.5 percent and Fast Retailing advancing 2.3 percent. Toyota Motor rose 0.4 percent, while tech firms Advantest and Tokyo Electron gained 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Chinese markets were little changed, with the Shanghai Composite Index edging up 0.1 percent to 3,964.91 and the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong rising 0.2 percent to 25,818.93. 2025-12-26 12:49:57

Seoul to decide whether to lift ban on North Korean state media access The South Korean government is weighing whether to allow public access to North Korea's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun and, more broadly, to ease restrictions on North Korean websites, as part of a policy review led by the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The issue will be discussed at a Cabinet-level meeting on Friday involving officials from the NIS, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Korea Communications Commission. Under current law, most North Korean publications are classified as "special materials" under Article 7 of the National Security Act of 1970. The designation bans public access to materials deemed to promote or praise North Korea's political system or deny South Korea's democratic order. According to Democratic Party lawmaker Youn Kun-young, a member of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, the NIS has notified lawmakers that it is reviewing whether to reclassify Rodong Sinmun at the request of the Ministry of Unification. The move follows remarks by President Lee Jae Myung during a recent government briefing by the unification ministry last week, in which he said South Koreans should not be treated as incapable of distinguishing propaganda from facts. He argued that the public should be trusted to exercise judgment rather than be shielded through blanket restrictions. In a report to the National Assembly, the NIS said it is "positively considering expanding access to North Korean websites" in order to strengthen the public's right to know and promote inter-Korean exchange. The agency also said it plans to cooperate with two bills currently under review by the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee that would establish a legal framework for the management and use of North Korean materials. At present, nearly 90 percent of all North Korean publications are classified as "special materials," making them inaccessible to the general public. Access is granted only with special approval from the Ministry of Unification and is limited to supervised viewing on designated computers at the Unification Education Institute. Ordinary users attempting to visit North Korean websites typically encounter a notice stating that the content is blocked as illegal or harmful. As part of the policy shift, the NIS has also decided to abolish its existing internal guidelines on North Korean materials and transfer authority over their management to the Ministry of Unification, signaling a broader institutional realignment in how such content is regulated. 2025-12-26 10:32:48

INTERVIEW: Prevention starts with language: forensic scientist warns of growing drug risks in Korea SEOUL, December 25 (AJP) - When a high school senior in Daejeon fatally stabbed his mother and aunt while under the influence of LSD, the crime in 2016 stunned the nation. For Chung Heesun, a veteran forensic scientist and former head of the National Forensic Service (NFS), it was another signal that South Korea’s long-held belief in being a drug-free society is rapidly eroding. “He didn’t even know he had stabbed his mother,” Chung said, recalling the forensic findings. “That’s why drugs are terrifying — they destroy judgment.” Now a chaired professor of forensic science at Sungkyunkwan University, Chung is regarded as one of South Korea’s leading authorities on toxicology and drug detection. She warns that drugs have quietly permeated everyday life, reshaping social attitudes and lowering psychological barriers — particularly among young people. Language, she argues, is part of the problem. Food and beverage products increasingly adopt the word mayak — meaning “drug” in Korean — to emphasize addictiveness, from “mayak gimbap” to “mayak coffee.” What may seem like playful marketing, Chung says, has deeper consequences. “That’s how people become desensitized,” she said. “We, as adults, must stop using those words.” She believes early, age-appropriate education is the most effective line of defense. Preventive spending, Chung argues, could save as much as 18 times the cost of treatment, law enforcement and incarceration later. Chung’s own career in forensic science began unexpectedly. As a university student, she attended a lecture introducing the work of the NFS — an institution she had not even known existed. Despite friends discouraging her from entering what they viewed as a grim profession focused on autopsies, she joined immediately after graduation. The work proved intellectually absorbing. Over the years, Chung helped crack some of South Korea’s most complex criminal cases, including the 1995 death of pop singer Kim Sung-jae. In that case, she identified a rare animal anesthetic after analyzing more than 130,000 substances. “The intellectual thrill of discovering an unknown substance,” she said, “that’s the greatest satisfaction a scientist can feel.” But the landscape of drugs has grown far more complex. South Korea, once widely described as a drug-free nation, no longer meets that definition. To qualify, drug offenders must number fewer than 20 per 100,000 people. Today, that figure has more than doubled to above 40. According to the Korea Customs Service, drug smuggling cases involving air travelers reached 557 from January to November this year — nearly triple the figure from the same period a year earlier. President Lee Jae Myung acknowledged the severity of the issue in November, instructing the National Intelligence Service to “fully commit all capabilities” to dismantling domestic drug networks. He even raised the possibility of launching an independent narcotics investigation agency. The “2024 White Paper on Narcotics Crimes,” released by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in June, shows that 103,231 drug offenders were recorded over the past five years — an average of more than 20,000 annually. Last year alone, about 23,000 offenders were detected, marking the second consecutive year the figure exceeded 20,000. Chung attributes the rapid spread to increasingly sophisticated production and distribution methods. “There are about 1,400 types of designer drugs now,” she said. “They tweak the chemical structure slightly, making them nearly impossible to detect.” Even advanced forensic techniques have limitations. Hair testing, widely used to trace drug use, can fail to detect one-time consumption — especially if hair has been repeatedly bleached or dyed. Analysts typically test hair at the crown, which grows about one centimeter per month, allowing investigators to reconstruct a timeline of use. Teenage girls, Chung noted, are becoming particularly vulnerable. Diet pills marketed as performance-boosting or slimming aids often serve as a gateway. “It starts with curiosity,” she said. “But it becomes dependency.” She is firmly opposed to cannabis legalization, describing marijuana as a stepping-stone drug rather than a harmless endpoint. “People rarely stop at marijuana,” she said. “They move on to something stronger. It never ends there.” Chung’s commitment to public education remains central to her work. She recently returned to her alma mater, Sookmyung Women’s University, to deliver a special lecture — and was struck by the packed hall. “The students were so earnest,” she said. “It was touching.” She recalled her own student days, when she served as vice president of the student council, an era when campus leadership structures borrowed heavily from military terminology. “I was like a brigadier general,” she said with a smile. “The student council president was the division commander.” Occasionally, she sees the long arc of her influence. After one lecture, a former student told her she had pursued pharmacy and later joined the NFS after reading Chung’s book. “Just one student like that,” Chung said, “makes every talk worthwhile.” Some of her most enduring professional ties were forged abroad. In 1989, as a junior analyst, Chung applied for the British government’s Chevening Scholarship. Her request initially faced resistance within the NFS — no woman, let alone an unmarried one, had studied abroad before. She persisted. A British Embassy official, Warwick Morris, kept her scholarship slot open. Chung later studied forensic science at King’s College London. Years later, Morris returned to Seoul as British ambassador. By then, Chung was deputy director of the NFS. He later presented her with a British royal honor on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II. The two still exchange Christmas letters, and Chung visits his home whenever she is in London. Her ambitions now extend beyond her formal career. Chung hopes to build a science museum that helps young students approach science without fear. “Science shouldn’t intimidate anyone,” she said. “If a museum can make it approachable, that’s my next mission.” 2025-12-25 10:47:53

Asian shares opens higher as Christmas Eve boosts sentiment SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - South Korean and Japanese stocks opened higher on Wednesday, buoyed by the Christmas Eve spirit, while markets in China and Hong Kong stayed flat. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 0.3 percent to 4,129.06 and tech-heavy KOSDAQ added 0.31 points to 919.87. Samsung Electronics fell 50 Korean won to 111,450 won ($76.2), while SK hynix gained 0.9 percent to 589,500 won. LG Energy Solution rose 0.6 percent to 390,500 won. Samsung Biologics declined 1.2 percent to 1,699,000 won. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries slid 1.7 percent to 524,000 won, and Doosan Enerbility lost 0.8 percent to 77,000 won. Hanwha Ocean, which jumped more than 12 percent on Tuesday, dropped 1.8 percent to 121,200 won. Auto stocks edged up with Hyundai Motor rising 2.4 percent to 294,000 won and Kia up 1.1 percent to 121,500 won. Entertainment stocks, which surged sharply the previous day, pulled back. HYBE slipped 0.2 percent to 324,000 won, JYP Entertainment fell 0.6 percent to 71,800 won, YG Entertainment declined 0.3 percent to 66,000 won, and SM Entertainment edged down 0.3 percent to 127,300 won. In the country's foreign-exchange market, the won was traded at 1,484.9 per dollar, up 1.3 won from the previous close. The rate dropped more than 20 won shortly after opening at 9 a.m., following verbal intervention by authorities. Officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Bank of Korea said in a statement aimed at stabilizing markets, "The weak won against the greenback is not desirable." After the comments, the won strengthened sharply to 1,465.5 per dollar at 9:05 a.m., and extended its gains to 1,458 per dollar by 9:40 a.m. The ministry also announced a couple of measures to address the recent surge in the won-dollar exchange rate. Under the plan, individual investors who sell overseas stocks and reinvest the proceeds long-term in the domestic stock market will receive temporary capital gains tax relief. The government will also introduce new forward exchange products for retail investors and provide additional tax deductions for those who hedge foreign exchange risk through forward contracts. In addition, domestic parent companies will face lower tax burdens on dividends received from overseas subsidiaries. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.4 percent to 50,615.25. Japanese shares rose, but top market-cap stocks showed mixed results. The six largest stocks by market value all fell together. Toyota dropped 0.7 percent to 3,390 yen ($21.8). Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group fell 0.8 percent to 2,494 yen, and SoftBank Group declined 1.4 percent to 17,495 yen. Sony slipped 0.9 percent to 4,032 yen, Hitachi edged down 0.1 percent to 5,004 yen, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group lost 0.3 percent to 5,112 yen. Tokyo Electron rose 2.2 percent to 33,740 yen, and Advantest gained 1.7 percent to 20,000 yen. In China, the Shanghai Composite Index edged up 2.62 points to 3,881.72, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 5.95 points to 25,754.06. All stock markets around the world will be closed for Christmas on Thursday. 2025-12-24 11:44:03