Journalist

한준구
AJU PRESS Visuals Team
  • Boy Band NEXZ showcase new album in Seoul
    Boy Band NEXZ showcase new album in Seoul SEOUL, April 27 (AJP) - Boy band NEXZ, made up mostly of Japanese-born members, held an event in Yongsan, Seoul on Monday to promote their new album. According to their management agency JYP Entertainment, "Mmchk," an onomatopoeic word coined to reflect the rhythmic sound of their music, is the septet's second album, following their debut in May 2024 after being formed through a global audition. The album contains three tracks, which are set to be available on major streaming sites later in the day. 2026-04-27 17:44:29
  • A ceiling of wishes: Jogyesa fills with lantern light ahead of Buddhas Birthday
    A ceiling of wishes: Jogyesa fills with lantern light ahead of Buddha's Birthday SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) -At Jogyesa Temple in downtown Seoul, the sky has begun to lower — not with clouds, but with color. A month ahead of Buddha's Birthday on May 24, preparations are in full swing. Lanterns gather overhead in long, patient rows, stretching across the temple grounds like a suspended tapestry. From a distance, they resemble a soft ceiling; up close, each one carries a name, a wish, a quiet intention. Near the entrance, a modest registration booth hums with steady activity. Believers and visitors stop to sponsor lanterns, their handwritten tags accumulating one by one — small slips of paper that will soon rise into the canopy above. The act is simple, almost routine, yet deliberate: a wish written, a string tied, a place secured among thousands. Elsewhere, the work continues in quiet coordination. Workers move methodically beneath the lines, lifting, fastening, adjusting. Long strings of lanterns are raised overhead, inch by inch, transforming open air into something more intimate. In some sections, the installation is complete — lanterns already catching sunlight, their reds, yellows and blues softly glowing against the spring sky. In others, hands remain busy, carefully attaching name tags to rows of white lanterns waiting to be filled with meaning. In the center of Seoul, amid traffic and routine, Jogyesa Temple becomes a place where tradition and faith briefly take visible form — not in grand gestures, but in repetition: lantern after lantern, wish after wish, rising together to fill the air. 2026-04-24 15:26:18
  • Forget SPA, enter experience: new K-fashion megastore lands in Seongsu
    Forget SPA, enter experience: new K-fashion megastore lands in Seongsu SEOUL, April 24 (AJP) -For a shop lover, the ambience matters. This warehouse-like space hums with a hip energy that makes you feel instantly on trend. Musinsa's massive 66,000-square-foot offline store in Seongsu-dong that opened on Friday brings together about 1,000 brands across fashion, beauty and F&B under one roof to showcase the company’s retail essence. Musinsa Mega Store Seongsu, spanning one basement level and four above-ground floors, is the largest multi-brand shop in Korea housed within a single store. The space unfolds by theme rather than function. The basement floor houses Musinsa Young, work and formal wear, as well as casual and leather shoes. The first and second floors feature girls’ fashion, bags and caps club, eyewear and beauty. The third floor brings together Musinsa Standard Men, Women, Home and Beauty, while the fourth floor is dedicated to sports, running, next outdoor and a food garden. The beauty hall opens wide — a dense yet airy field of color and glass where shoppers test, compare, and consult. Products are grouped by function, not brand, encouraging discovery over familiarity. It feels less transactional, more exploratory. Ah, then there are the shoes. Neatly lined rows give way to bursts of color and texture — sneakers, loafers, leather classics — each pair waiting to be picked up, tried on, and walked out into the city. A “Girls” zone bursts in soft tones and textured fabrics, while just steps away, a “Sports” section shifts the mood with bold silhouettes and global labels. There is no single path. Visitors drift, double back, linger — browsing as if navigating an exhibition rather than a store. 2026-04-24 15:22:19
  • Samsung Elecs Pyeongtaek campus - protest instead of celebration of chip boom
    Samsung Elec's Pyeongtaek campus - protest instead of celebration of chip boom PYEONGTAEK, April 23 (AJP) -The usual soundtrack of the Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek Campus—the low, constant hum of fabrication lines—was drowned out Thursday by a different cadence: tens of thousands of workers chanting in lockstep, their placards snapping in the wind as a bonus fight spilled into the open. At 2 p.m., the newly ascendant Samsung Electronics Enterprise Union—now the company’s first majority union—filled the forecourt with an estimated 40,000 members, a sea of dark jackets punctuated by white placards: “Change it transparently” and “Abolish the cap.” The slogans rose and fell in waves, each chant snapping into unison under the emcee’s cadence. From atop a crane, union chairman Choi Seung-ho delivered a speech overlooking the tightly packed crowd, underscoring the union’s sharpened leverage after securing legal worker representative status on April 15 with around 74,000 members. The union warned it would launch a general strike from May 21 to June 7 if negotiations fail. Earlier in the day, a small counter-protest by the Korea Shareholder Movement Headquarters drew just four participants, who argued that shareholders oppose what they called excessive bonus demands and potential risks to the semiconductor operation. 2026-04-23 18:03:37
  • 20,000 Farmers rally in Yeouido against agricultural cooperatives act revision
    20,000 Farmers rally in Yeouido against agricultural cooperatives act revision SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - About 20,000 farmers and agricultural cooperative heads gathered in Yeouido on Tuesday to strongly oppose the government's push to revise the Agricultural Cooperatives Act, calling it an "infringement on autonomy." According to the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) on April 21, agricultural cooperative heads and farmers from across the country held the 'Farmers' Rally to Defend Agricultural Cooperative Autonomy' in Yeouido, Seoul, that afternoon, officially expressing their opposition to the government's proposed revision. Participants presented five key demands through a resolution statement: halting government oversight that infringes on agricultural cooperative autonomy, abolishing toxic provisions that undermine legal stability, maintaining supervisory authority over subsidiaries, withdrawing the creation of an inefficient audit body, and stopping attempts to change the direct election system for the federation president. 2026-04-22 12:28:09
  • Spring cleaning meets yellow dust
    Spring cleaning meets yellow dust SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) -Suspended high above the streets of Seoul, maintenance crews descend glass façades with ropes and squeegees, wiping away a season’s worth of dust and pollution. As fine particulate levels spike, building exteriors—windows, panels, and ledges—require frequent washing, turning the skyline into a vertical cleaning stage. 2026-04-21 17:26:58
  • TWICEs Sana shows off summer look ahead of season
    TWICE's Sana shows off summer look ahead of season SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - TWICE member Sana attended the fashion brand 'Polo Play Bag' pop-up store opening event at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, Seoul, on Tuesday. She showcased a refreshing summer fashion look in a white dress with a sky blue cardigan worn as a shoulder shawl, accented with a cobalt blue bag. 2026-04-21 17:21:18
  • Bakery fair underway in southern Seoul
    Bakery fair underway in southern Seoul SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - A bakery fair is being held in southern Seoul, with around 300 booths from 100 bakeries and confectionery makers participating. Co-hosted by the Korea Confectionery Master Association and the Korea Bakery Association, the fair at COEX kicked off on Thursday and runs until Sunday under the theme of "Bake the World," showcasing bakery-related machinery, packaging solutions, and raw materials During the four-day run, a competition is also scheduled, featuring top-level pâtissiers showcasing their confectionery and baking skills. 2026-04-17 16:30:37
  • Annual coffee expo brings together industry professionals and coffee enthusiasts in Seoul
    Annual coffee expo brings together industry professionals and coffee enthusiasts in Seoul SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - A large-scale coffee expo is underway in southern Seoul this week, bringing together industry professionals, baristas, and coffee enthusiasts. Co-hosted by the Korea Coffee Association and COEX, the annual expo, now in its 15th year, kicked off its four-day run on Wednesday and runs until Saturday, showcasing coffee-related machines, equipment, beans, and other products. Under the slogan of "Blend the World," the expo features a special pavilion showcasing coffee brands and products from Viet Nam, selected as this year's guest country of honor. 2026-04-17 15:57:08
  • Car exports edge up last month despite Middle East conflict
    Car exports edge up last month despite Middle East conflict PYEONGTAEK, April 16 (AJP) - South Korea's car exports increased last month despite the prolonged conflict in the Middel East. According to a report by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Thursday, the total amount of car exports stood at $6.37 billion in March, up 2.2 percent from the same period last year. Exports of hybrid vehicles drove the increase, surging by over 60 percent, despite a significant decline in shipments to the Middle East. 2026-04-16 17:44:49