Seoul included among world's most attractive cities SEOUL, December 5 (AJP) - Seoul has been included among the world's ten most attractive cities, according to an annual survey by data analytics company Euromonitor International released this week. The survey evaluates cities around the world based on several factors including "economic and business activity, tourism performance, infrastructure, tourism policy and appeal, health and safety, and sustainability." Seoul ranked 10th, making it into the top ten for the first time this year, having steadily improved from 16th in 2016 to 24th in 2018 and rising to 12th last year. Paris maintained the top spot for the fifth consecutive year, partly boosted by the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral in December last year. Madrid ranked second, followed by Tokyo, the highest-ranked Asian city. Rome and Milan placed fourth and fifth, with New York coming in sixth as the only U.S. city in the top 10. Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Singapore rounded out the remaining top-tier rankings. London, which dropped out of the top 10 last year, slid further to 18th. Meanwhile, Bangkok attracted the most tourists, with 30.3 million visitors, followed by Hong Kong, London, and Macau. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-05 14:18:22

Korea–Syria forum explores post-civil war reconstruction, economic partnership SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea and Syria held their first joint business forum in Damascus on Dec. 4, marking a rare step toward expanded economic engagement as Syria seeks partners for reconstruction and modernization efforts. The forum, hosted by the foreign ministries of both countries and organized by KOTRA and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, took place at the Sheraton Hotel in central Damascus. According to KOTRA, around 100 government officials, business leaders and journalists attended. Syrian Minister of Economy and Industry Mohammad Nidal Alshaar called for deeper strategic cooperation with South Korea in advanced industries, technology transfer, smart infrastructure and education. He said Syria is working toward a more export-oriented and globally integrated economy through stabilization measures and legal reforms. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdulsalam Haykal lauded South Korea’s economic rise, citing companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom as models. He expressed interest in attracting a Samsung data center to Syria, highlighting the country’s potential as a logistics base with a skilled workforce. Representing Seoul, Jung Kwang-yong, Director-General for the Middle East and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted opportunities for cooperation in trade, energy and infrastructure. Jeon Gyu-seok, South Korea’s ambassador to Lebanon, said the forum underscores Seoul’s commitment to supporting Syria’s stability, reconstruction and economic recovery. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-05 10:09:35

South Korea's union membership rises to 2.77 million SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - South Korea’s trade union membership increased to 2.77 million at the end of last year, up by about 40,000 from a year earlier, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said on Thursday. The national unionization rate held steady at 13 percent as the pool of eligible workers continued to expand. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) remained the country’s largest labor umbrella group with 1.2 million members, accounting for 43.3 percent of total unionized workers. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) had 1.079 million members, or 38.8 percent. About 490,000 workers were affiliated with independent unions. Unionization in the public sector remained significantly high at 71.7 percent, compared with just 9.8 percent in the private sector. Larger corporations also showed far stronger labor organization rates, with 35.1 percent of workers unionized at companies with more than 300 employees, versus only 0.1 percent at firms with fewer than 30 staff. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-04 16:09:27

Jeju beef, pork enter Singapore market for first time SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - South Korea has exported Jeju-produced beef and pork to Singapore for the first time, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on Monday. The ministry, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, held a shipping ceremony at Jeju Port, sending 4.5 tons of meat products valued at roughly 2.8 billion won. The shipment represents the first case in which Singapore directly assessed and approved the safety of livestock products from Jeju, Jeju officials said. Six slaughtering and processing facilities on the island have been designated for export. South Korea, Jeju authorities and the livestock industry have been working with Singapore since 2016 to set up hygiene and quarantine standards for beef and port export to Singapore. The two sides reached a formal agreement during the APEC summit in Gyeongju last month, paving the way for the initial export. “Singapore is a rapidly expanding market for meat products, and this milestone will strengthen the competitiveness of Korea’s livestock production, processing and distribution sectors,” the food ministry said in a statement. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-01 15:21:09

Fresh cold snap grips nation SEOUL, November 28 (AJP) - A cold snap swept across the country on Friday, with morning temperatures dropping below zero and strong winds making it feel even colder. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cold air from the northwest caused temperatures to plunge below the seasonal average. In some central regions, temperatures fell 5 to 7 degrees Celsius, compared to the previous day. While temperatures are forecast to rise slightly in the afternoon, most regions will see fluctuations of over 10 degrees Celsius between morning lows and daytime highs. Daytime highs are expected to range from 5 to 12 degrees, with Seoul at 7 degrees, Daejeon at 9 degrees, Daegu at 10 degrees, and Busan at 12 degrees. Most regions will see winds exceeding 55 km/h, with gusts over 70 km/h expected in the mountainous areas of Gangwon. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-28 10:40:20

Funeral held for South Korean volunteer killed in Ukraine SEOUL, November 27 (AJP) - A funeral was held in Kyiv earlier this week for a South Korean man who died fighting in Russia's war in Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Thursday. Ukrainian authorities informed the South Korean government of his death, and his funeral service was held last Tuesday, with South Korean consular officials in attendance. Identified by his last name Kim, the man in his 50s is believed to have been killed earlier this year during combat in Donetsk in southeastern Ukraine. The ministry has been providing consular assistance to Kim's family. Further details about his identity have not been disclosed, but AFP released images showing Ukrainian soldiers honoring him beside a coffin draped with the South Korean flag. Reports of South Koreans volunteering to fight in Ukraine have surfaced previously, but the actual number of people who went there remains unknown. Among them was Rhee Keun, a famous YouTuber and former special warfare officer in the South Korean Navy. In March 2022, he flew to Ukraine to help fight against the Russian invasion but returned home just two months later due to injuries and shared some of his battlefield experiences from the front lines. It is illegal for a South Korean national to take part in a war in another country without government authorization, and offenders face at least one year behind bars. Rhee said at the time, "I could not sit idly by without using my military tactics and expertise to help Ukraine just because I was afraid of punishment. If I return alive, I will take responsibility for my actions." He was handed down a suspended prison sentence for illegally entering Ukraine to fight as a volunteer soldier, along with multiple other charges. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-27 14:25:30

North Korea could expand nuclear stockpile to over 400 warheads by 2040, expert warns SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - North Korea is estimated to currently possess up to 150 nuclear warheads, with the potential to expand to over 400 by 2040 if its production capabilities increase, an expert said at a forum in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee Sang-kyu, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), pointed out that the ongoing expansion of nuclear plants and other facilities under the oversight of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will significantly accelerate the country’s nuclear arsenal. His speculation came after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) earlier revealed its findings on new uranium enrichment facilities in Yongbyon, North Pyongan Province, suggesting increased enrichment activities there. According to his analysis, North Korea appears to have around 150 warheads, including 115 to 131 uranium-based and 15 to 19 plutonium-based ones. These figures are significantly higher than previous estimates by major international research institutions, which suggested around 50 warheads. Kim projected that the number could grow to 243 warheads by 2030 and 429 by 2040. When asked about North Korea's nuclear-powered submarines, he said their combat readiness and key equipment are not yet fully developed, requiring significant time to complete, though potential technical support from Russia cannot be ruled out. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-26 15:10:25

Lee heads to Turkey for final leg of overseas trip SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday headed to Turkey, the final stop of his 10-day overseas trip after wrapping up his attendance at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa. While attending a series of sessions at the G20 in Johannesburg over the weekend after visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt earlier in the week, Lee proposed easing debt burdens for developing countries and normalizing multilateral trade systems. He also emphasized international cooperation to address climate change and artificial intelligence-led technologies and challenges. On the sidelines of the multilateral gathering, Lee held a slew of bilateral talks with leaders from Brazil, France, Germany, and India. He also met with leaders of the cross-regional consultative group known as MIKTA, which includes Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia to expand diplomatic ties. In Turkey, Lee is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss various areas of cooperation with a focus on defense and nuclear energy. Lee is scheduled to return home on Wednesday. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-24 11:14:59

Lee seeks to expand cooperation in high-tech industries with UAE SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korea aims to lay the foundation for a new phase in bilateral relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by expanding cooperation in high-tech and future industries including healthcare, artificial intelligence (AI), and other advanced technologies, President Lee Jae Myung said in an interview with the UAE's English-language newspaper Aletihad. Lee, who is currently in Abu Dhabi before attending the Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa later this week, explained that choosing the UAE as the first stop on his Middle East tour reflects his "strong will to solidify and advance bilateral relations." South Korea has "the capacity to meet the UAE's requirements for developing its semiconductor ecosystem and strengthening its competitiveness in advanced industries," he said. "As a leading global producer of memory chips in the semiconductor supply chain, Korean-made electric and hybrid vehicles and UAE petrochemical products. This will help expand bilateral trade, enhance industrial competitiveness, and generate benefits for consumers in both nations." After wrapping up his itinerary in the UAE, he will travel to Egypt before heading to Johannesburg for the first G20 summit to be held on the African continent slated for this weekend. After a brief stop in Turkey, Lee is scheduled to return home on Nov. 26. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-18 16:35:22