Korean calorie-support product tops Japan's beauty platform for 24 weeks SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korean food supplement company Foodology said Tuesday that its “Cutting Jelly” product has claimed the No. 1 spot in the “Calorie Support Supplement” category on @cosme, Japan’s largest beauty and personal care platform, for 24 consecutive weeks. @cosme, which draws roughly 20 million monthly visitors, updates its rankings based on user reviews and recommendations. Its reputation-based ratings system is widely regarded as one of the most trusted gauges of consumer sentiment in Japan’s beauty market. From March 1 to Aug. 31, Cutting Jelly outperformed well-known Japanese wellness products, including Fancl’s Calorie Limit and Orbis’s Petit Shake. The sustained lead underscores Foodology’s rising presence in Japan, supported by consistently high user scores, the company said. The company’s broader “Colleology” line — which includes Cutting Jelly — has also maintained strong rankings on the platform. The range is marketed for helping regulate post-meal blood sugar levels and supporting digestion, and is known for its tangy pomegranate flavor. Cutting Jelly, sold in portable stick packs, has been particularly popular, topping Rakuten’s jelly category in early April. “With Cutting Jelly leading the way, the Colleology line continues to perform strongly in Japan,” a Foodology spokesperson said. “We aim to solidify our position as a leading K-beauty brand in Japan and expand our global footprint.” * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-18 15:42:32

Putin meets North Korean foreign minister, hails progress in ties SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that relations with Pyongyang are moving forward as planned during a meeting in Moscow with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, the Kremlin said Monday. Conveying his warm regards to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, he said, "Everything is going according to plan." Choe thanked Putin for taking the time to meet with her and mentioned that she had heard his summit with Kim in Beijing early last month was held in a warm atmosphere, which Putin confirmed as a success. After shaking hands with Sin Hong-chol, North Korea's ambassador to Russia, Putin headed to a closed-door meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov in attendance. While details of their discussions were not disclosed, they may have discussed Kim's possible visit to Russia, as Putin had previously invited him to Moscow during their summit in Pyongyang in June last year and asked him again to visit the Kremlin while they were in Beijing in September. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-28 09:36:58

Lee begins ASEAN summit with talks with Cambodian PM SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung, in Malaysia, begins his itinerary there by meeting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on the sidelines of the biannual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Monday. The two leaders are expected to discuss cooperation to combat online scams, phishing schemes, and other crimes following the recent revelation of a series of incidents in Phnom Penh that targeted South Koreans. Later in the day, Lee is set to discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership among ASEAN member countries. He also plans to propose hosting a special summit in 2029 to mark the 40th anniversary of South Korea-ASEAN relations. Lee may also run into newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as well as Chinese Premier Li Qiang for the first time. With U.S. President Donald Trump also in attendance, a possible encounter could take place there ahead of the scheduled summit with him in Busan later this week, as he visits South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju. Lee will wrap up his trip to Kuala Lumpur after holding talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim before returning to South Korea. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-27 09:16:22

Remains of South Korean student tortured to death in Cambodia return home SEOUL, October 21 (AJP) - The remains of a South Korean college student, who traveled to Cambodia after being lured by an online employment scam in August and was later found to have been tortured to death, were returned home on Tuesday. The cremated ashes of the student in his 20s, identified only by his surname Park, arrived on a Korean Air flight at Incheon International Airport at 8:04 a.m., about some 74 days after he was found dead on Aug. 8 in the Southeast Asian country. A joint autopsy on his body, conducted by South Korean and Cambodian investigators and forensic experts, took place earlier this week after it had been kept at a temple in Phnom Penh since his death. The three-hour autopsy there found no signs of external or internal injuries, but further investigations including drug tests will be conducted to determine the exact cause of his death before the remains are handed over to his family. Park had told his family on July 17 that he was attending an expo before traveling to Cambodia. He was later confined and tortured in a local crime area known as "Wench," and his body, showing signs of torture, was found in a car in Kampot Province on Aug. 8. His death has belatedly revealed a series of online job scams and phishing schemes targeting South Korean citizens, which often involve kidnappings, detentions, and brutal torture by sprawling criminal rings in Cambodia, prompting the government to send a task force there last week. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-21 10:38:35

South Korea set to face Brazil in friendly in Seoul SEOUL, October 10 (AJP) - South Korea is set to face Brazil in a friendly match in Seoul on Friday night. Led by Hong Myung-bo, the South Korean national team, ranked 23rd in the latest FIFA rankings, will take on the sixth-ranked team at 8:00 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Past statistics show that South Korea has struggled against the South American powerhouse, winning just once in eight encounters. Their most recent match ended in a 4-1 defeat in the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Friday's match would be momentous s captain Son Heung-min could set a new record for the most international appearances by a South Korean player, surpassing the current record of 136 matches held jointly by former players and coaches Cha Bum-kun and Hong Myung-bo. At a press conference the previous day, Son expressed gratitude for his 15-year career with the national team, saying, "It's an honor to stand alongside legends like Hong and Cha. Facing Brazil on the field would be a joy." Hong praised Son's dedication, saying, "Son has consistently performed at his best despite a demanding schedule in Europe. I hope he breaks all my records." The match will be broadcast on TV Chosun, tvN, and Coupang Play. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-10-10 16:16:19

Hyundai Motor CEO calls for Korea-US deal on auto tariffs SEOUL, September 19 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor’s chief executive warned that stalled U.S.-South Korea trade talks on auto tariffs are threatening the company’s competitiveness in its most important overseas market, even as rival Japan secured a more favorable deal with Washington. Speaking at Hyundai’s first overseas investor day in New York on Thursday (local time), Jose Munoz said the company’s current financial outlook assumes a 25 percent U.S. tariff on imported vehicles. “If reduced to 15 percent, we could maintain our current guidance,” he told analysts and institutional investors at the event, dubbed “2025 CEO Investor Day.” The remarks underscored Hyundai’s dependence on a tariff outcome that has grown more uncertain. In July, South Korea reached a preliminary deal with the United States to cut auto tariffs from 25 percent to 15 percent, but final negotiations have since stalled. Japan, by contrast, finalized its agreement with Washington earlier this month, with the lower 15 percent rate taking effect on Sept. 16. The shift has heightened pressure on Hyundai, which raised its 2025 revenue growth target to 5 to 6 percent but trimmed its operating profit margin goal to 6 to 7 percent, citing the financial drag of tariffs. Munoz also addressed a recent episode at Hyundai’s joint battery plant with LG Energy Solution in Georgia, where more than 300 South Korean workers were temporarily detained over visa issues. “Many of them were involved in advanced battery production,” he said, stressing the need for a “mutually beneficial resolution” to facilitate short-term technical staff exchanges. He noted that Hyundai has been part of American industry for four decades and has deep roots in Georgia, where its new battery and electric vehicle plant is the state’s largest economic development project. “We understand the stress faced by the detained workers and their families and are relieved they returned safely to Korea,” he added. Hyundai is investing 77.3 trillion won, or about $56 billion, over the next five years to weather challenges from softening electric vehicle demand and tariff uncertainty. By 2030, the company aims to sell 5.55 million vehicles worldwide, with 60 percent of them powered by electricity or hybrid technology. The New York event was the first time Hyundai convened investors outside South Korea, underscoring its ambition to position itself as a global leader in the transition to cleaner cars. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-09-19 10:14:39