New Zealand Embassy in Seoul and EAAFP celebrate World Migratory Bird Day SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - A small seabird that flies thousands of kilometers each year received the spotlight in Seoul this week, as the New Zealand Embassy in the Republic of Korea hosted a reception on Tuesday to mark World Migratory Bird Day. The event, jointly organized by the embassy and the East-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) was held at the ambassador’s residence bringing together diplomats, scientists, and civil society to highlight the shared responsibility of protecting migratory bird habitats. The East Asian–Australasian Flyway spans 22 countries, linking ecosystems from Alaska to New Zealand. Along this vast route, the Korean peninsula serves as a vital stopover. In her opening speech, New Zealand Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Dawn Bennet spoke about the kuaka, the bar-tailed godwit, and the ancient connection it symbolizes between New Zealand and the Korean Peninsula. The kuaka, revered in Māori culture, completes one of the longest known migratory flights in the animal kingdom, traveling from Alaska to New Zealand in a non-stop journey spanning 11,000 kilometers (6,835 miles). “According to Māori tradition, it was the flight of the kuaka that actually prompted the discovery of our country by ancient Polynesian explorers as they sailed through the Pacific Ocean,” said the ambassador. “They set sail southwards as well, following the kuaka toward the land beyond the horizon.” The birds’ return trip in March takes them along the western and southern coasts of Korea, where they rest and refuel in tidal flats, areas now under threat from development, climate change, and habitat loss. “The kuaka and other migratory birds provide a poignant reminder of the connections between our countries,” Bennet said. “Those connections span biodiversity and ecosystems as well as the trade, cultural and people-to-people links that we often talk about in diplomacy.” Jennifer George, Chief Executive of EAAFP, compared the Yellow Sea to Seoul Station, a busy transit hub where migratory birds converge before continuing their flight to breeding grounds. “They need to stop here for two months on their way north,” she said, warning that without protected wetlands, many birds won’t survive the journey. George illustrated the stakes with the story about a godwit with a tag name “ZRM” that arrived in Korea exhausted and died before completing its migration. Researchers found ZRM’s leg near the mud flats in the southwestern area of the Korean Peninsula. “It is a quiet and a very powerful reminder of everything that they have to go through on that journey,” she said. But not all stories end in loss. George also spoke of “AJD,” a godwit that has made the same journey for 17 years and has become something of a local legend in his New Zealand hometown. Children write about him in school, local leaders track his movements, and indigenous communities consider him part of their stewardship. “He's a local hero,” she said. “He's part of their story. He's part of their guardianship.” George challenged guests from universities, local government, and international organizations to consider what role they could play in supporting the ecosystems birds depend on. “What small thing can you do?” she asked. 2025-05-22 11:13:28

GS charts new course with digital pivot, generational shift Editor's Note: This article is the 19th installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - As it marks its 20th anniversary this year, GS Group — one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates — is doubling down on digital transformation in a bid to reverse slowing growth and streamline operations in an increasingly volatile economic landscape. The group commemorated the milestone on March 28 with a ceremony at the newly inaugurated GS Art Center, where leaders of its corporate relatives — LG, LIG, and LS — gathered in a rare family reunion of the once-unified LG empire. “GS has consistently pursued growth despite rapidly changing business environments,” said Chairman Huh Tae-soo in a celebratory toast. “We’ve cultivated a world-class petroleum export business in a country without a single drop of oil, built retail networks that enhance daily convenience, and expanded our construction business to improve quality of life.” As the group embarks on its third decade, Huh emphasized a return to the founding ethos of “change and challenge,” positioning innovation as a catalyst for the next phase of growth. Now ranked among South Korea’s top 10 business groups, GS traces its roots to LG Group, co-founded by Koo In-hoe and Huh Man-jung in 1947. Family expansion and growing concerns over succession eventually led to the separation of LG into four corporate branches: LG, LIG, LS, and GS. GS Group officially came into being in 2004 under the leadership of Huh Chang-soo, who established GS Holdings and spun off the group’s construction, oil refining, and logistics arms — forming what are now GS Engineering & Construction (GS E&C), GS Caltex, and GS Retail. During its early years, GS pursued rapid expansion. In 2009, the group acquired trading firm SsangYong for 120 billion won ($84 million), rebranding it as GS Global to capitalize on international networks. In 2014, it executed its largest deal yet: a 564.9 billion won acquisition of STX Energy, which became GS E&R. The group’s assets more than tripled from 18.7 trillion won in 2004 to 58.5 trillion won in 2014, while revenue nearly tripled to 64 trillion won. Although growth has moderated in recent years, the company has focused on consolidating core businesses. But challenges remain. GS Group’s total fair assets fell 1.9 percent over the past year to 79.31 trillion won — bucking the trend of Korea’s major conglomerates, whose combined assets rose 7.4 percent to 3,301.8 trillion won. GS Caltex continues to anchor the group’s performance, accounting for 57 percent of total sales, 30 percent of assets, and 27 percent of EBITDA in 2024, according to Korea Credit Rating. Last year, GS Caltex posted 47.61 trillion won in revenue and 548 billion won in operating profit — down 2 percent and a steep 67.5 percent, respectively, from the previous year. A GS spokesperson cited a slowdown in Chinese demand and uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariff policies as key headwinds for the refining and petrochemical sectors. “The resolution of tariff uncertainties and a rebound in global demand will be crucial for our second-half performance,” the official said. Still, GS Caltex is pressing forward on sustainability. On May 14, the company announced it had led regulatory improvements at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to promote bio-marine fuels. Amid external pressure and a tightening market, GS Group reported first-quarter revenue of 6.24 trillion won in 2025 — a 0.8 percent decline from the previous year and a 2.6 percent dip from the prior quarter. Operating profit rose 29.5 percent quarter-on-quarter to 800.2 billion won, but still marked a 21.3 percent drop year-on-year. Net profit surged 297.1 percent from the previous quarter to 291.5 billion won, though it remained 38.8 percent lower than the same period last year. In response, the group trimmed its number of affiliates in 2024 to boost operational efficiency. Key moves included GS E&C’s sale of stakes in Zeit O&M and GS Elevator to private equity firm Genesis. Inside the company, a generational shift is also underway. Chairman Huh Tae-soo is overseeing a fourth-generation leadership transition, with younger executives stepping into key roles. Among them is Huh Suh-hong, appointed CEO of GS Retail in 2024. Seen as a departure from GS’s traditionally conservative approach, Huh Suh-hong has pushed for bold moves — including the acquisition of biosimilar company Hugel, signaling a shift toward healthcare and consumer innovation. Now leading the retail arm, he aims to reposition the company amid growing competition from e-commerce players. “We’re laying the groundwork for a new era,” he said recently. To that end, GS Group is investing in artificial intelligence across its petroleum, construction, and retail divisions — part of a broader effort to reignite growth and remain competitive in a fast-evolving global economy. 2025-05-22 09:52:33

LG Electronics inks deal to supply commercial washing machines in US, Canada SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - LG Electronics has signed a supply agreement with CSC ServiceWorks, North America’s largest provider of laundry solutions, marking a strategic move to expand its business-to-business home appliance operations in the region. The deal was formalized at a recent signing ceremony attended by Kim Sang-yong, executive vice president of LG Electronics USA’s Home & Life Solutions division, and Rodrigo Castellanos, chief executive of CSC ServiceWorks. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Headquartered in New York, CSC ServiceWorks operates an estimated 1.5 million commercial washers and dryers across the United States and Canada. The company provides laundry equipment sales and services to a wide range of large-scale residential facilities, including apartment complexes, college dormitories, hotels, and coin-operated laundromats. The agreement positions LG to supply commercial-grade washing machines to CSC’s extensive client network. “Partnering with CSC enables us to strengthen our presence in the commercial laundry sector with a trusted leader,” Kim said in a statement. LG’s commercial washers incorporate features such as vibration and drum rotation detection, which adjust settings for larger loads and reduce washing time. Other notable innovations include belt-free inverter motors and removable front cases that allow internal repairs without moving the units. The company’s proprietary app, Laundry Crew, also offers remote diagnostics, usage tracking, and error alerts for facility operators. 2025-05-21 17:12:51

'Mission: Impossible' final installment draws over 1 million viewers in less than a week SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning" attracted over 1 million moviegoers less than a week after its release here last week, distributor Lotte Entertainment said on Wednesday. The eighth and final installment in the action-packed franchise, released last Saturday, swept the box office by drawing about 424,000 viewers on its opening day alone. The Hollywood blockbuster starring its perennial star Tom Cruise achieved the feat in just five days since its release, about three days faster than crime thriller "Yadang: The Snitch," this year's most-watched South Korean film so far. In the latest installment, Cruise, who visited Seoul earlier this month to promote the film, appears as a government agent on a desperate mission to confront a rogue artificial intelligence program threatening global security. He reportedly performed most of the deadly, action-packed scenes himself, without a stand-in. 2025-05-21 17:08:56

Seoul records season's hottest morning temperature SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Seoul recorded its hottest morning temperature for May in more than a century on Wednesday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The morning low soared to 23 degrees Celsius, the highest early summer temperature since weather observations began in 1907, breaking the previous record of 21.8 degrees set in May 2018. Partly due to humid southerly winds, the unusually warm conditions came, coinciding with "Soman," the eighth of the twenty-four seasonal periods, which literally means the creeping arrival of summer according to the lunar calendar. Morning temperatures in other metropolitan areas also rose, reaching 20.7 degrees in Incheon and 20.1 degrees in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The KMA forecast that the early summer heat will linger until Thursday. 2025-05-21 16:45:04

Kazakhstan promotes business opportunities at investment blitz in Seoul SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - An investment blitz promoting business opportunities in Kazakhstan was held in central Seoul on Wednesday. Hosted by the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), the event brought together diplomats, business experts, and representatives from around 50 companies here seeking to strengthen bilateral ties with the Central Asian country. Through panel discussions and presentations, the event highlighted how the AIFC helps and supports them in making inroads into this "peaceful country with its active multi-vector foreign policy, dynamic economy, and vibrant civil society." Kazakh Ambassador to Seoul Nurgali Arystanov said, "As of 2024, South Korea is among Kazakhstan's top 10 trading partners and also its third-largest investor," adding that there are already around 800 joint ventures in partnership with South Korean companies including Hyundai, Kia, POSCO and Samsung. Citing many successfully implemented projects between the two countries, he further elaborated, "Kazakhstan accounts for 75 percent of all foreign investments in Central Asia. Over the past 20 years, the gross inflow of direct investments from Korea to Kazakhstan amounted to about $10.8 billion." He also emphasized Kazakhstan's geographical advantage in doing business. "The shortest routes from Europe to Central Asia, China, and Southeast Asia pass through our country," he said. "I hope today's event will encourage further engagement with Kazakhstan." Currently, more than 3,900 companies from over 80 countries including South Korea, are affiliated with the AIFC, which plays a key role in attracting investors and assisting with legal and regulatory matters. As its role continues to grow, the AIFC has established itself as a leading business hub in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, contributing to Kazakhstan's economic growth. 2025-05-21 15:47:00

K-beauty festival draws crowds to Seoul's Nodeul Island SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest celebration of K-beauty opened Wednesday at Nodeul Island in Seoul, as CJ Olive Young launched its annual Olive Young Festa, showcasing 108 brands across 84 booths in a sprawling five-day outdoor festival. Now in its latest iteration, the 2025 Olive Young Festa represents a significant expansion of the event, which has traditionally been held indoors. "This is more than a beauty exhibition — it’s a space for connection and participation,” said Lee Sang-ju, Olive Young’s communications director, at Wednesday’s opening ceremony. “We wanted to move beyond passive product sampling to create an immersive, interactive environment.” The festival is divided into five thematic zones — skincare, makeup, personal care, healthy lifestyle, and a curated “luxury edit.” Organizers have given special attention to emerging indie brands, while still featuring long-established names recognized in the industry. During a media briefing, Lee Eun-jung, director of Olive Young’s Brand Creative Center, described the festival as a leap toward what the company calls “themed beauty-tainment.” “This is not just about viewing beauty — it’s about feeling, remembering, and evolving with it,” she said. A centerpiece of this year’s event is its “treasure island” concept, which positions Nodeul Island as a site of discovery for beauty and wellness innovation. In addition to product showcases, the festival offers curated trend exhibits, one-day classes, and outdoor busking performances by indie musicians, aiming to engage visitors’ senses on multiple levels. The festival also serves as an industry forum. Olive Young is hosting about 200 brand executives for its “Future Connect” program, focused on global market strategies and networking. Around 400 representatives from international distribution platforms — including those from the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia — were invited to explore Korean beauty’s export potential. Early bird tickets, released in April to Olive Young’s 16 million members, sold out immediately, a signal of robust consumer appetite for the company’s evolving blend of beauty and entertainment. 2025-05-21 15:33:03

PHOTOS: Exhibition traces Joseon envoys' cultural legacy in Japan SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Japan, the Seoul Museum of History is presenting a special exhibition on Joseon Tongsinsa, which will continue until June 29. The Joseon Tongsinsa, or diplomatic envoys, trace their origins to the 15th century, but their role dramatically expanded after Japan’s invasion of Korea in 1592. Seeking to mend ties, the Edo Shogunate in Japan initiated diplomatic overtures that led to the formal dispatch of Joseon’s official diplomatic missions to Japan. Between 1607 and 1811, 12 such delegations embarked on lengthy journeys, each typically comprising 300 to 500 individuals. Their voyages, which often took between six months and a year, began in Busan, proceeded via Tsushima Island to Osaka by ship, and then continued overland to Edo, present-day Tokyo. Much of the documentation relating to these activities is preserved in Japan, reflecting where the envoys’ primary engagement took place. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to examine the profound influence of the Joseon Tongsinsa on Japanese society, showcasing a wealth of materials not only from South Korean archives but also significant loans from Japanese museums and institutions. In the later period of the Joseon Dynasty, while the Tongsinsa missions were primarily intended to maintain peace between the two nations, their cultural function as conduits for advanced learning and customs increasingly came to the fore. The envoys traveled with royal diplomatic documents and carried an array of gifts, including ginseng, tiger pelts, ramie and hemp textiles, writing brushes, ink sticks, silver-decorated daggers, and Cheongsimwon, a traditional herbal medicine. In Japan, the Tongsinsa were met with widespread festivity and elaborate welcoming ceremonies. Crowds flocked to their lodgings, eager to receive poems or samples of calligraphy from the accompanying retinue. Japanese artists captured the envoys' activities in numerous works, including large folding screens, woodblock prints and scrolls, many of which survive to this day. Even minor gifts presented by the Tongsinsa were often cherished and, remarkably, many have since been designated as cultural properties. Each visit by the envoys sparked a "Joseon boom" in Japan, significantly influencing the development of Japanese culture and even altering prevailing trends. Among the lasting legacies left by the Joseon Tongsinsa in Japan are the Dangin dance, the Joseon palanquin, and the tradition of Pildamchanghwa (poetic exchanges through written communication). In return, elements like sweet potatoes, chili peppers, tomatoes, copper, folding fans, parasols, ink stones, and Mino paper were introduced to Joseon from Japan. From 1636 onward, at the shogunate’s request, the missions included two acrobats, known as Masangjae, who performed equestrian feats for the shogun. Their performances were immensely popular, leading to a widespread vogue among the nobility for intricately lacquered pouches decorated with equestrian acrobatics and depictions of the Tongsinsa procession. 2025-05-21 15:23:43

Can conservative candidates unite to end stalemate in voter support? SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - With just less than two weeks left until next month's presidential election, urgency is rising among conservatives to unite behind a single candidate. While Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) maintains his huge lead in recent polls, with around 50-percent support, Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) who has been struggling to catch up with him is hoping to join hands with Lee Jun-seok of the minor centrist Reform Party (RP). As overseas voting for the June 3 presidential election began on Tuesday with 258,254 South Korean expats casting their ballots at over 180 polling stations across the world, Kim and the younger Lee who turned 40 earlier this year have already missed what would have been their first chance to galvanize votes. But overseas voters account for only about one percent of the total voters, so there is still a chance to agree on a unified candidate. The next possible window for agreement is this Saturday, when ballot sheets are scheduled to be printed. If the two fail to reach a deal by then, their names will remain on the ballots, even if they later come to an agreement with one candidate dropping out of the race. That would diminish its synergistic effect though, as any votes cast for the candidate who pulls out become void. The final Maginot Line for such a deal would be May 28, just a day before the two-day early voting begins later next week. Kim, who has expressed his willingness to form a broader conservative bloc, reiterated his push to merge forces at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday, saying, "Lee left the PPP due to some internal issues, but I believe it is high time for us to work together." However, Lee firmly refused the proposal on the same day, making it clear that he has "no intention" of doing so, as Kim would not be able to defeat the current frontrunner Lee. But if Kim narrows the gap with the DP candidate, the PPP and RP could eventually move toward fielding a unified candidacy. Lee also could shift his stance at the last minute, depending on how much support he garners. If he secures 10 percent of the vote in the election, half of his campaign expenses will be reimbursed, reducing the burden of carrying through with the race. And if he surpasses 15 percent of the vote, he will be fully reimbursed. Election watchdog National Election Commission handed out around 52 billion won (US$37.50 million) in campaign subsidies including 26.53 billion won to the DP, 24.28 billion won to the PPP, and 1.56 billion won to the RP, according to the proportion of seats at the National Assembly. 2025-05-21 14:07:18

CJ CheilJedang showcases Korean cuisine at National Restaurant Association Show SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - CJ CheilJedang, one of South Korea’s leading food manufacturers, showcased its signature Korean culinary products at the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show, held May 17–20. The 106th iteration of the world’s largest foodservice exhibition drew approximately 50,000 attendees and featured 2,225 companies across 900 product categories, serving as a global stage for emerging trends and innovations in the food industry. CJ CheilJedang operated two dedicated booths — one promoting its popular Bibigo brand, and the other highlighting Seoulfully, a line of premium Korean flavoring sauces developed for professional chefs. The company emphasized its proprietary fermentation technology as a core differentiator. Five CJ products were honored with 2025 Food and Beverage Awards, recognized for their innovation and impact on contemporary menu development. “The enthusiastic response from global industry professionals at this year’s show affirms the strong potential of our Korean sauces and flavors in international markets,” a company spokesperson said. 2025-05-21 13:40:58