FDA conducts inspection of Samsung Biologics production facilities SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Inspectors from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have begun a formal inspection of Samsung Biologics’ production facilities in Songdo, Incheon, according to industry sources, Wednesday. The inspection, which commenced on Monday and is scheduled to run through May 27, is focused on evaluating the company’s manufacturing processes. FDA officials visited Plants 3 and 4 on Tuesday, conducting what sources described as an "unusually detailed review." Such thorough site visits by foreign regulators are relatively rare, particularly in South Korea. In anticipation of the inspection, Samsung Biologics has mandated that employees adhere to strict safety protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment. The measure is reportedly intended to ensure compliance with both regulatory standards and internal safety procedures. Industry insiders noted that some members of the inspection team are Korean nationals. A spokesperson for Samsung Biologics declined to provide specifics, citing client confidentiality. "We cannot comment on inspection-related matters as they involve client information," the company said in a statement. The representative added that the current inspection is unrelated to a separate FDA initiative involving unannounced foreign facility visits. The FDA has signaled plans to expand its oversight of overseas manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and food products. According to the Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization, the effort builds on a pilot program launched under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on May 5. The program, initially implemented in India and China, aims to align the scrutiny of foreign facilities with the standards applied to domestic manufacturers. Under the order, the FDA was granted broader authority to increase foreign inspection fees and to enhance risk-based oversight mechanisms. The agency was also tasked with ensuring that overseas facilities are inspected within 90 days of receiving orders and with making inspection frequency data publicly available by country and manufacturer. Samsung Biologics, a key player in South Korea’s biopharmaceutical industry, has provided contract manufacturing services for a range of global pharmaceutical companies. 2025-05-21 10:24:12

Massive fire at Kumho Tire factory fully contained at last SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - A massive fire at a tire-manufacturing plant in southwestern South Korea was fully extinguished on Tuesday, nearly three days after it first broke out over the weekend. According to fire authorities, the blaze started early Saturday morning at Kumho Tire's factory in Gwangju, forcing about 400 workers to evacuate and leaving three people injured including two firefighters. Some 1,236 cases of damage have been reported so far by residents near the factory, with nearly half or 603 cases involving symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Although the main fire was extinguished on Sunday, firefighters faced difficulties putting out lingering flames due to highly flammable materials like raw rubber and chemicals stored at the factory. As much as 65 percent of the factory's equipment was severely damaged, with production unlikely to resume for several months. The fire is suspected to have been caused by sparks from an industrial electric oven at the factory, but a thorough investigation into the exact cause will require more time, with police looking into possible negligence or breaches of safety regulations. 2025-05-20 17:30:43

Amorepacific's Hera expands custom makeup service as international demand soars SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Hera, a contemporary beauty brand under South Korea’s Amorepacific, is expanding its personalized cosmetics offering as international demand for bespoke makeup continues to surge. The brand’s popular Custom Match program will now include its flagship Black Cushion foundation, offering hundreds of shade variations tailored to individual skin tones. Launched as a reservation-based service for custom lipsticks and foundation, Custom Match has seen an overwhelming response from international consumers. In 2025, foreign customers — primarily from Japan and the United States — have accounted for roughly 85 percent of bookings. The program’s popularity has been fueled in part by social media buzz and positive word-of-mouth, often resulting in fully booked appointments shortly after reservations open. The new Black Cushion Custom Match service introduces 130 shades of the brand’s Black Cushion foundation, a product known for its lightweight coverage and matte finish. Combined with the expanded Silky Stay foundation line, which now includes 205 color options — up from 125 — the total number of available customized shades across both product categories has reached 335. Professional makeup artists lead the Custom Match experience, using skin tone analysis technology developed in partnership with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). After a detailed consultation and skin assessment, specialists manufacture each product on-site with the help of precision robotic equipment. Additional makeup recommendations are offered based on the customer’s skin profile. The expanded service will be available beginning Tuesday at the Amore Seongsu flagship store in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong. Appointments can be booked online via the Amore Seongsu website. For walk-in customers, Hera is also offering a semi-custom alternative, allowing shoppers to match shades using in-store skin tone readers and color cards before purchasing. 2025-05-20 16:48:40

Nvidia pledges AI supercomputer for Taiwan as Computex 2025 opens SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Asia’s largest information technology trade show, Computex 2025, opened Tuesday with more than 1,400 companies from around the world unveiling their latest innovations, underscoring the central role of artificial intelligence in the industry’s future. The exhibition kicked off with momentum following a keynote speech on Monday by Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia, who announced plans to build Taiwan’s first large-scale artificial intelligence supercomputer. The project, developed in partnership with Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn, and the Taiwanese government, is part of Nvidia’s broader strategy to expand its infrastructure footprint in the region. “Having a world-class AI infrastructure here in Taiwan is really important,” Huang said during his address, adding that the company’s cutting-edge Blackwell AI platform would be made available to researchers, startups and established firms including TSMC. Huang’s speech drew a full house, with industry leaders including SK hynix President Kwak Noh-jung seated in the front row. He also detailed Nvidia’s ongoing AI collaborations with Samsung Electronics, Nokia and Kyocera, citing progress on a next-generation AI-based wireless access network (AI-RAN) being developed with Samsung. In a surprise announcement, Huang revealed plans for Nvidia Constellation, a new office in Taiwan designed to support the company’s growing local workforce. The weeklong event has drawn a roster of high-profile speakers, including Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon and Foxconn Chairman Young Liu, signaling Computex’s evolution from a regional hardware showcase into a global platform for artificial intelligence and next-generation computing. South Korea’s tech firms made a strong showing this year. SK hynix returned with a dedicated exhibition booth to highlight its high-bandwidth memory technologies, including the sixth-generation HBM4, which was first introduced in March at Nvidia’s GTC 2025 conference. The company currently supplies Nvidia with fifth-generation HBM3E 12-layer memory. Samsung Display, meanwhile, made its Computex debut, presenting a lineup of OLED technologies, including its new Ultra Thin One (UT One) panel, designed for high-resolution, low-power IT devices. The company also featured a robot demonstration using Rainbow Robotics’ dual-arm mobile unit to showcase the flexibility and lightweight nature of its OLED displays. Several South Korean semiconductor startups are also aiming to establish their global footprint through the exhibition. Mobilint is introducing a proprietary neural processing unit for on-device AI applications, while Padu is promoting its customizable solid-state drive platform, Flex SSD. Computex 2025 runs through May 23 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. 2025-05-20 16:41:43

Musinsa sees sharp rise in foreign sales at stores after enhancing tourist services SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Korean fashion brand Musinsa Standard reported a sharp rise in sales from foreign customers at its Seoul stores, following the rollout of services tailored to international tourists. According to the company, Tuesday, the Hannam branch saw foreign customer sales increase more than threefold in April compared to February, when the new services were introduced. Across five major locations — Gangnam, Myeongdong, Seongsu, Hannam, and Hongdae — sales to international customers jumped by more than 160 percent during the same period. The surge comes as Musinsa Standard ramps up efforts to accommodate growing numbers of foreign shoppers. The company has implemented multilingual announcements, foreign language brochures, luggage storage, and on-site tax refund services. Several stores also feature unmanned currency exchange machines. Foreign customers now account for roughly half of all sales at the five flagship stores, with the Myeongdong location reporting nearly 60 percent of sales attributed to international visitors. In late March, the Hannam branch introduced dedicated luggage storage and installed a self-service currency exchange kiosk, additions the company credits for the location’s significant growth in foreign sales. A Musinsa Standard spokesperson noted that the immediate tax refund service — allowing shoppers to receive refunds at the point of purchase rather than at the airport — has drawn the most positive feedback. “The immediate refund service that allows customers to receive tax refunds directly at the store where they shop, without having to go through separate procedures at airports, has the best response,” the official said. 2025-05-20 16:02:47

Lotte Department Store to host global retail forum next month SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Lotte Department Store will co-host the World Department Store Summit (WDSS) in Seoul next month, marking the first time the global retail conference is held in South Korea, the company announced on Tuesday. The two-day event, set for June 11 and 12 at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, will bring together senior executives from more than 20 department store groups across 10 countries. This year’s theme, “How to Best Captivate Customers,” will explore strategies for consumer engagement in an evolving retail landscape. The summit is organized by the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores, a Zurich-based alliance comprising 44 members from 38 countries. Lotte is the only South Korean retailer in the organization. “Hosting the IGDS summit for the first time in Korea is recognition of K-retail by the global market,” said Chung Joon-ho, chief executive of Lotte Department Store, who is slated to deliver the keynote address. The agenda features eight sessions focused on retail transformation, emerging technologies, consumer trends, innovation, and service excellence. Notable speakers include Brad Bickley, global president of Nuna, and Fanya Chandler, president of Nordstrom. First launched in London in 2008, the WDSS has since been held in 15 cities, including New York (2010), Zurich (2016), and Berlin earlier this year. The summit will conclude with a tour of Lotte’s flagship store in Myeongdong, where delegates will examine the retailer’s operational model and future plans. 2025-05-20 15:56:09

PHOTOS: Overseas voting begins for presidential election SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korean citizens living abroad began casting their ballots on Tuesday for the country's presidential election. The National Election Commission said that the overseas voting period will run until Sunday, May 25, at noon (KST). Polling stations have been set up in 223 locations across 118 countries, including 182 diplomatic missions and 41 additional sites. For the first time, overseas polling stations have been established in four countries where South Korea recently opened new diplomatic missions: Cuba, Luxembourg, Lithuania, and Estonia. Among the additional polling stations, 39 were designated for diplomatic missions serving more than 30,000 South Koreans. Separate polling stations were also set up for military personnel in the Dongmyeong Unit in Lebanon and the Hanbit Unit in Uganda. 2025-05-20 15:50:31

Boy band RIIZE to embark on world tour to promote first full-length album SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - K-pop boy band RIIZE will embark on their first world tour in July, riding the momentum of their new album released earlier this week. Starting with a three-day concert in southern Seoul in early July, the sextet will tour about a dozen cities around the world including Bangkok in Thailand, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Saitama, and Tokyo in Japan, Jakarta in Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Manila in the Philippines until February next year. The tour will also take them to Hong Kong and Singapore before wrapping up in Macau, with more stops to be added later. Tickets for their concerts in Seoul from July 4 to 6 will be available for booking starting Wednesday. The six members, who have expanded their fan base since their debut in September 2023, are hoping to build on their success with the release of their first full-length album, "Odyssey," which includes 10 tracks. 2025-05-20 15:19:45

US, South Korea, Japan hold trilateral secretariat meeting in Washington SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The United States, South Korea, and Japan have convened a Trilateral Coordinating Secretariat Managing Board meeting in Washington, D.C. on Monday (local time), the U.S. Department of State announced. The Department of State said in a statement that the meeting was led by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kevin Kim, South Korean Deputy Director-General for North American Affairs Yi Won-woo, and Japanese Deputy Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Okochi Akihiro. The Trilateral Coordinating Secretariat was officially launched in November last year to support systematic trilateral cooperation among the three countries. Through the meeting, the board members reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to advancing trilateral cooperation and discussed progress on existing initiatives, the Department of State said. The meeting highlighted the importance of institutionalizing collaboration across economic, security, and people-to-people domains. Participants reviewed recent developments and discussed next steps to improve coordination, enhance information sharing, and strengthen joint responses to regional and global challenges. The Managing Board also reiterated support for the Secretariat’s role in implementing trilateral outcomes and maintaining momentum on priority efforts. 2025-05-20 14:45:26

BTS' Jin releases remixes from his latest mini album SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Jin, the eldest member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, released a new compilation album on Tuesday. According to his agency BitHit Music, the album contains eight tracks including six remixed versions of "Don't Say You Love Me," the title song from his second mini album "Echo," released last week, about six months after his debut solo album "Happy" late last year. Along with the instrumental version of the song, the remixes vary in style from retro pop vibes to futuristic beats. "Don't Say You Love Me" explores the complex emotions of love, which may bring heartache alongside solace, with each version offering a distinct interpretation of these feelings. Meanwhile, Jin will appear on NBC's late-night talk show "The Tonight Show" hosted by Jimmy Fallon to promote the album on Thursday, where he is expected to perform live, thrilling fans around the world and further solidifying his solo career. 2025-05-20 14:15:38