Lee to visit China for summit with Xi Jinping next week SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will embark on a four-day trip to China early next week for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Lee is scheduled to depart for Beijing on Sunday for the summit, then travel to Shanghai before returning home on Wednesday. The meeting will be the two leaders' second since their first meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju in November. "The two leaders will meet again in about two months to build on the momentum toward fully restoring the bilateral partnership between the two countries," Kang said. "They will discuss ways to achieve concrete outcomes in areas that directly affect people's lives" including supply chains and environmental issues, as well as measures to combat transnational online crime. Lee's itinerary will include an event commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of independence fighter Kim Gu, who led the country's provisional government-in-exile in Shanghai in 1919. Lee will also attend a forum for startup entrepreneurs from both countries to foster partnership and promote future cooperation. 2025-12-30 16:44:35

2025 K-pop: between global success and internal strain SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The K-pop industry in 2025 stood at a crossroads, marked by record-setting global achievements alongside growing structural challenges at home. From the global success of Netflix's animated series "KPop Demon Hunters" to Rosé's "APT." topping the Billboard charts — and from the NewJeans dispute to a shrinking album market — K-pop experienced a year of both expansion and strain. 'KPop Demon Hunters': Turning K-pop into a universe One of the most notable phenomena of 2025 was the global success of Netflix's animated series "KPop Demon Hunters." Released in June, the series went beyond surface-level aesthetics, weaving idol training systems, fandom culture and music industry rituals into a cohesive narrative universe. The fictional idol groups Huntrix and Saja Boys were consumed much like real K-pop acts. The OST single “Golden” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight nonconsecutive weeks, while Huntrix ranked No. 1 on Spotify’s U.S. daily chart, forming a real-world fan base. The success, however, also underscored structural limits. Despite being rooted in Korean popular culture, the project was produced by Sony Pictures Animation and launched by Netflix in the U.S., with intellectual property revenues largely flowing overseas. Stray Kids break records, as the market contracts Stray Kids dominated 2025 with eight consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200, a record unmatched globally. According to Circle Chart, the group sold 6.98 million physical albums domestically and drew more than 500,000 concertgoers in North America through three world tours, attracting a total of over 2.15 million fans worldwide and setting a record for the largest cumulative tour attendance by a K-pop act. Yet the broader market showed signs of fatigue. Korea's physical album sales fell 7.5 percent year on year through the 50th week of 2025, with sales by female artists dropping nearly 20 percent. Total sales among the top 400 albums stood at about 90.9 million units, making a return to the symbolic 100 million mark increasingly unlikely. Rosé's 'APT.' and the question of K-pop's boundaries Rosé of BLACKPINK topped the Billboard Hot 100 with "APT.", becoming the first Korean female solo artist to do so. Inspired by a Korean drinking game, the song went viral on TikTok and served as the lead single from her debut studio album "rosie," released in December 2024. Other BLACKPINK members also remained active as solo artists throughout the year, releasing albums largely in English and collaborating with pop musicians — a shift that underscored the group's growing emphasis on individual branding. At the same time, "APT.", an English-language track led by U.S. producers, reignited debate over how K-pop should be defined as artists increasingly pursue global audiences. The NewJeans dispute and cracks in the system The most disruptive development of 2025 involved NewJeans. A dispute that began in late 2024 between former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and parent company HYBE escalated into the group's announcement in November that they would seek to terminate their contracts. Three members ultimately chose to remain with ADOR, while the status of the remaining two diverged. The case highlighted deeper tensions within the K-pop system, raising questions about artist autonomy and the pressures placed on young performers. BTS's return and hopes for a rebound In June, all seven members of BTS completed their mandatory military service. BigHit Music has announced plans for a comeback and world tour in the first half of 2026. With major acts such as BTS and BLACKPINK set to return, alongside milestone events like BigBang's 20th anniversary, the industry is cautiously optimistic that 2026 could mark a rebound after a year defined by both growth and strain. 2025-12-30 16:30:21

New senior post in charge of AI created at Defense Ministry SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - A deputy minister-level post in charge of artificial intelligence (AI)-related affairs has been created within the Ministry of Defense to accelerate the military's technological modernization. Approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and set to take effect later this week, the new post will spearhead the military's adoption of cutting-edge technologies while overseeing key areas where AI is needed, including logistics, information, and the procurement of military assets. Won Jong-dae, who currently manages the military's resource management, is set to assume the new role. The restructuring plan also includes the appointment of civilian experts to a military adviser post, which was usually held by an active-duty general. The ministry said the military's move toward an AI-driven, high-tech force will help South Korea achieve its goal of becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers in the defense sector. 2025-12-30 16:21:56

Seoul completes elevator rollout across 338 stations; Protesters flag remaining barriers SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) — The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Tuesday that all 338 subway stations in the capital are now equipped with elevator access from ground level to the platforms, marking a milestone in the city's efforts to improve public transit accessibility. To commemorate the achievement, city officials held a ceremony at Kkachisan Station on Line 5. The completion of the "one-route" system means that passengers with reduced mobility, including those using wheelchairs, can now navigate from the street to the train platforms entirely via elevators without outside assistance. However, the announcement was met with friction. Members of a group advocating the disabled staged a protest at the ceremony site, challenging the city’s claim of universal accessibility. The advocacy group argued that the city's declaration is misleading, noting that several stations within the broader metropolitan network — specifically those managed by the state-run Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) — still lack necessary elevator installations. Protesters claimed that describing the project as "complete" overlooks the persistent barriers faced by disabled commuters transferring between different jurisdictions. 2025-12-30 16:12:06

Korea faces unavoidable shift toward renewables, nuclear power: energy minister SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korea faces an unavoidable shift in its energy mix as it confronts the climate crisis, requiring a combination of carbon-free renewable energy and nuclear power while gradually phasing out coal and gas, Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan said on Tuesday. Kim made the remarks at the First Energy Mix Policy Forum held at the National Assembly, calling for a pragmatic and science-based approach to energy policy. Kim said the Moon Jae-in administration sought to advance an energy transition over five years but became mired in debate over a nuclear phaseout, slowing efforts to retire coal-fired power plants. He said the subsequent Yoon Suk Yeol administration took the opposite approach by prioritizing nuclear power while neglecting the expansion of renewable energy. “As a result, South Korea’s share of renewable energy now ranks last among OECD countries,” Kim said. South Korea’s current energy mix is roughly 30 percent nuclear, 30 percent coal, 30 percent gas and 10 percent renewables, Kim said, adding that restructuring the mix would be foundational to the country’s future economic development. The Lee Jae Myung administration has pledged to end coal-fired power generation by 2040, a target that is also reflected in the legally mandated basic plan for long-term electricity supply and demand. He said this would require a concrete roadmap for phasing out coal and determining a sustainable future energy mix. He also pointed to structural limits to renewable energy expansion, citing intermittency as a major challenge. Kim said South Korea, unlike parts of Europe, cannot rely on cross-border power grids and functions effectively as an “energy-independent island.” Its relatively short east-to-west span also limits solar generation hours, making it difficult to secure stable power supply when sunlight is unavailable, he said. Replacing that gap with energy storage systems or pumped-storage hydropower is not straightforward in practice, Kim added. On nuclear power, Kim said it has long served as South Korea’s most important energy source and that the country has the highest concentration of nuclear power plants per unit of land area in the world. He cautioned, however, that nuclear power carries significant risks in the event of an accident. Kim said South Korea has not operated its nuclear plants flexibly, limiting their ability to complement renewable energy sources. Determining how to effectively combine nuclear and renewables is an unavoidable national task, he said. President Lee has instructed officials to avoid ideological approaches to energy policy and instead rely on scientific evidence and consensus-based problem solving. 2025-12-30 15:58:29

Seoul lifts ban on access to North Korea's party newspaper SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korea has lifted long-standing restrictions on access to Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, allowing the public to read it uncensored at designated institutions, the Unification Ministry said Tuesday. Under the revised rules, South Koreans can access the newspaper at facilities that handle special materials — including the Unification Ministry’s North Korea Information Center and the National Library of Korea — without submitting an application or additional identification, Vice Unification Minister Kim Nam-jung said at a briefing. Restrictions on copying have also been eased, removing the requirement for written approval. The regulatory change was first proposed during a ministerial briefing to President Lee Jae Myung on Dec. 19. Lee reportedly said South Koreans are fully capable of distinguishing propaganda from fact. The issue was later discussed formally among the Unification Ministry, the National Intelligence Service and other relevant agencies last Friday. In the same vein, the ministry is reviewing whether to expand access to certain North Korean websites by revising the Information and Communications Network Act, in an effort to help the public better understand North Korea. About 60 North Korea–related websites — including Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency — are currently blocked in South Korea. The ministry noted that the widespread use of VPNs has already weakened the effectiveness of such controls, creating a gap between policy and reality. The government also plans to continue consultations with the National Assembly to expedite passage of a pending bill governing the use and management of North Korea–related materials. Rodong Sinmun, published entirely in Korean, primarily carries speeches and directives by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, along with policy lines of the Workers’ Party. As the party’s official organ, it promotes the superiority of the regime and its ideology, while also covering international affairs and inter-Korean relations. Although it does not have a dedicated culture section, it occasionally carries cultural articles. Academics welcomed the move as long overdue. “It is appropriate to reclassify Rodong Sinmun as ‘general material,’” said Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. “Reading it will hardly make South Koreans become sympathetic toward North Korea. It is time we respond to North Korean issues with confidence.” Koh Yu-hwan, also a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, said the restrictions had long been outdated. “Since 1994, when I founded the Department of North Korean Studies and began teaching, not a single student has turned into a pro–North Korea sympathizer or joined a Juche faction simply by reading Rodong Sinmun,” he said. Access to the North’s official mouthpiece could instead help deepen public understanding of the regime as it really is, said Park Jie-won, a Democratic Party lawmaker and a key architect of the landmark 2000 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang. “Allowing people to read it directly can be the most effective form of national security education — and even anti-communist education,” Park told AJP. 2025-12-30 15:27:23

Avatar 3 maintains box office lead for 13th consecutive day SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - "Avatar: Fire and Ash" continued its box office dominance for the 13th straight day, showing strong momentum in its third week of release. According to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network on December 30, the film attracted 139,110 viewers on December 29 alone, bringing its total audience to 4.175 million. Directed by James Cameron and released in South Korea on December 17 ahead of its global premiere, the film topped the box office from day one. Notably, "Avatar: Fire and Ash" surpassed the 4 million viewer mark in just 10 days, breaking the record previously held by "Zootopia 2" (13 days) for the fastest film to reach this milestone among 2025 releases. With robust advance ticket sales continuing into its third week, the film signals strong prospects for a long theatrical run. 2025-12-30 15:23:46

New nuclear reactor in Ulsan gets green light for operation SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The government committee for nuclear energy on Tuesday gave a green light to the operation of a nuclear reactor in Ulsan, ahead of its commercial launch scheduled for sometime next year. The committee said it approved the operation of the Saeul-3 reactor, formally known as Kori, in Ulju, Ulsan, after a meeting in which five of six members voted in favor, following safety reviews by the state-funded Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety as well as prior assessments by other experts. The approval comes about nine years after construction began in 2016 and is the first for a new nuclear reactor since the Shinhanul-2 reactor in nearby Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province two years ago. The committee's chairman, Choi Won-ho, said, "We thoroughly checked safety in accordance on scientific and technological grounds," also vowing to conduct strict inspections during the reactor's test run. 2025-12-30 15:06:52

Korea's foreign money deposits rise on weak won, BOK revises M2 definition SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -South Korea’s resident foreign-currency deposits rose in November as companies held on to dollar and euro assets amid expectations that the won’s weakness would persist, highlighting deeper structural pressures in the currency market even as authorities revise how monetary liquidity is measured. According to the Bank of Korea, foreign-currency deposits held at domestic banks totaled $103.55 billion at the end of November, up $1.71 billion from a month earlier. Dollar-denominated deposits rose $1.96 billion, while euro deposits increased $390 million. Yen deposits fell $500 million amid weakness in the Japanese currency. The dollar strengthened to 1,470.8 late November, approaching last year's year-end high of 1,472.5 won last year amid martial-law shock. It hovered around 1,480 won throughout December before retreating to 1,440 won range from last week on dollar-selling hedging accompanied by strong verbal connection to bring down the year's closing exchange rate. The central bank said the rise in dollar holdings reflected corporate trade settlements, inflows from foreign-currency bond issuance, and temporary placements of funds set aside for external debt repayment. Euro deposits also rose on trade-related inflows. Market participants said the buildup of dollar and euro deposits points to expectations of prolonged weakness in the Korean won, rather than short-term hedging behavior. The currency’s trajectory in 2025 underscores a broader structural shift. The won traded near 1,350 per dollar in June, before weakening steadily into the 1,470 range in October and November, touching 1,472 on Dec. 9. Toward year-end, a combination of verbal intervention by authorities and hedging-related flows helped pull the exchange rate back toward the 1,440 level. The dollar closed the year at 1,445.75 won, but on an annual basis, it is projected to have averaged around 1,420 won for 2025. The previous average high of the pair was 1,394.9 won in 1998, during the Asian financial crisis and the IMF bailout period. The renewed focus on foreign-currency holdings comes as debate intensifies over whether Korea’s liquidity conditions have contributed to the won’s structural weakness. The Bank of Korea separately on Tuesday unveiled a comprehensive revision of its monetary and liquidity statistics, aimed at better reflecting financial-market realities and aligning with international standards. Under the revised framework, the central bank narrowed the definition of broad money (M2) by excluding investment fund units with high price volatility, while newly including certain short-term instruments such as issuance notes and CMA products issued by large investment banks. The revision also reorganizes institutional classifications and improves data coverage to better capture actual liquidity conditions. As a result of the methodological change, October 2025 M2 under the new standard stood at 4,056.8 trillion won, down 409.5 trillion won, or 9.2 percent, from the previous definition. The BOK said the decline reflects classification changes rather than an abrupt contraction in liquidity. Under the revised methodology, M2 growth in October stood at 5.2 percent year on year, below its long-term average, suggesting that headline money growth in recent years may have overstated underlying monetary expansion. The central bank said the new framework better distinguishes between transactional money and investment-type assets, improving the analytical usefulness of monetary indicators. Amid growing debate over whether rapid M2 growth is fueling asset inflation and foreign-exchange volatility, the central bank last month said it would revise its monetary statistics. 2025-12-30 14:30:07

Over 25,000 ethnic Koreans regain legal status after overstaying visas SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - More than 25,000 ethnic Koreans who had overstayed their visas here have regained their legal status, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday. According to the ministry, about 2,522 ethnic Koreans applied for a three-month program implemented between September and November as part of immigration policies to recover their legal status. Of those applicants, 1,544 were granted legal status after undergoing strict screening conducted by legal experts and human rights activists to ensure fairness and transparency in the process. Through the screening process, applicants were assessed for health risks such as infectious diseases and drug use, financial obligations including unpaid taxes and fines, and legal compliance, including criminal records and other offenses. Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho said, "The special program will help them integrate into South Korean society," adding that the ministry will continue to pursue immigration policies that promote national development and social integration. 2025-12-30 14:23:30