Asian markets mixed on yen carry trade fears as KOSPI outperforms SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Asian equity markets were mixed on Tuesday as investors weighed the growing risk of a yen carry trade unwind sparked by rising expectations of a Bank of Japan interest rate hike. Korea’s KOSPI stood out as the region’s strongest performer, drawing sizable foreign inflows even as most other Asian benchmarks stalled or slipped. The Korean won strengthened slightly to 1,468.9 per dollar, up 2 won from the previous session, supported by foreign capital moving into Seoul’s markets and a renewed push by financial authorities urging exporters and institutions to convert dollar earnings into won. Still, analysts noted that Korea’s M2 money supply growth remains higher than in other major economies, suggesting that currency stabilization will require more time and potentially further policy measures. The KOSPI jumped 1.9 percent to 3,994.93, briefly approaching the psychologically significant 4,000 line as investors repositioned amid heightened volatility in Japan. Monday’s trade data, which showed a surplus, added momentum. Foreign investors bought 1.21 trillion won ($800 million) in Korean equities, while institutions purchased 393 billion won. Retail investors sold 1.58 trillion won, locking in recent gains. Large-cap technology stocks led the advance. SK hynix climbed 3.72 percent to 558,000 won, reclaiming the 550,000-won level for the first time in weeks. Samsung Electronics added 2.58 percent to 103,400 won, consolidating its hold above the symbolic “100,000-Electronics” threshold. Carmakers, which had slumped the previous day, rebounded sharply: Hyundai Motor rose 4.52 percent to 266,000 won and Kia gained 4.19 percent to 117,000 won. Shipping stocks also surged following the latest trade data, with Pan Ocean up 11.17 percent, Korea Line rising 9.04 percent, and Hyundai Glovis climbing 3.93 percent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 ended largely flat at 49,303.45, giving back early gains as BOJ tightening expectations solidified. Financial stocks climbed on the prospect of higher rates, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group up 2.46 percent. But analysts cautioned that a full-scale unwind of yen-funded carry positions could trigger broader market stress. Japanese industrial and robotics names were notable gainers. Fanuc rose 6.51 percent, and Yaskawa Electric advanced 4.67 percent, reflecting optimism that the export downturn may be bottoming and capital expenditure could soon pick up. Exporters that had benefited from yen weakness, including Toyota, retreated, with the automaker falling 1.2 percent. Taiwan’s TAIEX mirrored Korea’s strength, closing 0.81 percent higher at 27,564.27, led by TSMC, which gained 1.42 percent. MediaTek, after a sharp rally in recent days, slipped 2.08 percent on valuation concerns. Mainland Chinese markets remained among the region’s weakest as investors assessed the potential impact of a BOJ rate hike on regional liquidity. The Shanghai Composite fell 0.42 percent to 3,897.71, and the SZSE Component declined 0.68 percent to 13,056.70. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index, which touched 26,264 earlier in the day, pared gains to trade 0.14 percent higher at 26,067 as of 4:40 p.m. 2025-12-02 17:06:45

Waning West-centric voice in media means opportunities for Asian narratives SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - The waning influence of Western-centric narratives in global media presents a critical opening for Asian news platforms to assert their own voice, said Sohn Jie-ae, visiting professor at Ewha Womans University and former CNN Seoul bureau chief, at a forum in Seoul on Tuesday. Citing a recent New York Times column, Sohn said the United States' global narrative has grown "incoherent" and its brand "toxic," arguing that the shift marks a historic moment for Asian journalism. "This is not a vacuum, but an opportunity — a moment when alternative voices must be heard. And opportunity comes to those who are prepared," she said in her keynote address at AJP's forum, "The Era of Extremes and Polarization in Digital Transition and the Role of Media." While Asian media institutions have matured, Sohn said global news flows still overwhelmingly reflect Western framing. "As many countries withdraw correspondents, we depend on Reuters, AP and CNN. We learn about our neighbors not through their media, but through Western reporting," she said, contrasting the region's lived realities — from Hong Kong fires to Southeast Asian flooding — with the U.S.-centric top pages of leading Western outlets like The Washington Post. Sohn recalled watching Korea's democratic transformation unfold — from pro-democracy protests to the trials of former presidents and the elections of former dissidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung. "In 1985, we marched without fully knowing what we wanted, except a country where we could shout and protest freely. CNN broadcast that process to the world, and through those events the world saw Korean democracy at work," she said. After leaving CNN, Sohn served as government spokesperson and later led Arirang TV, navigating tensions between journalistic independence and representing a national perspective. "There were fierce debates between those who insisted we could never air negative news about Korea and those who said credibility requires standards," she said, noting that the newsroom eventually found a realistic middle ground. Similar dilemmas, she added, face Asian platforms including Singapore's Channel News Asia, China's CGTN, the Philippines' Rappler and Hong Kong's South China Morning Post. Sohn outlined three strategies for AJP and emerging Asian newsrooms: Be Smart, Be Bold and Know Your Region. Journalists must be anchored in ethics yet willing to innovate, she said, pointing to Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster's collaborations with Google and Samsung as an example of bold thinking in the generative AI era. She also underscored the importance of regional fluency. "AJP is only one year old, but Asia is a young region. China, Japan and Southeast Asia remain key markets. Young Koreans and young Asians must know their region — and show they are part of it." 2025-12-02 16:53:23

C-democracy, or political participation through wagering, sprouts in polarized Korea SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - "C-democracy" — where wagering meets political motive — is emerging in South Korea, as bets on former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment odds illustrate how fandom-driven political participation is evolving into fortified camps amid deepening polarization, a media scholar said at a forum in Seoul. "The fandom-engaged, interest-based model of democracy is shifting into a fortress-centered one — a fragmented, hybrid structure marked by ideological defense," said Park Han-woo, a professor of media and communication at Yeungnam University, speaking at AJP’s first-anniversary forum titled "Extremism, Polarization and the Role of Media in the Digital Transition." Park contrasted today’s digitally driven rallies with the hierarchical and closed protests under the 1970s–80s military regime. Contemporary participation, he noted, spans K-pop–style collective action seen in impeachment demonstrations, seniors expressing political views through YouTube, and teenagers mobilizing both online and on the streets through smartphones, livestreaming and social media. "Modes of participation are diversifying across generations," he said. Drawing on Australian media scholar Axel Bruns’s framework, Park pointed to a broader shift toward "individual publics," "issue publics," and "networked publics." These digitally connected groups can accelerate information flow, he said, but also amplify distortion and misinformation. The impeachment period revealed the interplay of "strong publics," capable of organized political action, and "weak publics," driven more by emotional affiliation. Both can broaden democratic debate, Park said, but also heighten social conflict. A new layer is emerging in the form of what Park describes as "financialized publics," a concept from his recent research. Studying overseas users who place bets on Korean political outcomes through the blockchain-based prediction platform Polymarket, Park found that political messaging often diverged from actual wagering behavior. "Emotional expression is intense, but financial risk-taking moves on a separate track," he said, calling this a new hybrid of political and economic participation. Park warned that rising news avoidance, algorithm-driven information consumption, and deepening emotional polarization are creating conditions in which "even basic facts fail to gain consensus." Trends such as election denial and the spread of conspiracy theories, he noted, have become visible in both South Korea and the United States. With democratic norms under strain, Park emphasized that rebuilding public trust is essential. He called for transparent communication, stronger civic empathy, and institutional structures that can bridge increasingly segmented publics. "Media must help rebuild trust at a moment when traditional value systems are shaking," he said. 2025-12-02 16:49:36

More subway workers threaten strike SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - More subway workers are expected to go on strike next week if their demands for increased staffing are not met. The Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU), which operates Line 9, separately from Seoul Metro (which manages Lines 1 through 8), held a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday, threatening a potential partial strike on Dec. 11. The action would maintain train schedules but involve operational slowdowns such as delayed door closures, reduced train speeds, and refusal to perform non-essential tasks. KPTU's union members say last year's agreement to hire more than 55 additional staff has not been fulfilled. They argue that insufficient staffing leads to a higher risk of accidents. Meanwhile, unionized workers of Seoul Metro have launched a similar strike, with a full-scale walkout planned for Dec. 12. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-02 16:30:49

PHOTOS: Korea's year-end tradition of sharing warmth through kimchi SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - As the calendar year draws to a close, a heartwarming tradition is unfolding across South Korea: mass kimchi-making events, known locally as gimjang. The time-honored custom sees communities, volunteers, and local organizations gather to prepare large quantities of the fermented cabbage. While gimjang is traditionally a family affair, these widespread annual events focus on collecting and distributing the kimchi to those in need — particularly the elderly, low-income families, and isolated individuals. 2025-12-02 16:30:11

South Korea's daily inflation nears 3% in November on steep won weakening SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - South Korea’s inflationary pressure strengthened in November, with daily living costs hovering near 3 percent as a sharply weaker won pushed up fuel and import prices while discouraging overseas travel and spending, government data showed Tuesday. According to the consumer price index (CPI) released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, headline inflation rose 2.4 percent from a year earlier, matching October’s on-year gain. Fuel prices jumped 5.9 percent on year and 3.5 percent on month, reflecting the dollar-won exchange rate lingering at crisis-level territory. The dollar climbed as high as 1,475.2 won last month — nearly 7 percent higher than two months earlier. Diesel prices rose 10.4 percent and gasoline gained 5.3 percent. Although Dubai crude fell about 4.5 percent — from $66.2 per barrel in late October to $63.2 in late November — domestic petroleum prices nevertheless increased to 1,718.1 won per liter from 1,663.2 won a month earlier due to the weaker won and the gradual phase-out of fuel-tax cuts. Processed food prices rose 3.3 percent on higher import-input costs, while prices of agricultural, livestock and fishery goods surged 5.6 percent on poor weather conditions. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, eased to 2.0 percent from 2.2 percent in October as service-sector prices softened on weakening demand. Housing rents — including jeonse lump-sum leases and monthly rentals — continued their upward trajectory, rising 0.9 percent on year. The Cost of Living Index (CLI), which tracks 144 frequently purchased items, accelerated to a 2.9 percent on-year increase from 2.5 percent in October. Expected inflation for the next 12 months remained in the mid-2 percent range. Following the release, the Bank of Korea said it was monitoring price trends “with vigilance,” noting that overall inflation has stayed in the mid-2 percent range for a second consecutive month while daily living costs have spiked. In the bond market, the 3-year Treasury yield closed the early Tuesday session 2.0 basis points lower at 3.025 percent, while the 10-year yield slipped 1.4 basis points to 3.373 percent. The central bank kept its policy rate unchanged at 2.5 percent at its final meeting of the year on Nov. 27, citing a policy bind created by foreign-exchange volatility and housing-market vulnerabilities. 2025-12-02 16:23:28

INTERVIEW: KEAD chief aims to expand job opportunities for disabled in emerging industries SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - Dec. 3 marks the UN's International Day of Persons with Disabilities, highlighting the importance of employment opportunities for the disabled amid rapid changes in the labor market. The Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities (KEAD) is at the forefront of this effort. Lee Jong-seong, KEAD's head, is focused on creating jobs for the disabled. "The expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital industries is reshaping the job market," Lee said. "We aim to uncover new roles in future industries to provide more opportunities for the disabled." KEAD is prioritizing job development in new industries, expanding digital training, and supporting companies in adopting new roles. Challenges remain such as low employment rates for the severely disabled and insufficient diversity in the job market. Lee said the government plans to raise the mandatory employment quota for people with disabilities to 3.5 percent by 2029, emphasizing KEAD's role in helping companies comply through tailored consulting and promoting best practices. Lee highlighted the need for improved perceptions of disabled workers, despite several years of mandatory workplace education. KEAD is enhancing experience-based programs and utilizing various media channels to help change these perceptions. Despite an overall rise in employment, the employment rate for people with disabilities declined from 50.4 percent in 2022 to 48.4 percent in 2024. KEAD aims to reverse this trend by expanding quality jobs and relevant support services including AI-driven job-matching systems. Lee aims to improve workplace practices by offering higher subsidies for additional hires and supporting marketing efforts for small businesses. "Our goal is to transform lives and enhance social diversity and sustainability," Lee said, urging continued support and attention. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI. 2025-12-02 15:57:41

KAI strengthens space portfolio with new satellite launch SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Tuesday the country's new multipurpose satellite was successfully launched at 2:21 a.m. local time from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana aboard a VEGA-C rocket. KAI played a key role in the mission, jointly developing and assembling the satellite with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Officials said the launch significantly strengthens South Korea’s precision earth-observation capabilities, enabling stable acquisition of high-resolution imagery of the Korean Peninsula and other strategic regions. The satellite is equipped with an ultra-high-resolution electro-optical camera capable of capturing images at 0.3-meter resolution. The data is expected to support land management, disaster response, environmental monitoring and urban planning. The mission follows last month’s successful launch of a medium satellite. KAI said it intends to build on the momentum to expand the nation’s satellite development capacity and accelerate the shift toward greater private-sector leadership in space projects. “As a leading space company in South Korea, we will continue contributing to the nation’s space ambitions by leveraging our 30 years of experience across satellite and launch vehicle programs,” said Kim Ji-hong, head of KAI’s Future Convergence Technology Institute. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-02 15:52:53

South Korea holds world's first contest to counter AI hacking SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - South Korea has wrapped up the world’s first AI Hacking Defense Contest (ACDC), an event designed to test emerging cybersecurity threats and defense techniques in the era of artificial intelligence. The competition was hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) in partnership with the Korea Information Security Industry Association (KISIA). The contest examined three major domains: AI security applications, AI safety assurance and AI platform security. Preliminary rounds were held over two days beginning Oct. 31, with 20 teams advancing to the finals on Dec. 1 at COEX in Seoul. The final stage combined traditional capture-the-flag (CTF) challenges with AI-based attack-and-defense exercises. The Ministry of Science and ICT team — comprising members from Singularity, Superblock, Viva Republica and Toss Securities — won the top honor, the Minister of Science and ICT Award. “This contest was a great opportunity to highlight the importance of AI security, which is often overlooked,” said Joo Kyu-hwan, leader of the winning Ministry of Science and ICT team. “I enjoyed the competition from the preliminaries through the finals and appreciate the efforts of my teammates and the organizers.” In the general category, the GYG team, representing Toss and Theory, won the KISA President’s Award. The student division was topped by Pwngrad, a joint team from KAIST and Soongsil University, which received the KISIA President’s Award. Special awards were presented to the 78RL78 team (78ResearchLab) and the “Do You Know Ucando” team (Yonsei University), who received the LG Uplus CEO Award, and to the RHCP team from POSTECH, which earned the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology President’s Award. KISA said it plans to expand the ACDC into an international event next year. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-02 15:42:47

Four injured in explosion during military training in Paju SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - Four people were injured in an explosion at an army training site in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday. The accident occurred during anti-aircraft shooting drills when a 30-mm shell became stuck in a launcher. According to military authorities, the injured included three non-commissioned officers and one civilian employee. They were airlifted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in the province with injuries such as shoulder wounds and tinnitus, but are reportedly in stable condition. A military official said, "The exact cause of the accident is under investigation." * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-02 15:22:28