Global game developers will converge on Busan this week for G-Star festival SEOUL, November 09 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest gaming convention, G-Star 2025, is set to open on Nov. 13 at the BEXCO convention center in Busan, promising its most expansive lineup yet. This year’s event will host 1,273 companies from 44 countries, filling 3,269 booths under the theme “Expand Your Horizons.” Organizers say the annual showcase has evolved into a global cultural festival that reflects the expanding scope of the gaming industry — from blockbuster franchises to independent innovation. Among the most anticipated appearances is Blizzard Entertainment’s return after 12 years, featuring an Overwatch 2 experience zone and participation in the G-Star Cup e-sports tournament. Other global developers, including Sega, Atlus, Bandai Namco, and Warhorse Studios, will also take part, reaffirming G-Star’s status as Asia’s leading hub for the international gaming market. NCSoft, serving as the main sponsor for the first time, will anchor the exhibition with a sprawling 300-booth pavilion showcasing two new titles: the Aion 2 and the sci-fi shooter Cinder City. Both are seen as part of the company’s strategy to move beyond its long-running Lineage franchise. Netmarble will unveil four new games, including the Seven Deadly Sins: Origin, as part of a broader push to expand its platform diversity and reach global audiences. Krafton, meanwhile, plans to debut Palworld Mobile, based on its popular intellectual property. Beyond the game floor, G-Star 2025 will broaden its focus through G-CON, a conference exploring the intersection of gaming, storytelling, and technology. Featured speakers include film director Byun Sung-hyun and several AI researchers discussing narrative design and creative innovation. The Indie Showcase will highlight projects from 80 independent developers, offering a platform for experimental ideas and emerging voices shaping the future of gaming. Festivities will begin a day earlier, on Nov. 12, with the 2025 Korea Game Awards. Nominees include Legend of Ymir from Wemade and Mabinogi Mobile from Nexon. To accommodate the expected crowds, organizers will implement a 100 percent pre-booking system and designate a car-free zone near BEXCO to ensure safety. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-09 14:09:30

Chinese fishing boat capsizes in Yellow Sea; Two dead, three missing SEOUL, November 09 (AJP) - A Chinese fishing vessel with 11 crew members aboard capsized in the international waters of the Yellow Sea early Sunday, leaving two crew members dead and three missing, according to the Korea Coast Guard. The 98-ton vessel overturned at 6:50 a.m. in international waters about 81 kilometers southwest of Gageodo Island in Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province. A nearby Chinese fishing boat immediately initiated rescue efforts, saving six of the crew. The KCG arrived shortly after and rescued two additional crew members who were drifting in the sea. While the six initially rescued showed no major health issues, the two rescued by the KCG were found in cardiac arrest and later confirmed dead. The search continues for the three missing crew members. KCG divers inspected the capsized vessel but found no external signs of collision. The KCG said it is working in cooperation with the Chinese coast guard to continue the search and rescue operation in the accident area. 2025-11-09 13:43:22

Foreign visitors surge 17.6 percent as S. Korea approaches post-COVID record in arrivals SEOUL, November 09 (AJP) - Nearly 6.5 million foreign visitors arrived in South Korea between January and September with the country on track to match last year’s post-pandemic record of 7.54 million, according to data from the Ministry of Justice's immigration office, Sunday. The figure represents a 17.6 percent increase from the same period a year earlier, when 5.52 million tourists entered the country. Monthly arrivals have consistently topped 500,000 this year, with each month from July through September surpassing 800,000. Tourism had plunged after the onset of the pandemic, dropping from a high of 7.15 million visitors in 2019 to just 939,000 in 2020 and a mere 115,000 in 2021. The recovery began in earnest last year, with 7.54 million visitors marking a full rebound from the COVID-19 downturn. The ministry also reported a growing number of entries through the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization, or K-ETA, system. In September, 92,000 travelers entered the country using K-ETA, about 10,000 more than in August. Introduced in 2021, the system allows citizens from 112 countries to apply online for entry authorization before traveling. The largest groups of K-ETA users in September came from Thailand, with 24,000 visitors; Malaysia, with 22,000; Russia, with 9,000; and Kazakhstan, with 4,000. Since its launch, nearly 6 million travelers have used the system, the ministry said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-09 09:50:06

K-pop nears "golden moment" by scoring big on Grammy nominations SEOUL, November 08 (AJP) -K-pop is approaching a “golden moment” on the global stage as a wave of Korean female artists secured nominations in top categories for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. “APT.,” BLACKPINK member Rose’s collaboration with Bruno Mars, and “Golden,” an original soundtrack piece from Netflix’s blockbuster anime KPop Demon Hunters, were both shortlisted for major honors including Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The Recording Academy announced the 2026 nominees across 95 categories on Thursday ahead of the Feb. 1 ceremony at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Rose earned multiple nods, with “APT.” shortlisted for Song of the Year and Record of the Year — two of the Grammys’ prestigious “Big Six” general field categories — in addition to Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Golden" from "Kpop Demon Hunters" was nominated for the Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media and Best Remixed Recording. The film was also nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. International girl group Katseye under Hybe, the label behind K-pop superband BTS -- was nominated for the Best New Artist and the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. It marks the first Grammy nominations for K-pop act since BTS received a nomination with "My Universe," a collaboration single with global pop icon Coldplay, in 2023. If any of them take home a Golden Gramophone in February, it would be the first for a Korean artist. Rose's "APT”, a track from her first full-length album, "rosie” dominated major music charts in South Korea and abroad after its release for its addictive hook rhythm and playful twist on Korean’s drinking game. In September, Rose won Song of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards in the United States for "APT." "Golden" is performed by Korean American artists Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami as the singing voices behind fictional girl group Huntr/x. It achieved a milestone for K-pop, topping both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the British Official Singles Chart Top 100. Additionally, 2025 Tony-awarded Korean musical and Broadway hit "Maybe Happy Ending" was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album. Final-round voting to select the winners will run from Dec. 12 through Jan. 5. 2025-11-08 11:40:28

Regional dialogue in Seoul seeks stronger security cooperation SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - A two-day regional dialogue aimed at strengthening security governance and exploring long-term policy cooperation in East Asia was held in central Seoul from Thursday, bringing together experts and scholars from across the region. Co-hosted by the Seoul-based International Policy Studies Institute (IPSI) and the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), the dialogue brought together security scholars, policy experts, and researchers from Taiwan, Japan, China, and Singapore to discuss ways to enhance regional cooperation. DCAF, founded in 2000 in Geneva, works to help countries develop security and justice systems that are both effective and accountable. The organization supports security sector reform, or SSR, projects around the world and took part in the Seoul dialogue to foster regional partnerships and share expertise with East Asian counterparts. Discussions centered on strengthening regional cooperation in East Asia to address evolving security challenges, including climate change, maritime disputes, and other nontraditional threats. Participants underscored the importance of joint action and more robust information-sharing to reinforce stability and resilience across the region. The first day focused on Korea's military education system and looked at how Japan and Taiwan have reformed their officer training programs. A follow-up discussion at the Korea Military Academy examined ways to strengthen transparency and accountability in military leadership across the region. On Friday, participants turned to practical steps for closer cooperation, such as launching joint research, organizing policy workshops, and expanding exchange programs to build a more stable and sustainable framework for security governance in East Asia. Several international experts also joined the discussions online. "We hope to build lasting connections among partners in East Asia and provide a platform where they can exchange ideas, learn from each other, and promote good governance in the security sector," said Dr. Albrecht Schnabel, Head of the Asia-Pacific Unit at DCAF, highlighting the organization's commitment to fostering an inclusive and collaborative regional network. 2025-11-07 23:59:25

KOSPI sinks below 4,000 as U.S. tech selloff deepens; KRW nears 1,460 per USD SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Asian stocks tumbled on Friday as a sharp overnight correction in U.S. technology shares reignited concerns about a potential “AI bubble,” sending investors toward safe-haven assets and pushing the Korean won to its weakest level in months. The won briefly touched 1,458.0 per U.S. dollar during intraday trading, pressured by simultaneous foreign selling, lingering uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariff negotiations, and a broad pullback from risk assets after the renewed tech rout on Wall Street. The dollar eased slightly to 1,457.35 won as of 4:40 p.m., up 9.65 won from the previous session, whereas it lost 0.24 yen to 153.50 yen. The Nasdaq slump was led by Tesla and Nvidia, both key customers for South Korean suppliers. Additional pressure came from renewed scrutiny of OpenAI’s financial structure, which revived questions about overheated AI valuations, while U.S. labor concerns resurfaced after data indicated 150,000 layoffs in October, clouding the broader economic outlook. Sentiment further weakened on reports that at least six of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism over the legality of the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs, dimming prospects for timely policy clarity and complicating expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI fell 1.81 percent to 3,953.76, slipping below the 4,000 threshold for the first time in weeks. Foreign investors sold a net 433.3 billion won ($297 million), and institutions offloaded 220 billion won, while retail investors stepped in to buy 651.3 billion won on bargain hunting. Semiconductor bellwethers retreated in tandem, with Samsung Electronics down 1.31 percent to 97,900 won and SK hynix sliding 2.19 percent to 580,000 won. EV-linked stocks tracked Tesla’s decline, with Samsung SDI tumbling 4.97 percent to 306,000 won and LG Energy Solution dropping 1.38 percent to 463,500 won. Some stocks managed to resist the broader weakness. Kakao rose 3.46 percent to 62,800 won after reporting record-high third-quarter earnings driven by advertising, platform services and music-related content revenue. Innotech, a manufacturer of reliability and environmental test equipment and a key supplier to Samsung Display and Samsung Electronics, delivered a standout KOSDAQ debut. The stock surged 300 percent from its offering price of 14,700 won to close at 58,800 won, one of the session’s few bright spots. Across the region, Japan’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.21 percent to 50,270 as technology and AI-related names weighed heavily, with semiconductor test equipment maker Advantest down 5.54 percent to 19,960 yen ($130) and SoftBank Group tumbling 6.87 percent to 1,600 yen. China’s Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.25 percent to 3,997 after export and import data disappointed, reinforcing concerns over sluggish domestic demand. Taiwan’s TAIEX fell 0.89 percent to 27,651.41, pressured by global tech weakness, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was down 1.02 percent at 26,214 as of 4:15 p.m., with Xiaomi sliding 3 percent to HK$42.1 ($5.4) amid a broad selloff in Chinese technology stocks. 2025-11-07 16:47:58

Korea's growing multicultural families test social readiness for diversity SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Interracial marriage in South Korea, once largely associated with aging rural bachelors seeking younger spouses from Southeast Asia, has evolved as cross-border unions expand into Europe and North America — underscoring the need for a more systematic framework for addressing depopulation and building an inclusive society. Government data show that one out of every 20 babies born in Korea last year was part of a multicultural family, and both marriages and births involving foreign spouses are on the rise. Interracial marriages surpassed 21,000 in 2024, the highest in five years, and babies born to such families increased for the first time in 12 years. “The rise reflects a rebound in international marriages held back during the COVID-19 period and a more foreign-friendly living environment,” an official from the statistics office said. Stories of multicultural households are also becoming more visible in everyday media. On YouTube, the Korean–British couple behind the channel “Jin and Hattie” has amassed 9.8 million subscribers, while Indian TV personality Abhishek ‘Lucky’ Gupta and German broadcaster Daniel Lindemann — both of whom rose to fame on JTBC’s Abnormal Summit — have drawn additional attention after marrying Korean women. The demographic makeup of these marriages offers additional clues. Unions between Korean men and foreign women accounted for 71.2 percent of all international marriages last year, followed by marriages between Korean women and foreign men at 18.2 percent, and marriages between naturalized Koreans at 10.6 percent. Vietnam remains the most common nationality among foreign wives at 26.8 percent, while the United States led among foreign husbands at 7 percent. Despite the rise in marriages, interracial divorces fell slightly to 7,992 cases last year — a 2 percent decline — suggesting improvements in regulation, support systems, and cultural awareness. The share of multicultural divorces in all divorces remained steady at 8.8 percent. Birth trends also signal a notable shift. The number of babies born to multiracial families reached 13,416 in 2024, up 10.4 percent from the previous year, marking their first rebound since 2012 and accounting for 5.6 percent of all newborns. Yet parenting remains the biggest challenge for these couples. According to the 2024 National Survey on Multicultural Families, more than 70 percent of multicultural households reported difficulties raising children. Families with preschool-age children pointed to having “no one to help when the child is sick,” while parents of school-age children cited financial burdens. Although awareness of government programs is relatively high, participation remains low. While 83.4 percent of single-parent multicultural families knew about child support subsidies, only 40.2 percent received them, largely due to language barriers and bureaucratic hurdles. Such challenges often surface in popular culture. A recent TV program featuring a Canadian mother in Korea showed how her young child, fluent in Korean, struggled to communicate with her because of her limited language skills. The episode resonated widely, highlighting the cultural and emotional strain that can arise in everyday family life. Despite these obstacles, outcomes for multicultural children are improving. The college enrollment rate for students from multicultural families rose to 61.9 percent, up sharply from 40.5 percent three years earlier. With more than 1.12 million residents now living in multicultural households — over 5 percent of the population — Korea’s demographic profile is undergoing a structural transformation. As the country debates long-term solutions to low birthrates and labor shortages, multicultural families are emerging as an increasingly vital part of its social future. 2025-11-07 16:45:42

South Korea to launch special benefit program to nurture scientists and AI experts SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - The government will foster scientists and related professionals by offering a range of benefits to support their research and other studies, the Ministry of Science and ICT said on Friday. The ministry plans to finalize concrete plans for such a program with an aim to launch it by the second half of next year. Under the program, about 20 scientists will be selected annually over the next five years to receive research grants, stipends, and various other benefits. "To attract top talent and boost scientific research, a record 35.3 trillion won has been allocated to research and development (R&D) in the government's budget," said Ha Jung-woo, presidential adviser for artificial intelligence (AI) and future strategies and former employee of the country's largest portal Naver, during a press briefing. "The government plans to expand science-focused schools and other specialized educational institutions to nurture students and young prodigies into AI experts, while aiming to attract 2,000 foreign specialists by 2030," he added, stressing the need to also enhance the competitiveness of provincial universities. "Under President Lee Jae Myung's strong commitment to transforming South Korea into a science and technology powerhouse, the government also plans to raise R&D spending to about five percent of the total annual government expenditure," Ha explained. Expressing optimism about a recent increase in applicants for science and math majors at universities, he hoped the upcoming program would further accelerate this trend. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-07 16:41:33

HOT STOCK: Innotech rockets to the ceiling on KOSDAQ debut on chip-related hype SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Innotech, a South Korean maker of environmental test equipment, quadrupled on its KOSDAQ debut Friday, underscoring the frenzied appetite for anything tied to chipmaking. The shares opened at 50,300 won — 242 percent above the initial public offering (IPO) price of 14,700 won — and immediately hit the daily permissible ceiling of 58,800 won ($40). The stock stayed locked at the upper limit throughout the session despite a sweeping rout that dragged both the KOSPI and KOSDAQ down around 2 percent. KB Securities was the sole underwriter. Founded in 2013, Innotech specializes in reliability and environmental testing systems that simulate extreme conditions — from minus 70 to plus 250 degrees Celsius — to verify durability against heat, humidity, and vibration. Such systems are essential across semiconductor, battery, display, and automotive manufacturing, where production stability and quality assurance hinge on precision testing. By developing proprietary technologies and offering integrated services from design and manufacturing to maintenance, the company has reduced reliance on imported equipment. This strategy helped Innotech secure major clients including Samsung Display, Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Division, and Samsung SDI between 2019 and 2023. The firm has also expanded overseas with a Vietnam subsidiary and around $5 million in exports. Financial performance has strengthened steadily. Revenue rose from 6.4 billion won in 2021 to 16.7 billion won ($11.46 million) last year, representing a compound annual growth rate of 27.1 percent over four years. Investor demand for the IPO was overwhelming. Institutional book-building drew a subscription ratio of 1,072 to 1, pushing the pricing to the top of the indicative range. Retail demand was even stronger, with 410,000 bids, a competitive ratio of 2,427 to 1, and deposits swelling to 7.85 trillion won. A KB Securities official said Innotech’s growth prospects in displays, semiconductors, and secondary batteries “drew strong interest from both institutional and individual investors.” Innotech plans to use the proceeds to develop next-generation testing systems for semiconductors and batteries, expand R&D, and strengthen its global customer network. CEO Jang Seok-jun said the firm aims to become “a leading global provider of complex reliability and environmental testing equipment through continued technological innovation.” 2025-11-07 16:25:34

PHOTOS: Fall festivals for international students SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - South Korean universities are rolling out diverse cultural events this fall to integrate a growing international student body, which surpassed 200,000 in 2024. As the number of foreign students continues to rise, universities across the country are hosting festivals aimed at fostering cultural exchange and community. In Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Ajou University hosted its annual "Ajou International Day," showcasing the diverse cultures of its students. The festival featured booths where international students presented traditional clothing and food from their home countries, offering a hands-on experience of global culture to the entire campus community. In Busan, Pukyong National University focused on inter-student mingling by holding a "Global Sports Day." The athletic event provided a lively setting for foreign students to engage and socialize with their South Korean peers through various activities. 2025-11-07 16:08:51