Asia stocks edge higher; KOSPI back above 5,000 SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) – Asian equities opened higher on Friday, with South Korean stocks leading gains as easing global trade tensions lifted investor sentiment. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI climbed back above the 5,000 mark in early trading. As of 9:48 a.m. local time, the index was up 1.17 percent at 5,010.28. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ rose 0.82 percent to 978.26. Institutional investors were net buyers of 191.0 billion won ($94 million), while individual investors and foreigners sold a net 138.1 billion won and 81.8 billion won, respectively. Among heavyweight stocks, Samsung Electronics rose 2.1 percent to 155,500 won. SK hynix slipped 0.4 percent to 752,000 won, while LG Energy Solution fell 0.48 percent to 415,000 won. Samsung Life Insurance gained 2.68 percent to 183,600 won, and Samsung Biologics advanced 1.07 percent to 1,797,000 won. Automakers traded mixed. Hyundai Motor rose 0.76 percent to 533,000 won, extending recent gains, while Kia fell 0.3 percent to 164,100 won. Defense and aerospace shares declined, with Hanwha Aerospace down 1.01 percent at 1,276,000 won. Shipbuilders outperformed, supported by expectations of improved earnings and new orders this year. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries gained 2.45 percent to 628,000 won, while Hanwha Ocean jumped 4.5 percent to 143,900 won. Construction and redevelopment-related stocks also drew attention as major builders positioned for a new wave of urban renewal projects. With multiple contractor selections scheduled in key redevelopment districts such as Seongsu and Apgujeong, competition among builders has intensified. Daewoo Engineering & Construction surged 11.07 percent in early trade, after entering the bidding race with its premium “Summit” brand. In the foreign exchange market, the South Korean won weakened, with the dollar trading at 1,468.7 won, up 3.70 won from the previous session. Elsewhere in Asia, Japanese shares were higher, with the Nikkei 225 Index gaining 0.17 percent to 53,782.57. 2026-01-23 10:32:17

Canadian delegates tour Hanwha Ocean's shipyard ahead of submarine bidding SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean said Friday that an Ontario cabinet minister visited its Geoje shipyard this week, as the company steps up efforts to win Canada’s submarine project. Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s minister responsible for economic development, job creation and trade and a provincial lawmaker representing Nipissing, toured the shipbuilder’s Geoje facility, the company said. The visit comes ahead of bidding for Canada’s submarine procurement program. During the tour, Fedeli reviewed shipbuilding operations and production automation equipment, including welding robots. He also boarded the Jang Young-sil, a Jangbogo-III Batch-II submarine launched in October 2025, to inspect its capabilities. Hanwha Ocean briefed Fedeli on the design and production process for its proposed submarine model, highlighting the company’s large-scale shipbuilding infrastructure and production capacity. The company also outlined its industrial cooperation plans under Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) program, a key requirement of the bidding. Hanwha Ocean said the plans include investment and job creation across Canada, including in Ontario. Hanwha Ocean said it aims to expand cooperation with Ontario, part of Canada’s Great Lakes region, and expects such partnerships to strengthen negotiations under the ITB framework by supporting regional industrial development and employment. “It is very meaningful to be able to introduce in person the latest submarines that have already been proven through the Republic of Korea Navy,” Hanwha Ocean Chief Executive Kim Hee-cheol said in a statement. He added that discussions on cooperation with Ontario-based companies demonstrate a “firm commitment to building sustainable submarine construction and maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities in Canada.” Hanwha Ocean said it has recently signed memorandums of understanding with more than 10 Canadian companies for shipbuilding and industrial cooperation. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-23 10:04:44

How Seongsu turned industrial grit into Seoul's coolest address Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in AJP’s Seongsu series, which examines how Seoul’s former factory district transformed into a global hub for pop-ups, brand experiences and new forms of urban consumption. SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - On a Saturday in Seongsu-dong, a former factory district in eastern Seoul, the first thing you notice is not the clothes. It is the choreography. Pedestrians move in coordinated waves down Yeonmujang-gil, inching past café terraces that have colonized the curb and lines that wrap around buildings that once made things you wore for work — shoes, belts, leather uppers — not things you wore to be seen. Security guards stand where factory foremen once did, but the job has changed: no one is protecting a celebrity. They are managing crowd flow. This is Seongsu-dong, the former industrial quarter that has become Korea’s most influential neighborhood for pop-ups, brand “experiences” and the kind of offline marketing that treats a street like a stage set. It is not the first place in the world to turn warehouses into retail. But it may be among the fastest to do it — and certainly among the most relentless. From making shoes to making a scene Seongsu’s origin story is unromantic by design. Built during Seoul’s industrial expansion of the 1970s and 1980s, the area filled with low-rise factories, leather workshops and auto repair shops. For decades, it was the kind of neighborhood you visited because you needed something fixed. Then Seoul’s trend cycle caught up with it. In the mid-2010s, soaring rents in Garosu-gil and Hongdae pushed young brands and creatives eastward in search of space — real space — and fewer aesthetic expectations. Seongsu offered both. Its buildings were worn and weathered, but they came with high ceilings, wide floor plates and minimal zoning friction. In other words, they were imperfect in exactly the right way. Concrete walls don’t argue with your concept. Brick warehouses photograph well. A former factory can become almost anything with the right lighting — and the right story. After 2020, as the pandemic rewired consumer behavior and e-commerce became frictionless, brands rediscovered physical space not as a point of sale but as a platform for narrative. Shopping became secondary. Presence became the product. The hype, quantified By the end of 2025, Seongsu’s popularity was no longer anecdotal. According to data from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Metro, daily passenger traffic at Seongsu Station rose from about 66,500 in 2021 to nearly 100,000 in 2025 — an increase of more than 50 percent in just four years. What had once been an unremarkable stop climbed into the top tier of Seoul’s busiest subway stations. Visitor numbers across the broader Seongsu area tell an even sharper story. Annual visits rose from roughly 18 million in 2022 to nearly 29 million in 2024, with projections exceeding 35 million in 2025, based on Seoul tourism data and mobile-based location analysis. The most consequential shift has been who is visiting. Foreign tourists surpassed 3 million in 2024 and are projected to reach 5 million by the end of 2025, drawn by global demand for Korean fashion, beauty and the promise of being physically present where trends appear to be made. Seongsu did not just become popular. It became legible — a recognizable node on the global map of consumption districts. Weekends at capacity On weekdays, Seongsu can still pass for a neighborhood. Office workers from technology, mobility and fashion firms give the streets a utilitarian rhythm. On weekends, the area becomes something else entirely: a living queue. Foot traffic runs 1.5 to 1.8 times higher than weekday levels, with Yeonmujang-gil now one of Seoul’s most congested pedestrian corridors. At peak hours, pedestrian density has reached as high as 7,500 people per hectare — a level officially classified by local authorities as “critically overcrowded.” In response, Seoul and Seongdong District are reviewing safety measures, including redesigned exits and temporary pedestrian-only zones. Inevitably, these interventions risk making Seongsu feel less like an accidental discovery and more like a managed attraction. Still, for many young visitors, the crowds are part of the appeal. “Honestly, Seongsu really took off after COVID,” said Kim Ha-young, 28, a Seoul resident. “Before that, people our age used to go to Itaewon. Now if we make weekend plans, we almost automatically choose Seongsu. It’s hip, and there’s always a pop-up or something new. The chance of a boring outing feels very low.” The pop-up machine To visitors, Seongsu’s pop-up culture can seem spontaneous, as if new stores simply appear and vanish overnight. In reality, it operates more like a touring production. Most brands rely on short-term space rentals that allow them to move in, activate and move out within days. The model depends on rapid installation, high turnover and the understanding that novelty has an expiration date. This structure — not any single brand — is Seongsu’s true engine. It allows dozens of companies to cycle through the same streets each month, continually resetting the neighborhood’s sense of what is new. For global brands, the appeal is obvious. A pop-up in Seongsu is not merely a Korean marketing exercise; it is a content generator with international reach, capable of making a brand feel current without requiring long-term local commitment. Inside the warehouses Few people have witnessed Seongsu’s transformation more closely than Lee Ho Kyu, founder and chief executive of the space platform S Factory. Operating large-scale venues converted from former industrial buildings, S Factory has become one of the district’s most visible anchors. “It didn’t happen overnight,” Lee said. “But it accelerated the moment people started using space differently.” Lee, whose background spans architecture, urban design and real estate consulting, argues that Seongsu’s growth reflects a deeper shift in consumer behavior. “People don’t visit spaces just to buy products anymore,” he said. “They come to understand a story — and to feel part of something, even briefly.” That change, he added, reshaped how brands approached offline marketing. “Pop-ups are no longer temporary shops,” Lee said. “They’re communication tools.” At S Factory, spaces are designed to reset quickly — sometimes within days — allowing brands to operate in extremely short cycles. In recent months, the venue has hosted a wide range of fashion, beauty and lifestyle activations targeting younger consumers. Long queues outside its brick warehouses have become one of Seongsu’s most familiar weekend images. The sustainability question beneath the cool Success, however, has consequences. Seongsu’s rise has brought higher rents, heavier congestion and a growing question about sustainability — not only environmental sustainability, but civic sustainability. How many pop-ups can a neighborhood absorb before it becomes a mall without walls? How long can an “experimental” district remain experimental once it requires crowd management plans? There is an irony at the heart of Seongsu’s appeal. Its industrial past made its reinvention possible. Buildings built to last were reused rather than demolished, their structural bones carrying a new form of commerce. Adaptive reuse, in this sense, is a kind of urban recycling. But the pop-up economy also produces its own waste: disposable sets, packaging debris, installations designed to last just long enough for a weekend of photographs. Low-commitment retail, by nature, leaves things behind. For now, Seongsu remains Seoul’s most experimental shopping district precisely because it is still unfinished — fluid rather than polished, provisional rather than resolved. Brands continue to come not because it is perfect, but because it feels alive. And as long as consumers keep seeking places where commerce can pass for culture — and where a purchase can masquerade as a memory — the lines on Yeonmujang-gil are unlikely to thin anytime soon. Seongsu, after all, is no longer just a place to shop. It is a place to be seen waiting. 2026-01-23 10:03:57

Korean Air, Asiana Airlines ban use of power banks on board SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - Korean Air and four other airlines affiliated with Hanjin Group will ban the use of portable power banks on board their aircraft from Jan. 26, the group said on Friday, citing safety concerns. Under the revised policy, passengers on domestic and international flights operated by Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Air Busan and Air Seoul will be prohibited from using power banks to charge electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops and cameras during flights. Power banks will continue to be permitted in carry-on luggage, subject to existing restrictions on capacity and quantity. However, passengers must take measures to prevent short circuits before boarding, including covering terminals with insulating tape or placing each device in a separate plastic bag or individual pouch. Once on board, power banks must be kept within reach of the passenger, either on their person or in a seat pocket or under the seat in front. Storing power banks in overhead bins will be prohibited, as it could delay a response to signs of overheating and increase the risk of serious incidents, Hanjin said. The five carriers will inform passengers of the new rules through their official websites and mobile applications, notices at airport check-in counters, and alerts via KakaoTalk. Repeated announcements will also be made at boarding gates and during flights to reduce confusion. The decision follows a series of in-flight fire incidents linked to lithium-ion batteries in portable power banks, prompting airlines and regulators worldwide to tighten carry-on safety standards. A Korean Air official said the ban was an unavoidable measure to ensure safe flight operations and urged passengers to cooperate. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-23 09:49:46

Analysis: Why Greenland became the Arctic's most dangerous geopolitical flashpoint SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) - As Arctic ice retreats, Greenland has emerged as one of the world's most consequential — and misunderstood — geopolitical battlegrounds. The world's largest island, sparsely populated yet strategically irreplaceable, now sits at the intersection of U.S. missile defense, Russian militarization, Chinese resource ambition and Europe's evolving security posture. U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed push to assert U.S. control over Greenland — abruptly dialed back this week after a tense standoff with European allies — did not create this competition. But it exposed how fragile the Arctic balance has become, and how little room remains for 19th-century power politics in a 21st-century alliance system. A strategic island the U.S. never stopped wanting Greenland's importance to Washington is not new. Since the 19th century, U.S. policymakers have viewed the island as a northern shield. After World War II, President Harry Truman offered Denmark $100 million in gold for sovereignty — an offer Copenhagen rejected but which set the template for decades of pragmatic compromise. Under a 1951 defense agreement, updated most recently in 2023, the U.S. has long operated military facilities on Greenland, most notably Pituffik Space Base, which hosts radar systems critical to detecting Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles crossing the Arctic. "The U.S. has long recognized Danish sovereignty over Greenland," said Charles Miller of the Australian National University. "But Denmark, as a founding NATO member, has consistently accepted U.S. military bases there, including nuclear-related capabilities." In purely military terms, Washington already has what it needs. Arctic ice melts — and geopolitics rushes in What has changed is the Arctic itself. As ice cover recedes, the region is no longer a frozen buffer but a navigable frontier. New shipping lanes promise to cut weeks off voyages between Asia, Europe and North America. Russia has responded by expanding Arctic bases and weapons systems, while China — declaring itself a "near-Arctic state" — has sought port access, research footholds and mineral stakes. "Greenland is enormously important strategically for the U.S. given the rapid expansion of Russian bases and armaments in the Arctic, and the deepening Sino-Russian relationship," said Kent Calder of Johns Hopkins University. "Trump's actions, however disruptive, were a wake-up call that will likely produce a stronger NATO response." Yet experts stress that none of this requires American sovereignty. "There is already a defense agreement that allows the U.S. to build and run whatever military bases it wants," said Ole Wæver of the University of Copenhagen. "From a security perspective, the key asset is already there: the radar at Pituffik." The resource myth — and the reality beneath it Beneath Greenland's ice lies another temptation: vast deposits of rare earth elements essential for electric vehicles, wind turbines, semiconductors and defense technologies. Sites such as Kvanefjeld are frequently cited as potential alternatives to China's near-monopoly over global supply. American and European policymakers see opportunity. Greenland’s leaders welcome investment. But the economic story is far less straightforward. Rare earth ores in Greenland are interwoven with uranium and thorium, creating serious environmental and health risks. In 2021, Greenland's electorate voted in a government that promptly banned uranium-linked mining, halting flagship projects. Infrastructure is minimal. Operating costs — the so-called "Arctic cost" — are punishing. "American firms can invest in mining," Wæver noted. "That is very welcome. But sovereignty is not the issue — environmental and social consent is." Even from Washington's perspective, access, not ownership, is the prize. "The U.S. could negotiate rights to critical minerals," said David Smith of the University of Sydney — without redrawing borders. Why Trump's approach alarmed allies Despite these realities, Trump revived his Greenland fixation after returning to office, pairing security rhetoric with tariff threats against Denmark and other European states. At one point, European officials openly discussed the risk — however remote — of U.S. coercion. "The risk of military intervention probably was real," Wæver said. "It was crazy, but it couldn't be ruled out." That prospect collapsed this week at Davos, where Trump announced a vague "framework for a future deal" after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, dropping tariff threats and insisting force would not be used. The episode ended not with conquest, but with deterrence. "There is no public support in the U.S. for such a move," Miller said. "The economic consequences could be catastrophic, and there is strong opposition within the U.S. military." Europe's response — dispatching troops, hardening rhetoric and signaling economic retaliation — mattered. "The Europeans won," Wæver said. "Not militarily, but economically and politically." The sovereignty line that cannot be crossed What Trump's gambit ultimately collided with was not just NATO resistance, but a post-colonial norm: territory is no longer bought, sold or seized without the consent of its people. Greenland, home to just 57,000 residents, has enjoyed home rule since 1979. Denmark cannot sell it — and Greenlanders would not accept it. "There's a reason territorial purchases hardly happen anymore," Smith said. "National self-determination is the norm. Even the Trump administration seems to recognize that Greenlanders must have a say." The likely outcome now is incrementalism: expanded U.S. basing rights, greater NATO presence, limited resource cooperation — possibly modeled on U.S. compacts with Pacific island states. Everything short of sovereignty. The Arctic lesson Greenland's moment reveals a broader truth about the Arctic. The region is not just a security theater or a resource vault. It is an ecosystem, a homeland and a diplomatic stress test. Hard power can seize land. It cannot legitimize it, insure it, or integrate it into global supply chains. As the ice melts, access will matter more than ownership — and trust more than threats. Trump's retreat underscores that reality. The Arctic may be warming rapidly. But the rules governing it have not melted nearly as fast. 2026-01-23 09:22:52

OPINION: How data, engineers and state power drive China's tech rise Views of China tend to split neatly into two camps. One dismisses it as a country of imitators. The other fears it as an unstoppable technological juggernaut powered by a vast market and a disciplined state. Both views miss the same point. China’s defining advantage is scale. In a country of 1.4 billion people, even meaningful technological progress can appear underwhelming when measured per capita. But scale has a way of turning incremental gains into structural power. What looks modest in isolation becomes formidable when multiplied across an economy large enough to test, refine and deploy technology at speed. That is the context in which China’s scientific and technological rise should be understood. Its domestic market functions as a giant test bed, allowing ideas to move from lab to factory floor to mass adoption faster than in most advanced economies. China’s strength ultimately comes down to people. It is often described as a nation of engineers, and not without reason. President Xi Jinping, like several of China’s past leaders, was trained in science and engineering — a detail that reflects a broader technocratic tradition at the top of the system. Through gifted education tracks and an engineering-centered university pipeline, China produces millions of science and engineering graduates every year. While South Korea and the United States wrestle with a steady drift of elite students toward medical schools, China has continued to train talent in artificial intelligence, semiconductors and aerospace at a national scale. The strong presence of Chinese universities in global AI rankings is no accident. Many Chinese students who once went abroad have returned home to start companies, while manufacturing expertise accumulated over three decades as the world’s factory is now feeding domestic innovation. The skills honed in producing goods for Apple, Nike and Louis Vuitton are being repurposed to build Chinese brands — and increasingly, Chinese technologies. Unlike Western democracies, where science and technology policy can swing sharply with electoral cycles, China’s one-party system enables long-term planning. Beijing directs national resources toward a set of “emerging” and “future” industries designed to strengthen what it calls “new quality productive forces.” Local governments from Hefei to Shenzhen compete fiercely to build advanced industrial clusters, experimenting with policy models that are later replicated nationwide. Massive state investment, often tolerant of failure, allows firms to take R&D risks that would be politically or financially difficult elsewhere. At a time when South Korea is trimming or reallocating research budgets, China is still writing large checks to close strategic technology gaps. Critics often argue that socialist systems struggle to sustain creativity under heavy ideological control. In technology, China again complicates the stereotype. In practice, its tech sector can be brutally market-driven: if something makes money, capital and talent rush in. China’s much-maligned “shanzhai” culture — a phase of copying and imitation — was less a dead end than a training ground. The supply chains, tooling expertise and manufacturing discipline built during that period now underpin innovation in electric vehicles, batteries and consumer electronics. Few countries illustrate more clearly how markets, not ideology, ultimately shape technological outcomes. The same dynamic is visible in China’s digital transformation. During and after the pandemic, the country accelerated toward what officials describe as a “five-no” society: no cash, no cards, no wallets, no face-to-face transactions and no waiting in lines. The result has been an explosion of real-world data. Under its “AI+” strategy, Beijing is pushing artificial intelligence into manufacturing, healthcare, education and finance. The goal is not simply efficiency gains, but the redesign of social and industrial systems around digital tools. Smart factories, AI-assisted medical services and personalized education platforms are no longer pilots — they are being deployed at population scale. In the AI era, data is often likened to oil. Here, China holds a clear advantage. Unlike Western countries constrained by strict personal-data protections, Chinese companies and authorities operate in an environment where population-scale data can be used with relatively few barriers. Combined with aggressive investment and a deep bench of engineers, this gives China a powerful edge in applied AI. Within years, industrial AI trained on data from factories, hospitals and transport systems could challenge — or surpass — Western capabilities in areas that matter economically, not just academically. U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports have slowed China’s access to cutting-edge equipment. Beijing’s response has been pragmatic rather than dramatic: squeezing more performance from legacy processes, investing heavily in advanced packaging, and using its vast domestic market to scale homegrown solutions. At the frontier, technologies tend to converge. China is betting that patience, capital and labor will eventually deliver self-sufficiency. For South Korea, the danger lies in complacency. Treating China as merely a “knockoff country” is no longer skepticism — it is self-deception. China has become a system-level competitor, pressing directly into South Korea’s core strengths in semiconductors, batteries and advanced manufacturing. The response should begin with governance. South Korea needs a stronger national science and technology control tower capable of setting and executing long-term strategy beyond a single five-year administration. It also needs to restore its test-bed capacity through bolder deregulation, expanding regulatory sandboxes so emerging industries can prove themselves without being smothered by incumbent interests. Focus matters, too. South Korea cannot compete with China on volume. Its advantage lies in bottleneck technologies that are hard to copy, such as high-bandwidth memory and processing-in-memory chips. Concentrating national capabilities on these areas is not optional — it is existential. Finally, there is a social challenge. A country that wants to stay technologically relevant must reward engineers. Unless South Korea finds ways to reverse the rush into medical schools and offer top-tier compensation and status to scientists and technologists, no strategy will hold. China’s scale is not something to fear abstractly. It is something to understand, adapt to — and compete against with discipline. In technology, survival belongs not to those who shout the loudest, but to those who execute the longest. Jeon Byeong-seo is head of the China Economy and Finance Research Institute. He holds a master’s degree from Tsinghua University and a Ph.D. from Fudan University, and has served as a semiconductor and IT analyst and adjunct professor at Sungkyunkwan University. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-23 08:54:32

Roaring stock market lifts Korean consumer confidence despite weak real economy SEOUL, January 23 (AJP)-South Koreans grew more optimistic about the economy and their spending plans in January, buoyed by a surging stock market despite continued weakness in real economic conditions from a weak won and strong prices. According to the Bank of Korea on Friday, the Consumer Sentiment Index rose 1.0 point from the previous month to 110.8 in January, supported by the strongest spending bias in five months. A reading above 100 indicates sentiment more optimistic than the long-term average for the 2003–2024 period, while a reading below 100 signals pessimism. Among the six sub-indicators, the outlook for the overall economy rose 2 points to 98. Current living conditions edged up 1 point to 96, the outlook for consumer spending increased 1 point to 111 - highest in five months, and the assessment of current economic conditions also rose 1 point to 90. The outlook for living conditions remained unchanged at 100, while expectations for household income held steady at 103. Lee Hye-young, head of the BOK’s economic sentiment survey team, attributed the improvement in sentiment largely to the record-setting stock market. The benchmark KOSPI has been flirting with the 5,000 mark after an almost uninterrupted rally over the past month. “Rising stock prices influenced multiple indicators, including living conditions, household savings and the outlook for consumer spending,” Lee said. She added that higher investment income from stocks and funds appeared to improve perceptions of household finances, while some respondents interpreted the market rally itself as a signal of broader economic improvement. Lee noted that the weak won had little impact on sentiment this month, adding that authorities’ efforts to stabilize the dollar toward year-end helped limit concerns. The housing price outlook index, which measures expectations for home prices a year ahead, rose 3 points to 124 — the highest level since October 2021 — as apartment sale prices continued to climb nationwide and across the Seoul metropolitan area. The increase suggests expectations for further gains in home prices have strengthened, Lee said. Expected inflation for the year ahead remained unchanged at 2.6 percent, while perceived inflation over the past year was steady at 2.9 percent 2026-01-23 07:44:02

BTS stages comeback at Gwanghwamun on March 21 SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) -The date is set for an open invite for BTS's long-awaited full-group comeback performance at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21 after Seoul on Thursday granted conditional approval for the large-scale outdoor concert and began preparations for an influx of tens of thousands of fans into the city center. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it approved conditional use of Gwanghwamun Square for the “BTS 2026 Comeback Show @ Seoul,” proposed by HYBE and Big Hit Music, during the first Gwanghwamun Square advisory committee meeting of the year. Final authorization will be issued once the event passes a safety management review and organizers submit supplementary measures to prevent overlapping exit times for performers and audiences and to minimize traffic disruption, the city said. Seoul officials expect heavy crowding not only at Gwanghwamun Square but across surrounding districts on the day of the concert. The city said it will closely examine safety and crowd-control plans and coordinate with police, Jongno District and other agencies to ensure public safety. The city will also conduct advance on-site inspections to prevent unfair practices, including excessive accommodation pricing, and to address traffic congestion and pedestrian safety risks. Inspections will focus on areas surrounding Gwanghwamun Square, covering 280 lodging facilities in Jongno District and 411 in Jung District. Organizers requested approval for a performance accommodating about 18,000 people at Gwanghwamun Square, with a separate event for up to 30,000 people at Seoul Plaza. City officials cautioned that total turnout could approach 100,000 when accounting for fans gathering in nearby streets and public spaces. The concert marks BTS’s first public appearance as a complete seven-member group in three years and nine months. It follows the release of the group’s fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” scheduled for March 20. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok underscored the symbolism of the venue, saying during a town hall meeting at HYBE headquarters that returning to Gwanghwamun — “a space once safeguarded by fans’ light sticks” — carries special meaning. Seoul said it will roll out special experience programs for overseas visitors, including BTS fans known as ARMY, and create a festive atmosphere across major districts by combining K-pop and broader Hallyu content. “Our top priority is safety,” said Kim Chang-gyu, head of Seoul’s Balanced Development Headquarters. “We also aim to turn this into an opportunity to showcase Seoul’s global appeal and establish Gwanghwamun Square as a landmark for K-pop culture.” 2026-01-23 07:18:35

K-Pop Demon Hunters" lands two Oscar nods as Park Chan-wook misses final cut SEOUL, January 23 (AJP) -Netflix’s animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” directed by Korean American filmmaker Maggie Kang, earned two Academy Award nominations, while Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice” fell short of the final lineup for best international feature. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced nominees for the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday local time. “K-Pop Demon Hunters” was nominated for best animated feature, and its original song “Golden” received a nod in the best original song category. In the animated feature race, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” will compete against “Zootopia 2,” “Elio,” “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,” and “Arco.” The film has emerged as a strong awards-season contender after winning best animated feature at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month. “Golden” will face competition from “I Lied to You” (Sinners), “Train Dreams” (Train Dreams), “Sweet Dreams of Joy” (Viva Verdi!), and “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless. The nomination marks a rare Oscar recognition for a K-pop–driven soundtrack. Park’s “No Other Choice,” despite advancing to the 15-film shortlist in December, did not make the final nominees for best international feature film. The dark comedy, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, marks Park’s second consecutive shortlist appearance following “Decision to Leave” in 2022. This year’s international feature nominees include “The Secret Agent” (Brazil), “It Was Just an Accident” (France), “Sentimental Value” (Norway), “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia), and “Sirat” (Spain). The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be held on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. 2026-01-23 07:05:16

U.S. investors asks Washington to probe Seoul's treatment of Coupang SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) -Two major U.S. investors in Coupang Inc. have asked the U.S. government to investigate its Korean counterpart over what they describe as discriminatory treatment of the U.S.-based e-commerce platform commanding dominant market in Korea, raising the prospect that a corporate dispute could spill into a bilateral trade issue. Technology investment firms Greenoaks and Altimeter said Thursday that they have petitioned the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to examine South Korea’s actions under U.S. trade law and consider remedies, including tariffs or other measures. Separately, the investors notified the South Korean government of their intent to file arbitration claims under the U.S.–Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). The moves follow a consumer data breach disclosed by Coupang in November, after which a number of Korean authorities launched sweeping investigations and lawmakers called for tougher penalties. The investors argue that the government response went far beyond normal regulatory enforcement and has inflicted heavy losses on shareholders. Coupang reported that personal data of about 33 million users in South Korea had been compromised, triggering public backlash, regulatory scrutiny and a wave of lawsuits from consumers and investors. Since the disclosure on Nov. 30, Coupang’s New York–listed shares have fallen about 27 percent, according to market data. Greenoaks and Altimeter allege that South Korean authorities mounted a “whole-of-government” response against Coupang, involving labor, tax, financial and customs probes that they say are unrelated to the data incident. They claim the actions amount to discriminatory treatment of a U.S.-based company operating in Korea. “Our main concern is the scale and speed of the government’s response, which has led to significant damages and threatens the value of our investment,” said Marney Chee, a partner at law firm Covington, which represents Greenoaks. The investors said their notice under KORUS triggers a 90-day consultation period before full arbitration proceedings can begin. Separately, the USTR has up to 45 days to decide whether to launch a formal investigation under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, a step that could lead to hearings and potential U.S. countermeasures. Seoul has stood firm on its stance and rejected claims of discrimination. President Lee Jae Myung, who previously called for tougher penalties following the data breach, said at a news conference Wednesday that South Korea would address the issue “fairly according to the law and principles,” emphasizing the country’s sovereignty. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said earlier this month that the government was not singling out Coupang and that U.S. officials had “misunderstandings.” Speaking after meetings in Washington with USTR Jamieson Greer and members of Congress, Yeo said the data breach — which he described as unprecedented — and Coupang’s response should be treated separately from trade and diplomatic issues. Greenoaks was founded by Neil Mehta, a Coupang board member. Greenoaks and related entities hold more than $1.4 billion worth of Coupang shares, according to filings. In 2023, Coupang partnered with Greenoaks to acquire luxury fashion platform Farfetch in a $500 million deal. Altimeter is a technology-focused investment firm investing across public and private markets. 2026-01-22 21:11:22