Alliance reaffirmed, substance lacking: Korean-American lawmaker on Lee–Trump summit SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - Two weeks after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and the United States President Donald Trump held their first summit, U.S. lawmakers are offering mixed assessments, praising its reaffirmation of ties but also pointing to unresolved challenges such as defense costs and trade issues. Rep. Young Kim, a Republican from California and one of the first Korean American women elected to Congress, said the summit served as a "necessary reaffirmation" of the U.S.-South Korea alliance but fell short on substance. The public portion of the meeting "felt more like formalities between the two leaders than a substantive discussion on trade, defense cost-sharing, and broader security coordination issues," Kim told Aju Press in a written interview last week. "My key takeaway is that there is too much at stake in the U.S.-ROK proves through his actions – not just rhetoric – that he prioritizes the partnership as the foundation of security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. Likewise, it is important for our side to treat South Korea as a valued and respected ally." The lead-up to the White House talks was hardly smooth. Hours before the Oval Office meeting on August 25, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, suggesting political unrest in South Korea, which unsettled Lee's delegation. When reporters entered, Trump brought up alleged "church raids," which Lee countered by explaining that an independent prosecutor was investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle from the previous year, a matter unrelated to U.S. facilities. Trump quickly dismissed it as a misunderstanding. Later in the meeting, the tone shifted. Lee praised Trump as a "peace-maker" and cast himself as a "pace-maker" in inter-Korean relations, a remark widely interpreted as a gesture toward Trump's self-styled image as a dealmaker and his well-known interest in a Nobel Peace Prize. Rep. Kim, however, emphasized that the backdrop to any future U.S.-North Korea talks has grown far more dangerous. "We are facing a very different, more dangerous North Korea than the one we dealt with during the first Trump administration," she said, citing its defense treaty with Russia, a more sophisticated nuclear program and a recent statement by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister demanding recognition of the North as a nuclear state while rejecting denuclearization. The geopolitical divide was underscored about a week later in Beijing, when Kim Jong-un stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at China's "Victory Day" parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was the first such joint appearance in 66 years. With Kim Jong-un attending the parade with other members of "like-minded authoritarian regimes," the American congresswoman said, "it raises serious questions about his willingness to negotiate with the United States.” Even if Trump and North Korean leader were to meet again, Rep. Kim doubted that it would yield meaningful progress without tougher conditions. "To avoid a repeat of what we saw in 2019, the U.S. needs to come to terms with North Korea's nuclear reality and the threat it poses today," she said. She reiterated her opposition to South Korea's Sunshine Policy, a past initiative of engagement and aid toward Pyongyang, and to unilateral efforts to declare an end to the Korean War without "tangible commitments from North Korea to denuclearize, cease all illicit activities to evade sanctions, and improve the dire human rights situation." Although the two leaders exchanged warm words, Lee and Trump avoided some of the most sensitive alliance issues, including defense cost-sharing, U.S. troop levels and trade disputes. Observers say those matters will inevitably resurface. "President Trump has long made clear that he wanted South Korea to pay more for U.S. troops," Kim said, while voicing confidence that the alliance would remain "a beacon of stability in the region." She added that South Korea's "long history of hosting of U.S. forces in Pyeongtaek and its advanced shipbuilding and defense production capabilities" should enable the allies to reach a "mutually beneficial deal," while emphasizing Congress's "oversight role" in ensuring agreements reflect "America's long-term interests and strengthen deterrence." Kim said expanding Japan, South Korea and the U.S. cooperation is vital to countering Chinese aggression and deterring North Korea. “South Korea is not only a close ally but also an economic and technological powerhouse, particularly in shipbuilding, where it has made major new investments" in the U.S., she said. “Simply boosting U.S. production isn’t enough — we need to work hand in hand with trusted allies like South Korea to build resilient supply chains that strengthen both our economies and our security.” The first summit, initially planned for 30 minutes, stretched to more than 140 minutes but produced little in the way of concrete outcomes. With both leaders expected to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York later this month, whether a second encounter can move beyond symbolism and address unresolved issues such as defense costs, U.S. troop levels and tariffs will be closely watched in both capitals. 2025-09-08 17:49:53

Reliance on short-term visas exposes weak link in Korean projects in US SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - Korean companies building some of the largest industrial facilities in the United States are bracing for construction delays that could stretch up to two years, after stepped-up immigration enforcement exposed widespread reliance on short-term business visas for technical staff. Industry data compiled in the aftermath of last week’s raid on a Hyundai–LG Energy Solution battery plant in Georgia show that 22 projects worth about 145 trillion won, or more than $100 billion, are potentially at risk. At least six plants scheduled to begin operations this year now face staffing shortages severe enough to force comprehensive revisions to their timelines. The Georgia battery plant is the most immediate casualty. LG Energy Solution recently postponed the facility’s startup from the second half of 2025 to at least early 2026, after construction ground to a halt. The $4.4 billion venture, intended to supply 30 gigawatt hours of battery cells annually, is critical to Hyundai and Kia’s electric vehicle production schedules. Surveys conducted by industry groups revealed that about 90 percent of Korean engineers and technicians dispatched to U.S. sites had been working under visa waiver programs or short-term B-1 business visas — categories never intended for long-term technical operations. In response, Samsung Electronics has ordered employees to limit visa waiver trips to two weeks or secure expatriate visas for longer stays, while Hyundai canceled all planned U.S. business travel. The disruption has triggered an urgent government response in Seoul. Park Jong-won, deputy assistant minister for trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said after a hastily convened meeting with major investors that the government would coordinate closely with the Foreign Ministry to craft a solution. “This cannot be a one-time meeting,” Park said. “We will continue communicating with companies operating locally to find solutions.” The visa bottleneck extends well beyond Georgia. Projects at risk include Samsung’s $17 billion semiconductor fabrication plant in Texas, LG Chem’s cathode materials facility in Tennessee, Samsung SDI’s joint battery plant with Stellantis in Indiana, SK On’s battery complexes with Ford, and Hanwha Q Cells’ solar hub. Together, they represent critical elements of Washington’s supply chain strategy under the Inflation Reduction Act. But securing proper work authorization is no quick fix. L-1 intracompany transfer visas or E-2 investor visas often take one to two years to process, and the oversubscribed H-1B program — capped at 85,000 annually — would require congressional intervention to expand. Seoul has been lobbying for a Korea-specific visa category similar to programs available to Australia and Singapore, though legislative timelines remain uncertain. In the meantime, companies face hard choices: overhaul staffing to rely more heavily on local hires, accelerate automation to reduce technical labor needs, or absorb costly delays. The stakes are especially high for the semiconductor and battery sectors, linchpins of U.S. industrial policy and vulnerable points in global supply chains if new facilities fail to come online as planned. 2025-09-08 17:47:51

Trump administration's immigration crackdown puts Korean firms in US on edge SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - Korean companies with sprawling manufacturing projects in the United States are bracing for major disruptions as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration crackdown, now extending its reach to foreign-led construction sites. The detention of hundreds of workers last week at a Hyundai Motor–LG Energy Solution battery plant under construction in Bryan County, Ga., has jolted South Korean executives and policymakers. Though officials in both countries said the matter appeared to be heading toward resolution, the sweep has deepened anxiety among Korean conglomerates pouring billions of dollars into electric vehicle batteries and advanced semiconductor plants across the United States. The fear, executives say, is not only higher costs but construction delays, missed deadlines and shaken confidence in investment pledges that Korean firms have made in tandem with Washington. “We are reviewing our processes to ensure that all parties working on our projects maintain the same high standards of legal compliance that we demand of ourselves,” Hyundai Motor said in a statement. LG Energy Solution confirmed that 47 of its employees were among those detained, adding it would “make every effort to promptly resolve the situation, including ensuring the speedy and safe return of all employees.” The raid, which authorities called the largest single-site enforcement action in agency history, swept up 475 workers and exposed a legal gray zone that has long governed how foreign firms deploy staff to U.S. construction projects. Many of those detained entered on short-term business visas or under visa waiver programs, which permit stays for meetings and contract work but not for installation or technical support. Immigration officials argued that such work required more complex H-1B or L-1 visas. The episode has already rippled through financial markets. LS Securities downgraded LG Energy Solution’s target price, citing concerns about delayed battery mass production at the $7.6 billion Georgia site, where construction remains suspended pending the immigration investigation. Tom Homan, a senior security official often described as Trump’s “border czar,” underscored the administration’s intent to widen its enforcement. “We will increase our enforcement activities at workplaces,” he told CNN, adding, “Illegally entering this country is a crime, and hiring foreigners who are here illegally is also a crime.” He framed the raids as protecting American workers from unfair competition. The policy shift could hit hardest at Korean giants like Samsung and SK, which are building semiconductor fabs and EV battery plants in states that lobbied aggressively for their investments. Executives worry that technical workers needed for installation and training could now face months of visa hurdles, raising the risk of project delays. The South Korean government convened emergency meetings with major investors on Sunday and pressed Washington for assurances. Meanwhile, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers in Seoul on Monday that an agreement had been reached to prevent the detained workers from facing reentry bans once they are released. “Negotiations are proceeding well,” he said, promising that voluntary departures would not trigger automatic five-year entry bars. However, since Trump began his second term, deportations have surged to more than 1,500 a day, topping 300,000 overall. Administration officials said large-scale workplace raids would continue, signaling that last week’s operation in Georgia may only be the beginning. 2025-09-08 17:28:25

Lee meets with ruling and opposition leaders SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung said Monday that national unity would be his top priority, as he met with the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. The luncheon meeting came for the first time several weeks after Jung Chung-rae of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and Jang Dong-hyuk of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) were elected party leaders last month. Lee, who again wore his signature red-and-blue tie in a symbolic gesture he uses whenever he wants to stress unity, urged bipartisan cooperation. "One of the president's most important duties is to bring people together," he said, vowing to "make every effort to listen" to all citizens' voices and fairly reflect them, whether in favor or against, in policymaking. Also sharing the outcomes of his recent trip to Washington for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump last month, he called on both parties to cooperate with each other on national security and economic growth. He then sought help in streamlining government agencies and ministries and in implementing reforms to the prosecution, judiciary, and other key sectors. But political divides and disputes seem to persist. Jung brought up disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law last year, calling for "those responsible to be held fully accountable and punished." In contrast, Jang urged Lee to veto a series of "controversial" bills pushed by the DP, which holds a parliamentary majority. Nevertheless, Jung and Jang agreed to form a bipartisan committee tasked with improving citizens' lives, although specific details remain unclear. Meanwhile, Lee also held a one-on-one meeting with Jang for about 30 minutes at the PPP leader's request. 2025-09-08 17:16:25

[[K-Pop]] BTS' Brother band CORTIS drops teaser for 'FaSHioN' ahead of debut album release SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - CORTIS, the new boy band from BigHit Music and the label's third act following BTS and TXT, unveiled a teaser video for their follow-up track "FaSHioN" on Sunday, one day before the official release of their debut album. The clip, released September 7 on HYBE Labels' YouTube channel, features dramatic scenes set against New Zealand's snow-covered mountains, a junkyard, and city streets, punctuated by a car-crash effect designed to heighten anticipation for the full video. CORTIS, made up of Martin, James, Juhun, Sunghyun, and Gunho, will release the full "FaSHioN" music video today at 6 p.m., alongside the album "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES." Later in the evening, the group will hold its first release party at Korea University’s Hwajeong Gymnasium, with all tracks performed live. The event will also be livestreamed through the Weverse platform. The debut album contains six tracks, including the title song "What You Want," the rallying anthem "GO!," "FaSHioN," summer-inspired "JoyRide," and "Lullaby," a ballad about leaning on each other in uncertain times. An additional track, "What You Want (feat. Teezo Touchdown)," will be available exclusively on streaming platforms. The five members, all teenagers, took part in writing lyrics, track-making, and choreography. Every member is credited on the album, which the group says was the result of working through about 300 demos over the past two years. They also directed and contributed ideas to each of the music videos, positioning themselves as a "young creator crew" within HYBE’s BigHit Music label. 2025-09-08 15:54:46

KAIST develops new database technology that could make AI agents much smarter SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - The Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) has developed a new database system that brings together two types of databases, relational and graph, into a single, more powerful platform, the prestigious institute said Monday. The technology, called "Chimera," is expected to help create AI agents that can think more like humans by understanding not just simple facts but also complex connections between them. Relational databases are the traditional way companies have stored data, like rows and columns in a spreadsheet. Graph databases work differently: they store data as nodes and links, making them especially good at showing relationships, such as who is friends with whom, or how a buyer, product, and seller are connected. Until now, companies often had to manage these two systems separately, which created high costs, delays, and errors when combining results. Chimera solves this by completely integrating the two systems. It can process both relational and graph queries at the same time, without the usual slowdown or memory issues. This means AI programs can answer more complicated questions, such as "Who are the friends of this person's friends, and where do they work?" much faster and more accurately. In international benchmark tests, Chimera was at least four times faster, and in some cases up to 280 times faster, than existing systems. It also avoids the memory shortages and outdated data problems that earlier solutions often faced. "Data is getting more connected and complex, so the need for technology that combines graph and relational databases is growing," said Kim Min-soo, professor at KAIST's School of Computing. "Chimera addresses this need directly, and we expect it to be widely used in AI, finance, and e-commerce." The system was presented on September 1 at the VLDB international conference, one of the world's leading events for database research. It is already being applied to "AkasicDB," a new platform being released by GraphAI, a startup founded by Professor Kim. AkasicDB is designed to power next-generation AI assistants that can search and reason in real time. The study's first author was doctoral candidate Lee Geon-ho, with Jeong-ho Park of GraphAI as the second author. The project was supported by the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) and the National Research Foundation of Korea. 2025-09-08 15:40:07

Defense company LIG Nex1 establishes European hub in Munich SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - South Korean defense firm LIG Nex1 said Monday that it has opened a representative office in Munich, establishing its first operational hub in Europe. The office was inaugurated on Sept. 4 with a ceremony attended by LIG Nex1’s chief executive, Shin Ick-hyun, along with German officials and executives from European defense firms. The company said the Munich office will serve as a platform for deeper collaboration with European partners in research, development, production and marketing. It also plans to offer tailored solutions for the European defense sector across its portfolio, which includes guided weapons, command-and-control systems and electronic warfare technologies. LIG Nex1 is particularly aiming to strengthen cooperation in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and space systems. 2025-09-08 15:15:48

E-cigarette users show higher nicotine addiction than traditional smokers, study finds SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - Users of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products may be more dependent on nicotine than conventional cigarette smokers, according to a government-commissioned study released Monday, challenging industry claims that the alternatives are less addictive or less harmful. The research, conducted by the Korea Association on Smoking or Health at the request of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, surveyed 800 smokers between the ages of 20 and 69 nationwide. It found that 30 percent of liquid e-cigarette users reported reaching for their devices within five minutes of waking, compared with 18.5 percent of traditional cigarette smokers. Among heated tobacco users, 26 percent said they did the same. Public health experts regard immediate morning use as a key marker of addiction severity. The findings arrive as South Korea’s health ministry has intensified calls for tighter regulation of e-cigarettes, particularly liquid nicotine products. Jeong Eun-kyeong, the health minister, has argued that “synthetic nicotine liquid e-cigarettes are equally harmful to health as cigarettes and require the same regulations.” She has pledged to support legislation that would expand the legal definition of tobacco from “tobacco leaves” to “tobacco and nicotine,” effectively bringing e-cigarettes under the same regulatory framework as combustible cigarettes. The study also underscored differences in consumption patterns. Nearly 51 percent of heated tobacco users said they consumed the equivalent of 11 to 20 cigarettes per day, compared with 46 percent of traditional smokers. That disparity, the report noted, undermines marketing claims that heated products reduce harm. The Korea Association on Smoking or Health warned that the tools used in smoking cessation clinics are ill-equipped to measure nicotine dependence among new-generation tobacco users, because they do not account for factors such as e-liquid concentration, device voltage and irregular usage patterns. The group called for new standardized assessment indicators tailored to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco. International research has raised similar concerns. A 2025 study by Johns Hopkins Medicine found that many e-cigarette users may ingest more nicotine than conventional smokers by using high-strength cartridges or modifying devices to deliver stronger hits. While vaping exposes users to fewer chemicals than traditional smoking, researchers noted, many of those substances remain unidentified, and some products have been found to contain pesticides. The Johns Hopkins team also cautioned that e-cigarettes have not proven effective as smoking cessation tools in the United States, where they are often marketed as “healthier” options but remain especially popular among young people. 2025-09-08 14:39:14

Labor strife deepens at GM Korea amid speculation over company's future SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - General Motors Korea resumed formal wage negotiations with its labor union on Monday, the first such talks in nearly two months, as disputes over restructuring and persistent speculation about the automaker’s long-term presence in South Korea add to rising tensions. Talks began at 2 p.m., marking the 14th round of bargaining this year and the first since July 15. In the interim, the two sides had engaged in lower-level discussions without reaching a breakthrough. The union, which has already secured the legal right to strike, staged partial walkouts from July 10 to 14, and resumed two-hour stoppages on Aug. 19, later escalating them to four hours beginning Aug. 21. At the center of the standoff is GM Korea’s plan, announced in May, to shut nine company-owned service centers and sell idle land at its Bupyeong plant, a key facility outside Seoul. The union is demanding collective bargaining that includes guarantees for jobs and alternatives to closures. “The reason the union opposes some of the sales is because GM Korea’s continued restructuring from GM headquarters and the overseas subsidiary plant closure processes follow a worryingly similar pattern,” Ahn Kyu-baek, head of the GM Korea union, said at a Sept. 4 press conference. Adding to the uncertainty are renewed questions about GM’s commitment to the South Korean market. Industry officials say GM headquarters recently halted development of the next-generation Chevrolet Bolt, which had been slated for production in 2029 at GM Technical Center Korea. The decision has fueled speculation that the automaker may scale back its footprint in the country. A GM Korea spokesperson downplayed such concerns, saying that product development road maps are “established as part of global strategy to respond to worldwide market environment changes and customer demand” and that priorities are regularly reviewed. The spokesperson added that GM’s Korean technical center “plays a crucial role” in the company’s global engineering and design network and would continue to do so. Still, GM Korea has faced recurring withdrawal rumors as its export-focused business model comes under pressure. The company ships about 90 percent of its vehicles produced in South Korea to the United States, where changes in tariff and trade rules have eroded some of its competitive advantages. Tensions were further inflamed after it was revealed that Hector Villarreal, GM Korea’s chairman, had urged the government to reconsider the recently passed Yellow Envelope Law, which expands protections for striking workers. 2025-09-08 14:39:03

[[K-Pop]] BLACKPINK's Rosé wins award for her viral hit at this year's MTV VMAs SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - Rosé, a member of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK took home an award at this year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in the U.S. on Sunday. At the awards ceremony in New York, she accepted the "Song of the Year" award for her global hit song "APT." Inspired by a South Korean drinking game, the catchy song in collaboration with pop star Bruno Mars went viral shortly after its release in October last year. In her acceptance speech, Rosé reflected on her younger self "who dreamed" of becoming a star and expressed gratitude to "everyone who has watched me grow into the artist I am today." Meanwhile, BLACKPINK claimed the award given to the best group for a second time, having previously received the honor in 2023. Lisa, another member of the quartet, won the "Best K-pop" gong for her track "Born Again," a collaboration with American rapper Doja Cat and British singer-songwriter Raye. The night's top honor went to American singer-songwriter and actress Ariana Grande, who claimed "Video of the Year" with "Brighter Days Ahead." 2025-09-08 14:25:57