More babies born outside marriage in S. Korea, reflecting possible shifts in family norms SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - South Korea recorded its highest proportion of children born outside marriage in 2024, reflecting a rapid shift in family structures in a country long defined by rigid norms around marriage and childbearing. About 13,800 babies — 5.8 percent of all births last year — were born to unmarried parents, according to data released Wednesday by Statistics Korea. While the share remains small compared with Western nations, it marks a sharp increase from just 2 percent a decade ago. The rate climbed to 3.9 percent in 2022, 4.7 percent in 2023 and now nearly 6 percent, the highest on record. The change appears to mirror evolving social attitudes. In surveys, 37 percent of South Koreans said they now support having children outside marriage, up from 22 percent in 2021. Statistics officials attributed the rise to shifting views on family and a growing acceptance of nontraditional households. Overall births in South Korea ticked up for the first time in more than a decade, totaling 238,300 in 2024 — an increase of 3.6 percent from the year before. The country’s fertility rate also inched up, to 0.75 from 0.72, halting a nine-year slide but remaining the lowest among major economies and far below the replacement rate of 2.1. Still, policymakers saw some hopeful signs. Births within two years of marriage rose for the first time since 2012, and the average age of mothers crept up only slightly, to 33.7 years, while fathers averaged 36.1. Women in their early 30s had the highest birth rate, with 70.4 births per 1,000 women. Other indicators reflected longer-term demographic challenges. Multiple births made up 5.7 percent of the total, while premature births under 37 weeks rose to 10.2 percent, the highest level since records began for single births. Although South Korea has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates, the rise in nonmarital births suggests a gradual loosening of cultural constraints. Whether that shift will translate into more children overall remains unclear — but officials say it signals that younger generations may be reimagining what family looks like. 2025-08-27 16:24:17

Gwangju seeks to host national AI computing center SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - The city of Gwangju plans to launch a committee to host South Korea’s next national artificial intelligence computing center, a project that local officials hope will anchor the city’s ambitions to become the country’s premier AI hub. On Sept. 1, the city will hold a launch ceremony for the committee, a coalition spanning lawmakers, business groups, academics, media, religious figures and civil society organizations. The body is tasked with building consensus behind the bid, offering strategic advice and policy proposals, and promoting public support through outreach and networking efforts. The computing center, envisioned as a hyperscale data hub, would serve as the centerpiece of Gwangju’s “AI-based industrial convergence cluster,” a long-term initiative to cultivate industries around artificial intelligence. “Gwangju, with Korea’s only experience operating a national AI data center and a fully developed ecosystem of infrastructure, talent and companies, is now standing on the most advantageous ground,” Mayor Kang Gi-jung said. “We will secure the national AI computing center without fail and further strengthen Gwangju’s status as the nation’s leading AI hub city.” The bid comes as the central government advances a new phase of Gwangju’s AI development strategy. Earlier this month, President Lee Jae Myung approved a 600 billion won ($434 million) program to create an “AI Transformation demonstration valley,” expanding on a 430 billion won ($310 million) initiative launched five years ago that built core facilities, including a national AI data center and a large-scale driving simulator. 2025-08-27 14:35:06

[[K-Pop]] K-pop anime becomes Netflix's most-watched movie SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - Netflix's South Korean anime "KPop Demon Hunters" has become the global streaming giant's most-watched movie. According to Netflix's ranking website Tudum, the animation has accumulated 236 million views since its release on June 20, taking the top spot in the platform's all-time movie rankings, which are calculated "based on total views in the first 91 days of release." American action thriller "Red Notice" came in second, falling just 900,000 views short. When combined with all Netflix shows and movies, "KPop Demon Hunters" ranks third in overall rankings. It trails the first season of mega-hit series "Squid Game," which has amassed 265 million views since its release in September 2021, and American mystery "Wednesday," which has racked up 252 million views. But the 100-minute animation still has about three weeks to catch up to the South Korean dystopian thriller, which is ahead by roughly 29 million views. Although it remains to be seen whether it can close the gap and claim the top spot, the explosive popularity of the anime, which tells the story of K-pop superstars who are not just "selling out stadiums" but also "using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats," seems unstoppable, continuing to captivate fans and viewers across the world. Its K-pop-infused soundtrack has also been a hit, with the main theme song "Golden" ranking No. 1 and three other tracks such as "How It's Done," "Soda Pop," and "Your Idol" included in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week. 2025-08-27 14:31:09

In Philadelphia, Korean-owned shipyard becomes symbol of renewed US maritime ambitions SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - The clang of steel and the whistle of cranes at Hanwha Philly Shipyard carried more than the sound of shipbuilding on Tuesday (local time). For South Korea’s president Lee Jae Myung, the sprawling yard on the banks of the Delaware River has become a stage for something larger: a deepening partnership between Seoul and Washington that is being forged in steel, jobs and ships. Standing before a crowd of shipyard workers, state officials and Korean executives, Lee presided over the naming ceremony of the State of Marine, a $300 million training and emergency response vessel for the U.S. Maritime Administration. It is the third in a five-ship order that the yard is constructing — part of a broader effort by the United States to revive its struggling shipbuilding industry with foreign know-how. “Just as Korean entrepreneurs and workers created the miracle of Korean shipbuilding on barren land, let Korea and the United States join forces to make the MASGA miracle a reality,” Lee said, invoking the slogan for a $150 billion initiative known as “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again,” which Seoul advanced during trade negotiations in July. The Philadelphia yard, once a Navy facility established in 1801, had fallen into decline before being converted to civilian use in the late 1990s. Its fortunes turned again last year when Hanwha Ocean, South Korea’s second-largest shipbuilder, bought the site — the first time a Korean company has taken ownership of an American shipyard. For Lee, the acquisition represents more than a business deal. He called it the start of “a new path of challenge,” one that could bolster U.S. maritime security while showcasing South Korea’s shipbuilding prowess. Hanwha executives say they plan to scale up the yard’s annual output from fewer than two ships today to as many as 20 within a decade, aiming for $4 billion in annual revenue. The partnership has drawn praise from local leaders eager for manufacturing jobs. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined Lee at the ceremony, as did Kim Dong-kwan, Hanwha’s vice chairman, who highlighted the “good jobs, advanced ships and skilled workforce” being created on U.S. soil. For a shipyard with centuries of history, the moment carried a sense of renewal. Once a cornerstone of America’s naval might, the yard is now being repositioned by a foreign owner to help Washington meet modern maritime demands. In that sense, Hanwha Philly Shipyard has become not just a factory, but a test case — a symbol of how South Korea and the United States are increasingly building their alliance not only through defense treaties and summits, but also through welders’ torches and assembly lines. 2025-08-27 14:19:17

KAIST and Princeton University launch Net-Zero Korea project SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - South Korea's prestigious research institute, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), and Princeton University have launched a joint initiative called Net-Zero Korea, aimed at helping South Korea accelerate its transition to carbon neutrality. The project was announced on August 27 at the World Climate Industry Expo in Busan. It will be led by Professor Jeon Hae-won at KAIST's Graduate School of Green Growth and Sustainable Development, in partnership with Princeton's Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. Funded through seed money from Google, the collaboration will run for three years. The goal is to create a detailed roadmap that can guide South Korea's climate and energy policies. The research builds on Princeton's "Net-Zero America" study, published in 2021, which outlined practical pathways for the United States to reach net-zero emissions. By combining Princeton's methods with KAIST's modeling expertise, the project will adapt the framework to South Korea's industrial and economic conditions. Net-Zero Korea will use energy system modeling, a tool that simulates how energy supply and demand might change under different policies. These models can show the costs, benefits, and side effects of shifting away from fossil fuels toward clean energy. KAIST will add its experience with integrated assessment models, which link energy choices to broader issues such as land use, trade, health, and economic growth. The project will also produce highly detailed visualizations of how South Korea's energy and industrial systems could evolve. The analysis will cover land use changes, capital investment needs, job creation, and the health effects of air pollution. A key feature of the work is the development of an open-source optimization model that incorporates international trade. For a country like South Korea, where exports and imports drive the economy, trade has a direct impact on how realistic different climate policies may be. Professor Wei Peng of Princeton said, "By combining KAIST's world-class expertise in integrated assessment modeling with Princeton’s macro-energy modeling, we can develop tools that will be useful not just for South Korea but also for other trade-dependent economies around the world." Antonia Gawel, Director of Partnerships at Google, said, "We are delighted to support this important project between KAIST and Princeton University. It also aligns with Google's own goal of achieving net-zero emissions across our supply chain by 2030." Professor Jeon Hae-won of KAIST noted, "Through this collaboration with Princeton University, which has led pioneering net-zero research, we hope to provide a strong scientific foundation for South Korea’s carbon neutrality and sustainable energy future." KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung added, "It is meaningful that KAIST, as South Korea's leading research institution, is partnering with Princeton University to create a science-based policy support system for climate crisis response. This cooperation will contribute not only to South Korea’s net-zero transition but also to the global effort to address climate change." 2025-08-27 14:11:03

Seoul brushes off Trump's call for ownership of Pyeongtaek base land SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - President Donald Trump startled Seoul Tuesday by suggesting the United States should own the land currently occupied by Camp Humphreys, the massive United States military base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, that serves as the largest overseas American installation. During his summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House on August 25, Trump said, "Maybe one of the things I'd like to do is ask them to give us ownership of the land while we have the big fort. You know we spent a lot of money building a fort, and there was a contribution made by South Korea. But I would like to see if we could get rid of the lease and get ownership of the land where we have a massive military base." The remarks were the first time a U.S. president has publicly raised the idea of securing land title to a base site in South Korea. Camp Humphreys, about 60 kilometers south of Seoul, is the headquarters for U.S. Forces Korea and the most visible symbol of the alliance. National Security Director Wi Sung-rak stressed that bases are "granted, not transferred." He underlined that when the land is no longer needed, it must be returned under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek told lawmakers on August 26 that any talk of a handover was "impossible in the real world," calling Trump’s language a mischaracterization of the arrangement. "We are only allowing temporary use, and the land must be returned," Ahn said. The American presence dates back to September 1945, when U.S. forces landed in Incheon after Japan's surrender. Around 70,000 troops were deployed south of the 38th parallel before most pulled out in 1948. The Korean War in 1950 brought them back, and they have remained ever since under the 1953 Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty. For decades, the centerpiece was Yongsan Garrison in central Seoul, which housed U.S. Forces Korea headquarters from the 1950s. Its location in the heart of the capital fueled debate over sovereignty and city planning, eventually leading to a 2004 relocation deal. Camp Humphreys opened as the new headquarters in 2018, sprawling across more than 14 million square meters. It now anchors U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific and is often described as the largest American overseas base. In total, South Korea provides 62 facilities for U.S. use, including Osan Air Base, Camp Casey, and Kunsan Air Base. Under SOFA, South Korea retains ownership of the land and grants it to the U.S. free of charge. Facilities must be returned when no longer required. The U.S. bears operating costs, but Seoul contributes through the Special Measures Agreement, which covers local labor, construction, and support services. That contribution is estimated at about 1.5 trillion won a year. At the end of World War II, U.S. troop numbers in South Korea peaked at about 70,000. Today, roughly 28,500 are stationed across the peninsula, giving South Korea the third-largest American military presence after Germany and Japan. 2025-08-27 13:28:22

North Korea again denounces Lee over denuclearization SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - North Korea on Wednesday again denounced President Lee Jae Myung, dismissing remarks he made earlier this week during his trip to the U.S. In an op-ed carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), it said Lee insulted North Korea by describing it as a "poor but fierce neighbor" while talking about the North's denuclearization, which it claimed "showed his true colors as a hypocrite to the whole world." Lee said the previous day that South Korea will "modernize" its bilateral alliance with the U.S. to "counter" any provocation while working closely with the U.S. to engage in talks with North Korea for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies after wrapping up his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Calling his remarks about denuclearization a "sheer sophism," it further criticized Lee, saying he "did not hide his real intention and revealed his true colors as a confrontation maniac," just 80 days after taking office. "It is a daydream for the ," it blasted. Stressing its strong resolve not to give up its nuclear arsenal, it added, "We once again remind him of the fact that our position as a nuclear weapons state is an inevitable option that correctly reflects the hostile threat from outside and the change of the structure of the world security dynamics." The state media also criticized Lee's recent "three-stage denuclearization" proposal, calling it a "naive dream." Just days ahead of his trip to the U.S., Lee proposed the idea that would freeze North Korea's nuclear and missile programs as a first step, eventually leading to permanent denuclearization through a phased reduction. Lee has shown a series of conciliatory gestures toward North Korea despite the North's snub of his overtures. 2025-08-27 11:03:40

[[K-Defense]] S. Korean shipbuilders shortlisted for Canada's $14 billion submarine program SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - A consortium led by South Korea’s two largest shipbuilders, Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, has been shortlisted to compete in Canada’s next-generation submarine acquisition program. This is a $14 billion defense project that could eventually swell to $43 billion over three decades when long-term maintenance and upgrades are included. Industry officials confirmed Wednesday that the two companies, bidding as a consortium, were selected for the final round alongside Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The contract, part of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project, seeks to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s four Victoria-class submarines, purchased secondhand from Britain in the late 1990s and slated for retirement in the mid-2030s. The Canadian government has said it intends to acquire as many as 12 diesel-electric submarines, each weighing about 3,000 tons, that can operate in the Arctic and deliver extended range, endurance and stealth. Hanwha Ocean is leading the Korean bid, offering its Jangbogo-III Batch-II design, a 3,000-ton submarine equipped with air-independent propulsion and lithium-ion batteries, which allow for underwater missions of more than three weeks without surfacing. Hyundai Heavy is participating as a supporting partner under an agreement with Hanwha, created earlier this year by the country’s defense procurement agency to promote joint bids for international naval contracts. The Canadian Navy is expected to finalize its decision by 2028, though an earlier contract signing could come as soon as next year if negotiations progress quickly. A South Korean defense official said the government would continue "full-spectrum negotiations," including high-level meetings with Canadian stakeholders and public diplomacy efforts to strengthen support for the Korean bid. 2025-08-27 10:44:56

[[K-Tech]] Shining light on brain cuts urge to drink, Korean researchers report SEOUL, August 27 (AJP) - South Korean researchers say they have found that shining near-infrared light on the brain can significantly ease alcohol cravings and dependency, opening a potential new path for addiction treatment. The Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) said Wednesday that, in a clinical study, patients who received the therapy showed measurable reductions in both their urge to drink and overall dependency levels. The research, conducted jointly with Yonsei University’s Severance Hospital, Samsung Medical Center and Seoul National University, tested a technique delivering light stimulation directly to brain tissue. Over a five-week period, participants were divided into three groups: one receiving brain light therapy, another undergoing vagus nerve electrical stimulation, and a third receiving both treatments. Patients self-administered the sessions for 15 minutes a day, five times a week. Those in the light therapy groups experienced what the researchers described as “meaningful” improvements, while participants receiving only vagus nerve stimulation showed no significant change. “We have proven for the first time that this method can simultaneously reduce both alcohol cravings and dependency,” said Chung Dong-il, a professor of biomedical engineering at UNIST. The findings come as the global market for alcohol addiction treatments, projected to reach $15 billion in 2025 and grow about 7 percent annually, searches for more effective solutions. The team said it plans to develop personalized digital therapeutic devices based on the technology. 2025-08-27 10:03:55

KAIST creates AI capable of detecting defects in smart factories with frequent machine replacements SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) have developed an artificial intelligence system that can keep detecting defective products in smart factories even when machines are replaced or production conditions change. The breakthrough solves a long-standing weakness in factory AI systems, which often fail when equipment or operating environments are altered. The research team, led by Professor Lee Jae-gil of KAIST's School of Computing, announced the results on August 26. The new method improves accuracy by up to 9.42 percent compared with existing approaches. The findings were presented earlier this month at KDD 2025, the world's leading academic conference on artificial intelligence and data science. In modern smart factories, sensors collect streams of data on things like machine vibration, temperature, pressure, or power use. This kind of information is called time-series data because it is recorded continuously over time. AI models trained on this data can spot signs of faulty production early. However, if a company switches to new machines or changes a production line, the data patterns change, and the AI accuracy drops sharply. In some cases, even the types of defects change. For example, in semiconductor manufacturing, one line might mostly produce circular defects, while another line may show more scratch defects. Lee’s team tackled this problem by developing time-series domain adaptation technology. In simple terms, this allows an AI model trained in one environment to keep working in another environment without being retrained. Normally, retraining requires a huge amount of time and cost because humans must label thousands of examples of defective and non-defective products. The new method avoids that step. The system works by breaking down sensor data into three parts: trend, which shows long-term changes like gradual heating; detrend, which shows short-term fluctuations such as sudden machine shakes; and frequency, which shows repeating cycles like the rotation of a motor. Looking at all three together allows the AI to understand whether changes in the data are normal or signs of trouble, much like a doctor checking pulse, temperature, and blood pressure together when diagnosing a patient. The researchers call their approach "TA4LS," short for Time-series domain Adaptation for mitigating Label Shifts. A label in AI means the category attached to data, such as whether a product is good or defective. A label shift happens when the balance of categories changes. For example, one type of defect might become much more common than another after equipment is changed. TA4LS automatically compares the predictions made by the old AI model with the patterns in the new data and adjusts the results to match the new conditions. A major advantage of the system is that it works like a plug-in module. Companies do not need to rebuild their AI from scratch. They can simply add this method to their existing systems, making it cheaper and easier to maintain. In experiments using four benchmark datasets that represent different kinds of sensor changes, the KAIST team achieved up to 9.42 percent higher accuracy than existing methods. The system was especially effective when defect patterns shifted significantly, proving that it could adapt itself without extra training. "This technology addresses one of the biggest obstacles to applying AI in manufacturing, which is the need to retrain models every time processes change," said Lee Jae-gil. "Once put into practice, it can reduce operating costs and improve defect detection rates, greatly supporting the wider adoption of smart factories." The study's first author is doctoral student Na Ji-hye. Doctoral student Nam Young-eun and LG AI researcher Kang Jun-hyuk also contributed. The work was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation as part of South Korea’s software computing technology development program. The researchers believe the technology could also be used in other fields that rely on sensor data. In healthcare, it could ensure that wearable devices provide accurate monitoring even if the device model changes. In smart cities, it could keep services stable when sensors are replaced or when environments shift. By lowering the costs of maintaining AI, the approach could make adoption easier across many industries. 2025-08-26 17:16:33