[[K-Film]] Bong Joon-ho's early short available for screening next week SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's early short film is set for release at local theaters in Seoul next week, multi-screen chain Megabox said on Tuesday. "Incoherence" was chosen to launch the chain's monthly project showcasing renowned filmmakers' early works and short films by up-and-coming directors. The 30-minute short, made by Bong in 1994 as his graduation project for a film institute, is an omnibus with humorous satire of hypocritical elites. Despite having only a limited release at several Megabox theaters starting Aug. 27, the film is expected to attract his avid fans and film buffs eager to trace the early works of Bong, who has directed many acclaimed films including "Parasite," which won multiple Oscars in 2020. 2025-08-19 14:29:27

Cost overruns push S. Korea's nuclear project in UAE into the red SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s flagship nuclear power venture in the United Arab Emirates has slipped into the red for the first time, underscoring the financial strains of the multibillion-dollar project once heralded as a cornerstone of Seoul’s ambitions to export nuclear technology. According to Korea Electric Power Corporation’s first-half 2025 financial disclosures released Tuesday, the Barakah nuclear plant posted a cumulative loss of 34.9 billion won, or about $25 million, with its rate of return dipping to negative 0.2 percent. Cumulative profit for the project, which had stood at 435 billion won at the end of 2023, fell to 72.2 billion won late last year before tipping into negative territory this summer. Returns slid from 2 percent in 2023 to 0.3 percent in 2024, before turning negative. The four-reactor complex, South Korea’s first nuclear export project and one of its largest overseas construction contracts at roughly 22.6 trillion won ($16.6 billion), was originally slated for completion in 2020. But repeated delays pushed back full commercial operations until 2024, when the fourth and final unit came online. The setbacks drove up costs and eroded profitability. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, a KEPCO subsidiary responsible for providing operational support, has sought $1 billion in compensation for cost overruns tied to the delays and extra work orders. In May, the company filed an arbitration case with the London Court of International Arbitration to recover part of those expenses. KEPCO, for its part, has stressed that the Barakah project should not be judged solely on immediate financial results. Executives argue that the venture has bolstered South Korea’s reputation as a nuclear exporter and reinforced its domestic nuclear industry, while promising decades of future revenue through dividends from electricity sales over the plant’s 60-year lifespan. Still, the dispute between KEPCO and Korea Hydro highlights unresolved tensions over who will absorb the additional construction costs, estimated at 1.4 trillion won. KEPCO has set aside about 170 billion won in provisions — roughly 10 percent of the disputed sum — as negotiations with Emirati authorities continue. 2025-08-19 14:03:21

[[K-Pop]] YOUNG POSSE's "Freestyle" video tops 10 million views in about three days SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - YOUNG POSSE's music video for "Freestyle" crossed 10 million views on Tuesday, roughly three days after it premiered. The track fronts the group's fourth EP "Growing Pain pt.1 : FREE", released on August 14. "Freestyle" is a punk hip hop track with hints of jazz and metal. The lyrics say they will ignore outside noise and make the music they want. All five members helped write them. The video keeps that idea front and center. It switches between a car wash and a party. Playful CG adds a light, fun touch. The five perform with confidence and attitude. The group dance is loose and lively, and it hits hard with the beat. On streaming charts, "Freestyle" entered at No. 7 on South Korea's YouTube Music Daily Top Songs chart shortly after release. YOUNG POSSE, made up of Jeong Sunhye, Wi Yeonjeong, Jiana, Doeun, and Han Jieun, will continue promotions on music shows and radio, alongside web content "YOUNG POSSE Is On The Move" and the weekly self-fandom project "YOUNG POSSE And Kids" on the ENA K-POP YouTube channel every Saturday at 8 p.m. 2025-08-19 11:23:12

[[K-Tech]] Korean game makers bring big bets to Gamescom 2025 SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - When Gamescom, the world’s largest video game convention, opens its doors on Wednesday, the cavernous exhibition halls of Cologne will once again fill with flashing screens, long lines and hundreds of thousands of fans eager for the next big title. This year, South Korea’s biggest gaming companies are arriving in force. Krafton, the publisher behind “PUBG: Battlegrounds,” is mounting one of the flashiest presences at the five-day expo, with a booth split between two major releases: “inZOI,” a life-simulation game, and “PUBG: Blindspot,” a new top-down tactical shooter rooted in the PUBG universe. Pearl Abyss, meanwhile, is returning with its ambitious open-world adventure “Crimson Desert.” After focusing last year on combat mechanics, the studio plans this year to highlight the game’s expansive exploration systems, with a release targeted for early 2026. Other Korean firms are also using the Cologne stage to woo global audiences. Netmarble will unveil trailers for its anime-inspired role-playing game, “The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin,” and, in partnership with Samsung Electronics, will demo “Mongil: Star Dive” on the company’s glasses-free 3D monitors. Kakao Games’ subsidiary, Ocean Drive Studio, is bringing back “God Save Birmingham,” a zombie survival title set in plague-stricken 14th-century England, with a new pre-alpha build. Smaller developers are not being left behind. Backed by the government-run Korea Creative Content Agency, a “Korea Pavilion” will showcase projects from independent studios hoping to break into the European market. The Korean contingent will share the spotlight with industry giants from around the world. Microsoft is emphasizing its new portable ROG Xbox Ally, developed with MSI, while offering hands-on play for about 20 titles. Nintendo plans to highlight “Pokémon Legends: Z-A” and a slate of games for its recently launched Switch 2 console. For Korean game makers, Cologne offers both visibility and validation. While domestic gaming remains a robust market, the global stage has become increasingly critical, with blockbuster development costs rising and international fandom dictating success or failure. 2025-08-19 11:00:46

[[K-Tech]] Vegan meat gains global momentum. In Korea, it's a harder sell. SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - On a narrow street in Itaewon, the Seoul neighborhood known for its antique shops and international dining, a brown-hued restaurant hums with chatter in several languages. The tables are crowded with steaming bowls of shrimp fried rice, jjajangmyeon noodles slicked with black bean sauce, and glossy platters of deep-fried beef — or at least that is how it looks. The restaurant, ALT.a, is entirely vegan. The shrimp, beef and pork are not from animals at all but from soybeans, lima beans and other plants, carefully engineered to mimic the texture, chew and flavor of meat. ALT.a, whose dishes have won recognition from the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand, is one of several experiments in South Korea’s growing but still fragile market for alternative proteins. With the world’s population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, and global protein demand projected to nearly double, scientists and food companies are racing to find replacements for livestock meat that are both palatable and sustainable. The industry’s bets fall into three categories: plant-based meat, cultured meat grown from animal cells, and edible insects. Plant-based protein, for now, remains the most advanced — and in many ways the most practical — option. South Korea is no stranger to plant-based proteins. Tofu, believed to have been introduced to the Korean Peninsula nearly 2,000 years ago, is as essential to local cuisine as bread and butter are in the West. Most instant noodles here already contain textured soy chunks that resemble meat, fooling many consumers into thinking they are eating beef. The domestic market for vegan meat reached about 22.7 billion won, or $17 million, in 2020 and was projected to climb nearly 30 billion won by the end of this year, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. Food giants like CJ CheilJedang have rolled out entire product lines of meat-free hamburger steaks, tteokgalbi (short rib patties) and rice balls. The company says its proprietary fermentation techniques remove the “bean smell” that has long plagued mock meats, while binding proteins more tightly to simulate the bounce and juiciness of animal flesh. Promise and Struggles Despite this, South Korea’s plant-based sector is struggling. Companies complain of high costs, weak consumer demand and overreliance on imported ingredients. “With the exception of a few export products, we’ve scaled back most of our alternative meat operations to business-to-business sales,” Yoo Jin-sun, a manager at ALTist, the parent company of ALT.a., told AJP. Zikooin Company, another producer, described the domestic market as sluggish. Government researchers echo that assessment. “Almost all the firms approaching us lament the harsh conditions,” said Kim Min-young, a researcher at the National Institute of Crop and Food Science. “Most of the soy protein used here is imported, often genetically modified or low quality. Simply put, the plant meat doesn’t taste good enough.” According to Kim Gi-chang, a researcher of food technology from the Rural Development Administration, the administration plans to intervene by promoting premium, non-GMO, locally sourced proteins and expanding research into hybrid meats — combining cultured animal cells with plant-based protein — as well as insect-based ingredients for medical use. Officials are even weighing whether to introduce plant-based meals in school cafeterias. “If implemented, students could enjoy tasty and healthy plant-based options while learning that synthetic meat is nothing to fear,” Kim Min-young from the said. For now, though, South Korea’s vegan restaurants remain a niche curiosity rather than a mainstream option. On a recent evening in Itaewon, ALT.a’s diners seemed less concerned about the market dynamics than about the flavor of the dishes in front of them. The “shrimp” fried rice glistened in the light. The jjajang sauce was sticky and rich. The “beef” was crispy at the edges and tender inside. If the future of food was on the table, it was indistinguishable from the present. 2025-08-19 10:52:15

Independence hall of Korea chief calls for national unity in liberation day address SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - On August 15 at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of Seoul, director Kim Hyung-seok read a Liberation Day statement calling for "national unity" and an end to "history wars." The full text follows. --- Fellow citizens. Distinguished guests present here. Today, on the 80th anniversary of Liberation, we have gathered at the Independence Hall of Korea to once again honor the emotion of the day when this land regained its national sovereignty. Our Independence Hall preserves a Taegeukgi that President Kim Gu of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea entrusted in 1941 to Father Mius, who was traveling from China to the United States. Rendered into contemporary language, its content is as follows. "Father Mius, I ask this of you. You are helping us wholeheartedly to bring us blessings, so wherever you travel this time, please deliver this message to any of our Korean compatriots you meet. If we are to escape the sorrow of a lost nation, if we are to enjoy freedom and happiness, let us devote all our energy, manpower, and resources to the Korean Liberation Army, defeat the evil forces of the world, our enemy Japan, and complete the independence of our homeland." March 16, 1941. From Chongqing, Kim Gu. Here we are reminded once more of the meaning of Liberation Day. Behind the independence movement of Kim Gu, whom we proudly honor, stood unnamed supporters at home and abroad who sustained the activities of the Korean Liberation Army, as well as global friends such as Father Mius of Belgium. In this sense, the liberation of the Republic of Korea is an event of world history. On August 15, 1945, our forebears welcomed liberation. It was the day when, after 36 years under Japanese colonial rule, they overcame harsh oppression and suffering and won independence with an indomitable spirit of struggle. The nationalist historian and independence activist Jeong In-bo, who fought to protect the "spirit of the nation" during the colonial period, sang of the joy of liberation as follows. "Let us touch the soil again, even the sea dances. Elders and friends who yearned to see this day, what shall we say. This day bears the trace of forty years of hot blood, let us guard it forever, let us guard it forever." The Republic of Korea, for which Jeong In-bo cried out "let us guard it forever," has built a nation that draws the world's attention, an economic power and a cultural powerhouse, through the Miracle on the Han River and democratization. Yet behind this proud history lurks a grave social problem, that of a Republic of conflict. In his inaugural address, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized "national unity" and declared that "national unity is the president's responsibility." Thus, as we mark the 80th anniversary of Liberation, it goes without saying that the foremost task our society must resolve is national unity. It is also true that historical issues contribute to our divisions, including differing understandings of "liberation." Viewed from a world-historical perspective, Korea's "liberation" was a gift gained through the victory of the Allied Powers in World War II. From this vantage point, Ham Seok-heon's "Korean History Seen Through Will," a must-read among intellectuals in the post-liberation era, explains that "liberation is rice cake given by heaven." This interpretation differs from the national-historical view that "we won liberation through victory in the anti-Japanese independence war." Our people proclaimed themselves a "self-reliant, independent nation" through the March First Movement that drew the world's attention, and from that turning point our independence movement unfolded in diverse ways at home and abroad. The Provisional Government established in Shanghai, China, pursued diplomatic efforts for independence while carrying out armed resistance against Japan, thereby arousing international opinion. On April 29, 1932, the 24-year-old youth Yoon Bong-gil threw a bomb at the ceremony for the Japanese Emperor's Birthday and victory commemoration held at Hongkou Park in Shanghai, shocking the international community. In the will he left to his two sons just before the deed, he wrote, "Do not grieve that you have no father, study hard and become inventors like Edison." Just as Yoon Bong-gil sacrificed his own life for the independence of the homeland while hoping his two sons would become scientists, there is diversity on the other side of history. Liberation is not the "end of the past," it is the "responsibility to open the future." We are the people of the Republic of Korea who share five thousand years of history. There can be diverse interpretations in understanding history, but those differences must not become tools of partisan strife that divide the people. It is time to end the history wars. On that foundation, we must achieve national unity and move toward unification, the true completion of liberation. This is the mission we must affirm as we mark 80 years since liberation. August 15, 2025 Kim Hyung-seok, Director, Independence Hall of Korea 2025-08-19 10:44:03

Zombie-themed comedy tops summer box office with 4.5 million viewers SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - Actor Jo Jung-suk's latest film has attracted over 4.5 million moviegoers as of Monday, less than three weeks after its release late last month, becoming this year's first South Korean film to achieve the milestone. According to the Korean Film Council, "My Daughter is a Zombie" drew about 762,000 moviegoers over the long holiday weekend marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day which began last Friday, dominating the box office here for three consecutive weeks since it hit local theaters on July 30. Adapted from a popular web-based cartoon by Lee Yun-chang, the horror comedy revolves around a man who tries to protect his daughter infected with an unknown zombie virus by training her to survive. Despite an overall downturn of the film industry which struggles with falling audience numbers, the comedy's success appears fueled by family outings, with many viewers bringing their kids during the summer vacation season. Meanwhile, racing drama "F1" starring former Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt, has surpassed 4 million viewers in its cumulative attendance, ranking a solid second at the box office as it continues to draw viewers since its release in late June, buoyed by strong word-of-mouth, becoming the early '90s star's highest-grossing film ever. 2025-08-18 17:17:39

Lee's approval rating falls to lowest since taking office SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating has slid further to the lowest since he took office in early June. According to a survey of over 2,000 voters conducted by pollster Realmeter last week and released on Monday, some 51.1 percent of respondents said Lee was doing well in his job while 44.5 percent said he wasn't. His approval rating fell 5.4 percentage points from the previous week and 12.2 points compared with two weeks earlier, when it stood at 63.3 percent. Realmeter speculated that the decline was largely due to his pardons of several controversial political figures including former Justice Minister and ex-leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party Cho Kuk, who was serving a prison term for corruption and document forgery related to his children's university admissions, and Yoon Mi-hyang, the former head of a charity for wartime sex slavery victims, who was handed a three-year suspended sentence last year for embezzling donations, among others. Amid public criticism over their wrongdoings and irregularities, the two remain unremorseful, claiming their cases were politically motivated by the previous administration. In a separate survey of about 1,000 voters conducted during the same week, the ruling Democratic Party (DP) earned 39.9 percent support, falling below 40 percent for the first time in about seven months, as Lee's approval rating tumbled. But the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) rose 6.4 percentage points to 36.7 percent, narrowing the gap with the DP. Meanwhile, a commemorative stamp marking the 100th day of Lee's inauguration will be issued next month. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, a strip of the stamps will be available for purchase at Korea Post on Sept. 11, with prices ranging from 430 won to 27,000 won (about US$0.22 to $19.50). . 2025-08-18 16:35:38

Korean banks accelerate stablecoin preparations ahead of regulatory framework SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - South Korea’s four largest banks are moving to enter the stablecoin market, accelerating preparations as the government edges closer to introducing a regulatory framework for digital assets. Stablecoins — digital tokens typically pegged to fiat currencies such as the U.S. dollar or euro — have drawn global interest for enabling faster, cheaper transactions while promising greater price stability than traditional cryptocurrencies. Industry officials said Monday that the country’s top four banks — KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana and Woori — are scheduled to meet with Heath Tarbert, president of Circle Internet Group, one of the leading U.S. stablecoin issuers. The meetings are expected to take place during Tarbert’s visit to Seoul next week. The banks have signed nondisclosure agreements preventing them from discussing details. Talks are expected to center on distributing dollar-backed stablecoins in South Korea and exploring partnerships for developing a won-based version, according to people familiar with the matter. The banks’ push into stablecoins comes as the government advances legislation to modernize oversight of digital assets, a priority for President Lee Jae Myung. The Bank of Korea has repeatedly warned of the systemic risks posed by the rapid growth of stablecoins, but financial and technology companies see them as an inevitable step toward faster, lower-cost payments. Fintech firms such as Viva Republica and Naver Pay have signaled interest in issuing stablecoins tied to the won, and LG CNS, a digital solutions provider, is reportedly considering participation as well. Commercial banks are also stepping up their efforts. KB set up a virtual asset response committee in June and recently made its stablecoin task force permanent. Shinhan is testing a won-based stablecoin payment system with programmable features, such as restricting transactions to small businesses. Hana is analyzing regulatory hurdles, infrastructure requirements and use cases in cross-border payments and remittances. 2025-08-18 16:25:41

Taiwan likely to top South Korea, Japan in per capita GDP SEOUL, August 18 (AJP) - Taiwan's government raised its 2025 economic growth forecast on Monday, projecting the island will become the first of the original "Four Asian Tigers" to reach a per capita gross domestic product of $40,000. Officials now expect the economy to expand by 4.45 percent next year, a significant jump from the previous estimate of 3.1 percent. The Four Asian Tigers — a term for the high-growth economies of South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong — achieved rapid industrialization from the 1960s through the 1990s. Now, Taiwan is poised to surpass regional economic powerhouses like South Korea and Japan in per capita GDP. Taiwan's government reported that the island's GDP surged by 8.01 percent in the second quarter compared to the same period a year ago. That growth rate far outpaced its regional peers: South Korea saw an increase of just 0.5 percent, Singapore's GDP grew by 4.4 percent, and Hong Kong's by 3.1 percent. Officials credited the strong performance to record-breaking exports, which are projected to reach $589.2 billion this year, up 24.04 percent from 2024. This growth is being driven primarily by surging global demand for artificial intelligence-related technology. Taiwan's dominance in the global semiconductor supply chain, led by the TSMC, has made it a key beneficiary of this AI boom. Tsai Yu-tai, the head of the country's statistics directorate, said that despite uncertainties from U.S. tariff policies, the momentum in the AI sector remains strong, prompting companies to continue increasing capital expenditures. By contrast, South Korea, which reached a per capita GDP of $30,000 in 2014, has struggled to move past that benchmark. The country has faced weakened domestic consumption following a martial law crisis last year and export challenges from U.S. tariff pressures. The Korea Development Institute, a state-run think tank, maintained its 2025 growth forecast at a modest 0.8 percent in May, a downgrade from its 1.6 percent projection in February. While the Four Asian Tigers once averaged annual economic growth of more than 7 percent, their paths have diverged in recent decades. Although all four economies had a per capita GDP exceeding $30,000 by 2021, according to the International Monetary Fund's estimates, growth has slowed significantly since the 2000s due to factors like aging populations and shifting global supply chains. 2025-08-18 15:53:49