Korea's instant-noodle exports top $1.5 billion, doubling in three years S​​​​EOUL, January 11 (AJP) -South Korea’s ramyeon exports topped US$1.5 billion last year, extending a long-running rise as the product becomes a leading item in the country’s food exports. Preliminary Korea Customs Service data released Sunday showed ramyeon exports rose 21.8 percent from a year earlier to a record US$1.521 billion (about 2.2 trillion won). Exports were US$952 million in 2023, below US$1 billion, but climbed by more than US$500 million in just two years. Compared with 2022, when exports totaled US$765 million, the figure has doubled in three years. It is up sevenfold over the past decade from US$219 million in 2015. Samyang Foods, which built the “Buldak” stir-fried noodle brand, produces all of its products in South Korea for export. Nongshim, by contrast, also has factories in the United States and China, suggesting overseas sales of Korean ramyeon are far larger than export totals alone. Ramyeon exports have increased for 11 straight years since 2014, with faster growth in recent years. Since 2021, exports have risen an average of 23 percent annually over five years. Korean ramyeon has gained visibility overseas alongside K-pop and Korean dramas. Reflecting that cultural reach, “ramyeon” has been listed as an English word in the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines it as a Korean-style instant noodle dish. “Ramen,” a Japanese term, was already included. Last year, a scene in the Netflix animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters” showing fictional K-pop group members eating cup noodles with gimbap drew attention. British The Times reported in November under the headline, “Thanks to K-pop Demon Hunters, Korean spicy noodles are popular in the U.K.” Ramyeon makers are pushing further into global markets. Nongshim has rolled out “K-pop Demon Hunters” collaboration ramyeon in key markets including the United States since last year and named girl group aespa as the first global ambassador for Shin Ramyun. Samyang Foods completed its Miryang Plant No. 2 last year and is building its first overseas factory in Jiaxing, China. It decided to install eight production lines, two more than originally planned. Still, the Trump administration’s tariff war has weighed on exports. Ramyeon exports to the United States rose 18.1 percent last year, below the overall export growth rate. U.S.-bound ramyeon exports grew an average of 68 percent a year from 2022 to 2024, but the growth rate fell sharply last year after the Trump government’s 15% reciprocal tariff took effect. From August, when the reciprocal tariff was introduced, through December, ramyeon exports to the United States totaled US$100 million, up just 1.4% from the same period a year earlier. 2026-01-11 13:40:25

OPINION: Musk may be wrong on doctors — Seoul still needs to listen Elon Musk has a habit of compressing time. What most people describe as decades, he calls years. What institutions treat as distant futures, he presents as near inevitabilities. The result is often exaggeration. Occasionally, it is also illumination. Musk lately suggested that humanoid robots could surpass the world’s best human surgeons within three years. The remark, made on the Moonshots podcast hosted by physician and engineer Peter Diamandis, was quickly dismissed by medical experts. Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University, called the timeline “not credible,” pointing to the complexity and variability of human surgery. Three years is almost certainly wrong. But focusing on the timeline misses the significance of the question Musk was really posing: what happens to healthcare when expertise itself becomes scalable? Musk’s argument rests on a simple observation. Training a great surgeon takes more than a decade. Even then, human doctors are constrained by fatigue, limited hours and the inevitability of error. Medical knowledge evolves faster than any individual can fully absorb. Machines, by contrast, do not tire, do not forget and can replicate best practices endlessly once trained. This is not a claim that robots will replace surgeons tomorrow. It is a claim that the bottleneck in healthcare may soon shift from human availability to system design. That idea feels distant — until it suddenly does not. At CES this year, the most consequential advances were not flashy consumer devices but what the industry now calls “physical AI”: systems that can perceive, reason and act in the real world. Humanoid robots are moving beyond scripted demonstrations into logistics, manufacturing and service roles. Robotics firms are no longer asking whether machines can move reliably, but where they should be deployed first. Healthcare is already on that list. Robotic-assisted surgery has been standard in certain procedures for years. AI systems now read radiology images with accuracy rivaling specialists. What is changing is integration: software, sensors, chips and mechanical precision are improving together, not in isolation. This matters particularly in Korea, where the debate over doctor shortages has returned with familiar intensity. Government projections suggest that if current trends hold, Korea could face a shortfall of up to 4,923 doctors by 2035 and more than 11,000 by 2040. The policy response has been predictably narrow: how many medical school seats to add, and how to manage resistance from the medical profession. The debate is framed almost entirely as a numerical problem. Musk’s provocation exposes the limitation of that framing. It assumes that the future of medicine will resemble the past — only with more people working harder. That assumption is increasingly fragile. Korea is not a country lacking in medical or industrial capacity. It is one of the few nations capable of producing the full robotics value chain domestically, from semiconductors to precision manufacturing. Its clinical outcomes in cancer treatment, organ transplantation and cerebrovascular surgery already rank among the world’s best. Korean hospitals routinely train foreign doctors who return home carrying Korean techniques. The global spread of SMILE LASIK surgery is a revealing example. Initially, the procedure was limited by the skill threshold required of surgeons. Its global expansion accelerated only after Korean clinicians refined surgical planning and execution methods, effectively turning individual expertise into a reproducible system. Today, SMILE LASIK is performed in more than 60 countries. This is what scalable medical knowledge looks like. The same pattern appears in medical tourism. The global market is growing at more than 20 percent annually. A routine appendectomy that can cost around $14,000 in the United States is available in Korea for a fraction of that price. Even after travel and accommodation, the cost advantage remains decisive. More importantly, foreign patients are increasingly seeking comprehensive internal medicine and complex care, not just cosmetic procedures. This suggests trust not only in individual doctors, but in the system itself. The industrial foundations are already shifting. Hyundai Motor Group and Kia have unveiled on-device AI chips designed for robotics. Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot Atlas is approaching near-commercial readiness. These technologies will not replace doctors first. They will augment them — extending reach, standardizing precision tasks and reducing burnout. In such a world, the key constraint may no longer be how many doctors Korea trains, but how effectively medical knowledge is captured, encoded and deployed. Musk’s three-year prediction may be far-fetched. But his exaggeration is useful precisely because it destabilizes comfortable assumptions. Korea’s healthcare debate remains anchored in a 20th-century logic: supply versus demand, quotas versus resistance. The harder question — how medicine itself is being reorganized by AI and robotics — remains largely unasked. That is the question Korea is unusually well positioned to answer. Few countries combine world-class medical outcomes with advanced manufacturing and robotics capabilities. Fewer still have an urgent demographic and workforce challenge forcing the issue. The future of healthcare will not be decided by how loudly professions defend their boundaries, but by how intelligently societies redesign their systems. Musk’s provocation is flawed, premature and overstated. But it points, uncomfortably, toward a future that will arrive whether the debate is ready or not. And that, more than the timeline, is what Korea can no longer afford to ignore. *The author is the managing editor of AJP 2026-01-11 12:00:26

Korean retail investors pile into Samsung Electronics, margin trading hits record high SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) — South Korean retail investors are piling into Samsung Electronics, snapping up shares sold by foreign investors amid bullish expectations for a memory-chip upcycle driven by rapid adoption of artificial intelligence infrastructure, pushing leveraged trading to record levels. According to the Korea Exchange, individual investors net bought 2.915 trillion won ($2.0 billion) worth of Samsung Electronics shares last week, the largest weekly net purchase since the second week of September 2024. The buying spree coincided with profit-taking by foreign investors, who net sold 10.57 million common shares, equivalent to about 1.5 trillion won, at an average price of 138,000 won per share during the same period. Retail investors also rotated out of rival chipmaker SK hynix, net selling 167 billion won worth of its shares. The shift reflects growing preference for Samsung Electronics, whose earnings outlook has improved alongside broad-based strength in DRAM prices, while SK hynix remains more heavily exposed to high-bandwidth memory supplies for Nvidia. As retail demand surged, leveraged stock investment climbed to an all-time high. The outstanding margin loan balance for Samsung Electronics reached 1.977 trillion won as of Friday, the highest level on record, according to exchange data. The balance represents shares purchased with borrowed funds that have yet to be repaid, with increases signaling rising debt-funded investing. Samsung Electronics’ margin debt has increased for seven consecutive trading sessions, from Dec. 29 through Jan. 8. The surge in leveraged buying has been driven by expectations of stronger memory-chip demand tied to expanding AI investment, as well as renewed investor interest following the company’s fourth-quarter earnings announcement on Jan. 8. Samsung Electronics reported preliminary fourth-quarter operating profit of 20 trillion won, up 208.2 percent from a year earlier, marking its best-ever quarterly performance. On the day of the earnings release, individual investors net bought 985 billion won worth of the stock. Brokerages expect the uptrend in memory-chip prices to continue and see scope for earnings momentum to extend into this year, prompting a series of target price upgrades. According to financial data provider FnGuide, the average target price from at least three brokerages stood at 154,423 won as of Friday, up 17,654 won from the previous consensus. KB Securities raised its target price to 200,000 won. 2026-01-11 11:44:13

Stray Kids, Jennie and G-Dragon sweep top honors at 40th Golden Disc Awards SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) - Stray Kids, Jennie and G-Dragon took home the top honors at the 40th Golden Disc Awards, held Friday at Taipei Dome in Taiwan, as the ceremony marked its four-decade milestone with an expanded grand prize lineup. Stray Kids won the Album of the Year (Daesang), G-Dragon claimed Digital Song of the Year, and Jennie became the first recipient of the newly introduced Artist of the Year Daesang. Stray Kids earned their first grand prize seven years after winning Rookie of the Year at the 33rd Golden Disc Awards. Their fourth full-length album, KARMA, recorded triple-million first-week sales, securing both the album Daesang and an Album Bonsang. “We’ve been running toward the main prize, and we’re grateful to receive such a big award,” the group said. “Every moment with Stay has been precious, and we want to keep setting more records together.” G-Dragon marked a major comeback with his third full-length album Übermensch, released after an 11-year, five-month hiatus. His track HOME SWEET HOME won the Digital Song Daesang, while he also collected Digital and Album Bonsangs, taking home three awards. In a video message, G-Dragon said it was “especially meaningful” to receive his first award of the year at the Golden Disc Awards’ 40th anniversary, adding that he plans to return this year with fellow BigBang members. “Receiving this award in my 10th year since debut means a lot,” Jennie said. “I’ll repay you with good music.” Other Album and Digital Bonsang winners included Riize, Seventeen, Ive, Ateez and Enhypen. All Day Project and Cortis won Rookie of the Year, while Monsta X was named Best Group. The Upbit Popularity Award, decided entirely by fan voting, went to BTS’ Jin and Hearts2Hearts. This year marked the first time the Golden Disc Awards presented three Daesang categories — Album, Digital Song and Artist — in the ceremony’s history. According to organizer HLL JoongAng, the Artist Daesang was determined by a weighted system of 60% quantitative data, including global chart performance and sales, and 40% evaluation by a panel of judges. The 40th Golden Disc Awards recognized music released between early November 2024 and early November 2025, with nominees announced in late November across album, digital and rookie categories. 2026-01-11 11:12:53

Despite equally chip-strong, South Korea overtaken by Taiwan in per capita GDP SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) Stronger economic growth and a stable currency allowed Taiwan to overtake South Korea in per capita gross domestic product last year, with the gap expected to persist this year, according to government data and economic forecasts released Sunday. South Korea’s per capita GDP in 2025 is estimated at $36,107, down 0.3 percent from the previous year, marking its first decline in three years. The drop reflects weak growth and a sharp depreciation of the won, government and central bank data showed. South Korea’s dollar-denominated nominal GDP fell 0.5 percent to $1.87 trillion, the first contraction since 2022, while real GDP growth slowed to an estimated 1.0 percent, its weakest pace since the pandemic-era contraction in 2020. The average won-dollar exchange rate rose to 1,422.16 last year, the weakest annual level on record. Taiwan, by contrast, recorded robust growth led by semiconductor exports, particularly those linked to artificial intelligence demand. Taiwan’s statistics agency estimates the island’s per capita GDP reached $38,748 in 2025, surpassing South Korea for the first time in 22 years. Taiwan’s real GDP growth estimate for 2025 was revised up sharply to 7.37 percent, while the New Taiwan dollar remained relatively stable, strengthening slightly against the U.S. dollar over the past year. According to Taiwan’s official outlook, per capita GDP is expected to exceed $40,000 this year, extending a four-year upward trend. Major global investment banks project Taiwan’s real GDP growth at around 4.0 percent in 2026 on continued strength in AI-related exports. South Korea’s per capita GDP is expected to recover modestly this year if economic growth improves to government-target of around 2 percent. Based on government projections, per capita GDP could rise to about $37,900 if exchange rates remain near last year’s levels, or to roughly $38,500 if the won strengthens to around 1,400 per dollar. South Korea first surpassed Taiwan in per capita GDP in 2003 and maintained a lead for more than two decades. The reversal highlights diverging economic trajectories, with Taiwan benefiting from its central role in the global semiconductor supply chain, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). The International Monetary Fund in October projected South Korea’s global ranking in per capita GDP will slip to 37th in 2025 from 34th in 2024, while Taiwan's goes up to 35th from 38th. 2026-01-11 10:19:24

OPINION: Maduro's fall: the arrival of warfare of algorithm In the early hours of Jan. 3, 2026, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro was captured and taken away by U.S. special forces. At first glance, it looked like another dramatic military raid. In reality, it marked something far more consequential: the moment a dictator was hunted down, located and neutralized not primarily by soldiers, but by data. This was not just the fall of a regime figure. It was the execution of what I would call the world’s first “digital death sentence” — a takedown carried out by algorithms, networks and artificial intelligence long before boots touched the ground. In markets and media, attention quickly turned to the technologies that may have enabled the operation. Palantir’s AI analytics platform Gotham and Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network were widely cited as possible tools. The speculation was telling. The idea that satellite connectivity, pattern-recognition algorithms and real-time analytics could track electricity usage, communications traffic and behavioral routines — and convert them into arrest coordinates — no longer sounds like science fiction. It sounds like doctrine. I call this “Cheonmang warfare,” borrowing from the ancient saying: “The net of heaven is vast; though its mesh is wide, it lets nothing slip.” What we are witnessing is the return of that idea, updated for the 21st century — a form of digital neo-imperial warfare where no individual, no state, can hide once caught inside the net. Peter Thiel and Alex Karp: War philosophy written in code This net did not emerge accidentally. Its intellectual architecture can be traced to Silicon Valley figures such as Peter Thiel and Alex Karp, the founders of Palantir. In Zero to One, Thiel famously wrote that “competition is for losers.” That line reads differently when applied to warfare. War, in this worldview, is not a contest between equals. It is the enforcement of monopoly — overwhelming dominance achieved through technology an adversary cannot replicate or counter. Alex Karp has been even more explicit. In his book The Technological Republic and in repeated public lectures, he argues that democracy must be defended with “hard” technological power. AI, surveillance and data fusion are not morally neutral tools, he insists; they are weapons in a civilizational struggle. Values, in his framework, must be protected by sharp instruments. Palantir’s Gotham system has already demonstrated its effectiveness in Ukraine, where it reportedly analyzed real-time data relationships to help map Russian troop movements and support precision strikes. Warfare, as I see it, is no longer about occupying territory. It is about controlling the invisible network that governs perception, coordination and will. Elon Musk and Starlink: The empire’s nervous system If Palantir is the brain of Cheonmang warfare, Starlink is its nervous system. Tens of thousands of low-Earth-orbit satellites have stitched the planet into a continuous communications mesh. The implications are staggering. Whoever controls that mesh can observe, prioritize, disrupt or restore connectivity in real time — a power that can exceed that of sovereign states. Musk’s role goes beyond infrastructure. In the second Trump administration, he led the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, dismantling bureaucratic layers and replacing them with algorithmic systems. Government itself is being rewritten as software. In this model, Palantir analyzes, Starlink transmits, and the state executes. Administration becomes computation. Power becomes code. U.S.-China rivalry and the petrodollar The backdrop to Maduro’s fall was not just oil. It was currency, systems and control. Under Maduro, Venezuela expanded yuan-denominated oil transactions with China, directly challenging the petrodollar system. That was intolerable. The removal of Maduro sent a message far beyond Caracas: those who attempt to defect from the dollar-based order risk being caught, mapped and erased by a technological net. Officially, Washington frames the operation as a judicial pursuit tied to drug trafficking and terrorism charges dating back to 2020. Strategically, the signal is unmistakable. The rivalry with China has moved beyond tariffs and trade. It is now a contest over who controls the world’s operating system. Xi Jinping’s response: Intelligent warfare and the data Great Wall China has understood the message — and is responding in kind. Beijing has declared “intelligent warfare” a national strategy, pushing to AI-enable every military domain, strengthen theater-level command systems and build what I would call a “data Great Wall.” The goal is simple: ensure U.S. algorithms cannot see inside China, while developing China’s own intelligent command and control platforms. Russia, meanwhile, is pursuing a different path — electromagnetic disruption and electronic warfare designed to blind satellites, scramble algorithms and recreate a synthetic fog of war. The world is entering an intelligent Cold War: a U.S.-led transparent net versus China and Russia’s opaque barriers. South Korea’s dilemma: Technology sovereignty or dependency So where does South Korea stand in this clash of technology empires? Musk has warned that South Korea’s demographic collapse could lead to national decline. Read differently, it sounds like an invitation — fill the gap with U.S. AI, U.S. robots, U.S. systems. Become a node inside someone else’s net. That would be a fatal mistake. South Korea’s true strategic leverage lies in semiconductors. HBM4 and next-generation chips are not just commercial assets; they are strategic weapons. Without them, Palantir’s brain stalls. Starlink’s nerves go numb. This is semiconductor deterrence. South Korea must pursue a centrist strategy: interoperable with U.S. systems, but anchored in sovereign AI, sovereign data and independent decision authority. Participation without subordination. Alignment without absorption. An emperor weaves his own net The Cheonmang warfare is already here. Borders drawn by lines on maps are losing relevance. Power now belongs to those who control the densest, most precise networks. In an order conceived by Thiel, executed by Musk and declared by Trump, South Korea faces a clear choice: remain entangled in someone else’s net, or learn to weave its own. Those who control data command power. Those who control algorithms become rulers. This is not theory. It is the reality I am witnessing — and the warning I record in 2026. The author is a senior columnist of the Aju Business Daily. About the author: ▷Korea University, philosophy ▷Ph.D. in political science, Chung-Ang University ▷Reporter, Donga Broadcasting and Shindonga ▷Board member, EBS ▷Board member, Yonhap News Agency ▷Member, Press Arbitration Commission ▷Emeritus professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Gachon University ▷Honorary director, Gachon University CEO Academy ▷Strategic thought researcher * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-11 09:48:02

Kim Yo Jong demands detailed explanation on S. Korean drone infiltration SEOUL, January 11 (AJP) -Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Sunday reiterated that it was “clear” a drone from South Korea violated North Korean airspace and demanded a detailed explanation from Seoul. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said “the essence of the situation is not whether the actor is the military or a civilian,” arguing that South Korean authorities cannot evade responsibility for what she described as a violation of sovereignty. Kim serves as the Deputy Department Director of the Publicity and Information Department of the Workers' Party of Korea. She said the drone had an intelligence-gathering purpose, claiming it carried recorded images of a uranium mine and North Korean border posts. At the same time, Kim approved of the prompt response from the South Korea’s Defense Ministry, saying she personally viewed it as “a wise choice for survival” that Seoul declared it had no intention of provoking or stimulating North Korea. At the same time, she warned that if South Korea “chooses provocation” again, it would face a “terrible situation” it could not handle. North Korea has claimed that South Korean drones infiltrated its territory on Jan. 4 and again in September last year. South Korea’s Defense Ministry has denied operating drones on those dates and said it would thoroughly investigate whether civilian drones were involved. On Saturday, President Lee Jae Myung presiding the National Security Council meeting ordered the formation of a joint military-police investigative team to examine the possibility that civilians flew the drones. If confirmed, such actions would constitute a serious crime threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and national security, the presidential office said. The Defense Ministry reiterated that the drones were not part of military operations and pledged a comprehensive probe into possible civilian involvement, as Seoul seeks to prevent further escalation amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. 2026-01-11 09:25:28

OPINION: Focus on Kazakhstan's agriculture and development of remote areas SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - President Tokayev Meets with Mayors of Local Governments Last year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed a dialogue platform for rural akims (mayors), outlining his vision for the long-term development of remote areas. Kazakhstan’s Political Reforms: Evolution Instead of Shock Change President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is implementing a large-scale transformation of Kazakhstan’s political system by pursuing an evolutionary path of development based on institutional reform and a carefully calibrated sequence of actions. Since 2019, Kazakhstan has adopted around twenty laws aimed at modernizing its political system. Following a nationwide referendum, constitutional amendments were introduced that redistributed powers among the branches of government. The role of Parliament was strengthened, the accountability of the executive branch was enhanced, and new judicial institutions were established, including the Constitutional Court and cassation courts. A defining feature of these reforms has been their focus on practical outcomes. Democratic mechanisms are viewed not as formal procedures, but as tools for improving the quality and effectiveness of public governance. This approach reflects a clear understanding that political stability and legal predictability are critical to sustainable development. Kazakhstan’s experience demonstrates that profound political transformation is possible without abrupt disruptions, offering an alternative model of reform in an era of global uncertainty. The introduction of direct elections of rural akims has become one of the most significant reforms in Kazakhstan’s system of public administration. This process was implemented gradually over five years, allowing the country to avoid governance disruptions and to adapt institutions to new conditions. More than 2,300 rural akims have been elected nationwide, with an average age of 43. Notably, around one-third of them had no prior experience in public service. The reform has stimulated the development of political parties in the regions and expanded opportunities for independent candidates. According to sociological surveys, the level of trust rural residents place in their akims exceeds 80 percent, indicating increased efficiency and transparency in local governance. By launching democratization at the grassroots level, Kazakhstan is building a sustainable foundation for the further expansion of citizen participation in decision-making processes. Why Rural Development Has Become a Strategic Priority for Kazakhstan The President of Kazakhstan views the development of rural areas as a matter of strategic importance that goes beyond social policy. Rural regions play a key role in ensuring food security, social stability, and balanced territorial development. In recent years, under the personal oversight of President Tokayev, hundreds of healthcare and educational facilities have been built in rural areas, while access to digital infrastructure has been significantly expanded. State support for the agricultural sector has contributed to strong growth in gross agricultural output, which has exceeded 8 trillion tenge (15.73 billion USD). Particular emphasis is placed on increasing the economic self-sufficiency of rural districts, developing cooperation mechanisms, and supporting entrepreneurship. The primary objectives are to create sustainable jobs, reduce regional dependence on budgetary transfers, and improve living standards. Thus, Kazakhstan’s rural policy has become an integral component of its long-term national development strategy. It was within this framework that the decision was made to introduce a system of direct elections of rural akims. Over the past five years, the reform has been implemented in stages. As a result, more than 2,300 rural akims have passed through the electoral process, with only 30 percent coming from the public service system, while the majority represent political parties or were elected as self-nominated candidates. Kazakhstan has demonstrated a progressive approach to democratizing the executive branch to the international community and has empowered citizens to directly manage local affairs. Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence: Why Kazakhstan Is Acting at an Accelerated Pace The President of Kazakhstan has set an ambitious goal: to transform Kazakhstan into a fully digital state within three years. In his address at the dialogue platform of rural akims, President Tokayev emphasized that digitalization is not merely a technological direction, but a strategic factor for the country’s survival and development. He stressed that building a Digital Kazakhstan is impossible without the full integration of rural areas and the agricultural sector. Digital platforms are expected to become key instruments for improving governance efficiency, enhancing the quality of public services, and enabling more accurate allocation of resources. Kazakhstan clearly recognizes the risks of technological lag. Accelerated modernization is therefore viewed as a means of avoiding marginalization in the global knowledge-based economy. The use of digital platforms and artificial intelligence technologies opens new opportunities for improving the efficiency of budget allocation, monitoring agricultural production, forecasting yields and risks, increasing transparency and accountability of local authorities. The President also noted that in recent years a solid infrastructural foundation for rural digitalization has been established. Thousands of rural schools have been connected to high-quality internet, access to digital services is expanding, and the level of self-sufficiency of rural districts continues to grow. These measures create favorable conditions for the introduction of advanced digital solutions in agriculture — from electronic accounting and logistics to online access to public services and educational resources. Special emphasis was placed on the idea that digitalization of rural areas should help narrow the gap in living standards between urban and rural communities. The President underlined that digital technologies have the potential to transform daily life, access to services, and economic opportunities for rural residents. In this context, digitalization is viewed not only as a technological tool, but also as a social instrument aimed at strengthening internal stability and reducing regional disparities. The President’s address directly connects national objectives with global processes. References to large-scale technological initiatives undertaken by leading powers highlight Kazakhstan’s awareness that the technological race is systemic in nature and demands timely and strategic responses. Reforms and Stability: How Kazakhstan Responds to Global Uncertainty Measures to support economic growth, develop the private sector, and expand exports are complemented by political and administrative reforms. This comprehensive approach reflects a clear understanding of the interdependence between economic performance and political stability. At a time of weakening global institutions, Kazakhstan is demonstrating a reform model focused on long-term resilience, business support, and the protection of national interests. New Opportunities for Kazakhstan–Korea Cooperation in Agriculture and Rural Development The ongoing reforms in Kazakhstan’s rural governance, digitalization, and agricultural policy open tangible opportunities for deepening cooperation with the Republic of Korea, particularly in the agro-industrial sector. The combination of strengthened local self-government, increased budgetary autonomy of rural districts, and accelerated digital transformation creates a favorable environment for the introduction of advanced Korean technologies in smart agriculture, agri-processing, irrigation systems, and rural logistics. South Korea’s experience in precision farming, agricultural digital platforms, food processing, and cooperative-based rural development aligns closely with Kazakhstan’s strategic goal of enhancing productivity, value-added production, and export potential in agriculture. These reforms also improve transparency and predictability at the local level, reducing investment risks and enabling Korean companies to engage more actively in regional projects, pilot farms, and joint ventures. As a result, agricultural cooperation can become one of the key pillars of the Kazakhstan–Korea partnership, contributing to food security, sustainable rural growth, and mutually beneficial economic integration. 2026-01-10 22:59:52

Musk says Tesla's humanoid robot could outperform top surgeons within three years SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - Tesla CEO Elon Musk said humanoid robots could surpass the world’s best human surgeons within three years, arguing that rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics will transform healthcare faster than many expect. Musk made the remarks on the “Moonshots” podcast hosted by U.S. physician and engineer Peter Diamandis, outlining his vision for Tesla’s Optimus robot and the future of medical care. “Right now there’s a shortage of doctors and great surgeons,” Musk said. “It takes a super long time to learn how to be a good doctor, and even then, the knowledge is constantly evolving. Doctors have limited time, they make mistakes.” Asked when Optimus could outperform the best surgeons, Musk replied: “Three years. And by the way, that’s three years at scale. There will probably be more Optimus robots that are great surgeons than there are all surgeons on Earth.” The SpaceX founder said the pace of development in humanoid robots should be viewed through what he called “exponential growth” in three areas — AI software capability, AI chip performance and mechanical precision — adding that Optimus could eventually become capable of performing complex procedures more consistently than humans. Some medical experts, however, have questioned Musk’s timeline. Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, told The Independent that the claim that robots could outperform the best human surgeons within three years was “not credible,” citing the complexity of surgery and the difficulty of programming for human variability. Musk’s comments have also sparked debate on social media, where users have clashed over the implications of his remarks. While some expressed concern about the future of medical professions and patient safety, others questioned the credibility of Musk’s predictions, arguing that expectations for humanoid robots are running ahead of current technological reality. The Tesla CEO has previously said Optimus could enter commercial production in 2026, positioning humanoid robots as a central pillar of the company’s long-term strategy alongside electric vehicles and artificial intelligence. 2026-01-10 17:28:26

U.S. dietary guidelines recommend kimchi, overhaul federal nutrition advice SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - The United States government on Friday released updated 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that, for the first time, include fermented foods such as kimchi as part of recommended diets and mark a significant shift in federal nutrition policy. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins jointly unveiled the guidelines at a White House briefing in Washington, saying the recommendations will guide federal nutrition standards over the next five years, including school meals, military food programs and assistance schemes such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The new guidelines emphasize eating whole, minimally processed foods and increasing intake of protein, healthy fats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. They move away from diets centered on ultra-processed foods and added sugars, which are strongly discouraged, and raise the recommended daily protein intake from 0.8 grams to 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. A notable addition in the guidelines is the inclusion of fermented foods — including kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and miso — under recommendations for supporting gut health alongside vegetables and high-fiber foods. The document cites the importance of diverse microbiome health in its dietary guidance. The guidelines also ease past negative assessments of animal-based foods such as red meat, eggs and seafood, and allow consumption of whole-fat dairy products and animal fats, while continuing to caution against dairy products with added sugars. Kennedy described the overhaul as a “return to real food” and part of the government’s broader effort to address chronic disease, which officials say is driven in large part by highly processed diets. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated every five years by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. The 2025–2030 edition reflects what federal officials described as the most significant reset of national nutrition policy in decades. 2026-01-10 16:27:49