Ex-first lady questioned for 11 hours, denies allegations SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - Former South Korean first lady Kim Keon Hee was questioned for nearly 11 hours on Wednesday by a team of special independent prosecutors over a string of allegations, including stock manipulation, bribery, and election-related interference. The wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at the independent prosecutors' office in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul around 10 a.m. on Wednesday and left shortly before 9 p.m. She did not respond to reporters' questions upon entering or exiting the building. The investigation focused on five main allegations, including stock manipulation, election interference, and the acceptance of unreported luxury gifts. Prosecutors also looked into claims of influence-peddling through a religious figure and possible false statements made by her husband during the 2022 presidential race. Prosecutors presented an audio file that they claim shows Kim was aware of the stock manipulation scheme. The file reportedly includes multiple calls between Kim and a securities firm employee over several years, with mentions of profit-sharing. Kim denied any knowledge of the alleged scheme. She also denied wrongdoing in an asset disclosure case involving a high-end necklace worn during a 2022 NATO summit in Spain, stating it was a replica gifted by her mother 15 years ago and temporarily borrowed for the trip. Independent prosecutors said they are considering whether to summon Kim again or request an arrest warrant, citing the wide scope of the charges and her continued denial. Additional probes into other allegations may follow. 2025-08-07 11:09:28

PHOTOS: Signs of autumn approaching SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) - August 7 marks Ipchu, the traditional start of autumn according to the East Asian calendar. This summer has been among the hottest in recent memory, with relentless heatwaves. As Ipchu passes, temperatures are expected to ease. The following images capture early signs of the season changing. 2025-08-07 11:04:41

[[K-Tech]] Hyundai Motor, General Motors to jointly develop 5 new vehicles for North American markets SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Company and General Motors (GM) announced on Thursday their plans to jointly develop and release 5 new vehicles by 2028, including a commercial electric vehicle model. Four of the planned vehicles, a mid-sized pickup and a compact pickup truck, a compact sedan, and a compact sport utility vehicle, are to target Central and South American markets. All vehicles are to have the flexibility to use internal combustion or hybrid propulsion systems. Hyundai and GM are to also release a commercial electric vehicle to target North America as early as 2028. Hyundai is to lead the development of the compact vehicle and commercial EV, and GM is expected to lead the engineering of the mid-sized truck. About 80,000 units are expected to be produced and sold annually once the two top carmakers start their mass production phase. The collaboration stems from a memorandum of understanding the two firms signed last September. However, reportedly, the announcement of the collaboration was postponed due to prolonged discussions over car lineups. "Hyundai's strategic collaboration with GM will help us continue to deliver value and choice to our customers across multiple vehicle segments and markets," said Jose Munoz, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor. "Our combined scale in North and South America helps us to more efficiently provide our customers more of what they want – beautifully designed, high-quality, safety-focused vehicles with technology they appreciate," the Hyundai Motor CEO added. "By partnering together, GM and Hyundai will bring more choice to our customers faster, and at lower cost," said Shilpan Amin, GM senior vice president and global chief procurement and supply chain officer, adding: "These first co-developed vehicles clearly demonstrate how GM and Hyundai will leverage our complementary strengths and combined scale." The two companies also plan joint sourcing initiatives in North and South America for materials, transport, and logistics. Further areas for potential joint operations include raw materials, components, and complex systems. Hyundai Motor and GM also agreed to explore collaboration on low-carbon emissions steel as part of their commitment to sustainable manufacturing. 2025-08-07 10:42:06

Watcha enters court receivership, vows to maintain streaming service SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) - Watcha, a South Korean streaming platform, has entered court receivership after a creditor-initiated petition. Despite the ongoing court proceedings, the company has assured users and partners that its services will continue without disruption. According to industry sources on Thursday, the Seoul Bankruptcy Court approved the commencement of Watcha’s rehabilitation process on August 4. The decision followed a petition filed by Enlight Ventures, a holder of Watcha’s convertible bonds. The deadline for Watcha to submit a rehabilitation plan is set for January 7, 2026. The court will then review the proposal to determine whether to approve the restructuring. If the plan is deemed unviable, the company could face bankruptcy. Lists of rehabilitation creditors, secured creditors, and shareholders must be submitted by September 1 this year, followed by rights filings related to claims and securities by September 22. The court did not appoint an external trustee, allowing Watcha CEO Park Tae-hoon to retain control and continue managing the company under the existing leadership. Watcha stated that it will "respect and comply with the court's decision to initiate rehabilitation proceedings." In a statement, the company emphasized, "Existing refund and cancellation policies, as outlined in our terms of service, remain unchanged. All services will continue to operate normally without interruption." It added, "We will maintain transparent communication with our users and partners, and share updates as the process moves forward." Choi Hyo-jong, the attorney representing Watcha, said, "Watcha will diligently follow the court’s schedule throughout the rehabilitation process," and added, "We are also actively exploring M&A opportunities and fundraising efforts." Founded in 2011, Watcha began as a personalized film recommendation platform and expanded into streaming services in 2016. The company once stood out for its strong curation and user rating features. However, as competition in the local streaming market intensified, Watcha struggled to retain users. According to IGAWorks’ Mobile Index, Watcha’s monthly active users (MAU) dropped from an estimated 1.29 million in January 2022 to just 460,000 as of last month. The company's 2024 audit report painted a grim picture: revenue fell to 33.8 billion won (about $24 million), down 22.83 percent from the previous year’s 43.8 billion won. Operating losses totaled 1.84 billion won (about $1.3 million), while net losses reached 8.29 billion won (about $5.9 million). Notably, its current liabilities exceeded current assets by 90.7 billion won. Watcha had raised 49 billion won (about $35 million) in CB investments from major venture capital firms and individual investors in 2021. However, it failed to repay the principal and interest by the maturity date in November 2023, and no extension agreement was reached. As a result, Shinhan Accounting Corporation, the company’s auditor, issued a disclaimer of opinion, citing “substantial doubt about Watcha’s ability to continue as a going concern.” 2025-08-07 10:35:35

[[K-Pop]] BTS' new brother band CORTIS to debut on August 18 SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) - BigHit Music has revealed Thursday the name of its highly anticipated third boy group, CORTIS. This marks the agency’s first new boy group in six years, following the debut of TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT). BTS' label launched official social media accounts for the new group and introduced the name CORTIS. The name is formed from selectively chosen letters in the phrase "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES," which reflects the group’s philosophy of thinking freely and creatively beyond set boundaries. CORTIS consists of five teenage members: Martin, James, Juhoon, Sunghyun, and Gunho. According to BigHit Music, all members are part of a young creators' crew that emphasizes originality and self-expression. Rather than following traditional roles, the group works collectively to create their music, choreography, and videos. Before their official debut, the members already showcased their creative abilities through collaborations with BigHit's senior artists. Martin was credited as a composer on TXT’s recent track "Beautiful Strangers." He and James also contributed to the songs "Deja Vu" and "Miracle." James further demonstrated his range by helping to choreograph "Deja Vu." These early contributions have drawn attention to CORTIS as a group of multi-talented artists. Their collaborative spirit and emphasis on originality are expected to bring a fresh perspective to the K-pop scene. CORTIS will officially debut on August 18. 2025-08-07 10:30:19

[[K-Tech]] Samsung SDI battery powers electric vehicle to Guinness World Record SEOUL, August 7 (AJP) - A Samsung SDI battery-powered electric vehicle has secured a place in the Guinness Book of World Records after achieving the world's longest single-charge driving distance. Samsung SDI announced Thursday that Lucid Motors' Lucid Air Grand Touring model, equipped with the South Korean company's batteries, broke the previous world record during a single-charge driving test. The vehicle traveled 1,205 kilometers (748.7 miles) without charging during tests conducted last month on highways, mountain roads, and side streets between St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Munich, Germany. This surpassed the previous record of 1,045 kilometers by about 160 kilometers. The Air Grand Touring model houses 6,600 of Samsung SDI's 21700 cell cylindrical batteries, the batteries featuring nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathodes and silicon-based anodes to deliver comparatively higher capacity, longer lifespan and rapid charging capabilities. Samsung SDI and Lucid forged a strategic partnership in 2016, subsequently launching high-performance models including the Lucid Air Dream Edition. "Having Samsung SDI's cylindrical batteries power the world's longest-range vehicle demonstrates our superior technology," a Samsung SDI official told AJP, adding that SDI is to cooperate further with Lucid Motors to expand global market share and accelerate the development of safe products. 2025-08-07 09:41:25

[[K-Pop]] ILLIT makes sitcom debut as college freshmen in new YouTube series SEOUL, August 07 (AJP) - K-pop girl group ILLIT is taking on a new challenge, stepping into the world of sitcom acting for the first time since their debut. On the night of August 6, the group released the second teaser for their new self-produced content series titled "The Genre is ILLIT, Introduction to Youth Studies" through their official YouTube channel. The upcoming series "The Genre is ILLIT" follows the comedic campus life of five freshmen at the fictional ILLIT University. Each member takes on a unique character as they navigate college life, form friendships, and learn to work as a team, all while showcasing the awkward, endearing charm of youth. Despite the teaser’s short length, it offers a vivid glimpse into each member’s role. Yuna plays an exuberant and cheerful theater major bursting with enthusiasm. Minju transforms into a competitive physical education major. Moka takes on the role of a top-ranking law student, highlighting her studious persona. Wonhee portrays a quirky, free-spirited art student. Iroha rounds out the group as an early childhood education major who may lack bite but never holds back her thoughts. In one scene, the five characters gather for a group project, only for tensions to rise as Yuna and Minju both vie for the lead in the presentation. Moka steps in to mediate, but the teaser ends on a cliffhanger as the group's dynamics take a dramatic turn, heightening anticipation for the full episode. Episode one of "The Genre is ILLIT" will premiere on August 11 at 8 p.m. on the group's official YouTube channel. 2025-08-07 09:39:14

KAIST develops robotic sheet that folds, grips, and walks on its own SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - A KAIST research team has developed a new kind of robotic material that can fold itself in real time, changing its shape and function instantly without the need for reconstruction. The innovation combines physical artificial intelligence with real-time programmability and could lead to a new class of autonomous robots capable of adapting to their surroundings. KAIST announced Wednesday that Professors Kim Jeong and Park In-kyu of the Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed what they call a "field-programmable robotic folding sheet." Unlike traditional foldable structures that require pre-designed hinges and fixed directions, this new material allows users to change folding patterns and shapes through simple software commands. The team expects it to have applications in autonomous robotics, space exploration, and emergency response. Folding structures have long been used in robotics due to their intuitive and efficient ability to alter shape. However, conventional mechanisms are limited by their fixed designs, which require a new structure each time the task or environment changes. The KAIST team addressed this limitation by developing a system that lets users reprogram fold positions and directions in real time, using a single, reusable material. The robotic sheet is made from a thin, flexible polymer embedded with a fine network of metallic resistors. These resistors serve dual functions as both heaters and temperature sensors. This allows the sheet to monitor and control its folding state without the need for external hardware. By integrating software powered by genetic algorithms and deep neural networks, users can input the desired fold locations, directions, and intensity. The sheet then responds autonomously by heating and cooling itself to generate the exact programmed shape. Feedback from the built-in sensors ensures the process is continuously adjusted for accuracy. The researchers also applied a closed-loop temperature control system, which improves real-time folding precision and compensates for changes in the environment. They reported that the system resolves one of the key limitations of heat-based folding technology, which is slow reaction time. This kind of programmable shape-shifting allows a single sheet to take on multiple robotic roles without physical redesign. The team demonstrated an adaptive robotic gripper that can modify its grip depending on the shape of the object it holds. In another demonstration, the same sheet was laid flat on a surface and reprogrammed to walk or crawl, imitating biological motion. These results suggest potential for real-time environment-adaptive robots. "This research takes us one step closer to what we call 'morphological intelligence,' where the robot’s shape becomes part of its intelligence," said Professor Kim. "We plan to improve the material’s load-bearing capacity, develop faster cooling, and create integrated electrode designs without wiring. Our long-term goal is to develop this into a next-generation physical AI platform that can be applied to disaster response, personalized medical devices, and space exploration." The study was led by Dr. Park Hyun-kyu, now at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, and Professor Jung Yong-rok, now at Kyungpook National University. They served as co-first authors of the paper, which was published in the August 2025 online edition of Nature Communications. The research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea under the Ministry of Science and ICT. 2025-08-06 17:44:37

Lee mulls pardons for upcoming Liberation Day SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is considering pardons next week to mark the 80th anniversary of the Aug. 15 Liberation day, the presidential office said Wednesday. His first special amnesty since taking office in early June coincides with a large-scale event in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, celebrating his inauguration. The Ministry of Justice is currently compiling a list of those eligible for the amnesty based on internal procedures and strict criteria, with first-time violators and minor offenders involved in petty livelihood-related crimes expected to be included, with an aim to give them a second chance and promote "national unity" in tough times. But there are already concerns over possible pardons handed out to politicians and corporate bigwigs convicted of corruption. Among them was former Justice Minister and ex-leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, Cho Kuk, who was sentenced in December last year to two years in prison for corruption and document forgery related to his children's university admissions. His supporters claim his case was politically motivated, calling for his pardon, while others warn it could be an ominous sign for the Lee administration. 2025-08-06 17:36:36

South Korea to allow visa-free entry for Chinese tourists starting next month SEOUL, August 6 (AJP) - Chinese tour groups will be able to enter South Korea without visas as early as late next month. As part of efforts to boost the tourism industry, the visa-waiver program, which follows China's similar move in November last year, was decided during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok at the government complex in Seoul on Wednesday. The program, which allows short-term visa-free entry for Chinese travelers, is set to take effect on Sept. 29 and will run through June next year. "Once implemented, we expect the program to attract more tourists and help boost domestic consumption," said a government official. South Korea will also ease and expand its current fast-track entry program, which expedites immigration procedures at airports, to include more foreigners and businesspeople attending large-scale international conferences and other events. 2025-08-06 16:38:31