[[K-Culture]] Kim Hye-soon becomes first Asian poet to win German literature prize SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - South Korean poet Kim Hye-soon has been awarded the International Prize for Literature by Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Germany for the German translation of her poetry collection "Autobiography of Death" on Thursday. HKW announced Kim as the winner from a shortlist of six authors, including Turkey’s Dogan Akhanli, Canada’s Sarah Bernstein, Ukraine’s Anna Melikova, France’s Neige Sinno, and the U.S.'s Jesmyn Ward. The jury unanimously selected Kim, saying that her poetry reveals meaning “precisely in the enigmatic,” adding, “The texts open up as we follow their rhythm and read them over and over again, the images reveal themselves like directions that only become visible when the right direction has already been taken.” Jury member and German writer Deniz Utlu praised the collection as “translations from death’s native language,” describing it as “miraculously opening up the possibility of listening to this language as it sounds on the threshold of the afterlife.” Kim did not attend the ceremony in person but delivered her remarks via video call, expressing gratitude to translators Park Sul and Uljana Wolf, the jury, HKW, her publisher S. Fischer, and all those involved in organizing the event. The award, established in 2009, honors outstanding contemporary works translated into German and is jointly presented to both the author and the translators. "Autobiography of Death" was originally published in Korean in 2016 and translated into German earlier this year. The poems, inspired by Kim’s collapse in a subway station in 2015, reflect on national tragedies such as the MERS outbreak and the Sewol ferry disaster. The collection comprises 49 poems exploring the boundary between life and death. Kim is the first Asian and the first poet to receive the HKW prize. South Korean Nobel laureate Han Kang was also a finalist for the award in 2017 with the German translation of her novel "The Vegetarian." 2025-07-18 13:49:51

TRAVEL: Exploring traditional markets in Pattaya Pattaya, July 17 (AJP) – Known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and a wide range of marine leisure activities, Pattaya is one of Thailand’s most popular tourist and resort cities. It ranks second only to Bangkok in tourist visits. While sightseeing and enjoying local attractions are a major part of travel, experiencing how local people live can offer a refreshing and memorable perspective. Traditional markets in Southeast Asia’s densely populated cities are famous for their energy and bustle. At wholesale markets filled with local people trading colorful tropical fruits, vegetables, fresh meat, and fish, travelers can get an up-close look at daily life. Among these is Rattanakornwanasin Market and its adjacent wholesale-oriented Ratanakorn Market—Pattaya’s largest fruit markets. Markets in hot, tropical regions typically open at dawn and lose steam as the day heats up. Early morning is the best time to witness the market in full swing. When we arrived at Rattanakornwanasin Market just after sunrise, the vendors had already completed their setup and were welcoming customers. The semi-open building, covered only by a roof, was lined with neatly organized and immaculately clean stalls. Brightly colored tropical fruits were stacked like small mountains, and the air was filled with a dizzying mix of sweet and tangy aromas, as if dozens of perfumes had been sprayed at once. Piles of carefully arranged fruit, neatly trimmed vegetables, and fresh meat were all marked with hand-written price signs—simple but direct. It felt less like shopping and more like visiting an exhibition curated by the vendors. Sellers preparing food or handling fish wore tied-up hair and long aprons, while some male vendors went shirtless in the humid heat. Their lean, strong physiques seemed to enhance trust in the freshness of their produce. fruits on display ranged from familiar favorites like tangerines, watermelons, and mangoes to rare finds such as durians, dragon fruit, rose apples that resemble bell peppers, rambutans, and jackfruit. Pineapples, with their tough rinds, were stacked not just inside the truck beds but all around, piled as high as a small child. It was easily more pineapple than I had seen in my entire life. Vendors would peel and prepare them on the spot for customers. Prices varied by fruit, but mangoes, mangosteens, and watermelons—all familiar to Korean palates—were as cheap as half to a quarter of what they cost in Korea. Every fruit tasted as if it had been sprinkled with sugar, sweet and full of juice. In all my time in Thailand, I had never once been disappointed by the taste of fruit. The very first mango I tried there had a deep, rich sweetness I had never experienced before. It felt like a reminder of what it means to taste fruit where it is grown. Thailand has long had a “sai-thung” culture, where nearly everything is packaged in a plastic bag. Vegetables, fruits, side dishes, soups, sauces, beverages, and coffee were all sold in these bags. But in 2020, Thailand banned single-use plastic bags in department stores, large supermarkets, and some retail outlets. Now, this practice is mostly seen in markets. The tightly inflated bags, resembling those used to transport ornamental fish, looked cute and somehow fresher and more appealing than deflated ones. These food bags are thicker than regular ones, so there was little worry about them tearing or spilling. Butcher shops displayed their meats openly, rather than refrigerating them. Spread out generously, the meat looked freshly slaughtered and quite clean. In addition to fruits and meat, the market also included side dish stalls, fishmongers, and general goods vendors, offering the full experience of a traditional marketplace. Though I had arrived early, most visitors were local Thais. A few Westerners, likely expats living in Thailand, were the only other foreigners. I felt like I was the only traveler in the place. Locals, seeing me with a camera, began chatting in Thai. I didn’t understand what they were saying, but I could instinctively tell I was the subject. For a moment, I worried. What if they don’t like being photographed? But I soon realized there was nothing negative in their tone. After a short exchange, they began smiling at me. Some offered me a piece of fruit, others gave me a thumbs-up. Their gestures and expressions made it clear. They were welcoming me, and they were enjoying the moment just as much as I was. 2025-07-18 10:47:36

Prominent Korean AI researcher departs OpenAI to join Meta SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - Hyung Won Chung, a prominent researcher at OpenAI and the only Korean contributor to its cutting-edge o1 model, has joined Meta’s newly formed Superintelligence Lab. Chung will move to Meta alongside Jason Wei, another former OpenAI researcher with whom he collaborated on both the o1 model and OpenAI’s Deep Research initiative. Chung, who earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2019, previously spent four years at Google Brain, where he focused on large language models and reasoning systems. He joined OpenAI in early 2023 and quickly became a key contributor to some of its most ambitious projects. Among the 20 researchers involved in developing the o1 model, he was the only Korean participant. Chung and Wei had previously worked together at Google before moving to OpenAI. Their joint arrival at Meta suggests they were recruited as a package, a practice that has become increasingly common as firms seek to reduce onboarding friction and accelerate research output. The hires come amid a broader talent offensive led by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has made public his ambition to compete directly with OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic in the race to develop artificial general intelligence. 2025-07-18 10:17:48

[[K-Tech]] Low birthrate forces military pivot toward drones, automation SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - With fewer than 240,000 babies born in South Korea last year, the nation’s demographic decline is accelerating at a pace that is now shaping defense policy as urgently as it has shaped economic and social planning. South Korea’s total fertility rate remains one of the lowest in the world, at approximately 0.75 children per woman. The implications for national defense are profound. The armed forces, which maintained a troop strength of around 690,000 in the early 2000s, have steadily shrunk to fewer than 500,000 as of 2024. Maintaining even that level of force requires an annual intake of roughly 220,000 personnel. But the number of 20-year-old South Korean men — a key conscription pool — is projected to fall below 120,000 by 2045. Compounding the manpower crunch is the transformation of modern warfare. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, and cyber capabilities are altering how wars are fought — placing a premium not on sheer numbers but on technological sophistication and adaptability. In response, South Korea is reimagining its military structure, investing heavily in unmanned systems and what defense planners call "manned-unmanned teaming," or MUM-T — hybrid operations in which soldiers and autonomous systems operate together in combat zones. In April 2023, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) solicited bids for multi-purpose unmanned ground vehicles designed for high-risk operations where deploying troops is dangerous or impractical. Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Aerospace emerged as leading contenders, submitting their HR-Sherpa and Arion-SMET platforms, respectively. These systems are designed to carry out surveillance, logistics, medical evacuation, and explosive disposal missions. The Army has begun field-testing various unmanned platforms — grouped into reconnaissance, infiltration, and fixed surveillance categories — to support its evolving mission needs. In one demonstration of the MUM-T concept, unmanned drones were dispatched to scout contested areas, with light attack helicopters following behind. Each helicopter is capable of coordinating with up to four drones simultaneously. Some drones may eventually be upgraded to carry explosive payloads, capable of executing precision or kamikaze-style attacks. To counter potential electronic warfare threats, these platforms are being equipped with anti-jamming technologies and autonomous rerouting protocols, allowing them to continue their missions even when GPS or communication links are disrupted. The Navy’s silent swarms South Korea’s Navy is also moving toward autonomous operations — both above and below the waterline. It recently completed testing on an autonomous underwater mine detection vehicle developed by LIG Nex1. The system, now entering deployment, uses side-scan sonar to identify and classify underwater mines, navigating autonomously along pre-programmed routes after launch. Under the Navy’s "Sea Ghost" initiative, Hanwha Ocean was awarded a contract in April 2024 to design a new class of unmanned underwater vehicles. Although still in a conceptual phase, mock-ups suggest modular payload systems could be part of the eventual design. Meanwhile, companies such as Hanwha Systems and LIG Nex1 are showcasing early-stage suicide unmanned surface vessels (USVs), equipped with electro-optical sensors and internal warheads. These swarm-capable vessels are designed to coordinate in saturation attacks and may carry guided rockets or electronic countermeasures — though such configurations remain speculative. South Korea’s Air Force is spearheading perhaps the most ambitious overhaul. It has outlined a multi-phase transformation from a manned-dominant force to a distributed, manned-unmanned network built around modular drone systems. Initial efforts focus on two drone classes: expendable models for reconnaissance or loitering strikes, and reusable platforms capable of launching precision air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles. These drones are integrated into a broader MUM-T concept, with piloted fighters like the KF-21 coordinating up to several unmanned vehicles in real time. “In the future, unmanned assets will carry out autonomous missions, while manned aircraft will act as command nodes,” said Lt. Col. Gil Jong-seon, an officer overseeing drone development. Long-term plans envision swarms of expendable drones clearing airspace or gathering intelligence ahead of manned operations, while stealth drones conduct high-risk precision strikes. Taken together, these investments mark a strategic pivot — one driven less by military fashion than by necessity. South Korea’s declining birthrate has eroded its ability to maintain a large conscripted force, forcing military planners to rethink how defense can be sustained with fewer people. Yet even as unmanned systems proliferate, defense experts caution against the illusion of a fully robotic military. “The time for debating the need for unmanned and manned-unmanned systems has already passed,” said Chun In-bum, a retired general and former commander of South Korea’s Special Warfare Command. “The integration of humans and machines — whether robots or drones — is now a defining trend in modern warfare. But someone still has to maintain, refuel, and rearm those systems.” Automation, he emphasized, is a force multiplier — not a full replacement for human soldiers. As the Republic of Korea confronts its demographic future, its military is adapting not only to new technologies, but to a new operational reality — one in which fewer soldiers will be expected to do more, with machines at their side. 2025-07-18 09:40:16

Acclaimed Korean artist honored with France's cultural order SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - South Korean artist Kim Soo-ja has been awarded the Officier rank of the French Order of Arts and Letters, in recognition of her contributions to contemporary art and cultural exchange between Korea and France. The award ceremony was held last week at the French ambassador’s residence in central Seoul, where French Ambassador to Seoul Philippe Bertoux presented the honor to Kim. Bertoux praised her for helping to shape France as “a country of creativity,” and said she has significantly contributed to strengthening the cultural dialogue between France and Korea," ahead of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year. Established in 1957, the French Order of Arts and Letters honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts and literature, conferred by the French Ministry of Culture. Kim was first named Chevalier in 2017 and has now been promoted to Officier. Born in Daegu in 1957, Kim is internationally recognized for her multidisciplinary works across performance, video, and installation art. After graduating from Hongik University, she studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was selected as a French government scholar in 1984. Her work has been showcased in major museums and global art biennales. In 2019, she led the city-wide project Traversées / Kimsooja in Poitiers, France, and more recently presented her installation To Breathe – Constellation at the Pinault Foundation in Paris. 2025-07-17 16:54:24

Chey Tae-won calls APEC Summit showcase for Korean democracy SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and president of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said Thursday this year’s APEC Summit in Seoul will serve as a “grand showcase of Korea’s economic strength” and a rare opportunity to bring global business leaders into direct dialogue. Speaking at the opening of the 48th KCCI Summer Forum in Gyeongju, Chey cast the October summit as both a symbolic and strategic milestone for the country. “This year’s APEC Summit must become a historic event that signals the restoration of Korean democracy,” he said. “It also presents an extraordinary chance to spotlight our economic capabilities on the global stage.” The APEC CEO Summit, held alongside the official gathering of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders, is the region’s largest business forum. The Seoul event is expected to attract senior executives from the 21 member economies — collectively representing roughly 60 percent of global GDP — as well as more than 1,700 corporate leaders from around the world. Chey said KCCI would coordinate closely with government officials to ensure the summit serves as a platform for new international business partnerships. Plans include a slate of side events such as the Future Tech Forum and the K-Technology Showcase, designed to highlight Korean firms’ advancements in innovation and sustainability. “These programs will not only demonstrate Korea’s technological edge but also its long-term vision for growth and resilience,” he said. Chey also used the forum to reflect on the broader mission of Korean industry leaders at a time of economic and geopolitical uncertainty. 2025-07-17 16:25:08

Goldman Sachs downgrades SK hynix, citing risks of HBM price decline SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Goldman Sachs downgraded its investment rating on SK hynix to "neutral" from "buy" on Thursday, warning that intensifying competition in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market could trigger the first price decline in the segment next year. In a research note, the U.S. investment bank cautioned that pricing power is gradually shifting to major customers — such as Nvidia — potentially undermining the profitability of HBM suppliers. Although SK hynix has benefited from strong share price gains this year, Goldman said the firm’s current valuation leaves little room for further upside amid growing downside risks in 2026. “We are becoming increasingly cautious on the stock,” according to the note. “The shares continue to significantly outperform, but headwinds from pricing pressure and heightened competition warrant a more balanced stance.” The bank added that it would need to see further upward revisions in medium-term demand and pricing for both HBM and conventional DRAM to justify a more bullish outlook. SK hynix shares fell sharply following the downgrade, dropping more than 8 percent in intraday trading to the 270,000 won range. The stock had closed at 300,000 won on July 14, its highest level in 12 years since joining the SK Group. The downgrade comes amid a growing chorus of concern over the outlook for HBM pricing. Daishin Securities recently revised its 2026 forecast for HBM average selling prices, projecting a 6 percent decline — down from a previous estimate of a 7 percent increase. Still, some analysts maintain a more positive view of the company’s strategic positioning. SK hynix remains the leading supplier of HBM chips to Nvidia, which accounts for roughly 70 percent of global demand. In March, the company became the first to deliver samples of sixth-generation HBM4. Hana Securities noted that while SK hynix may face some erosion in market share due to Micron Technology’s entry into the HBM3E space, the firm retains competitive advantages in early product deployment and profitability management. “As long as SK hynix can maintain its early-mover advantage and supply to Nvidia, its leadership in AI memory chips should remain intact,” Hana wrote. 2025-07-17 16:12:29

Torrential rain batters central regions, with more downpours expected through this weekend SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Torrential downpours swept through central South Korea on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead and forcing over 1,000 people to be evacuated due to flooding. Heavy rain pounded most parts of the country with some areas with an intense rainfall of over 100 mm per hour, resulting in two fatalities. A man in his 40s died after a wall of an overpass collapsed onto his car in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, while another man in his 50s was found dead inside a submerged vehicle in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. A heavy rain advisory was issued for the Seoul metropolitan area and surrounding regions as the seasonal monsoon front brought rainfall of up to 80 mm per hour, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Seosan in South Chungcheong Province saw the heaviest rainfall, with about 419.5 mm of accumulated precipitation falling within just five hours overnight. Nearby Hongseong and Dangjin also recorded over 300 mm of rainfall. "Additional rainfall with even greater intensity is expected in most part of central regions until this weekend, after a temporary lull on Thursday afternoon," a KMA official said. 2025-07-17 15:46:10

President Lee appoints former Doosan chairman to lead trade mission to Washington SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has tapped Park Yong-maan, the former chairman of Doosan Group, to head a special envoy delegation to the United States, ruling party officials said Thursday. The delegation, which is set to depart for Washington next week, includes Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jun-ho and Kim Woo-young, a former senior political aide. Park will serve as the chief envoy. The appointment comes at a critical moment in U.S.–South Korea trade relations, with Trump's tariffs set to take effect on August 1. Park, known for his deep ties to American business and policy circles, is expected to play a central role in advancing negotiations and easing tensions between the two allies. The choice of Park underscores President Lee’s continued reliance on private-sector leaders in shaping national policy. Since taking office, Lee has brought several former corporate executives into top government posts, reinforcing his industry-driven approach to governance. Among them are Ha Jung-woo, former head of AI innovation at Naver Cloud, who now serves as the presidential office’s first chief of AI Future Planning, and Han Seong-sook, former CEO of internet giant Naver, who was appointed Minister of SMEs and Startups. Park’s rapport with President Lee dates back to the 2022 presidential campaign, when the two held a series of private discussions that laid the foundation for a working relationship. Han Jun-ho served as Lee’s campaign operations chief, while Kim Woo-young was political coordination director during Lee’s leadership of the Democratic Party — both considered trusted members of the president’s inner circle. The Washington mission is part of a broader push by the Lee administration to reinforce South Korea’s global standing amid shifting trade and geopolitical dynamics. The presidential office has dispatched or is planning envoy missions to 14 countries, including Japan and China. 2025-07-17 15:36:40

Lee reignites debate on constitutional reform on Constitution Day SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung called for constitutional reform on Thursday, as South Korea marks the 77th anniversary of Constitution Day. In a message posted on Facebook, Lee said, "It is time to revise the Constitution to keep up with the changing times, just as people change their clothes with the seasons," implying the need to amend the Constitution to reform the country's five-year, single-term presidency along with other political reforms. Constitutional reform has been up for consideration several times before but has never succeeded. He then urged the National Assembly to take the lead in the process. Praising the country's democratic resilience in overcoming numerous adversities and crises throughout its painful history including disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law last year, Lee stressed that a revised Constitution should serve as a "pathfinder for taking a new step toward a future grounded in the rule of law." In celebration of the proclamation of the Constitution on July 17, 1948, Constitution Day was observed as one of the country's major national holidays until it was scrapped in 2008, when the government decided to reduce the number of public holidays after the five-day workweek took effect across the board. Meanwhile, Kang Dae-sik of the main opposition People Power Party proposed a bill last week to reinstate Constitution Day as a national holiday. A slew of other lawmakers have consistently submitted similar proposals in recent years, citing the need to revive the spirit of the day. 2025-07-17 14:39:40