PHOTOS: College admissions rush SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Following the release of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scores, a fierce and highly competitive strategic maneuver is unfolding in South Korea. Students and parents are intensely calculating their optimal university and major applications based on their results. The high-stakes nature of this post-exam period was dramatically illustrated on the afternoon of Dec. 7 when a massive crowd descended upon an admissions briefing session hosted by a private academy at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. The event saw overwhelming attendance. A long queue of hopeful attendees stretched far beyond the entrance, continuing long after the official start of the session. Indoor seating quickly became exhausted. Students and parents unable to secure a spot inside were forced to sit on chairs arranged in the university lobby or even on outdoor steps, relying on large monitors to follow the critical advice being given. The reach of the event extended digitally, with the number of applicants registering for the online live broadcast surpassing 10,000, highlighting the widespread anxiety and demand for guidance in South Korea's competitive university admission cycle. 2025-12-08 14:22:41

South Korea's economy shows gradual recovery as consumption improves: KDI SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - South Korea’s economy is showing signs of gradual improvement, driven by stronger consumer spending, but risks remain from a prolonged construction downturn and persistent global trade uncertainties, the state-run Korea Development Institute (KDI) said in a report published on Monday. In its December economic assessment, KDI said the delayed effects of interest rate cuts and continued government support were lifting household consumption, helping to sustain a modest recovery despite weakness in the construction sector. Since August, KDI has shifted from a negative assessment to describing the economy as entering a consumer-led recovery phase, a view it has maintained in recent monthly reports. The think tank said export momentum has been supported by a global semiconductor upturn, but warned that uncertainty surrounding trade conditions remains high. Industrial production in October fell 3.6 percent from a year earlier, partly due to fewer working days, but showed a combined 1.6 percent increase across September and October. Construction output declined 14.2 percent year on year, underscoring the depth of the sector’s slowdown. Manufacturing production rose 1.6 percent, led by a 14.6 percent jump in semiconductor output. Service sector production grew 3.6 percent, supported by health and social welfare services, up 6.6 percent, and finance and insurance services, up 4.2 percent. Consumer spending showed further signs of recovery. Retail and service consumption rose a combined 1.3 percent in September and October, although October retail sales increased only 0.3 percent, partly reflecting the Chuseok holiday. “Interest rate cuts are gradually taking effect, and with the consumer sentiment index at 112.4, consumption is expected to continue improving,” the KDI report said. Construction investment remains weak despite a recent uptick in building orders. KDI also highlighted ongoing uncertainty over external trade conditions, including tariff negotiations between the United States and South Korea and pending rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-08 13:59:18

South Korea and Türkiye to explore common path based on historic ties in Seoul SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - South Korea and Türkiye will convene a high-level strategic forum in Seoul on Dec. 15 to reflect on their historical ties and chart a roadmap for future comprehensive cooperation across next-generation industries and agenda on the momentum of the 75th year of the outbreak of the Korean War, where Turkey had been second only to Americans in arriving in the country to defend South Korea. Hosted jointly by the Embassy of Türkiye in the Republic of Korea and the Korea University Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) International Policy Forum, the event — titled "Türkiye Meetings" — will take place from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Korea University's International Studies Hall, compromised of panel and separate high-level discussions among senior government officials, policy specialists, think tank scholars, and innovation leaders of the two countries. Marking what officials describe as a relationship rooted in "friendship, fraternity and brotherhood," the program opens with a photo exhibition tracing the evolution of Türkiye–Korea ties — from Türkiye's participation in the Korean War and Cold War-era solidarity to the launch of the strategic partnership in 2012 and the countries' present-day geopolitical alignment. The main forum features a panel discussion and seminar joined by leading figures from both countries' diplomatic and academic communities, including Prof. Ferhat Pirinççi, Deputy Director of Communications, Presidential Communications Directorate of Türkiye, Prof. Kim Byungki, Board Chair, Korea University GSIS International Policy Forum, Dr. Hong Hyun-ik, former Chancellor, Korea Diplomatic Academy, Prof. Nam Sung-wook, former Director, Institute for National Security Strategy, Prof. Kılıç Buğra Kanat, Executive Advisor and Professor, SETA Foundation, Prof. Murat Yeşiltaş, Professor of Geopolitics, Ankara Social Sciences University and SETA Director of Foreign Policy Studies, and Prof. Kadir Üstün, SETA Washington DC Chair The lineup reflects a shared intention to situate bilateral relations within a broader strategic context shaped by regional security demands, shifting global alliances, and accelerating technological change. President Lee Jae Myung visited Ankara on Nov. 24 for summit talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing the country as "brotherly nation" for sending more than 20,000 soldiers soon after the North Korean invasion in 1950, even as the two countries lacked diplomatic relations at the time. The two summits signed memorandums of understandings on cooperation in nuclear energy, road infrastructure, defense capabilities, biotechnology cooperation, and AI and digital infrastructure. Erdoğan invited "vast and untapped potential" for cooperation across advanced industries" while Lee highlighted Türkiye’s role in mediating Middle East tensions and its relevance to stability on the Korean Peninsula. The event is additionally linked to commemorations organized through the Turkish Cultural Center of Ankara to mark Turkish Language Diaspora Day on December 15, reinforcing the cultural dimension of Türkiye's engagement with Korea. A special gala exhibition and seminar component is being prepared by the Embassy in Seoul, the Presidential Directorate of Strategic Communications, and the SETA Foundation to honor both President Erdoğan and President Lee's state-level exchanges. Founded in 2005, SETA (Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research) is Türkiye's leading non-profit think tank, conducting research across domestic and foreign policy, security, economy, law, society, media, energy, and technology. It is also involved in cultivating future policy researchers through training programs and seminars. 2025-12-08 13:48:37

Largest animation and gaming festival wraps up after drawing 100,000 visitors SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - South Korea's largest animation and gaming festival, the Anime X Game Festival (AGF), concluded on Sunday after attracting more than 100,000 attendees, making it the festival's most successful year yet. The three-day festival, kicked last Friday at KINTEX in Goyang, drew 40 percent more visitors than last year's 72,081. Despite sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall on the opening day, fans lined up early, with some even waiting overnight. The diverse crowd, including teenagers and families, highlighted the growing mainstream appeal of what was once considered a subculture. Major gaming developers participated, with Smilegate unveiling its tactical time-travel RPG "MIRESI: Invisible Future" alongside its popular "Epic Seven." Nexon showcased "Mabinogi Mobile," recreating the game's village for an immersive experience. NCSoft made their first appearance at the festival with interactive events for its upcoming release, "Limit Zero Breakers." Netmarble celebrated the eighth anniversary of "Fate/Grand Order" with a booth featuring interactive games and a variety of other events. Other developers and companies also captivated fans with their popular characters and costumes. The festival's signature stage events including anime song performances, attracted enthusiastic crowds and added to the lively atmosphere. Organizers said, "The festival has established itself as a fandom event, and we aim to enhance its programs next year to become a leading global festival." * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-08 13:43:52

Asian markets reserved in FOMC week, Japan GDP disappoints SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Cautious mood overwhelmed the Asian market opening for the week as investors awaited the rate move and direction signal from the U.S. Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting later this week. South Korea's KOSPI is trading at 4,103 as of 11:00 a.m. Monday, unchanged from the end of last week. Foreign investors, selling 278.7 billion won ($189 million), and institutions, selling 124.5 billion won, are driving the weakness. Retail investors are buying 399.1 billion won, looking for opportunities. The dollar dropped below 1,470 won, driven by customary year-end dollar-selling for book-closing. Samsung Electronics rose 0.8 percent to 109,400 won on expectations for the chipmaker to retake the No. 1 position in the DRAM market, given the bigger margin of rise in legacy chips. SK hynix slipped 1.29 percent to 537,000 won as its HBM-focused portfolio gives it less room to benefit from the mass-market DRAM upturn. Nuclear power-related stocks are struggling. Doosan Enerbility is trading 4.3 percent lower at 77,000 won, and Korea Electric Power (KEPCO) is 2.1 percent lower at 51,100 won, driven by a combination of factors — the government’s earlier statement prioritizing renewable energy over nuclear power, and the view that the power efficiency of TPUs is up to four times better than GPUs. Some companies are benefiting from favorable news. LG Energy Solution, the No. 1 secondary battery company, is trading 3.2 percent higher at 440,000 won, following news of a $1.4 billion electric-vehicle battery supply contract with Mercedes-Benz. The KOSDAQ is 0.17 percent higher at 923. Its market capitalization briefly surpassed 500 trillion won in early trading before receding to the high-400 trillion-won range. Alteogen, the top market-cap biotech firm, is trading 2.2 percent higher at 466,500 won, reflecting expectations that its business momentum will improve after its decision to transfer its listing from the KOSDAQ to the KOSPI. Japan’s Nikkei 225 is trading 0.3 percent lower at 50,338. Japanese GDP contracted 0.6% sequentially in the third quarter, worse than market expectations of a 0.4% contraction. The market is showing a mixture of anxiety about recession and hope that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet will implement stronger stimulus measures. Toyota rose 0.59 percent to 3,050 yen and Nissan gained 2 percent to 378 yen, while semiconductor names weakened across the board with Advantest down 1.8 percent to 19,845 yen and Tokyo Electron down 1.35 percent to 32,690 yen. Taiwan’s TAIEX is trading 0.45 percent higher at 28,106. TSMC is leading the rally, trading 1.03 percent higher at NT$1,475, while MediaTek is 1.4 percent lower at NT$1,410, limiting overall gains. Chinese markets show mixed results. The Shanghai Composite Index is trading 0.15 percent higher at 3,908, and the Shenzhen Component is 0.36 percent higher at 13,194, helped by expectations of central bank stimulus. In contrast, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index — more sensitive to global investment flows — is 0.35 percent lower at 25,995, weighed by the FOMC uncertainty and Japan’s GDP data. 2025-12-08 11:56:35

Hyundai Mobis opens second software R&D center in Bengaluru SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Hyundai Mobis, the parts-making affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, said Monday it has established a specialized software research and development center in Bengaluru, India, as part of efforts to expand its presence in one of the world's fastest-growing automotive markets. The new facility in the southwestern Indian city, known as a hub for global technology firms and startups, will serve as a specialized base for infotainment software development. The center complements the company's existing integrated R&D headquarters in Hyderabad, which was launched earlier this year. Hyundai Mobis said the decision to open a second Indian research base reflects growing demand for software development capabilities as vehicles increasingly rely on advanced electronic components. Bengaluru was selected for its strong software development ecosystem and pool of skilled engineers. The Indian expansion comes naturally, as the Hyundai Motor Group affiliate has already been operating manufacturing plants in Chennai and Anantapur, a parts distribution center in Gurugram, and procurement and quality control centers in Delhi and Chennai respectively. The world's sixth-largest automotive parts supplier said the dual-location strategy also aims to address India's regional diversity in language and culture, which influences talent recruitment. Global automakers and parts suppliers have adopted similar approaches by operating multiple research facilities across major Indian cities. Under the new structure, the Hyderabad center will function as the regional R&D headquarters, overseeing software strategy, global research coordination and application development. The Bengaluru facility will focus on framework development and hardware-software integration for infotainment systems. The expansion also comes as India's automotive market shifts from compact cars toward larger vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems and other high-value electronic components. This trend has increased demand for software engineers specializing in automotive applications, including advanced driver assistance systems. 2025-12-08 11:00:08

Rosé named Variety's 'Global Hitmaker of the Year' for her viral song SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - K-pop girl band BLACKPINK's member Rosé has been included among American weekly magazine Variety's annual "Hitmakers" list, her agency said on Monday. She was awarded "Global Hitmaker of the Year" at the magazine's ninth annual "Hitmakers" gathering in Los Angeles last Saturday, which recognizes the "artists and collaborators behind the year's 25 most popular songs." "Rising star Rosé, who fielded a big hit with 'Apt.' in tandem with Bruno Mars, also reflected on how quickly success can strike. The collaboration with the veteran hitmaker led to 'an absolute explosion of surprises and an overwhelming amount of love.' And she admitted that gaining international recognition has been 'a tiny bit of a mindfuck,'" the magazine said. In her acceptance speech, Rosé called the past year a "whirlwind of unimaginable events," adding that watching the song's popularity soar was a "real joy." Since its release in October last year, the catchy song has gone viral worldwide, becoming the longest-running K-pop song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-08 10:43:00

HJ Shipbuilding launches four patrol boats for South Korean Navy SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - HJ Shipbuilding held a launch ceremony on Monday for four domestically built high-speed patrol boats, strengthening South Korea’s coastal defense capabilities. The vessels were built under a 2022 contract with the Navy as part of the PKX-B Batch-II program. The ceremony took place at the company’s Yeongdo Shipyard in Busan and was attended by senior defense and industry officials, including Rear Adm. Ahn Sang-min, acting head of the ship project division at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and HJ Shipbuilding Chief Executive Yoo Sang-cheol. The new boats, designated PKMR-class patrol vessels, are set to replace the aging Chamsuri-class fleet. They are equipped with advanced combat management systems, 130 mm guided rocket launchers, electronic warfare suites and anti-missile systems. The vessels use waterjet propulsion to operate effectively in shallow waters and are built with reinforced armor, shock-resistant structures and stealth features to reduce detectability and improve combat resilience. HJ Shipbuilding said it had previously delivered 16 vessels under the PKX-B Batch-I project and has secured contracts for all 12 ships under the Batch-II program. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-08 10:32:06

Korea's LGES lands $1.4 bn EV battery deal with Mercedes-Benz SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - South Korea's top battery maker LG Energy Solution (LGES) has signed a 2.06 trillion won ($1.4 billion) electric-vehicle battery supply contract with Mercedes-Benz AG, extending the company’s streak of securing multi-billion-dollar global deals this year as automakers race to lock in long-term cell capacity. According to LGES’ regulatory filing on Monday, the contract covers battery supply to Mercedes-Benz from March 2028 through June 2035, spanning both Europe and North America, the two fastest-growing EV markets. The deal amounts to roughly 8 percent of LGES’ latest annual revenue of 25.62 trillion won, based on its 2024 consolidated financial statements. At 10:10 a.m. shares of LGES jumped 4.5 percent to 445,000 won($303), far outperforming KOSPI gain of 0.2 percent. LGES said the contract value, translated at the exchange rate of 1,471.5 won per dollar on Dec. 5, may be adjusted as details, including total volume and duration, remain subject to further negotiation with the German automaker. The agreement contains no upfront deposits or advance payments, the filing added. The Mercedes-Benz deal adds to a series of multibillion-dollar contracts LG Energy Solution has secured in 2025, underscoring its strengthened global positioning as the EV market bifurcates between premium automakers and cost-driven Chinese competitors. LGED maintains third rank in global EV battery market, following Chinese behemoths CATL and BYD. Its share however dropped to 9.3 percent as of October this year from 11.1 percent in the same period a year ago, according to Korean market research firm SNE Research. Major LGES contracts announced so far this year include $4.3 billion battery supply deal with an undisclosed party in the United States in July, presumed to be Tesla, aside from exclusive U.S supply contracts with Hyundai Motor Group, Honda Motor, and General Motors. 2025-12-08 10:23:41

Korean fried-chicken chain BBQ establishes European headquarters in Spain SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Genesis BBQ Group said Monday it has established a European headquarters in Spain. The South Korean fried-chicken chain said it formed a partnership with BLT F&B Group, a Spain-based operator with businesses in finance and foodservice across Spanish-speaking markets. BLT manages major restaurant brands including Domino’s Pizza and Applebee’s in the Americas, giving BBQ access to existing operational and supply chain networks. The announcement was made at a launch event held at BBQ’s headquarters in Seoul. The new European base is designed to function as a production and logistics hub, supporting supply chain coordination, faster market entry and product localization. BBQ said the structure will accelerate the rollout of master franchise agreements, flagship stores and localized menu development tailored to national consumer preferences. The company plans to open flagship stores in Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Poland and the Netherlands, with additional expansion targeted at neighboring European markets. Chairman Yoon Hong-geun said Europe represents a “strategic gateway” for the globalization of Korean food and a central pillar of the group’s international ambitions. “We aim to spread the premium value of Korean-style fried chicken across Europe through customized local menus and an advanced logistics network,” Yoon said. * This article, published by Economic Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-08 10:17:25