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[[K-Pop]] Netflix hit animation director explores heart of Korean cultures and treasures SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Maggie Kang, director of Netflix’s global hit animation film "K-pop Demon Hunters," visited the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on Thursday, where she explored traditional Korean art and culture alongside museum director Yu Hong-jun. Following the tour, Kang expressed admiration for Korea’s cultural icons, calling the tiger character Derpy “a source of national pride” and praising Korea’s symbolic imagery. K-pop Demon Hunters, affectionately called "케데헌 (Kaedeheon)" by South Korean fans, has become a breakout hit across global streaming platforms. The film blends high-energy K-pop action with supernatural storytelling, earning praise for its original characters and use of Korean cultural themes. Derpy, the mischievous tiger mascot, has especially won over fans around the world. Kang spent about 40 minutes touring the museum with Director General Yu Hong-jun. The pair visited key exhibition halls, including the immersive digital media gallery and the Room of Quiet Contemplation. In the museum’s main atrium, Yu presented Kang with a traditional folding fan adorned with his own calligraphy. Inspired by the woodblock print "Muho-do" by folk artist Oh Yoon (1946-86), the fan reads, "Shinmyeong, the joy and soul of the Korean people." In return, Kang gifted Yu a Derpy plush, toy symbolizing the film’s signature character. After the two exchanged gifts and chatted briefly in private, they began their museum walk. At the immersive digital media room, Kang sat and watched a series of animated projections featuring themes from Joseon-era paintings, rank badges, and lacquerware. One short film, "Roaring Tigers," featured bold, humorous reinterpretations of tigers in Korean art. "I hadn’t seen this video before, and it’s truly remarkable. I missed it on my last visit, but I love how distinct and playful the tiger motifs are," Kang said. She explained that these styles contributed to the development of Derpy. "I thought the tiger could be fun and a bit cheeky, so that’s how Derpy came to be." At the sculpture and crafts hall, Yu offered an impromptu explanation of the famed moon jar on display. Kang stood in front of the delicate porcelain and nodded as Yu spoke. "It’s stunning. I never realized how much detail was involved," she said. "Just listening to your explanation gives me stories. Ideas are popping into my head." After finishing the tour, Kang said, "It was such a privilege to get a personal guided tour. I wish I had come before making the movie." She added, "But I now have great ideas for a new film, and I’m really excited about it." When asked if she would continue to incorporate Korean traditional culture into her future projects, Kang replied, "I think I will keep going." Yu said the film has played a role in attracting younger visitors to the museum. "I used to wonder why we had so many millennials and the Z generation visitors," Yu said. "But now I see they don’t just come to shop. They roam around the museum and really enjoy it in their own way." He added, "Now we are thinking about how to accommodate this wave of popularity and how to use it to upgrade the museum experience." According to Yu, the museum is now working on improving visitor engagement through enhanced exhibitions and new events. 2025-08-21 15:41:27
[[K-Pop]] BTS member Jungkook's song garners 2.5 billion streams on Spotify SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - "Seven," a song by Jungkook, a member of K-pop boy band BTS, has garnered over 2.5 billion streams on the world's largest streaming site Spotify, his management agency BigHit Music said on Thursday. Released in July 2023, the song, a serenade about wanting to spend every day with a loved one, became the first K-pop single to achieve the feat and also set a record by remaining on Spotify's global weekly chart for more than 100 consecutive weeks. Earlier, the song was recognized by Guinness World Records as the fastest song by a male artist, having attracted 100 million streams in just about a week after its release. Meanwhile, the seven-member band will release their new album early next year and embark on a large-scale world tour. They have been staying in the U.S. since last month to prepare for the album. 2025-08-21 14:52:23
President Lee Jae Myung meets Bill Gates, discusses SMR and global health cooperation SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Bill Gates, Chair of the Gates Foundation and co-founder of Microsoft, at the presidential office near central Seoul on Thursday. Lee and Gates' conversation focused on collaboration in global public health, next-generation nuclear energy, and South Korea’s role in emerging industries. Gates, visiting South Korea for the first time in three years, opened the meeting by wishing President Lee well in his upcoming summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. "Have a good conversation with President Trump," Gates said, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. Lee responded, "It will be difficult, but I will handle it wisely." The two discussed the growing role of South Korea in the development of small modular reactors, or SMRs, a field where Gates has invested through his company TerraPower. President Lee underscored the potential of South Korean firms in this space. "Many of our companies are developing small modular reactors and expanding their presence in the global market," Lee said. "South Korea can become a global leader in SMRs. Our companies are well-prepared, and we already have a significant edge internationally." Praising Gates's global contributions, Lee said, "I respect your dedication to public service for the planet and for humanity. The South Korean government will seek every possible way to join you in that mission." Lee added with a smile, "You created Windows, which I use to write emails. Through that, people around the world have been given a window to see the world." Gates noted that the Gates Foundation had recently marked its 25th anniversary with a pledge to use all of its funds and his personal assets within 20 years. "We are aiming to use around 200 billion dollars, with a focus on improving global public health," he said. He highlighted an ambitious target. "We want to reduce the number of child deaths worldwide to fewer than 2 million a year over the next 20 years, which means cutting 80 percent from current levels." Gates emphasized that South Korea could play a critical role in achieving this goal. "One of the key ways is through South Korea's innovative products. Your bioscience sector is extraordinary," he said. "From the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to SD Biosensor, SK, LG, and EuBiologics, the biotech landscape in South Korea has grown immensely. Ten years ago, it was small. Today, it is one of the world’s most important industries," he added. "I have had many opportunities to work directly with products from these companies, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their vaccines and diagnostic tools were excellent." Gates also pointed to the broader global shifts. "The world has changed dramatically. Along with geopolitical shifts, we have seen massive technological changes, such as AI. For South Korea, this is a key opportunity to reassess strategy and solidify its presence in developing solutions." Gates also urged South Korea to continue contributing to global health. "South Korea is almost uniquely positioned, having gone from aid recipient to donor. I hope you continue to play a vital role in improving public health around the world." 2025-08-21 14:43:01
[[K-Defense]] South Korea moves to develop its own electronic warfare aircraft SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korea has taken its first steps toward building a domestically produced electronic warfare aircraft, issuing a $1.38 billion tender that would place the country in a select club of nations able to jam and disable enemy radar systems. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, South Korea’s arms procurement agency, set up the plan last month under the title “Electronic Warfare Aircraft (Block-I) System Development Project,” according to industry officials on Thursday. The program calls for the delivery of four aircraft by 2034, with the budget covering both development and production. Only the United States, Russia and China currently field operational electronic warfare planes, which are considered a critical asset in modern air combat. The platforms exploit the electromagnetic spectrum — radio signals, radar and infrared — to detect, protect and communicate, while disrupting or degrading an adversary’s ability to do the same. South Korea’s system is designed to blanket the Korean Peninsula, strengthening its ability to counter North Korea’s increasingly sophisticated missile and radar networks. While Germany, Italy and Japan have pursued similar programs, none have reached deployment. Four domestic defense firms are competing for the contract. Korea Aerospace Industries and Korean Air are proposing to convert Bombardier’s G6500 business jet into the base aircraft, while Hanwha Systems and LIG Nex1 are vying to supply jamming and signal interception systems. Bids are due in early September, with the government expected to select contractors by October. 2025-08-21 14:30:29
Korean firms shift supply chains to Southeast Asia amid US-China tensions SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - South Korean manufacturers are deepening their presence in Southeast Asia, building factories and export hubs in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam as they seek to reduce dependence on China and navigate shifting global trade rules. The push reflects both rising geopolitical risks and the draw of lower labor costs in a region that has emerged as one of the world’s most attractive alternatives to Chinese manufacturing. Southeast Asian governments are competing for investment with tax breaks and expedited permits, while free trade agreements have lowered barriers within the bloc. Simmtech, a semiconductor substrate maker, operates a packaging plant in Penang, Malaysia, which has become a magnet for global chipmakers including Intel and Micron. Its subsidiary, Sustio, completed a $77 million expansion of the site earlier this year. In Indonesia, Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution are building the country’s first battery-cell plant in Karawang, near Jakarta, with a $1.1 billion investment. The facility, expected to start operations in 2025, will produce up to 10 gigawatt-hours annually, largely for electric vehicles in South Korea and India. Steel and chemical producers are also moving aggressively. POSCO has set up cold-rolled and hot-rolled steel plants in Vietnam, while Lotte Chemical bolstered its presence in Malaysia by acquiring Titan Chemicals. LS Electric, an energy equipment maker, opened a plant in Bac Ninh, Vietnam, to serve the region’s infrastructure boom. Part of the appeal is political. Unlike China, Southeast Asian nations are largely insulated from the escalating trade and technology confrontation between Washington and Beijing. Regional frameworks such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership have further cut tariffs on intra-Asian trade. Cost competitiveness remains a decisive factor. Vietnam’s factory workers earn an average of $320 a month, less than half the average in China. In Indonesia, labor costs are 30 to 50 percent lower than in South Korea across many industrial sectors, offering savings for labor-intensive production. 2025-08-21 14:24:57
[[K-Beauty]] Korean cosmetics manufacturer Cosmax to set up India subsidiary SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Cosmax, the world’s largest cosmetics manufacturer, said it will establish a subsidiary in Mumbai, India, by the end of 2025, underscoring the company’s ambitions to make India a key pillar of its next stage of global expansion. The South Korean company, a leading provider of original design manufacturing (ODM) services for international brands, outlined the plan during an investor relations meeting in Seoul on Wednesday. Founder and Chairman Lee Kyung-soo described the India venture as part of Cosmax’s “new leap” strategy. A senior Cosmax executive said the move is in its final stages, pointing to the rapid growth of India’s cosmetics industry and the opportunity to leverage Korean skin care expertise in a market of 1.5 billion people. India’s beauty and personal care market was valued at $31.7 billion in 2024, expanding at an average annual rate of 4.7 percent since 2022, according to data from the Korea Cosmetic Industry Institute. Cosmax currently operates in 10 countries, including production hubs in China, the United States and Indonesia. Officials said the company may explore a Middle East presence after launching in India. The company’s strategy increasingly aims to compete with France’s luxury beauty houses through partnerships with global giants such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder, while advancing its own premium positioning. Chairman Lee stressed that Cosmax’s growth will depend not only on scale but also on building world-class research capabilities and aligning with the most competitive international players. 2025-08-21 14:19:42
South Korea's costly nuclear deal with Westinghouse traces back to 50-year dependency SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s fraught nuclear agreement with Westinghouse Electric of the United States, derided by critics as a “50-year slave contract,” is the culmination of a technological dependency that dates back to the earliest days of the country’s atomic energy program. In the 1970s, South Korea built its nuclear ambitions on American blueprints. The nation’s first reactors were based on designs from Combustion Engineering, a U.S. company that developed the System 80 model. When Westinghouse acquired Combustion Engineering in 2000, the intellectual property rights behind South Korea’s core reactor technology effectively passed into Westinghouse’s hands. At the heart of the current dispute is the APR1400, South Korea’s flagship reactor that it has sought to market abroad as a symbol of its industrial self-reliance. Though Korean engineers spent decades refining the design, the reactor remains rooted in Combustion Engineering’s System 80+, leaving room for Westinghouse to assert intellectual property claims. Those claims came to a head in 2022, after Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the state-owned operator, secured a $17.1 billion contract to build reactors in the Czech Republic. Westinghouse swiftly filed suit in U.S. courts, arguing that the APR1400 could not be exported without its approval because it was derived from Westinghouse-controlled technology. The legal challenge threatened to derail South Korea’s most important nuclear export deal in years, just as Seoul was trying to reassert itself as a global player in the nuclear market. Facing a March 2025 deadline to finalize the Czech contract, Korean negotiators found themselves under enormous pressure. Industry officials say Westinghouse used that urgency to extract concessions. A settlement was reached in January. Under its reported terms, Korea agreed to pay Westinghouse $650 million per reactor for equipment and services, along with $175 million in licensing fees. Westinghouse also secured restrictions on where South Korea can export its reactors and won the right to review future Korean designs. For South Korea, the deal ensures the Czech project moves forward and preserves its credibility as a nuclear exporter. But it also underscores the limits of the country’s independence in an industry it has long touted as a pillar of national strength. “This is the price of building our industry on borrowed technology,” said one energy policy analyst in Seoul on condition of anonymity. “Even after decades of innovation, the original license still determines what Korea can and cannot do.” The controversy has become a flash point in South Korea, where critics argue that early reliance on foreign technology created structural dependencies that have persisted for nearly half a century. Despite technological prowess and a record of safe operations at home, the country remains tethered to intellectual property rights inherited from contracts signed in a very different era. As Seoul pushes to expand its nuclear exports to new markets, the episode is a reminder that choices made decades ago can cast long shadows — sometimes measured not in years, but in generations. 2025-08-21 13:39:27
[[K-Tech]] Krafton brings real-time AI to its virtual world at Gamescom 2025 SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - Krafton, the South Korean publisher behind PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, is betting that artificial intelligence will change the way people play life simulation games. At Gamescom 2025, taking place in Cologne, Germany, the company unveiled plans to weave real-time AI into inZOI, its early-access simulation title, enabling players to converse naturally with digital characters and receive lifelike emotional responses. “After listening to our users, we decided to redesign the roadmap from scratch,” Hyunjun Kim, the project manager at Krafton’s inZOI Studio, told reporters. “We’ve completely reworked the interaction system of the character ‘Zoi’ to enable human-like emotional behavior.” The revamped system equips Zoi with a built-in AI chatbot engine. Players can speak directly to the character or send written messages, and Zoi will respond in real time with AI-generated speech. Expressions, gestures and mood will shift according to the conversation. Kim said early tests produced amusing, if sometimes unpredictable, results. “We ran a test where players asked game characters to lend them money, and most of them just ran away and refused,” he said, smiling. “We’re still in R&D, and there are many unknowns ahead — but we’re committed to pushing forward with bold experiments.” Krafton has been among the most aggressive game publishers experimenting with artificial intelligence. Last month, it announced a collaboration with SK Telecom on a new post-training method for large language models, applied to three systems with roughly seven billion parameters each. The models, dubbed OpenThinker2, OpenThinker3 and AceReason-Nemotron-1.1, showed improved performance on a widely used math reasoning benchmark. Alongside its AI push, Krafton is still expanding inZOI’s content. At Gamescom, the company rolled out a free downloadable update called inZOI: Island Getaway, which introduces Cahaya, a sun-drenched island city modeled after Southeast Asian resorts. The expansion adds farming, mineral harvesting, deep-sea fishing and boating — mechanics that were absent from earlier builds of the game. Despite the progress, a full release remains far off. “When we started early access, we already expected this to take a long time,” Kim said. “We’ll keep delaying the official launch until we’ve fully incorporated user feedback. Not next year — realistically, the earliest would be sometime the year after.” 2025-08-21 10:37:04
[[K-Tech]] From 'Lineage' to AI: How NCSOFT is reinventing itself for new gaming era Editor's Note: This article is the 32nd installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, August 21 (AJP) - In the late 1990s, when South Korea’s internet cafes were still filled with teenagers battling each other in primitive shooting games, a young software engineer, Kim Taek-jin, was quietly building something different. Kim, who had helped develop one of the country’s first word processors for the Korean language, launched a role-playing game called Lineage in 1998. It was South Korea’s first massively multiplayer online role-playing game — a virtual world where tens of thousands of players could gather at once, form alliances, and wage endless battles. The release transformed the country’s fledgling gaming industry and turned NCSOFT, the company Kim founded a year earlier, into a household name. More than a quarter century later, Lineage and its sequels still account for most of the company’s revenue. That dependence has been both a blessing and a burden. NCSOFT remains one of South Korea’s largest game publishers, but as the industry pivots toward mobile titles, console blockbusters and emerging platforms like the metaverse, it faces the challenge of reinventing itself while holding onto its most loyal fans. The company’s latest earnings, released this month, reflect that delicate balance. Revenue in the April-to-June quarter rose to 382.4 billion won, or about $284 million. Operating profit surged 71 percent from a year earlier, to 15.1 billion won. But foreign exchange losses pushed NCSOFT into the red, with a net loss of 36 billion won. The numbers underline a paradox: NCSOFT remains highly profitable when it leans on Lineage, but its long-term ambitions hinge on proving it can do more. In recent months, Kim has reorganized the company to prepare for that future. He stepped into a co-chief executive role alongside Park Byung-moo, who now manages business operations and acquisitions, freeing Kim to focus on the creative side of game development. NCSOFT has also invested in overseas studios in Sweden and Poland, betting that fresh talent can help diversify its catalog. Seven new titles are planned by 2026, including Aion 2, a sequel to one of its earlier hits, and Cinder City, a massively multiplayer tactical shooter that has already been delayed. Perhaps the company’s boldest move lies in artificial intelligence. NCSOFT has been rolling out Varco Studio, a proprietary generative AI tool that can build avatars, synthesize voices and automatically generate storylines. The company even spun off an AI subsidiary to accelerate development. Executives say the technology could dramatically reduce the time and cost of producing new games. “We’re at an inflection point,” said one Seoul-based industry analyst. “If NCSOFT can translate its AI investments into compelling new titles, it has a chance to break out of the Lineage shadow. If not, it risks being seen as a one-franchise company.” For Kim, the stakes are personal. At 56, he still sees himself less as a corporate chairman than as a developer. Friends and colleagues describe him as a tinkerer who would rather spend time with designers than board members. In that sense, the dual leadership model — with Park handling the business and Kim shaping the creative vision — reflects not just a corporate strategy but Kim’s own identity. The company’s ambitions are not limited to gaming. It operates a professional baseball team, the NC Dinos, and runs philanthropic programs through the NC Cultural Foundation, which supports education and campaigns against gaming addiction. NCSOFT is also experimenting with blockchain-based games and metaverse-style community platforms, signaling its intention to remain at the forefront of digital culture. Still, challenges abound. NCSOFT competes not only with domestic rivals like Nexon and Netmarble but also with global powerhouses like Blizzard and Riot Games, whose titles dominate esports arenas and streaming platforms. For all its technological prowess, NCSOFT has yet to produce a global cultural phenomenon on the scale of League of Legends or World of Warcraft. Yet in the company’s glassy headquarters south of Seoul, there is quiet confidence. After all, Kim has been here before: trying to convince the world that a small Korean developer could build something players would devote their lives to. In 1998, that gamble reshaped online gaming. The question now is whether NCSOFT can do it again — this time, with artificial intelligence and a new generation of players. 2025-08-21 10:26:46
Ex-first lady's detention period extended to late this month SEOUL, August 20 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors investigating multiple allegations involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee can now hold her longer, as her detention period has been extended until the end of this month. In a press statement on Wednesday, prosecutors said the Seoul Central District Court had extended her detention for another 10 days until Aug. 31, as her detention period was set to expire this week. Kim has been detained at a remand prison in southern Seoul since early last week over multiple charges of accepting bribes including a luxury handbag and jewelry, being involved in a stock manipulation scheme, and interfering in candidate nominations during the 2022 by-elections. She was scheduled to appear for questioning later in the day, but she did not show up, citing poor health. During her previous questioning, she reportedly denied all allegations and claimed she couldn't remember. Prosecutors have now rescheduled her questioning and asked her to appear on Thursday. 2025-08-20 17:48:33