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KAIST team uncovers why some plants self-destruct after crossbreeding SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - A research team led by KAIST has pinpointed the structural cause of a long-standing puzzle in plant biology: why certain plants, after being crossbred, mistakenly trigger immune responses against themselves and fail to survive. In collaboration with the National University of Singapore and the University of Oxford, the team used cryo-electron microscopy to identify how a specific protein, known as DM3, misfolds in certain genetic combinations, leading to a self-inflicted immune reaction known as hybrid necrosis. The problem has frustrated scientists for years. When two different plant varieties are bred, their offspring sometimes grow weak and die prematurely, despite appearing genetically compatible. This phenomenon, often tied to immune system overreaction, has been difficult to predict or prevent. KAIST researchers found that one version of the DM3 protein, called DM3Hh-0, fails to bind its six subunits properly. The plant's immune system recognizes this irregular structure as a threat and reacts accordingly. In contrast, another version, DM3Col-0, forms a stable complex and does not trigger a response. "The immune system can recognize not just pathogens from outside, but also structural problems within its own proteins," said Professor Song Ji-jun of KAIST's Department of Biological Sciences, who led the research. "This sheds light on how plants interpret internal changes as potential danger." Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy, the team visualized the structure of DM3 and determined that the issue was not related to its enzymatic function, but rather to how well the protein units stick together. Loose binding appeared to be the key trigger. "This study brings together structural biology, genetics, and cell biology to explain a phenomenon that plant scientists have struggled to make sense of," said Dr. Kim Ki-jung, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich and one of the study’s first authors. "It gives us a clearer picture of how self-immunity works in plants and why certain genetic mixes can go wrong." The research team says the findings may help guide future crop breeding strategies by identifying potentially incompatible combinations in advance. The study titled "Structural determinants of DANGEROUS MIX 3, an alpha/beta hydrolase that triggers NLR-mediated genetic incompatibility in plants" was published on July 17 in Molecular Cell, a peer-reviewed journal affiliated with Cell. The project was jointly led by Professor Song of KAIST and Professor Choi Eun-young at Oxford. Co-first authors include Dr. Kim and Dr. Wei-Lin Wan of the National University of Singapore. KAIST Ph.D. student Kim Na-yoon is listed as the second author. The work was supported by KAIST’s Grand Challenge 30 initiative. 2025-07-23 17:34:42
G-Dragon to promote upcoming APEC Summit in Gyeongju SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - G-Dragon, a member of the K-pop boy band Big Bang, will promote the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, which is scheduled to be held in the historic southern city of Gyeongju this fall. In a message on Facebook on Wednesday, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who has been heading preparations for the two-day summit to be held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, revealed that the flamboyant rapper has been named promotional ambassador, adding that his huge global popularity would help the country successfully host the multilateral gathering of some 21 member countries. "With just 100 days left until the summit, we expect great synergy with his help," Kim said. Later in the day on Instagram, G-Dragon, who will participate in making promotional videos and other activities, expressed his pleasure at having the opportunity to lend a hand for the summit. Meanwhile, another round of the third Senior Officials' Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM3), a preparatory session for the summit, is set to be held in Incheon, west of Seoul, for three days starting from Saturday. 2025-07-23 16:48:34
Korean named guest language for next year's arts festival in France SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Organizers of one of France's largest arts festivals, held every summer in Avignon, have chosen Korean as the official guest language for next year's event. Held every July in the southern French city since 1947, the Avignon Festival presents a broad spectrum of arts including music, dance, and literature, along with various performances, discussions, and other programs, highlighting a particular language as a bridge connecting different cultures. Korean will take the baton from this year's guest language Arabic to serve as next year's, following English in 2023 and Spanish in 2024. The Korean Arts Management Service (KAMS), a government agency dedicated to promoting the country's performing arts, on Monday hailed it, saying, "This is the first time an Asian language has been selected as the guest language," adding that the decision reflects the growing global recognition of Korean arts and culture. Several Korean works have also been included in next year's official lineup for the first time in nearly 28 years. Meanwhile, this year's festival, which began earlier this month, wraps up this weekend. 2025-07-23 16:14:46
[[K-Tech]] Hanwha Aerospace nears Nuri rocket technology transfer deal SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Hanwha Aerospace is poised to finalize a long-delayed agreement with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute to assume key responsibilities for South Korea’s homegrown space launch vehicle, the Nuri rocket, officials said Wednesday. The two sides are in the final stages of negotiations and are expected to sign the technology transfer agreement on Friday at KARI’s headquarters in Daejeon. The deal would mark a critical milestone in the country’s effort to commercialize its space program and hand over leadership from state to private hands. The agreement comes nearly three years after Hanwha was selected as the preferred negotiation partner in October 2022. While KARI has already shared some technical data ahead of Nuri’s upcoming fourth launch, core components and designs remained restricted pending the completion of the contract. Nuri is South Korea’s first fully domestically developed space launch vehicle. Developed over a decade with a government investment of about 2 trillion won, or roughly $1.45 billion, the three-stage rocket has flown three times since its debut in 2021. A fourth flight is scheduled for November. Officials hope the agreement will usher in a new phase of the country’s space program, often referred to as “New Space,” in which private firms take a leading role in satellite launches and space transportation. The government selected Hanwha Aerospace as the program’s system integrator in 2022, mirroring the United States’ transition of space launch responsibilities to companies like SpaceX. Negotiations had been stalled for years due to disputes over technology transfer fees and the extent of proprietary knowledge to be disclosed. But officials say the deal now appears to be imminent, setting the stage for broader private-sector participation. Under the Nuri advancement program, the government plans to conduct three additional launches annually from this year through 2027, aiming to strengthen South Korea’s commercial space capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign launch providers. 2025-07-23 16:10:02
S. Korea's AI job coach is getting people hired — fast SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - In the not-so-distant past, landing a job in South Korea meant printing resumes, navigating job boards, and endlessly refreshing inboxes. But today, tens of thousands are finding employment with a very different kind of help — an artificial intelligence system that knows what they’re good at, what they want, and where they’re likely to succeed. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of successful job placements through the country’s AI-powered job matching platform surged 84 percent in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year. That translates to more than 87,000 people who found work through Work-Net, a government-run digital platform that pairs job seekers with openings based on their resumes, experience, and career goals. And it’s not just placing people in jobs — it’s helping them earn more. Workers who were matched through AI recommendations reported wages that were, on average, 120,000 won higher per month in employment insurance records than those who applied for jobs on their own. The platform is finding particular traction in white-collar and high-skill fields, including management, finance, research, and engineering — industries where applicants’ nuanced qualifications can be difficult to match manually. AI has made that process faster and more precise. One of the standout tools is JobCare, a virtual career counselor of sorts. Using natural language processing and machine learning, it scans resumes and cover letters to suggest tailored job paths, relevant training, and even potential career pivots. In just six months, JobCare issued more than 274,000 personalized career reports — 50 percent more than the same period last year. Most of its users are in their 20s, many navigating their first steps in a fast-changing labor market. That demand is prompting the government to scale up. Beginning in September, Work-Net will roll out four new AI-driven features: a personalized career aptitude test, an employment probability model that estimates hiring likelihood, a smart vocational training recommender, and an automated job posting assistant for employers. “This is about making employment support more accessible, more personal, and more effective,” said Cho Jung-sook, director of Employment Support Policy at the ministry. “We want to meet people where they are — with services that work for them, backed by AI and big data.” Behind the numbers is a larger trend: South Korea is betting big on digital infrastructure — not only to manage a shifting labor force, but to empower it. As the country accelerates its transition to a digitized economy, its jobseekers are bringing along an unlikely but increasingly essential ally: artificial intelligence. 2025-07-23 16:02:59
[[K-tech]] SK hynix could find opportunities as Nvidia faces supply bottleneck for China-bound AI chips SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Despite receiving a green light from Washington to apply for export licenses for its H20 artificial intelligence chip, Nvidia is grappling with production constraints that could sharply limit shipments to China. The H20, a lower-spec AI chip tailored to comply with U.S. export controls, was expected to re-enter the Chinese market following a recent regulatory shift. Chinese technology giants including ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent are eager to acquire the H20, which had been blocked from import under U.S. restrictions. With those curbs now partially relaxed, a backlog of pent-up demand remains. Yet Nvidia’s ability to meet that demand appears increasingly uncertain. The chipmaker halted mass production of the H20 at TSMC during last year’s export ban. Since then, TSMC has reallocated the freed capacity to other clients. During a recent press conference in Beijing, Nvidia’s chief executive, Jensen Huang, said new production orders could take “at least nine months” before delivery. Caught between bureaucratic ambiguity and mounting political scrutiny, Nvidia now faces a growing supply bottleneck that threatens to stall its return to the Chinese market. One potential beneficiary of the logjam is South Korea’s SK hynix. The company began supplying its advanced 8-layer HBM3E (high-bandwidth memory) chips for use in the H20 earlier this year, replacing the previous-generation HBM3 to boost performance. Should Nvidia retain that configuration for China-bound shipments, SK hynix could be well-positioned to capitalize. Although U.S.-based Micron is also qualified to supply HBM3E memory, analysts say SK hynix is likely to maintain its lead due to its longstanding partnership with Nvidia and demonstrated manufacturing yields. The company has said it plans to devote 80 percent of its HBM3E output this year to 12-layer chips and the remaining 20 percent to 8-layer versions. That ratio, however, could be adjusted if demand for the H20 increases. 2025-07-23 15:19:35
PHOTOS: Post-flood fight against floating waste SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Cleanup operations are in full swing at Paldang Lake, where a massive influx of trash and debris has accumulated following recent torrential rains. Officials from the Gyeonggi Province Water Resources Headquarters estimate that more than 1,000 tons of floating waste were swept into the lake by the heavy downpours Workers began collection efforts on July 23 to address the extensive contamination of the critical water source. 2025-07-23 15:09:37
[[K-film]] Park Chan-wook's latest film to compete at Venice Film Festival next month SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Director Park Chan-wook's latest film has been invited to compete at this year's Venice International Film Festival next month. According to organizers of the prestigious annual festival in a livestreamed event on Tuesday, "No Other Choice" will vie for the top prize along with 20 other films, becoming the first South Korean film invited to the main competition section in over a decade, since the late director Kim Ki-duk's "Pietà," which won the Golden Lion in 2012. Based on American writer Donald E. Westlake's novel "The Ax," the thriller revolves around an office worker, played by actor Lee Byung-hun, who struggles to support his family as a breadwinner after suddenly losing his job. It is Park's second film to be invited to the festival, following "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" in 2005, marking his return to the international spotlight after his critically-acclaimed "Decision to Leave," which earned him the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022. The veteran filmmaker also took home the Grand Prix award with "Oldboy" in 2004 and the Jury Prize with "Thirst" in 2009. During a press event held in Seoul in January this year before filming began, Park recalled that he started writing the script some 17 years ago, and said "Completing it after such a long period of struggle made me realize I was right not to give up on this project." "No Other Choice," his 12th feature, is slated for release here this fall, after being screed at the festival, which runs for about two weeks in the Italian city from Aug. 27. 2025-07-23 14:12:15
Korea's lending clampdown leaves door wide open for foreign buyers SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Foreign property acquisitions in Seoul have surged in the wake of South Korea’s tightened mortgage lending rules for domestic buyers, according to newly released court registry data. The new regulations, which took effect on June 27, cap mortgage loans at 600 million won (about $435,000) for most buyers. In the weeks that followed, domestic transactions plummeted. Between July 1 and July 18, purchases of apartments and officetels — mixed-use buildings that serve both residential and commercial purposes — fell by 27.2 percent compared to the same period in June. In contrast, foreign acquisitions rose 14.3 percent over the same span, totaling 120 transactions. Chinese nationals accounted for nearly half, with 57 purchases, followed by Americans with 35 and Canadians with eight. The increase highlights a regulatory gap that exempts overseas buyers using foreign financing from the lending restrictions imposed on domestic borrowers. While South Korean residents are subject to strict lending requirements, foreigners using external capital sources face few such constraints. The disparity has prompted a wave of high-end listings targeting Chinese investors. On Juwai.com, China’s largest international property platform, dozens of Seoul luxury apartments are featured, with some priced as high as 25.8 billion won (approximately $18.7 million). Foreign ownership of South Korean residential properties exceeded 100,000 units for the first time last year, an increase of 9.6 percent from the year prior. Nearly three-quarters of those properties are located in the greater Seoul area, and more than 9,000 units are held through fractional ownership by multiple foreign buyers. Critics have pointed to the uneven enforcement of lending rules. Domestic buyers face immediate loan recalls and penalties for violations, while foreign buyers using offshore funding mechanisms are largely unaffected — exposing what lawmakers and housing advocates describe as a structural enforcement gap. In response, lawmakers have proposed legislation to rein in foreign purchases. The measures include shifting from a notification-based system to a permit-based process and requiring a minimum three-year residency commitment for foreign buyers seeking to acquire residential property. 2025-07-23 14:01:19
Samsung's grip on foldable phone market expected to slip this year SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is expected to see its global market share in foldable smartphones drop by roughly 10 percentage points this year, as rival brands gain ground in the rapidly evolving segment, according to a report by Taiwan-based research firm TrendForce. The firm projects global shipments of foldable phones will reach 19.8 million units in 2025. Samsung’s share is forecast to decline from 45.2 percent last year to 35.4 percent in 2025, reflecting growing competition. Samsung recently unveiled its latest model, the Galaxy Z Fold7, boasting refinements in hinge design, crease visibility, and form factor. While TrendForce acknowledged the company’s technological advancements, it cited intensifying market competition — particularly from Chinese manufacturers — as the primary factor eroding Samsung’s dominance. Huawei is poised to maintain a strong foothold in the Chinese market and is projected to capture 34.3 percent of global foldable phone sales this year, placing it just behind Samsung. Other Chinese brands are also expected to gain momentum. Honor’s share is forecast to rise from 6 percent to 9.1 percent, Motorola from 5.5 percent to 7.6 percent, and Xiaomi from 3 percent to 5.1 percent. TrendForce noted that the entrance of Apple into the foldable category could reshape the competitive landscape. Apple is widely expected to debut its first foldable device in the second half of 2026, featuring a 5.5-inch external display and a 7.8-inch internal screen. The long-rumored foldable iPhone, aimed at premium users, could serve as a catalyst for broader adoption of foldable technology, the report said. 2025-07-23 13:40:37