CJ Group seeks police probe over leak of female employees' personal data SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - CJ Group filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency over the leak of personal information belonging to about 330 female employees via a Telegram channel, in the latest in a string of data security breaches rattling corporate Korea. The disclosed material the group revealed on Wednesday included mobile phone numbers, internal extensions, job titles and profile photographs, all of which matched current and former staff records, the company said. May 20, 2026

Samsung Live: Labor minister steps onto the mound to save talks and stop strike SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) -With a nationwide strike at Samsung Electronics just hours away, South Korean Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon on Wednesday personally stepped into wage negotiations after government-mediated arbitration collapsed, underscoring mounting fears in Seoul that a prolonged walkout could destabilize the semiconductor industry at the center of the global AI boom. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said Kim would directly oversee renewed talks between Samsung managemen May 20, 2026

Homeplus stores fade as Korea's offline retail hunts for a lifeline SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Finding a grocery item for an impromptu home dinner has become something of a luxury, said Michelle, an expatriate homemaker in her 40s living in Seorae Village, a quiet enclave in southern Seoul that is home to much of Korea’s French community due to its proximity to the country’s only French international school. Apart from a handful of convenience stores, butcher shops and fruit vendors, the neighborhood’s only meaningful grocery option is May 20, 2026

Kakao union wins strike mandate as Korean tech labor unrest spreads SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Unionized workers at Kakao and four of its affiliates voted overwhelmingly in favor of industrial action, clearing the way for what would be the first joint strike in the South Korean tech giant's history and adding to a swelling wave of labor unrest sweeping the country's chip and platform industries. The Kakao branch of the Koren Federation of Chemical and Textile, and Food Workers Unions announced Wednesday all five affiliates — Kakao, Kakao Pa May 20, 2026

Samsung Live: Seoul presses management and union not to give up on talks SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) -The South Korean government pressured the management and union of Samsung Electronics not to give up talks to avert a general strike starting Thursday that could rattle the core chip sector sustaining Asia’s fourth-largest economy and one of the world’s hottest stock markets against Gulf war shocks. The presidential office Wednesday expressed “deep regret” after three days of government-mediated wage talks collapsed in Sejong City, while May 20, 2026

Samsung Live: Union to launch 18-day strike as planned after marathon talks collapse SEJONG, May 20 (AJP) -Samsung Electronics faces an unprecedented 18-day strike from Thursday after the union walked out of government-mediated marathon talks over revisions to the employee reward system at the tech giant whose market valuation has swelled to nearly $1 trillion amid the AI boom. Management and the Korean tech giant’s largest union held three days of talks at a government complex in Sejong under the mediation of the National Labor Relations Commission May 20, 2026

Seoul, Washington to launch working group to advance nuclear submarine deal SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korea and the United States have agreed to launch a bilateral working group to implement security agreements reached at their summit last October, including Washington’s approval for Seoul to build nuclear-powered submarines. U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker is set to visit Seoul within weeks to lead an interagency delegation for the talks. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-jo May 20, 2026

Kia to provide vehicles for FIFA World Cup athletes and officials SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Kia will provide more than 600 vehicles for this summer's FIFA World Cup, the automaker said on Wednesday. At an event in Los Angeles the previous day, Kia pledged to supply over 660 vehicles ahead of the quadrennial sporting event, which kicks off in June, as one of the tournament's official sponsors, aiming to broaden its brand exposure in the global market. The vehicles, which included Kia's key models such as the Carnival, K4, Niro, Soren May 20, 2026

LG CNS pushes AI-powered smart factory platform into North America SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - LG CNS announced it has stepped up efforts to expand its artificial intelligence-driven smart factory business in North America, positioning its proprietary Factova platform as a gateway for small and mid-sized manufacturers seeking to automate production lines. The IT services arm of South Korea's LG Group said Wednesday that it was the only Korean firm to exhibit at IoT Tech Expo 2026 in San Jose, California, held from Monday to Tuesday, an event that dra May 20, 2026

Samsung Live: Samsung faces 'D-Day' as last-ditch labor talks spilled over into execution eve SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and its largest labor union will head back to the negotiating table on Wednesday morning after grueling, marathon talks failed to reach a breakthrough overnight, leaving the tech giant just hours away from a historic full-scale strike. The closed-door session is scheduled to reconvene at 10 a.m. at the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) in Sejong, marking the third round of post-mediation talks. The immediate eve-of-strike meeting May 20, 2026