SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - Kakao Pay has scrapped its planned acquisition of SSG Pay and Smile Pay, two mobile payment services owned by Shinsegae Group, as its parent company Kakao Group pivots sharply toward artificial intelligence-focused investments, according to industry sources on Friday. The decision marks a significant shift in Kakao Group’s broader strategic direction, which has seen the tech firm prioritize funding for its growing AI ambitions over expanding its fintec

SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - For many South Koreans, Poland once seemed like a distant European country, often known only for legendary figures such as pianist Frédéric Chopin and Nobel laureate chemist Marie Curie. But the Slavic country in central Europe has drawn closer to South Korea in recent years thanks to a burgeoning appreciation for its rich literary tradition and cultural heritage. “Although South Korea and Poland are geographically far apart and have had

SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - A coalition of solar manufacturers, including Hanwha Q Cells and First Solar, petitioned the U.S. Commerce Department on Friday to impose tariffs on solar panels imported from Indonesia, India and Laos, accusing Chinese-owned firms of circumventing existing trade restrictions by routing products through third countries. The petition, filed by the American Solar Manufacturing and Trade Coalition, alleges that Chinese manufacturers are exploiting lower-cost pr

SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - Shin Dong-bin, the chairman of South Korea’s Lotte Group, has ordered a sweeping business overhaul, calling for structural reform and long-term innovation as the retail-to-chemicals conglomerate faces what analysts describe as the most serious crisis in its history. The directive came during a rare two-day forum that concluded Thursday at the Lotte Human Resources Development Center in Osan, south of Seoul. The meeting brought together some 80 senior

SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - A newly passed United States Senate defense bill signals congressional intent to maintain current American troop levels in South Korea amid renewed debate over the future of U.S. military commitments abroad. The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), approved last week by the Senate Armed Services Committee, includes language that blocks any reduction in the U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula or transfer of wartime operational control with

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.

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 cit

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 Go

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 6