Korean e-commerce giants expand beauty business

SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - South Korea's major e-commerce platforms are intensifying their beauty sector investments, with companies launching private labels and luxury verticals while expanding their brand portfolios. The industry's shift toward beauty reflects the growing demand for K-beauty products. Coupang, the country's largest e-commerce platform, recently introduced its private brand skincare line "Elle Paris" through its subsidiary CPLB, offering 18

January 10, 2025

Presidential security chief questioned over blocking Yoon's arrest

SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - The head of South Korea's Presidential Security Service underwent police questioning on Friday over allegations that he ordered security officials to block investigators from executing an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. Park Chong-jun, chief of the Presidential Security Service, appeared at the National Office of Investigation (NOI) headquarters in western Seoul in the morning and expressed concern about potential clashes between g

January 10, 2025

4,000 North Korean troops killed or wounded in Ukraine, Zelensky claims

SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - About 4,000 North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia to support its war in Ukraine have been "killed and wounded in action," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday. North Korea holds "no value for people," said Zelensky during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), an alliance of 57 counties, also known as the Ramstein group, which includes members of NATO as well as most of the European Union.

January 10, 2025

PHOTOS: Cold snap to linger through weekend

SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - The mercury has stayed below zero across the country with the cold snap reaching its peak on Friday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the morning low dropped to -12.2 degrees Celsius in Seoul, -11.7 degrees in Incheon, and -12.9 degrees in Daejeon. Temperatures in the mountainous regions of Gangwon Province plunged to -20 degrees or lower. The freezing weather is expected to last throughout the weekend.

January 10, 2025

Lotte Group chairman warns of survival risk, calls for radical reform

SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin has issued a stark warning to top executives , declaring the conglomerate faces an "existential threat" and must undergo "strong reform and innovation" to survive. The urgent message came during a meeting at Lotte World Tower on Thursday, attended by key executives including Lotte Department Store CEO Chung Joon-ho and Hotel Lotte Co. CEO Jung Ho-seok. The atmosphere was described as serious as the grou

January 10, 2025

Korea achieves $1 trillion in cumulative overseas construction contracts

SEOUL, January 10 (AJP) - South Korea has achieved a historic milestone in the global construction industry, with its companies securing a cumulative $1 trillion in overseas construction contracts. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, Friday, South Korean firms won $37.11 billion in international contracts in 2024, pushing the total to $1.009 trillion since the country first ventured into overseas construction nearly six decades ago with Hyundai Engine

January 10, 2025

PHOTOS: A glimpse into future at CES 2025

SEOUL, January 09 (AJP) - CES 2025, the world's largest consumer electronics and IT show, is being held in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 to 10, showcasing AI, robotics, smart home and other technology innovations from around the world.

January 9, 2025

All victims of plane crash buried, two weeks after disaster

SEOUL, January 9 (AJP) - Funerals for the victims of a plane crash in Muan, southwestern South Korea late last month have now wrapped up, with the remaining two victims laid to rest in Jeju on Thursday. With their funerals, all the victims have been buried, nearly two weeks after the fatal crash of a Jeju Air flight which claimed 179 lives at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province on Dec. 29. Until the previous day, the obsequies for the other 177 victims had been compl

January 9, 2025

Investigators weigh in on timing for another attempt to arrest Yoon

Security officials stroll at President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul on Jan. 9, 2025. Yonhap SEOUL, January 9 (AJP) - Investigators are gearing up for another attempt to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol over last month's botched martial law debacle. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) failed to arrest him in its first attempt after an hours-long standoff with security officials at Yoon's official residence in Hannam-

January 9, 2025

[CES 2025] Silicon Valley, Korean startups connect at Las Vegas networking event

LAS VEGAS, January 7 (AJP) - Over 50 startup representatives from Silicon Valley and Korea gathered at a grand Las Vegas mansion on Jan. 7, exchanging ideas and forging connections at the "Silicon Valley Leaders Networking Event." Hosted by the Innobiz Association under the South Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the event provided a platform for Korean innovators to connect with Silicon Valley leaders and explore global market expansion opportunities. "CES i

January 9, 2025