Mercedes-Benz faces sanctions in Korea over misleading claims on EV batteries

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s antitrust regulator has begun sanction proceedings against Mercedes-Benz Korea over allegations that it misled consumers about the batteries used in its electric vehicles, an issue that has gained public attention after a high-profile apartment fire last year. Mercedes-Benz Korea is suspected of violating advertising and fair trade laws, according to sources from the Fair Trade Commission, Tuesday. Regulators allege that the Korean uni

August 19, 2025

Two dead, several injured after train hits railway workers in Cheongdo

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Two men were killed and five others were injured after a passenger train struck a group of railway workers on the tracks in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, police said on Tuesday. The accident occurred around 10:50 a.m. when a train bound for Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, that had departed from Dongdaegu, collided with seven workers inspecting railway damage caused by recent heavy rainfall. There were 89 passengers aboard the train, but no injuri

August 19, 2025

North Korea condemns South Korea's joint exercise with US

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - North Korea on Tuesday denounced South Korea's ongoing joint military exercise with the U.S. which began the previous day, calling it a "clear expression" of its hostile stance toward Pyongyang, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim lambasted the exercise, saying it revealed the South's "intention to remain most hostile and confrontational" toward the North, despite the

August 19, 2025

South Korea taps new envoys to Washington and Tokyo ahead of key summits this week

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is expected to soon appoint new envoys to the U.S. and Japan, ahead of his summits with the leaders of both countries that begin later this week. According to government sources, former Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has been named ambassador to Washington, and former envoy to Viet Nam Lee Hyuk has been tapped as ambassador to Tokyo, with their agrément procedures currently underway. Lee is scheduled to sit for talks with J

August 19, 2025

Bank of Korea warns stablecoin proposal could shake bond market

Image of cryptocurrencies/ Reuters-Yonhap SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s central bank on Tuesday rejected a proposal to issue short-term treasury bonds to back a won-based stablecoin, cautioning that such a move could disrupt financial markets and distort government financing. In a written response to the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee, the Bank of Korea said treasury bonds should be issued strictly for their intended purpose — financing

August 19, 2025

[K-Film] Bong Joon-ho's early short available for screening next week

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's early short film is set for release at local theaters in Seoul next week, multi-screen chain Megabox said on Tuesday. "Incoherence" was chosen to launch the chain's monthly project showcasing renowned filmmakers' early works and short films by up-and-coming directors. The 30-minute short, made by Bong in 1994 as his graduation project for a film institute, is an omnibus with humorous satire of hypocritical el

August 19, 2025

Cost overruns push S. Korea's nuclear project in UAE into the red

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s flagship nuclear power venture in the United Arab Emirates has slipped into the red for the first time, underscoring the financial strains of the multibillion-dollar project once heralded as a cornerstone of Seoul’s ambitions to export nuclear technology. According to Korea Electric Power Corporation’s first-half 2025 financial disclosures released Tuesday, the Barakah nuclear plant posted a cumulative loss of 34.9 billion w

August 19, 2025

[K-Pop] YOUNG POSSE's "Freestyle" video tops 10 million views in about three days

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - YOUNG POSSE's music video for "Freestyle" crossed 10 million views on Tuesday, roughly three days after it premiered. The track fronts the group's fourth EP "Growing Pain pt.1 : FREE", released on August 14. "Freestyle" is a punk hip hop track with hints of jazz and metal. The lyrics say they will ignore outside noise and make the music they want. All five members helped write them. The video keeps that idea front and

August 19, 2025

[K-Tech] Korean game makers bring big bets to Gamescom 2025

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - When Gamescom, the world’s largest video game convention, opens its doors on Wednesday, the cavernous exhibition halls of Cologne will once again fill with flashing screens, long lines and hundreds of thousands of fans eager for the next big title. This year, South Korea’s biggest gaming companies are arriving in force. Krafton, the publisher behind “PUBG: Battlegrounds,” is mounting one of the flashiest presences at the five-day e

August 19, 2025

[K-Tech] Vegan meat gains global momentum. In Korea, it's a harder sell.

SEOUL, August 19 (AJP) - On a narrow street in Itaewon, the Seoul neighborhood known for its antique shops and international dining, a brown-hued restaurant hums with chatter in several languages. The tables are crowded with steaming bowls of shrimp fried rice, jjajangmyeon noodles slicked with black bean sauce, and glossy platters of deep-fried beef — or at least that is how it looks. The restaurant, ALT.a, is entirely vegan. The shrimp, beef and pork are not from animals

August 19, 2025