[K-Tech] Samsung emerges as alternative to TSMC with landmark Tesla, Apple deals

SEOUL, August 17 (AJP) - Just six months ago, Samsung Electronics’ foundry unit was mired in uncertainty. Hemorrhaging nearly 2 trillion won, or about $1.5 billion, in annual losses and struggling to attract clients, the division’s very survival was in doubt. Now, a pair of blockbuster deals with Tesla and Apple has jolted the business into a new trajectory. Samsung announced last month that it had secured a $16.5 billion contract with Tesla to produce advanced arti

August 17, 2025

S. Korea, India to seek ways to deepen economic partnership

SEOUL, August 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s Foreign Minister, Cho Hyun, and his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, held talks in New Delhi, Saturday (local time) as the two countries marked the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership and pledged to expand cooperation in security, technology and defense. Cho's visit come amid a flurry of high-level exchanges between the two governments, including a summit meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Mini

August 17, 2025

Scorching heat to persist next week after torrential rains

SEOUL, August 16 (AJP) - Scorching heat gripped most of South Korea on Saturday, with advisories in effect nationwide and feels-like temperatures climbing to as high as 37 degrees Celsius. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), daytime highs ranged from 31 to 36 degrees Celsius in the southeastern city of Daegu and nearby North Gyeongsang Province, while the southwestern province of Jeonbuk recorded 33 degrees. After heavy rains across the country last we

August 16, 2025

Comedy-drama 'My Daughter Is a Zombie' draws 4 million viewers

SEOUL, August 16 (AJP) - Comedy-drama "My Daughter Is a Zombie" has drawn more than 4 million moviegoers less than two weeks after its release, becoming the biggest box-office hit of the year. According to the Korean Film Council on Saturday, the film attracted 290,000 viewers on Friday alone, bringing the total to 4.05 million. It is the fastest release this year to reach the milestone. Released on July 30, the film has stayed No. 1 at the box office since opening

August 16, 2025

Washington signals Asian allies to 'pull their weight' on defense ahead of summit with Seoul

SEOUL, August 16 (AJP) - A senior U.S. defense official on Friday urged Asian allies to increase defense spending and take on greater responsibilities for collective defense, echoing Washington’s push for fairer burden-sharing ahead of a summit with Seoul. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday, "It’s common sense that all allies, especially in Asia, need to pull their weight. That’s how we get peace thro

August 16, 2025

Special envoys from Seoul meet Prabowo, vow closer bilateral ties

SEOUL, August 15 (AJP) - Special envoys sent to Jakarta this week pledged their readiness to enhance ties with Indonesia after talks with President Prabowo Subianto and senior officials, the foreign ministry said on Friday. Led by Cho Jeong-sik of the ruling Democratic Party, a handful group of lawmakers arrived in Jakarta on Monday for a four-day trip as part of President Lee Jae-myung’s broader diplomatic outreach to key Asian partners since taking office in early June.

August 15, 2025

Ex-justice minister Cho Kuk freed in Lee's Liberation Day pardon

SEOUL, August 15 (AJP) - Former justice minister and ex-leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party Cho Kuk was freed early Friday under President Lee Jae-myung’s first pardon. Lee's first amnesty, marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, pardoned some 836,687 individuals, including around 2,000 minor offenders convicted of livelihood-related crimes and about 20 business moguls, in a move aimed at "promoting unity in the country." Cho was par

August 15, 2025

Lee calls for peace and unity at 80th Liberation Day celebration

SEOUL, August 15 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung on Friday set out his vision in a speech marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation at a ceremony in central Seoul. Lee said the country had "overcome various difficulties, achieving rapid industrialization and democratization" since its liberation in 1945, saying it is now a time for more "dialogue and cooperation" and that the country should move beyond various conflicts. Lee also stressed th

August 15, 2025

Heat wave to return on Liberation Day after torrential rains lash central regions

SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - A sweltering heat wave is expected to return on Friday, when the country marks the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, after torrential rain swept through Seoul and other central regions earlier this week. With sporadic showers lingering in some parts of the country until early Friday morning, daytime highs are forecast to soar to 34 degrees Celsius, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Many parts of the capital area and cent

August 14, 2025

South Korean display makers to get boost as ITC's impending ban on Chinese BOE panels

SEOUL, August 14 (AJP) - Display maker Samsung Display is expected to benefit from a ruling that would ban U.S. imports of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels from China’s BOE Technology for more than a decade. In a preliminary ruling last month, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) barred the Chinese display maker and its seven subsidiaries from importing OLED panels into the U.S. for 14 years and 8 months, industry sources said Wednesday. The ruling follow

August 14, 2025