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  Peru designates April 1 as 'Korea Friendship Day' during parliamentary visit to Seoul SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - A delegation of Peruvian lawmakers visited Seoul last week to strengthen diplomatic ties, presenting a newly approved law that designates April 1 as "Korea Friendship Day" to recognize the contributions of the South Korean community to Peru. Congressman Víctor Seferino Flores Ruiz, president of the Peru–Korea Parliamentary Friendship League, and Congresswoman Silvia María Monteza Facho led the official visit from January 11 January 22, 2026
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  CJ vice chair among Forbes list of world's influential women over 50 SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Miky Lee, vice chair of South Korea’s CJ Group, has been named to Forbes’ “50 Over 50 Global 2026” list, becoming the only South Korean included this year. Forbes cited Lee’s role in helping propel Korean films and content onto the global stage, highlighting her long-standing influence on the international expansion of K-content. In its profile of Lee, Forbes described her as a central figure behind South Korea’s ris January 22, 2026
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  Simple structural change in drug molecules offers new path for Alzheimer's treatment SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Researchers in South Korea have discovered that simply rearranging the structure of a potential drug molecule without changing its ingredients can significantly alter its effectiveness against Alzheimer's disease. A team led by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on Wednesday that this strategy allows a single compound to simultaneously tackle multiple causes of dementia, offering a potential breakthrough for a dis January 22, 2026
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  Giants' outfielder Lee Jung-hoo briefly held at LAX over paperwork issue SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Outfielder Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants was briefly detained by U.S. Customs officials after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Wednesday. According to the Giants, Lee "experienced a brief travel issue at LAX" due to paperwork problems, as he had apparently left some immigration-related documents in South Korea. He was momentarily held at the airport but released about an hour later with help from the team and January 22, 2026
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  Over 70 South Koreans to be deported from Cambodia over scam allegations SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Some 73 South Koreans detained in Cambodia over alleged involvement in online scams and other crimes are set to be deported from the Southeast Asian country, Cheong Wa Dae said on Thursday. In a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said a chartered flight is set to be dispatched to Phnom Penh later in the day to bring them back, with arrival expected around 9 a.m. on Friday. They are accused of swindling a total of 486.7 billion won ( January 22, 2026
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  Coupang union warns of job risks amid sweeping data breach probes SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - A labor union representing delivery drivers at South Korean e-commerce firm Coupang on Thursday urged the government to conduct what it called a reasonable and fair investigation into the company’s recent personal data breach, warning that an excessive probe could harm workers and small merchants. In a statement, the union said data breaches have affected many companies, including large corporations, but that it was difficult to find compa January 22, 2026
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  PM departs for Washington for possible meeting with US vice president SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Prime Minister Kim Min-seok left for the U.S. on Thursday. According to his office, Kim boarded a flight to Washington, D.C., accompanied by a small group of aides. During his five-day U.S. itinerary, which marks his first overseas trip since assuming his post in July last year, he is scheduled for talks with senior U.S. government officials and may meet with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. He will also meet with South Korean nationals living there He January 22, 2026
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  Rice consumption falls further in South Korea as dietary shift continues SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - South Korea’s per-capita rice consumption declined again last year, extending a decades-long slide as household eating habits continue to shift, government data showed on Thursday. According to the National Data Center’s survey results, annual per-capita grain consumption in the household sector fell 3 percent from a year earlier to 62.5 kilograms. Rice consumption accounted for 53.9 kilograms, down 3.4 percent, or 1.9 kilograms, from the pr January 22, 2026
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  PPP leader ends weeklong hunger strike after ex-President Park Geun-hye's visit SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Jang Dong-hyeok, the leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), ended his weeklong hunger strike on Thursday as his health condition worsened. Jang, who began the strike last Thursday, calling for independent investigations into allegations involving the Unification Church and other bribery cases, was taken to the hospital at around noon. Jang said, "I'm ending mu hunger strike for a longer and bigger fight," adding that pu January 22, 2026
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  Samsung SDS earnings lifted by AI, cloud demand SEOUL, January 22 (AJP) - Samsung SDS said on Thursday it posted annual revenue of 13.93 trillion won ($10.4 billion) last year, up 0.7 percent from a year earlier, while operating profit rose 5 percent to 957.1 billion won, as growth in cloud and artificial intelligence services offset weakness in logistics. Fourth-quarter revenue fell 2.9 percent from a year earlier to 3.54 trillion won, the company said, while operating profit rose 6.9 percent to 226.1 billion won. By se January 22, 2026