Lee meets Viet Nam's top party leader in Seoul

SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung met with Viet Nam's top party leader in Seoul on Monday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations. To Lam, the general secretary of the Communist Party, arrived in Seoul the previous day for a meeting with Lee, the first state visit by a foreign leader since Lee took office in early June. In a meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, To began his talks by saying he was honored to be the first state gues

August 11, 2025

Third-largest South Korean ethylene producer on brink of going bust

SEOUL, August 11 (AJP) - Petrochemical company Yeochun NCC (YNCC) is on the brink of default due to financial insolvency amid industry downturns. According to industry sources on Sunday, the country's third-largest ethylene producer is likely to go bust if it fails to secure 310 billion won (about $223 million) in operating funds by Aug. 21. The company has suffered prolonged losses due to an oversupply of ethylene feedstock from China. The joint venture was established in 19

August 11, 2025

South Korea to send envoys to Indonesia

SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - A handful group of lawmakers will visit Indonesia this week to strengthen biliteral relations with the Southeast Asian country, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters on Sunday. Led by Cho Jeong-sik of the ruling Democratic Party, the group will head to Jakarta for a three-day visit starting Monday. The move is part of broader diplomatic efforts by President Lee Jae-myung, who has sent special envoys to various Asian and European countries

August 10, 2025

Son Heung-min makes MLS debut for LAFC

SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - Striker Son Heung-min made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut for Los Angeles FC (LAFC) on Saturday, just days after finalizing his transfer from Tottenham Hotspur. Son's earlier-than-expected debut was anticipated after he was included among the substitutes for the MLS club's away match against Chicago Fire FC. At SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, Son came onto the pitch in the 61st minute to replace Venezuelan forward David Martí

August 10, 2025

KAIST develops AI that designs optimal cancer-targeting drugs without prior molecular data

SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - KAIST scientists have unveiled an artificial intelligence model that can automatically design potential drug molecules precisely tailored to disease-causing proteins, even when no prior information about suitable molecules is available. The breakthrough could speed up drug discovery and cut costs, especially for hard-to-treat cancers. Traditionally, drug development starts by identifying a target protein, such as a cancer cell receptor, then screening vast

August 10, 2025

Washington demanded more defense spending from Seoul during tariff talks, 'leaked' document reveals

SEOUL, August 10 (AJP) - The U.S. pressed South Korea to raise its defense spending to 3.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) during tariff negotiations, the Washington Post reported on Saturday. Citing an internal draft for a tariff-related deal that was concluded late last month, the daily also said the Washington "wanted Seoul to boost defense spending to 3.8 percent of GDP, up from 2.6 percent last year, and to increase its $1 billion-plus contribution to cover the ann

August 10, 2025

South Korea's Jinju National Museum beats National Museum of Korea in YouTube subscribers with war history content

SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - The Jinju National Museum has nearly reached 100,000 YouTube subscribers, surpassing the National Museum of Korea's subscriber count through its popular historical warfare content series "Hwaryeok Joseon" (Firepower Joseon). The recent boom in Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" portraying a duo of a tiger and a magpie from traditional Joseon Dynasty paintings has led to a surge of visitors to the National Museum of Ko

August 9, 2025

[K-Food] South Korea showcases traditional liquor and cuisine at APEC food security meeting

SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - South Korea is rolling out an elaborate display of traditional Korean food and beverages during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Food Security Ministerial Meeting (FSMM) in Incheon, which runs from Saturday to Sunday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has selected Cheonbihyang Yakju, a 15-degree refined rice wine, as the toast drink for Saturday evening's ministerial dinner. The liquor, crafted by agricultural corporation

August 9, 2025

OPINION: How Korean semiconductor firms can navigate uncertainty amid U.S. tariff bombshells

(This opinion article was contributed by Per Stenius, the founder and CEO of Finnish management consulting firm Reddal.) SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - With the recent tariff deal with the United States reducing the duty burden on South Korean exports to 15% from the initially envisioned 25%, President Lee Jae Myung celebrated the agreement as overcoming “a significant hurdle.” Various voices from the Bank of Korea to local analysts also praised the deal for reducing uncertaint

August 9, 2025

S.Korea braces for torrential rains as powerful storm system targets flood-hit regions

SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - South Korea's southern provinces face another deluge this weekend as meteorologists warn of intense rainfall reaching 70mm per hour in coastal areas, threatening regions still reeling from recent flooding. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Saturday that thunderstorms packing strong winds would pummel the southern half of the peninsula through Sunday afternoon, with some areas expecting more than 200mm of precipitation. The heaviest downpours wi

August 9, 2025