IVF without spousal consent sparks legal debate over parental rights

SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - When South Korean actress Lee Si-young revealed last month that she was pregnant with her second child, using a frozen embryo created with her ex-husband and implanted after their divorce, it sparked a heated debate over the legal and ethical implications of in vitro fertilization (IVF). While the law has not apparently been violated in a technical sense, experts say, the ethical furor suggests that it is ambiguous and that some kind of amendment may be nec

August 8, 2025

[K-Pop] Former VCHA members form new girl band, set to release single later this month

SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - K-pop girl band GIRLSET, formerly of VCHA, will release an album later this month, their agency JYP Entertainment said on Friday. Their single, slated for release on Aug. 29, was created by American songwriter Theron Thomas, who previously worked on K-pop juggernaut BTS' member Jungkook's "Seven" and girl group BLACKPINK member Rosé's viral hit song "APT." The quartet consists of Camila, Kendall, Lexi, and Savanna, wh

August 8, 2025

Joint exercise with US to be scaled down, with field training postponed

SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - South Korea will conduct its annual joint defense exercise with the U.S. later this month, with half of some key field drills postponed until September due to this summer's unprecedented heat wave. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) here said Thursday that the exercise, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), will kick off its 10-day run on Aug. 18, involving some 18,000 South Korean troops and a similar number of U.S. personnel. The exercise consists of compu

August 8, 2025

Kolmar Korea posts record quarterly earnings on global K-beauty boom

SEOUL, August 08 (AJP) - Cosmetics manufacturer Kolmar Korea posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue in the second quarter, fueled by the global proliferation of the K-beauty trend. The company reported consolidated revenue of 730.8 billion won (approximately $555 million) for the April–June period, a 10.7 percent increase from a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing on Friday. Operating profit rose 2.4 percent to 73.5 billion won ($55.8 million), with the oper

August 8, 2025

OPINION: Next generation data centres set new standards for sustainability

(This opinion article was contributed by Joe Kim, Senior Manager, Data Center Division, Cushman & Wakefield Korea) SEOUL, August 08 (AJP) - Achieving both operational efficiency and sustainability is becoming an increasingly critical challenge across the real estate sector. Data centers are no exception. Given their immense energy demands and dependence on stable power supply, the need for sustainable innovation is more urgent than ever. According to the International Energy

August 8, 2025

South Korea posts record current account surplus of $14.27 billion in June

SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - South Korea recorded its largest-ever monthly current account surplus in June, buoyed by resurgent semiconductor exports and a surge in dividend income from overseas investments, the Bank of Korea said Friday. The surplus reached $14.27 billion, the most since the central bank began compiling data, according to preliminary balance of payments figures for June. It marked the 26th consecutive month of a surplus, underscoring the resilience of the country’

August 8, 2025

Lee expected to meet Trump for first bilateral summit late this month

SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is expected to sit down for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington later this month. According to government sources, Lee is likely to fly to Washington, D.C. on Aug. 24 for his first bilateral summit with Trump at the White House the following day. The upcoming summit will be Lee's first test in bilateral relations, marking his official debut on the international diplomatic stage, although he briefly participated

August 8, 2025

North Korea 'embraces nascent mobile payment services'

SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - North Korea appears to have embraced nascent mobile payment and digital wallet services. More and more North Koreans are making payments using mobile phones, with cash transactions "becoming increasingly rare," the Choson Sinbo, a mouthpiece for Pyongyang in Japan, reported on Thursday. According to the daily published by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan or Chongryon, residents in Pyongyang are now able to use their mobile dev

August 8, 2025

LIG Nex1, Doosan, Hyosung Heavy included in MSCI index

SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - Global index provider MSCI has added three South Korean companies to its Korea Index in its latest quarterly rebalancing, while removing three others. The new additions, announced Thursday (local time), include defense contractor LIG Nex1, construction and robotics firm Doosan, and electric motor manufacturer Hyosung Heavy Industries. Companies dropped from the index are food and biotechnology conglomerate CJ CheilJedang, electric components maker LG Innot

August 8, 2025

POSCO's construction unit under full government probe following repeated worker deaths

SEOUL, August 08 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has launched a sweeping safety inspection of nearly 100 construction sites operated by POSCO Engineering & Construction, the government announced Thursday, in the wake of a series of fatal workplace accidents. The probe, which began in late July, targets construction sites where POSCO E&C is the main contractor. The company, a subsidiary of steel giant POSCO Holdings, has faced moun

August 8, 2025