INTERVIEW: Sookmyung Women's University builds global footprint in pharmaceutical science

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Sookmyung Women’s University’s College of Pharmacy has emerged as one of South Korea’s most active incubators of medical and pharmaceutical R&D, expanding its global footprint and highlighting the strength of female scientific leadership in the country. In an interview with AJP, Dean Jeon Ra-ok said the college’s competitiveness "comes from its history, and the networks and research foundation that history has built.&quo

November 18, 2025

IBK opens Silicon Valley center to support Korean startups

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - The Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) said Tuesday it has opened a center in Palo Alto, Calif., to help South Korean startups establish a foothold overseas. The IBK Silicon Valley Center replaces a smaller office the bank launched in 2023 and marks its first full-scale overseas startup hub. The new facility includes space for investor presentations, meetings with local partners and networking events aimed at early-stage companies. IBK has operated a

November 18, 2025

Team Korea lands in UAE to widen defense, energy, high-tech foray

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Team Korea — led by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and a delegation of top corporate chiefs — arrived Wednesday in the United Arab Emirates to pursue business opportunities in a Middle East rapidly pivoting toward digitalization, high-tech manufacturing, militarization and decarbonization powered by its oil wealth. The two-day UAE visit includes leaders from Korea's industrial backbone: Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyund

November 18, 2025

Korean calorie-support product tops Japan's beauty platform for 24 weeks

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korean food supplement company Foodology said Tuesday that its “Cutting Jelly” product has claimed the No. 1 spot in the “Calorie Support Supplement” category on @cosme, Japan’s largest beauty and personal care platform, for 24 consecutive weeks. @cosme, which draws roughly 20 million monthly visitors, updates its rankings based on user reviews and recommendations. Its reputation-based ratings system is widely regard

November 18, 2025

No hostile intention toward North Korea, South Korea says

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korea has "no hostile or confrontational intent toward North Korea," the presidential office said on Tuesday, suggesting that it will continue to pursue rapprochement with the North. "We have no hostile or confrontational intent toward the North," said spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. She added, "We will continue working to ease inter-Korean tensions and restore trust between the two Koreas." The remarks came just hours a

November 18, 2025

NCSoft to roll out new role-playing game 'Aion 2' in Korea, Taiwan, Nov. 19

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korea's leading game company NCSoft said Tuesday it will launch Aion 2, its new flagship multiplayer online role-playing game, in South Korea and Taiwan at midnight on Nov. 19, positioning the title as a major addition to its 2024–25 pipeline. Players can pre-install the game through NCSoft’s cross-platform service, Purple, ahead of the release. Aion 2 follows the company’s long-running PC franchise Aion, which built a st

November 18, 2025

Choo Shin-soo becomes first South Korean nominated for MLB Hall of Fame

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Slugger Choo Shin-soo has become the first South Korean baseball player nominated for the Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Hall of Fame. According to a list released by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) on Monday, Choo is among 27 candidates, 15 holdovers and 12 newcomers, being considered for induction in July next year. To be eligible, candidates must have played in MLB for at least 10 years and have been retired for more tha

November 18, 2025

Korea's household debt hits new high but loan growth slows sharply in 3Q

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korea’s household debt climbed to a record level in the third quarter, though the pace of borrowing eased markedly as tighter regulations took hold, preliminary data from the Bank of Korea showed Tuesday. Household credit rose to 1,968.3 trillion won ($1.43 trillion) at the end of September, up 14.9 trillion won from the previous quarter. The increase was roughly half the 25.1 trillion won rise recorded in the second quarter, reflecting the

November 18, 2025

Wemade to build global game item platform with Japanese AI firm

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - South Korean game developer Wemade has signed an agreement with Japan’s Quantum Solutions to build a global platform for secure trades of in-game items, expanding its push into blockchain-based gaming infrastructure. The memorandum of understanding, announced Tuesday, brings together Wemade’s gaming portfolio and Quantum Solutions’ capabilities in AI infrastructure and blockchain security. Quantum Solutions has drawn investment from m

November 18, 2025

Seoul shivers in season's first subzero temperatures

SEOUL, November 18 (AJP) - Subzero temperatures swept across the country on Tuesday, with the mercury in Seoul dropping to -2 degree Celsius. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, morning lows plummeted about five to ten degrees colder than the previous day as a cold air front descended from the north overnight. Most inland regions and eastern Gangwon areas were also gripped by subzero temperatures, with Goseong at -12.1 degrees, Yeoncheon at -8.2 degrees, and P

November 18, 2025