MOFA presses US on immigration harm to Koreans SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has asked the United States to ensure Korean nationals do not suffer unintended harm from American immigration enforcement, raising the issue directly with a senior State Department official in Seoul on Tuesday, ten months after a Georgia factory raid that saw more than 300 Korean workers detained and flown home. Park Jong-han, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), reques July 22, 2026

Korea's telecom trio begins selling Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - South Korea's three mobile carriers began selling Meta's "Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)" artificial-intelligence glasses from Wednesday, pairing the device with tariff-linked discounts as they race to push AI services beyond the smartphone. SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus each said they would offer the AI eyewear through their retail and online channels, part of a broader strategy to extend smartphone-centered AI offerings onto new wearable devices and wi July 22, 2026

North Korean FM returns from Russia amid growing bilateral ties SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui has returned home from Russia, state media reported on Wednesday. After wrapping up her four-day trip to Moscow, Choe arrived in Pyongyang the previous day and was greeted by Vladimir Topekha, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang, according to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). During the trip, Choe held talks with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and July 22, 2026

HMM Q2 profit seen jumping 80% on higher container freight rates: report SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - HMM is expected to report a sharp improvement in second-quarter earnings as stronger container freight rates offset higher fuel costs, Shinhan Investment & Securities said Wednesday. The brokerage estimated HMM’s second-quarter revenue at 3.28 trillion won ($2.21 billion), up 25 percent from a year earlier, and operating profit at 420.6 billion won, up 80.4 percent. The estimate is also higher than the market consensus of 346.3 billion won in operati July 22, 2026

AI-theme stocks turbocharge KOSPI above 7,100 mark SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - AI-theme turbocharged South Korean chip and robotics stocks on Wednesday, sending both the main and secondary market indices well above 5 percent as big-tech earnings reaffirmed AI demand and investment. A buy-side sidecar was triggered on the KOSPI at 9:06:02 a.m., halting program buying for five minutes after the KOSPI 200 futures index surged 5.40 percent. As of 9:06 a.m., the KOSPI was up more than 6.1 percent at 7,155.5, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ July 22, 2026

UNESCO adopts heritage strategy for climate-hit island states SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - UNESCO's World Heritage Committee adopted a new strategy on Tuesday to help small island nations protect cultural and natural heritage that climate change is steadily destroying, a group of countries that hold some of the planet's most distinctive sites but barely register on the World Heritage List, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. The scale of the gap is stark. The 39 small island developing states that have joined the July 22, 2026

Can a bigger World Cup keep its luster? SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - The World Cup has never been just about football. It has been a global stage where countries show off their sporting power, shape their national image and increasingly compete for influence and economic gain. That is why FIFA's consideration of expanding the quadrennial tournament to 64 teams in 2030 has sparked a debate that goes far beyond simply adding more matches or making the event bigger. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has argued that a larger W July 22, 2026

ARKO festivals bring Korea's living traditions to new audiences SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) — "Ulsoo!" The spirited exclamation that punctuates BTS's hit song "Idol" comes from Pansori, Korea's traditional musical storytelling in which audiences cheer performers over the hypnotic yet exhilarating beat of the janggu drum. That same call-and-response energy also defines Madanggeuk, Korea's open-air folk theater where music, dance, satire and audience participation blur the line between performers and spectators. July 21, 2026

Korea ups casino taxes while Japan expands casino resort SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea is moving to raise the maximum levy on casino operators by 50 percent, a step that could further erode the industry's competitiveness just as Japan expands its gaming sector with its first integrated resort. The government plans to lift the statutory ceiling on the Tourism Promotion and Development Fund levy from 10 percent to 15 percent of casino revenue. The current system applies a progressive levy of 1 percent o July 21, 2026

Lee revives Korea's unfinished abortion debate SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - For seven years, South Korea's abortion debate has remained trapped between a Constitutional Court ruling that struck down the country's abortion ban and a legal vacuum that has left women navigating an unregulated market for medication. President Lee Jae Myung has now thrust the issue back onto the government's agenda by questioning why women seeking to terminate pregnancies are still being driven toward illicit online sellers for a medicine tha July 21, 2026