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  HD Korea Shipbuilding secures $350 million in new vessel orders SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore, the shipbuilding arm of HD Hyundai, said on Tuesday it has secured orders for crude oil tankers and petrochemical product carriers, extending a strong start to the year. The company said it signed contracts to build two crude oil tankers and two petrochemical product carriers, or PC carriers, with a combined value of 481.6 billion won ($350 million). The vessels will be constructed at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and d January 20, 2026
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  Fewer North Korean defectors arrived in Seoul last year SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - A total of 224 North Korean defectors arrived in South Korea last year, the Ministry of Unification said on Tuesday. The figure is a slight decrease from last year's 236, following a sharp decline during the coronavirus pandemic. Of them, 198 were women and 26 were men, with only a handful having defected directly from North Korea without passing through a third country like China. The cumulative number of North Korean defectors now stands at 34,5 January 20, 2026
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  South Korea's EV registrations jump 50 percent in 2025, ending two-year slump SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - New electric-vehicle registrations in South Korea topped 220,000 last year, ending two consecutive years of decline and returning to growth, according to industry data released on Tuesday. In its 2025 report, the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) said new EV registrations rose 50.1 percent from a year earlier to 220,177 units. EV penetration — the share of EVs in new vehicle purchases — reached 13.1 percent, entering doub January 20, 2026
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  Asian markets track Wall Street pullback; KOSPI pauses after 12-day rally SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) — Asian markets moved lower on Tuesday, tracking an overnight retreat on Wall Street, with South Korea’s KOSPI taking a breather after a 12-day uninterrupted rally. As of 11:20 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI was down 0.61 percent at 4,874.83, pulling back after touching an intraday record high of 4,923.53 earlier in the session. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ bucked the trend, rising 0.45 percent to 971.48. Retail investors absorbed selling pressure from i January 20, 2026
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  Busan-sized metropolitan hubs envisioned in central and southern western Korea SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - As Seoul grows ever more crowded, much of the rest of South Korea is quietly emptying out. The imbalance has become one of the country’s defining challenges, straining housing, jobs and infrastructure in the capital while leaving regional cities with shrinking populations, weaker local economies and eroding public services. More than 51 percent of South Korea’s 51.6 million people live in and around Seoul, an area that covers just 12 percent of na January 20, 2026
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  Blockchain operator Sign estimates 2026 to be turning point for institutional asset tokenization SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Sign, a blockchain infrastructure provider, released a market analysis Tuesday projecting that 2026 will serve as a pivotal year for Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization, forecasting a shift from experimental pilots to full-scale institutional integration. The company stated that the digital asset sector is currently undergoing a structural transition. While recent years have focused on technical proof-of-concepts, Sign’s outlook suggests the coming January 20, 2026
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  Former PM to face verdict over martial law involvement SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is set to face his first verdict this week over his involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle in December 2024. In a nationwide televised trial scheduled for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul is set to deliver its ruling on him. Prosecutors sought 15 years in prison at Han's final hearing in November last year, accusing Han of aiding Yoo January 20, 2026
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  Former DP lawmaker appears for questioning over alleged bribery SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Kang Sun-woo, a former lawmaker of the Democratic Party (DP), appeared for questioning in western Seoul on Tuesday. She is accused of receiving 100 million Korean won (US$68,500) from Seoul city official Kim Kyung in return for the DP's candidate nominations for the 2022 local elections. The money was allegedly delivered to Kang's former aide, identified only by his surname Nam. Her questioning comes nearly a month after an audio recording was ab January 20, 2026
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  Pinkfong signs deal with US entertainment firm to develop family stage shows SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - The Pinkfong Company said on Tuesday it has signed a partnership with U.S.-based live entertainment and touring firm Terrapin Station Entertainment to jointly develop new stage productions for family audiences. Terrapin Station Entertainment has produced and toured live shows based on family-oriented intellectual property, including Disney Junior, Peppa Pig and Gabby’s Magic House, and has operated large-scale tours across North America. Unde January 20, 2026
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  Hyosung Heavy partners with German, Japanese power grid firms SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - Hyosung Heavy Industries said on Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Germany’s Skeleton Technologies and Japan’s Marubeni to cooperate on the development and commercialization of “e-STATCOM,” a next-generation power-compensation system. Under the deal, Hyosung Heavy Industries and Skeleton Technologies will jointly develop e-STATCOM through 2027, while Marubeni, a strategic partner of Skeleton, will provide stable supplies of January 20, 2026