VISUALS: Seoul City Hall ice rink opens for season, admission still 1,000 won

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - The popular ice skating rink in front of Seoul City Hall has opened for its annual winter season, offering 52 days of skating enjoyment from Dec. 20 to Feb. 9, 2025. Continuing a tradition of affordability, the admission fee remains a mere 1,000 won ($0.69), unchanged since the rink's inauguration in 2004. Helmets and knee pads are available for free rental.

December 23, 2024

Top university leaders discuss strategies for tackling upcoming complex crises at Seoul forum

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - Leaders from South Korea's top universities in economics, technology, and law gathered in Seoul for a forum to discuss the challenges the country faces ahead of the new year. Under the theme "Renovation and Revolution of Korea," the University Presidents' Future Forum 2025 brought together leaders from prestigious institutions, including KAIST, Seoul National University (SNU), and Yonsei University. The event at the National Assembly i

December 23, 2024

Shinsegae's Centum City surpasses $1.5 billion sales mark, driven by K-beauty, tourism

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - Shinsegae Department Store's Centum City branch in Busan surpassed 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in annual sales on Saturday, marking the second consecutive year that a non-Seoul department store has achieved this milestone. The feat comes despite the ongoing challenges facing regional retail. The store's success can be attributed in part to a surge in foreign visitors, with customer visits increasing by 253 percent this year following a 668 perc

December 23, 2024

Tesla challenges German dominance in Korea's imported car market

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc. is set to secure the third position in South Korea's imported car market this year, disrupting the traditional German-led hierarchy, industry data showed on Monday. According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA), German luxury automaker BMW led the market this year with 67,250 units sold up to November, followed by Stuttgart-based Mercedes-Benz with 59,561 units. Tesla record

December 23, 2024

AI, sustainability take center stage at upcoming CES 2025

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, set to open Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas, will host more than 4,500 companies from 160 countries under the theme "Dive In," focusing on connecting, solving problems, and discovering new possibilities through technology. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang will deliver his first keynote in eight years, expected to discuss next-generation AI accelerators and computing technology's impact. Other keynote speakers incl

December 23, 2024

Korea ranks second in office property investment in Asia-Pacific

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - South Korea's commercial office property investments have surged 18 percent this year, securing the second position in the Asia-Pacific region after Japan, according to a new market report released on Monday. The report from global real estate consultancy Savills showed South Korea captured 22 percent of the region's office property investments in the first three quarters of 2024, while Japan led with 30 percent market share. China, Australia and I

December 23, 2024

Police secure President Yoon's phone records related to emergency martial law

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - The National Police Agency's special investigation team announced Sunday that it had obtained phone records from President Yoon Suk Yeol as part of its probe into the president's declaration and execution of emergency martial law on Dec. 3. The president declared martial law at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, citing threats to national security. Martial forces were deployed to major government facilities, including the National Assembly and

December 23, 2024

Korean biotech firm begins clinical trial of subcutaneous cancer drug

SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - South Korean biotechnology company GI Innovation announced on Monday that it has dosed the first patient in a Phase 1 clinical trial of its subcutaneous (SC) immunotherapy drug, GI-102. This marks a significant milestone for the company, as it is the first domestic company to administer an SC formulation of its own immunotherapy. The Phase 1 trial is being conducted at 14 medical institutions across South Korea and the United States. Samsung Biologics Co

December 23, 2024

Seoul hospitals see surge in out-of-city patients over past decade

SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Over 6.33 million patients from outside Seoul sought medical treatment in the capital's hospitals last year, marking a 27 percent increase from 2013, according to the National Health Insurance Service's annual report. Non-Seoul residents accounted for 41.7 percent of the total 15.2 million patients treated in Seoul medical facilities in 2023, the highest proportion among South Korea's 17 administrative regions. These out-of-city patients genera

December 22, 2024

Koreans' smoking habits shift as e-cigarette use rises

SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Koreans are shifting from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes, contributing to a steady increase in overall smoking rates over the past three years. Alcohol consumption is also rebounding after a pandemic-induced decline, while obesity rates continue to rise despite increased physical activity. A nationwide survey by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) of 230,000 adults at 258 public health centers revealed these significant behavio

December 22, 2024