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  Samsung hires former Microsoft executive to bolster EU policy response SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has hired Jeremy Rollison, a U.S.-born European Union digital policy specialist who previously worked at Microsoft, as an executive director-level official, in a move widely seen as aimed at strengthening the company’s response to tightening EU digital regulation. Rollison, 46, has begun work with Samsung’s Europe external relations team in Brussels, the hub of EU policymaking. He spent more than a decade at Microsoft h January 19, 2026
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  Injury-stricken Kim Ha-seong to sit out start of season again SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - Atlanta Braves' shortstop Kim Ha-seong is likely to miss the start of the Major League Baseball season this spring after undergoing finger surgery. Kim "sustained a hand injury while in Korea and underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right middle finger" in Atlanta, Braves said on X, formerly known as Twitter on Sunday, adding that his recovery is expected to take four to five months. According to MLB.com, Kim will &quo January 19, 2026
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  OPINION: Corporate accountability must be enhanced for Korea's cybersecurity Last year appeared to mark an unusually high number of corporate hacking incidents and personal data leaks. In truth, however, South Koreans’ personal information has long been treated as something closer to public property than a protected asset. The pattern following each breach is by now familiar. The National Assembly unleashes a wave of criticism at companies, the government announces sweeping countermeasures or tighter regulations, and the media devotes days of covera January 19, 2026
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  Seoul, Beijing to hold follow-up FTA talks on services, investment this week SEOUL, January 19 (AJP) - South Korea and China will hold a new round of follow-up negotiations on services and investment under their bilateral free trade agreement from Monday through Friday in Beijing, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. The two governments agreed at a summit between their leaders in Beijing on Jan. 5 to work toward achieving meaningful progress in the negotiations within this year. The follow-up talks will focus on further mar January 19, 2026
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  S. Korea and Egypt sign declaration to launch economic partnership talks SEOUL, January 18 (AJP) - South Korea and Egypt have officially launched a push for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), aiming to establish the North African nation as a bridge for South Korean goods entering Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo signed a joint declaration with his Egyptian counterpart, Hassan El Khatib, in Cairo on Sunday. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the agreement formalizes the intent January 18, 2026
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  South Korea begins deployment of 'monster' Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missiles SEOUL, January 18 (AJP) - South Korea has begun deploying the Hyunmoo-5, a high-power ballistic missile capable of penetrating deep underground bunkers, to operational units, military sources said Sunday. The weapon, dubbed the "monster missile" for its massive eight-ton warhead, is a centerpiece of Seoul's strategy to neutralize the North Korean leadership in the event of a conflict. According to sources, the rollout to field units began late last year and is sche January 18, 2026
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  SURVEY: 78% of S. Korean workers fear AI will worsen inequality SEOUL, January 18 (AJP) - An overwhelming majority of South Korean office workers are worried that the spread of artificial intelligence will deepen inequality and widen the wealth gap. Gapjil 119, a civic group campaigning against workplace abuse, released the results Sunday of a survey conducted on 1,000 office workers nationwide. The poll, carried out by Global Research last October, highlights a stark level of anxiety regarding the impact of AI on the labor market. Accordin January 18, 2026
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  KAIST proposes global 'bridge' alliance to break US-China grip on AI SEOUL, January 18 (AJP) - A consortium of international researchers has called for a new alliance of mid-sized nations to challenge the overwhelming dominance of the United States and China in artificial intelligence. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) released a policy report Sunday titled "A Blueprint for Multinational Advanced AI Development." The document, co-authored with scholars from the University of Oxford, Canada's Mila institu January 18, 2026
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  Luxury hotels and retailers target 'rite rush' as S, Koreans outsource ancestral duties SEOUL, January 18 (AJP) - As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches next month, luxury hotels and major retailers in South Korea are aggressively targeting a niche but rapidly growing market: the "to-go" ancestral rite table. The hospitality industry is capitalizing on a significant cultural shift where families are increasingly willing to pay a premium to outsource the labor-intensive cooking required for the holiday, turning a domestic duty into an affordable service. T January 18, 2026
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  Filipino domestic workers in Korea struggle with low pay, study finds SEOUL, January 17 (AJP) - Many Filipino domestic workers in South Korea who came under a government pilot program have faced low wages and undervalued care work, according to a new academic study. In a paper published Saturday in the journal of the Korean Association for Immigration Policy and Administration, Lee Mi-ae, a professor at Jeju National University’s Research Institute for the Tamla Culture, examined the experiences of Filipino domestic and care workers employed und January 17, 2026