Elderly population surpasses 10 million

SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - The elderly population in South Korea surpassed 10 million for the first time, Statistics Korea said Tuesday. Those aged 65 and older stood at 10.12 million as of November last year, accounting for 19.5 percent of the total population of 51.81 million, roughly one in five. That also brought the average age of the population to 46.2. Amid an aging society with a super-low birthrate, the elderly population has steadily increased in recent years from 8.71 mill

July 29, 2025

Korean shipbuilders gain market share as US sanctions target China

SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - South Korean shipbuilders saw their global market share recover to over 20 percent in the first half of 2025, benefiting from the United States sanctions on Chinese maritime industries, according to data released Tuesday by the Korea Development Bank's overseas economic research institute. South Korea's order share reached 25.1 percent in the January-June period based on compensated gross tonnage, up 8 percentage points from 17.2 percent a year earli

July 29, 2025

[K- Tech] S. Korea's new geo-spatial AI system to undergo commercialization next month

SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) on Tuesday announced the completion of its spatial intelligence system known as Geo-AI, a next-generation artificial intelligence technology designed to analyze and respond to queries using spatial information such as maps, locations, environments, and moving objects. The ministry will begin full-scale research and development (R&D) in August to prepare the technology for commerciali

July 29, 2025

UN adopts Tajikistan-led resolution on AI for sustainable development in Central Asia

SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - A resolution calling for stronger regional cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) to support sustainable development in Central Asia was adopted at the United Nations General Assembly last week. The resolution, led by Tajikistan, came as a rare move of unified support for a regional approach to AI governance, laying the groundwork for the ethical, inclusive, and practical use of AI technologies while highlighting Central Asia's growing role in global

July 29, 2025

Washington remains 'open' to talks with North Korea despite snub

SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump remains 'open' to reengaging in talks with North Korea, Reuters reported on Monday. Citing a White House official, it said, Trump "remains open to engaging with to achieve a fully denuclearized North Korea." The response came shortly after Kim's sister, Yo-jong, snubbed Trump's repeated overtures for rapprochement with the isolated country. In a statement carried by t

July 29, 2025

Yoon refuses to appear for questioning in probe involving ex-first lady

SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - Disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol failed to appear for questioning in a probe involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee, independent prosecutors said on Tuesday. Yoon, who has been detained at a remand prison in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province since last month over charges related to his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law last year, was asked to appear for questioning on alleged election-related meddling but failed to show up, prompting prosecutors to summon hi

July 29, 2025

[K-tech] S. Korea to acquire 13,000 advanced GPUs for AI infrastructure

SEOUL, July 29 (AJP) - South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT has announced that it will procure 13,000 advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) using approximately 1.46 trillion won (about $1.05 billion) from a supplementary budget. The move is part of the country's broader strategy to rapidly expand domestic AI computing infrastructure. Tech giants Naver Cloud, NHN Cloud, and Kakao have been selected as the final operating partners. This initiative aims to ensure timel

July 29, 2025

INTERVIEW: UN OHCHR Seoul Office Chief calls for "sustainable approach" to North Korean human rights

SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) - South Korea needs to develop a consistent stance on human rights in North Korea instead of one that changes every time there is a new government, according to a top UN official. "There needs to be a sustainable approach to DPRK human rights," said James Heenan, Representative of the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul, using the official name of North Korea. "One that doesn’t change drastically every time there’s a new admini

July 28, 2025

Veterans minister reaffirms strength of US-South Korea alliance on armistice anniversary

SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) - Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul emphasized the strength of the United States-South Korea alliance during a visit to Washington, D.C. on Sunday, marking the 72nd anniversary of the Korean War armistice. According to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Kwon met with U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Douglas Collins ahead of a ceremony commemorating the anniversary. During the meeting, Kwon expressed gratitude for the sacrifices made by American so

July 28, 2025

[K-pop] Red Velvet's Joy to return with solo mini album in August

SEOUL, July 28 (AJP) - Joy of Red Velvet is gearing up for a solo comeback with a new mini album set for release on August 18, her agency SM Entertainment said Monday. Titled "From JOY, with Love," the album will feature six tracks, including the title song "Love Splash!" It marks her first solo release in over three years since her 2021 special album "Hello," which consisted of remade tracks. "Hello" topped iTunes charts in 26 regions wo

July 28, 2025