K-food exports surge in Middle East, North America

SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports of food and agricultural products climbed 5.7 percent to $11.24 billion this year, buoyed by strong demand for ramen, beverages, and other Korean food products across global markets, the government said on Friday. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, agricultural and food exports rose 5 percent to $8.56 billion, while exports in the broader agricultural industry — including anima

November 7, 2025

PHOTOS: Enjoy autumnal foliage before winter sets in

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - Mild, warm weather is expected with daytime highs hovering above 20 degrees across the country on Friday, a day known as Ipdong or the beginning of winter in the lunar calendar. As unseasonably warm temperatures persisted through September and October, with fickle weather bringing occasional cold chills, this year's autumn arrived late and is likely to recede soon before people can fully enjoy the season. With many trees and leaves yet to turn into thei

November 7, 2025

Hyundai Motor signs strategic partnership with UK AI startup

SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group said on Friday that it has formed a strategic partnership with CuspAI, a British artificial intelligence startup, to accelerate the development of next-generation materials for mobility applications. The agreement was signed on Nov. 6 at CuspAI’s headquarters in Cambridge, England, where researchers are pioneering the use of generative AI, deep learning, and molecular simulation to design new materials with specific performanc

November 7, 2025

OPINION: Investing in innovation is South Korea's best defense

SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Last week, the world’s attention turned to Gyeongju, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the APEC summit. The two leaders agreed to ease trade and resource tensions, offering a glimmer of hope for the global economy. Yet the thorniest issues — Taiwan, security, and the future of global supply chains — remain unresolved. Their meeting, the first since the 2019 G20 summit in Osak

November 7, 2025

South Korea's Lotte Chemical opens petrochemical complex in Indonesia

SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - South Korea's Lotte Chemical said on Friday that it has completed construction of a massive petrochemical complex in Cilegon, a port city in Indonesia’s Banten Province. A completion ceremony was held Thursday, attended by Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Lotte Chemical Chief Executive Lee Young-joon and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The facility — called the Lotte Chemical Indonesia New Ethylene Complex, or LINE —

November 7, 2025

Seoul reiterates its planned nuclear-fueled submarine fleet built at home

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) — Senior Seoul officials on Thursday reiterated that South Korea’s planned fleet of nuclear-powered submarines must be built domestically, arguing that constructing them in the United States would be “realistically” unfeasible. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told lawmakers during a parliamentary hearing that Seoul aims to develop “cost-effective nuclear-fueled submarines tailored to our operational needs, rather than ad

November 7, 2025

HOT STOCK: Hyosung Heavy flies to rank as most expensive KOSPI stock

SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - The most expensive stock on Korea’s main bourse is no longer Samsung Electronics or Hyundai Motor, but Hyosung Heavy Industries — trading at 2.3 million won ($1,591) per share and cementing its position as the priciest KOSPI-listed company. The stock has surged 462.6 percent this year as of Tuesday, making it the top performer on a KOSPI that itself has jumped 72 percent year-to-date. Hyosung Heavy manufactures core power-grid equipment such

November 6, 2025

Asian markets rebound in tandem with Wall Street recovery

SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - Asian stocks closed higher on Thursday, snapping a sharp two-day selloff as easing concerns over an AI bubble and a rebound on Wall Street lifted sentiment across the region. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI rose 0.55 percent to 4,026.45, recovering from the “Black Wednesday” rout the previous day. Retail investors bought 885 billion won ($611 million) of shares and institutions added 832 billion won, while foreign investors sold 1.7 tril

November 6, 2025

Over-crowded Korean coffee market squeezes small franchises to venture overseas

SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - Koreans are the world's most avid coffee consumers, and the market has now grown so dense that smaller franchises are increasingly looking abroad to survive. According to Euromonitor, Koreans on average drank 416 cups of coffee per person last year, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. Consumption far outstripped Singapore's 290 cups and Japan's 281 cups, and was nearly six times the regional average of 57. By the end of 20

November 6, 2025

Korea's record Jan-Sept current account flags deepening reliance on chip exports

SEOUL, November 06 (AJP) - South Korea’s thriving semiconductor business has pushed the country’s current account surplus to its largest-ever level for September, but the details point to a growing dependence on a narrow set of export engines. Preliminary Bank of Korea data show the current account logged a $13.47 billion surplus in September, lifting the cumulative black to a record $82.77 billion for the January–September period — up 23 percent from a yea

November 6, 2025