[K-Culture] Kim Hye-soon becomes first Asian poet to win German literature prize

SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - South Korean poet Kim Hye-soon has been awarded the International Prize for Literature by Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Germany for the German translation of her poetry collection "Autobiography of Death" on Thursday. HKW announced Kim as the winner from a shortlist of six authors, including Turkey’s Dogan Akhanli, Canada’s Sarah Bernstein, Ukraine’s Anna Melikova, France’s Neige Sinno, and the U.S.'s Jesmyn Ward.

July 18, 2025

TRAVEL: Exploring traditional markets in Pattaya

Pattaya, July 17 (AJP) – Known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, and a wide range of marine leisure activities, Pattaya is one of Thailand’s most popular tourist and resort cities. It ranks second only to Bangkok in tourist visits. While sightseeing and enjoying local attractions are a major part of travel, experiencing how local people live can offer a refreshing and memorable perspective. Traditional markets in Southeast Asia’s densely populated cit

July 18, 2025

Prominent Korean AI researcher departs OpenAI to join Meta

SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - Hyung Won Chung, a prominent researcher at OpenAI and the only Korean contributor to its cutting-edge o1 model, has joined Meta’s newly formed Superintelligence Lab. Chung will move to Meta alongside Jason Wei, another former OpenAI researcher with whom he collaborated on both the o1 model and OpenAI’s Deep Research initiative. Chung, who earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2019, previously spent four years at Go

July 18, 2025

[K-Tech] Low birthrate forces military pivot toward drones, automation

SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - With fewer than 240,000 babies born in South Korea last year, the nation’s demographic decline is accelerating at a pace that is now shaping defense policy as urgently as it has shaped economic and social planning. South Korea’s total fertility rate remains one of the lowest in the world, at approximately 0.75 children per woman. The implications for national defense are profound. The armed forces, which maintained a troop strength of around 6

July 18, 2025

Acclaimed Korean artist honored with France's cultural order

SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - South Korean artist Kim Soo-ja has been awarded the Officier rank of the French Order of Arts and Letters, in recognition of her contributions to contemporary art and cultural exchange between Korea and France. The award ceremony was held last week at the French ambassador’s residence in central Seoul, where French Ambassador to Seoul Philippe Bertoux presented the honor to Kim. Bertoux praised her for helping to shape France as “a country of cr

July 17, 2025

Chey Tae-won calls APEC Summit showcase for Korean democracy

SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and president of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said Thursday this year’s APEC Summit in Seoul will serve as a “grand showcase of Korea’s economic strength” and a rare opportunity to bring global business leaders into direct dialogue. Speaking at the opening of the 48th KCCI Summer Forum in Gyeongju, Chey cast the October summit as both a symbolic and strategic milestone for the c

July 17, 2025

Goldman Sachs downgrades SK hynix, citing risks of HBM price decline

SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Goldman Sachs downgraded its investment rating on SK hynix to "neutral" from "buy" on Thursday, warning that intensifying competition in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market could trigger the first price decline in the segment next year. In a research note, the U.S. investment bank cautioned that pricing power is gradually shifting to major customers — such as Nvidia — potentially undermining the profitability of HBM supplie

July 17, 2025

Torrential rain batters central regions, with more downpours expected through this weekend

SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - Torrential downpours swept through central South Korea on Thursday, leaving at least two people dead and forcing over 1,000 people to be evacuated due to flooding. Heavy rain pounded most parts of the country with some areas with an intense rainfall of over 100 mm per hour, resulting in two fatalities. A man in his 40s died after a wall of an overpass collapsed onto his car in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, while another man in his 50s was found dead inside a submer

July 17, 2025

President Lee appoints former Doosan chairman to lead trade mission to Washington

SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has tapped Park Yong-maan, the former chairman of Doosan Group, to head a special envoy delegation to the United States, ruling party officials said Thursday. The delegation, which is set to depart for Washington next week, includes Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jun-ho and Kim Woo-young, a former senior political aide. Park will serve as the chief envoy. The appointment comes at a critical moment in U.S.–South Kore

July 17, 2025

Lee reignites debate on constitutional reform on Constitution Day

SEOUL, July 17 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung called for constitutional reform on Thursday, as South Korea marks the 77th anniversary of Constitution Day. In a message posted on Facebook, Lee said, "It is time to revise the Constitution to keep up with the changing times, just as people change their clothes with the seasons," implying the need to amend the Constitution to reform the country's five-year, single-term presidency along with other political reforms. Con

July 17, 2025