Nature Republic reports strong growth in Philippines, Mongolia

SEOUL, November 8 (AJP) - Nature Republic reported its California Aloe Sun Stick sales tripled in the Philippines this year while the South Korean cosmetics retailer expanded its premium skincare line in Mongolia. The company, with 31 stores in the Philippines, held successful pop-up events in Manila in June and at Mongolia's Shangri-La Mall in May. It plans to open its 11th Mongolian store in November, featuring premium products including the Ginseng Royal Silk Gold Watery

November 8, 2024

Naver reports record-high Q3 operating profit

SEOUL, November 8 (AJP) - Korean tech giant Naver reported a record-high operating profit for the third quarter on Friday. The nation's largest internet portal announced that its consolidated revenue for the July to September period reached 2.7 trillion won ($1.9 billion), with an operating profit of 525.3 billion won and a net profit of 530.1 billion won. Compared to the same period in 2023, revenue increased by 11.1 percent. Operating profit and net income grew by 38.2 perc

November 8, 2024

LG hosts global IT competition for youth with disabilities in Manila

SEOUL, November 08 (AJP) - LG Electronics concluded its six-day Global IT Challenge for disabled youth Friday in Manila, drawing 104 participants from 16 countries to compete in six categories, including generative AI skills. Nur Zulzahirah Binti Mohd Anwar, 16, a hearing-impaired contestant from Malaysia, won the overall championship. "This was my first time participating in GITC, and I'm surprised and honored to be selected as a global IT leader," she said. She e

November 8, 2024

PHOTOS: Ipdong signals onset of winter

SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Thursday marked Ipdong, or the onset of winter, according to the traditional farming calendar. This day, the 19th of the 24 seasonal divisions in the traditional lunar calendar, traditionally signals the beginning of "gimjang" season—the annual tradition of making kimchi.

November 7, 2024

PHOTOS: Seoul to lift greenbelt restrictions for new housing project

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - The Korean government plans to lift greenbelt restrictions in certain areas of Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province as part of efforts to build 50,000 new homes by 2031. The plan, announced Tuesday, includes about 2.2 million square meters in Seoul's Seoripul area, where 20,000 housing units will be created. It will mark the first time in 12 years that greenbelt protection has been removed in Seoul.

November 7, 2024

Conference highlights deepening Korea-ASEAN ties

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - South Korea's relationships with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were highlighted at a conference in Seoul on Thursday, focusing on enhanced collaboration and partnership across various sectors. Hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ASEAN Secretariat, the conference, under the slogan of "Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Future," brought together hundreds of government officials, diplomats and other participant

November 7, 2024

One in 10 marriages in Korea involved international couples last year

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - One in 10 marriages in South Korea last year involved international couples, according to government data released Thursday. Statistics Korea reported multicultural marriages increased by 17.2 percent to 20,431 cases in 2023, compared to the previous year. International marriages accounted for 10.6 percent of all marriages in the country, up 1.5 percentage points year-on-year. The proportion recovered from the pandemic-era low of 7.2 percent in 2021.

November 7, 2024

Yoon congratulates Trump on election win

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - President Yoon Suk Yeol phoned U.S. president-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his election win, the presidential office said on Thursday. During a telephone conversation that lasted about 10 minutes, Yoon congratulated Trump on his sweeping victory in Wednesday's election and discussed various issues including North Korea's recent troop deployment to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-h

November 7, 2024

President Yoon defends his wife, rejects calls for probe

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized for a mounting scandal involving his wife Kim Keon Hee and other related allegations in a televised press conference on Thursday. The apology came as he appeared to realize that it could no longer be delayed and that public concerns needed to be addressed, with his approval ratings continuing to plummet. Yoon offered explanations about Kim's alleged involvement in candidate nominations ahead of the general electio

November 7, 2024

South Korea posts $11.1 billion current account surplus in September

SEOUL, November 7 (AJP) - South Korea's current account surplus reached 15.58 trillion won (US$11.1 billion) in September, marking its fifth consecutive month in the black, driven by robust exports, the Bank of Korea said on Thursday. The surplus was nearly double the $6.52 billion recorded in August and stands as the third-largest September figure on record. Outbound shipments rose 9.9 percent from a year earlier to $61.67 billion, extending gains for the 12th straight month

November 7, 2024