China sanctions five Hanwha Ocean subsidiaries in US

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - The Chinese government said on Tuesday it had imposed sanctions on five U.S.-based subsidiaries of Hanwha Ocean, a South Korean shipbuilding company, in retaliation for a U.S. investigation into China’s maritime and shipbuilding industries. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said the move was a direct response to Washington’s Section 301 investigation, which Beijing described as “a violation of international economic and trade rules&rdqu

October 14, 2025

Top touring car drivers to compete in Inje of South Korea Oct. 18-19

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor will co-host the Inje World Touring Car Festival with Inje County in Gangwon Province this weekend, marking the first time South Korea will host the FIA TCR World Tour, one of the world’s premier touring car championships. The two-day event, set for Oct. 18–19 at the Inje Speedium, will combine three major races — the Hyundai N Festival, the FIA TCR World Tour, and TCR Asia — turning the circuit into a global stage

October 14, 2025

Man sentenced to 12 years in prison for setting fire to Seoul subway train

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - The Seoul Southern District Court on Tuesday sentenced a 67-year-old man to 12 years in prison for attempting to murder passengers by setting fire to a Seoul subway train earlier this year. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence for the man, identified only by his surname Won, who was charged with attempted murder, arson, and violating railway safety laws. "The defendant poured gasoline and set fire to a train carrying hundreds of passengers ou

October 14, 2025

South Korea's ThinkFree enters Europe's secure software market through partnership with French firm

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - ThinkFree, a software subsidiary of South Korea’s Hancom Group, said Tuesday that it has signed a supply agreement with Ercom, a cybersecurity subsidiary of France’s Thales Group, marking its entry into Europe’s data protection markets. Ercom specializes in secure communication and data protection technologies. Its flagship platform, Cryptobox, employs end-to-end encryption and is certified by the French National Cybersecurity Agency,

October 14, 2025

South Korea's chip exports hit all-time high in September

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) -South Korea’s semiconductor exports soared to a record high in September, propelling the country’s overall ICT exports to their strongest level ever. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, ICT exports rose 14 percent on year to $25.43 billion, while imports climbed 10.4 percent to $13.78 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $11.65 billion. Semiconductors accounted for the bulk of outbound shipments, totaling $16.62 billion, u

October 14, 2025

North Korea attends Russian forum, fueling prospects of energy cooperation amid closer ties

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - North Korea has sent delegates to a forum in Russia, raising speculation about possible talks to secure energy supplies from Moscow to help ease its chronic power shortages. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday that a delegation led by Minister of Electric Power Industry Kim Yu-il left Pyongyang to attend the 8th Russian Energy Week International Forum this week. This marks North Korea's second attendance at the forum s

October 14, 2025

KOSPI and TAIEX higher on chip rally, other markets mixed

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - South Korean shares stayed resilient on Tuesday morning despite renewed U.S.-China tensions led by chip winners, while most other Asian markets traded mixed. The benchmark Kospi held on to a gain of around 1 percent after hitting a new all-time high of 3,637.45, buoyed by Samsung Electronics' record-breaking third-quarter earnings guidance. The Kosdaq added 0.3 percent to 863.33. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 dropped 1.4 percent to 47,431.83 on concerns

October 14, 2025

South Korean firm unveils first images from UAE-built radar satellite

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s Satrec Initiative on Tuesday released the first images captured by Etihad-SAT, a synthetic aperture radar satellite developed in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates. The satellite, which operates on X-band electromagnetic waves, is capable of producing high-resolution images of Earth regardless of weather or lighting conditions — a key advantage of radar-based observation sy

October 14, 2025

Everland amusement park draws visitors with K-pop-themed fireworks show

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - The soundtrack of Netflix's hit South Korean anime "KPop Demon Hunters" filled the air as “golden” fireworks lit up the sky over amusement park Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The fireworks show features hit songs from the anime in a nighttime concert-style spectacular that blends music, lighting, and special effects. A massive 24-meter by 11-meter LED screen and immersive sound system bring iconic moments from the film

October 14, 2025

Soundtrack from Netflix's K-pop anime slips to No. 2 on Billboard 200 albums chart

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - The soundtrack of Netflix's hit South Korean anime "KPop Demon Hunters" slipped one spot from the top on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart this week. According to the U.S. music chart on Monday, the soundtrack was overtaken by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's new album, ending its streak at the top for the 10th consecutive week after spending several weeks in the top five. Billboard said Swift topped the ch

October 14, 2025