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  Dedicated gallery for ancient gilt-bronze masterpiece opens in Buyeo SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - The Buyeo National Museum is set to open a dedicated exhibition hall on Tuesday, exclusively showcasing one of South Korea’s most celebrated artifacts: a gilt-bronze incense burner of the Baekje Kingdom. Unearthed on Dec. 12, 1993, at a temple site in Buyeo, the incense burner is regarded as a pinnacle of ancient craftsmanship. Its intricate design — featuring a dragon base, a phoenix finial, and a body adorned with immortals, exotic animals, December 22, 2025
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  North Korea-linked hackers found distributing malware via word files SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - A North Korea-linked hacking group has been detected running a cyber operation code-named "Artemis," which distributes malware through word files. South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians said on Monday that it traced the operation, which is believed to have been carried out by the group known as APT37. The operation started with spear-phishing emails disguising others to evade detection by security software. When victims opened the files, December 22, 2025
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  South Korean stocks lead broader Asian rally SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korean stocks rallied on Monday, with the benchmark KOSPI reclaiming the 4,100 mark as Asian equity markets advanced broadly. In Seoul, the KOSPI rose 2.1 percent to close at 4,105.93, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ gained 1.5 percent to 929.14. Foreign investors turned net buyers for the first time in six sessions, helping lift the main index. Institutional investors bought a net 1.6 trillion won ($1.1 billion) worth of shares, while foreigners pu December 22, 2025
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  S. Korea develops the world's second-fastest bullet train SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - South Korea has finished the development of a next-generation bullet train designed to operate at 370 kilometers per hour, the transport ministry said Monday. The achievement positions South Korea as the world's second-fastest rail operator, after China, to operate commercial rail services at speeds exceeding 350 kilometers per hour. Finalized under a four-year national research and development program, the project focused on the EMU-370. This electr December 22, 2025
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  As won hovers at crisis-era levels, Seoul feels like the world's most expensive city SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Headline inflation in South Korea remains anchored around the mid-2 percent range, but many households say daily life feels increasingly unaffordable, as a weak won erodes purchasing power and amplifies price pressures across imported goods. Seoul now "feels like the most expensive city in the world," ahead of Tokyo and London, according to a recent British Time Out survey that asked residents in 100 global cities to assess their cost of living. December 22, 2025
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  No special amnesty planned for Christmas SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - There will be no special amnesty for next week's Christmas and New Year's holidays. According to sources from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Monday, President Lee Jae Myung has not started reviewing year-end pardons. Such special pardons typically take about a month from the Justice Ministry's review to a final decision. In August, just two months after taking office, Lee granted pardons to a total of 836,687 people including Cho Kuk, December 22, 2025
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  Lee set to move into Cheong Wa Dae as renovations near completion SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is expected to move into Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul soon, as renovations of the sprawling presidential compound are nearly complete. Some staff have already moved in, with the presidential office's daily press briefings resuming there on Monday. Lee's relocation from the current office in Yongsan to Cheong Wa Dae is expected to be completed as early as early as next week. Once moved in, he will have a shared workspa December 22, 2025
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  Hankook Tire's Hungarian plant donates tires to local community SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Hankook Tire & Technology said on Monday that its Hungary plant has donated 28,000 tires to local government bodies as well as nonprofit and charitable organizations under a corporate social responsibility initiative launched in 2012. The tire firm said said the initiative reflects the environmental, social and governance (ESG) management philosophy of the company and supports sustainable development in the Hungarian community. This year, the pl December 22, 2025
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  South Korea's Mirae Industries signs $7.5 million chip equipment supply deal SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - Mirae Industries, a South Korean manufacturer of semiconductor back-end process equipment, said on Monday it has signed an additional supply contract worth $7.5 million with Unimos Micro Electronics for semiconductor inspection equipment. In a regulatory filing, the company said the contract is equivalent to 37.7 percent of its 27 billion won in revenue recorded last year. Mirae Industries said the latest order reflects the results of its efforts December 22, 2025
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  Frontline units told to assume border farther south to avoid clashes SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - The South Korean military has internally instructed frontline units to consider the more southerly boundary when the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) along the inter-Korean border overlaps or is unclear, to avoid accidental clashes with North Korea. During a regular press briefing at the Ministry of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-joon said the military prioritizes MDL markers set up in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and conducts comprehe December 22, 2025