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  Health authorities say current vaccines remain effective amid concerns over new COVID-19 variant SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Saturday that current COVID-19 vaccines remain effective against a new variant, urging the public not to overreact. The agency cited an assessment by the World Health Organization regarding the BA3.2 variant, noting that currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are “expected to continue providing protection against severe disease,” and adding that there is “no data indicating increased April 18, 2026
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  President Lee signals South Korea role in safeguarding Hormuz shipping lanes SEOUL, April 18 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Friday said South Korea would make a “substantive contribution” to efforts to safeguard navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Lee made the remarks during an international summit on maritime security in the strait, where leaders discussed coordinated efforts to restore safe passage through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. According to the presidential office, Lee emphasized that disruptions in t April 18, 2026
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  Kookmin University professor develops framework to make image generation AI safer SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Professor Kim Min-gyu at Kookmin University (KMU) has developed a unified framework to ensure the safety of artificial intelligence models that generate images and videos. The research, which addresses issues like copyright protection and harmful content, has been selected for an oral presentation at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2026. Kookmin University (KMU) said Friday. Professor Kim Min-gyu worked as the lead author on April 17, 2026
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  Sookmyung Women's University and Korea University Guro Hospital partner for medical research SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Sookmyung Women's University Research & Business Development Foundation and the Research Institute of Women's Health signed an agreement with Korea University Guro Hospital to collaborate on the research and treatment of incurable diseases. The partnership aims to build a cooperative ecosystem involving universities, research institutes, and hospitals to accelerate the development of new drugs and medical technologies. Sookmyung Women's Univers April 17, 2026
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  Viet Nam courts South Korean chip giants as Hanoi ratifies landmark incentive package SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Hanoi is formalizing a massive state-led effort to corner the semiconductor supply chain, offering South Korean conglomerates a sweeping array of tax holidays and land-use exemptions. The newly passed Law on Digital Technology Industry marks a strategic pivot for Viet Nam, moving beyond its traditional role as a low-cost assembly hub toward becoming a core strategic node for high-end silicon fabrication. This legislative overhaul disrupts the regional status q April 17, 2026
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  AI 'hunter' sparks alarm in Korea amid regulatory vacuum SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) — Claude Mythos, an artificial intelligence model developed by Anthropic to autonomously detect and potentially exploit critical software vulnerabilities, is another new import challenging South Korea’s lagging regulatory response to rapid technology advances. Experts in Korea are already raising concerns over the lack of legal and ethical accountability. “If such technology is misused, the developer must bear responsibility,” said April 17, 2026
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  South Korea to hold training camp in Salt Lake City to prepare for World Cup in June SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - The final roster of South Korea's national soccer team for this year's FIFA World Cup will be decided by mid-May, the Korea Football Association said on Friday. Once the 26-man roster is announced by head coach Hong Myung-bo on May 16, they will leave for Salt Lake City, Utah to hold a pre-tournament camp to prepare for the quadrennial sporting event. This year's World Cup, which kicks off in June, will be the first to feature 48 teams and th April 17, 2026
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  South Korea's prosecutorial overhaul enters uncharted territory SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - The fall of prosecutor-turned-president Yoon Suk Yeol did not end an epic downfall for a leader, but also the institution he had once represented. The prosecution has already lost much of its once-mighty power to the police and the Corruption Investigation for High-ranking Officials, with another agency pending, leaving it a near-defunct institution. The dramatic downsizing is creating a severe bottleneck, turning what was once a sought-after post into a April 17, 2026
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  Korean stocks slip as foreign investors offload $1.34 billion in shares SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Korean stocks closed lower Friday, retreating from recent highs as foreign investors led broad-based selling. Lingering geopolitical uncertainty continued to cap risk appetite despite signs of potential de-escalation in the Middle East. Other Asian markets also traded lower, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 falling 1.21 percent, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index dropping 1.2 percent, and China’s Shanghai Composite edging down 0.2 percent. The benchmar April 17, 2026
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  Hanwha Solutions trims capital raise to 1.8 trillion won after regulator pushback SEOUL, April 17 (AJP) - Hanwha Solutions announced it will scale back its planned rights offering to 1.8 trillion won ($1.21 billion) from an initial 2.4 trillion won, retreating from a contentious fundraising plan that drew a rare regulatory rebuke and sharp criticism from shareholders. The revised offering, approved by the company's board on Friday, comes just eight days after the Financial Supervisory Service ordered Hanwha Solutions to refile its securities registration, cit April 17, 2026