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  South Korea to end free disposable plastic cups under new anti-plastic plan SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - South Korea plans to end the free distribution of disposable plastic cups at cafes and other food outlets, requiring consumers to pay a fee as part of a broader push to curb plastic waste, the government said on Wednesday. The Ministry of Environment said the measure would be included in a comprehensive anti-plastic strategy to be released next week. The policy will replace the existing disposable cup deposit system. Under the new plan, individual b December 17, 2025
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  Ex-golfer Pak Se-ri's father gets suspended sentence for fraud SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - South Korean golf pioneer Pak Se-ri's father received a suspended sentence for document forgery and fraud on Wednesday. The Daejeon District Court in central South Korea sentenced him to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years on several charges. He was convicted of falsely claiming to be the head of his daughter's namesake foundation from June 2021 to July 2023, and allegedly forging the foundation's seal and other documents in an at December 17, 2025
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  USD-KRW tests 1,480 on capital outflows amid Japan rate-hike fears SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - The South Korean won fell past the 1,480 mark against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, defying a broadly weaker greenback as fears of capital outflows resurfaced on expectations of a rate hike by the Bank of Japan. The dollar index slipped 0.16 points to 97.79 following higher-than-expected U.S. jobless data. Yet the won weakened sharply, underscoring its vulnerability to shifts in global capital flows rather than dollar strength alone. Institutions came December 17, 2025
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  Samsung Electronics maps 2026 strategy with focus on AI, China ties, foldables SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is setting its business strategy for 2026 amid prolonged global economic uncertainty, with artificial intelligence, cooperation with Chinese partners and leadership in foldable smartphones emerging as key priorities. The company said on Wednesday it is holding global strategy meetings from Dec. 16 to 18. The Device eXperience (DX) division, which oversees smartphones, TVs and home appliances, is scheduled to meet on Dec. 16– December 17, 2025
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  Kosdaq-heading chip design house SemiFive prices IPO at top of range SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - South Korean chip designer SemiFive said on Wednesday it has set its initial public offering price at 24,000 won per share, the top of its indicative range, after its book-building drew 2,159 institutional investors with a subscription rate of 436.9 to 1. The IPO will raise about 129.6 billion won ($87 million) and value the company at about 809 billion won when it lists on the KOSDAQ market on Dec. 29. The book-building ran from Dec. 10 to 16. SemiFive December 17, 2025
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  Korea's industry minister pledges to cut 'fake work,' boost efficiency SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said on Wednesday he aims to cut so-called “fake work” by 30 percent as part of broader efforts to strengthen organizational efficiency and innovation across government. Speaking at a government briefing in the administrative city of Sejong, Kim said reducing superficial or low-value tasks was essential to improving institutional capacity and productivity. President Lee Jae Myung voiced December 17, 2025
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  Shinsegae chair's Hannam-dong home remains South Korea's most expensive for 11th year SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - Lee Myung-hee, chairwoman of South Korea’s Shinsegae Group, owns the country’s most expensive home for the 11th consecutive year, according to government property data released on Wednesday. Lee’s residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, was valued at 31.35 billion won ($21 million), up 5.48 percent from a year earlier, data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport showed. The valuation rose by 1.63 billion won from December 17, 2025
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  G-Dragon included among American fashion magazine's list of influential icons SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - K-pop singer G-Dragon has been included in American fashion and lifestyle magazine Hypebeast's year-end list of influential figures in a diverse mix of contemporary culture, fashion, music and sports for this year. The annual list of "Hypebeast100" recognizes "leaders in fashion - designers, artists, creative directors and entrepreneurs from all cultural and vocational backgrounds - who have taken up the mantle to challenge and defin December 17, 2025
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  Coupang interim head repeats apology at hearing, founder and key C-suite stay away SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) -Coupang Corp.’s interim chief executive officer Harold Rogers apologized Wednesday for a massive data breach affecting more than 33 million South Korean customers, while telling lawmakers that the incident did not trigger mandatory disclosure requirements under U.S. privacy and securities regulations. "I am deeply sorry for the concern that we have created for the Korean people,” Rogers said at a National Assembly hearing, pled December 17, 2025
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  Asian markets mixed as investors weigh U.S. jobs data, await ECB and BOJ decisions SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - Asian equity markets traded mixed in early Tuesday session, digesting overnight U.S. employment data while bracing for imminent rate decisions in Europe and Japan. In the United States, nonfarm payrolls rose more than expected, but the unemployment rate also came in higher than forecasts, adding uncertainty over the strength and trajectory of the U.S. economy. Investors are now focused on the European Central Bank’s policy decision on Thursday and December 17, 2025