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  Won–dollar exchange rate SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - A screen at Yonhap Infomax in Jongno District, Seoul, displays peak won–dollar exchange rates from 1997 to 2025 on December 16. The monthly average exchange rate this month has exceeded 1,470 won per dollar, marking the highest level on a monthly basis since the Asian financial crisis. The won opened at 1,476.0 per dollar on December 15, up 2.3 won from the previous session. As upward pressure on the currency continues, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister December 16, 2025
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  Samsung's Lee Jae-yong holds AI chip talks with Tesla, AMD in US SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong met Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk and Advanced Micro Devices Chief Executive Lisa Su during a visit to the United States, as the company moves to strengthen partnerships in next-generation artificial intelligence semiconductors. Lee returned to South Korea on Sunday after the trip, which focused on expanding Samsung’s foundry and memory businesses with leading global technology firms. “I worked ha December 16, 2025
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  15-hour raid on Unification Church ends without finding key evidence SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Police on Tuesday failed to find key evidence after a 15-hour raid on about a dozen locations linked to the powerful Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, over allegations of bribery involving political figures. During the raid, which began at 9 a.m. the previous day and wrapped up after midnight, police searched about 10 locations including the sprawling residence of the church's leader Han Hak-ja in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province as well as o December 16, 2025
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  OPINION: A reckoning for church-state separation South Korea’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion while mandating the separation of church and state, a principle enshrined in 1948. For more than eight decades, this constitutional boundary has remained largely uncontested. Recently, however, calls have emerged to clarify the scope of this separation and strengthen penalties for violations, reflecting growing concern that the principle is being eroded. President Lee Jae Myung recently underscored the need for firm a December 16, 2025
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  OPINION: In defense of Korean democracy in martial law aftermath On Dec. 3, 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law sent shockwaves through South Korea, one of the world’s leading economies. The country was unprepared for such a drastic measure. Although rumors had circulated, few believed they would materialize. A nation built on the sacrifices of its people suddenly confronted a crisis evocative of its painful struggles for democracy. South Korea’s path to democracy has been anything but smooth. December 16, 2025
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  OPINION: Human cost of overnight delivery SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - South Korea’s lightning-fast delivery services, including overnight and same-day options, have become a defining feature of its retail industry and a source of national pride. For consumers, the appeal is clear: fresh groceries and online purchases arriving at the doorstep by morning. Yet behind this convenience lies a less visible cost, borne by delivery workers who endure punishing night shifts and unsafe working conditions. To sustain overn December 16, 2025
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  Seoul FX authorities extend $65 bn currency swap with NPS SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) -South Korea’s foreign exchange authorities have agreed to extend a $65 billion currency swap arrangement with the National Pension Service (NPS) through the end of 2026, as policymakers step up efforts to stabilize the won amid rising overseas investment flows and renewed market volatility. The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Bank of Korea (BOK) in a joint statement on Monday said that the extension will help "absorb the pension fund December 16, 2025
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  Korea Zinc strikes strategic alliance with US for $7.4 smelter project SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) -Korea Zinc has struck a strategic alliance with the U.S. government, including defense authorities, to build a $7.4 billion critical-minerals smelter—supporting Washington’s effort to cut reliance on China while shoring up its own defenses against a hostile takeover at home. The world’s largest non-ferrous metal smelter is deepening its alignment with Washington through a large-scale U.S. expansion that places it at the center of Americ December 16, 2025
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  Qatar National day reception SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - A reception commemorating Qatar National Day was held today at The Shilla Hotel in Seoul. Hosted by H.E. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al-Hamar, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Korea, the event celebrated Qatar National Day (December 18), which marks the day when Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the founder of the State of Qatar, assumed leadership and unified the nation. The reception served as a meaningful occasion to reaffirm the friendship December 15, 2025
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  2025 ESG Management Awards SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Economic Daily presented its 2025 ESG Management Awards to 13 companies on December 15 at Seoul's Press Center. Award recipients included major financial institutions KEB Hana Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea, Mirae Asset Securities, NH Investment & Securities, Korean Federation of Community Credit Cooperatives, Hanwha Life Insurance, and KB Kookmin Card, as well as leading corporations Samsung Electronics, Hyosung Group, SamKoo INC, BHC, Karrot, a December 15, 2025