Son Heung-min scores twice in LA win, extends goal streak to 4 games

SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - Los Angeles FC (LAFC) forward Son Heung-min scored two goals on Sunday, propelling his team to a 3-0 victory over St. Louis City SC at Energizer Park and extending his personal scoring streak to four consecutive Major League Soccer (MLS) matches. Son registered his seventh and eighth goals of the season during the match. His first came in first-half stoppage time with a precise right-footed shot. He added his second in the 60th minute, calmly placing

September 28, 2025

South Korea, US to hold first working group talks on visa issues this week

SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - The first meeting of a working group between South Korea and the United States to address visa issues, which came to prominence after the large-scale detention of South Korean workers by US immigration authorities, is scheduled to take place on Sept. 30 (local time) in Washington D.C., South Korean diplomatic sources said Sunday. The meeting comes 26 days after 317 South Korean nationals were detained while working at the construction site of the Hyunda

September 28, 2025

Fire at data center traced to aged battery, potential human error

SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - The massive administrative network disruption in South Korea, caused by a fire at the National Information Resources Service headquarters in Daejeon, Friday night, is being linked to a lithium-ion battery for an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) that was in use for over a year past its recommended 10-year lifespan. As officials have launched a full-scale investigation into the incident, the focus is falling on the potential role of both the aging hardw

September 28, 2025

Data center fire causes public services meltdown in South Korea

SEOUL, September 28 (AJP) - A fire at a state-run data center in central South Korea triggered a massive network outage that left government services crippled and disrupted daily life for millions over the weekend, officials said. The blaze broke out Friday evening when a lithium-ion battery exploded inside the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon, about 100 miles south of Seoul, according to police and fire officials. The government preemptively shut down 647 onli

September 28, 2025

Seoul to enshrine 'right to be forgotten' as AI deepfake crimes persist

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - South Korea is moving to include the "right to be forgotten" as a core privacy protection for youths targeted by deepfake pornography as AI-generated sexual crimes proliferate. The Personal Information Protection Commission this week announced new measures to safeguard personal data in the AI era. These include giving minors the right to demand deletion of online posts made during adolescence and barring individuals with criminal records from se

September 26, 2025

Naver-Upbit tie-up may fuel Korea's won-pegged stablecoin initiative

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - A tie-up between Korean internet giant Naver and Dunamu, operator of the world’s fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, is widely expected to accelerate the country’s ambition to launch a won-based stablecoin ecosystem. Naver on Thursday confirmed a stock-swap deal with Dunamu is under way, noting that stablecoins are among several ventures under discussion between the two firms, though nothing has been finalized. Analysts see stab

September 26, 2025

Trump's Tylenol vitriol upsets Korean moms-to-be, Seoul backs safety

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump's comments linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism have rattled some expectant mothers in South Korea, sparking anxiety and anger, while Korean health authorities firmly denied any scientific connection. At a White House press conference Monday, Trump said he would direct the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to restrict acetaminophen-based medicines such as Tylenol during pregnancy, except in cases of severe

September 26, 2025

South Korea to send special envoy to Egypt to mark 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Park Beom-gye, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party, will visit Egypt next week as a special envoy, presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said in a press release. His visit from Sept. 20 to Oct. 2 comes in celebration of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Seoul and Cairo. Park will meet with key figures and officials in Egypt to further strengthen bilateral relations while explaining South Korea's foreign policies and d

September 26, 2025

HYBE revs up global idol pipeline as BTS comeback nears

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) -HYBE, the K-pop powerhouse behind global superstar BTS, is accelerating its international expansion with region-specific idol franchises as it sets the stage for BTS’s long-awaited group comeback next year. Latin America is the next market to host a HYBE-incubated idol group, following rollouts in Japan, the U.S., and China. The company also announced it will open a new outpost in Mumbai, India, this year — its fifth overseas base — to ta

September 26, 2025

South Korea appoints new envoy to Tokyo ahead of outgoing Japanese PM's visit next week

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Former envoy to Viet Nam Lee Hyuk has been appointed as South Korea's new ambassador to Tokyo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. Born in 1958, Lee graduated from Korea University with a degree in economics before joining the ministry along with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac. The seasoned diplomat with deep expertise in Japanese affairs also served in ambassadorial posts in the Philippines and Vi

September 26, 2025