After Homeplus scandal, Lotte Card hack puts spotlight on MBK Partners

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - A major data breach at Lotte Card has intensified scrutiny of MBK Partners, one of Asia’s largest private equity firms, which already faces mounting criticism over its troubled ownership of Homeplus, South Korea’s second-largest retail chain. The two incidents have stoked concerns that MBK, which manages more than $30 billion in assets, has prioritized short-term financial returns at the expense of adequate investment in security and corpora

September 22, 2025

Kazakh minister strengthens science and education ties during Seoul visit

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek wrapped up a two-day visit to South Korea on September 11, focusing on expanding cooperation in science, technology, and higher education, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea said. While in Seoul, Nurbek met with South Korean officials and university leaders to deepen collaboration and create more opportunities for students and researchers. In talks with Bae Kyung-

September 22, 2025

Aju News chair named first head of Kazakhstan–Korea Friendship Association

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Kwak Young-kil, chairman of Aju News Corporation, has been appointed as the founding head of the Kazakhstan–Korea Friendship Association, marking a milestone in efforts to deepen ties between the two countries. The appointment ceremony was held Monday at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Seoul. Kwak underscored the strong presence of Korean companies in Kazakhstan, noting that the business community and other sectors have long sought opportunities to e

September 22, 2025

KAIST combines AI and light-based brain control to fight Parkinson's disease

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - The Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) has announced a new way to detect and treat Parkinson's disease earlier, using artificial intelligence and light to study and control brain signals. The work was led by Professor Heo Won-do of KAIST's Department of Biological Sciences. Professor Kim Dae-soo of KAIST’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Director Lee Chang-joon of the Institute for Basic Science (IB

September 22, 2025

Seoul seeks to document abuses amid claims of US detention mistreatment

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - South Korea’s Foreign Ministry has begun surveying more than 300 of its citizens who were detained by U.S. immigration authorities in Georgia, after some former detainees alleged they were subjected to mistreatment while in custody. The survey, distributed this week to 316 South Koreans who have since returned home, asks respondents to describe the circumstances of their arrest and their experiences during detention. It will remain open for a we

September 22, 2025

Multinational interest revives Korea's dream of becoming gas producer

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - A beleaguered deep-sea gas development campaign in the East Sea has been revived after BP plc. and a few unspecified foreign names submitted offers to tap reserves off the east coast of South Korea. State-run Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) published on Sunday that several multinational energy firms filed letters of intent by the deadline on Sunday, resuscitating the campaign shunned by local companies due to association with former disgraced presid

September 22, 2025

Kim Jong-un signals openness to US talks while rejecting S. Korea as partner

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - In a speech delivered at the Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang on Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he could meet with the United States if Washington abandoned its insistence on denuclearization, while ruling out dialogue or unification with South Korea, "I still personally have good memories of President Trump," Kim said, according to the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 22. "If

September 22, 2025

Defense chiefs of South Korea, Saudi Arabia hold talks in Riyadh

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - South Korea and Saudi Arabia pledged to strengthen their defense partnership during high-level talks in Riyadh, the South Korean defense ministry said Monday. South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek described his talks with Prince Abdullah bin Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s National Guard minister, on Saturday as “a meaningful first step” in expanding military collaboration. The trip marked his first visit to the Middle East since as

September 22, 2025

Hanwha honors US Korean War veterans with industrial tour, tribute

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Three major South Korean defense companies joined the government last week in honoring American veterans of the Korean War. Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean, in partnership with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, hosted 85 veterans and family members from Sept. 18 to 20 as part of the ministry’s long-running “Revisit Korea Program.” Established in 1975, the initiative invites U.S. veterans back to the

September 22, 2025

South Korean leader warns US demands could risk crisis without currency safeguards

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung said he is determined to resolve long-standing tariff and trade frictions with the United States as quickly as possible, framing the issue as central to the viability of South Korea’s massive investment push in the American economy. In an interview with Reuters published Monday, Lee highlighted differences between Seoul and Washington over how to guarantee the commercial feasibility of a planned $350 billi

September 22, 2025