• 
  Police raid e-commerce giant Coupang's Seoul offices in data breach probe SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Implying full-scale government scrutiny, South Korean police on Tuesday raided Coupang’s Seoul offices over the massive data breach that exposed the personal information of an estimated 33.7 million accounts. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Cyber Investigation Division began the search-and-seizure at around 11 a.m. at Coupang’s offices in Songpa-gu. A 17-member investigative team, led by a superintendent-level chief, was deploye December 9, 2025
• 
  Record M2 fuels weak won structure, binds policy for Seoul authorities SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korea's broad money supply has ballooned to levels last seen during the pandemic stimulus peak, and the liquidity glut is weighing heavily on the won while narrowing policy maneuvering room for authorities. M2 money supply, which includes bonds, time and savings deposits, and equity-type deposits, grew 8.5 percent to a record 4,430.5 trillion won ($3.01 trillion) as of September, Bank of Korea (BOK) data showed. The growth far o December 9, 2025
• 
  South Korea's single-person households top 8 million for first time SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - The number of single-person households in South Korea surpassed 8 million for the first time last year, with people aged 70 and older accounting for the largest share, according to government data released on Tuesday. A report by the National Data Agency showed the country recorded 8.045 million one-person households, representing 36.1 percent of all households. The proportion has risen steadily since 2019. People aged 70 and above accounted for December 9, 2025
• 
  BTS' Jungkook makes cover of Rolling Stone magazine SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) - Jungkook, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, has been featured on the cover of monthly magazine Rolling Stone. Jungkook became the first South Korean artist to appear on the cover of the British edition of the influential music industry trade magazine, with online versions also featuring him in China, France, India, the Philippines and the U.S. "This is a time where I can evaluate whether I can take another leap forward," he told the magazin December 9, 2025
• 
  PHOTOS: South Korean Navy launches new high-speed patrol vessels SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) -The Republic of Korea Navy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held an integrated launching ceremony on December 8, 2025, for four new high-speed patrol vessels (Patrol Killer Medium, Rocket – PKMR Batch-II). These vessels, named Chamsuri-231, 232, 233, and 235, represent a significant upgrade to South Korea's naval capabilities, designed to bolster coastal defense and rapidly respond to maritime threats. December 9, 2025
• 
  Asian markets remain reserved in FOMC week SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Asian equity markets remained cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting this week, with investors bracing for any signal that may accompany the widely expected interest-rate cut. Despite Seoul’s show of resolve — underscored most recently by a rare meeting between the prime minister and the Bank of Korea governor — the dollar ended its brief decline and turned upward, gaining 1.4 won to 1 December 9, 2025
• 
  Latest song by SM founder's rookie girl band makes US radio chart SEOUL, December 9 (AJP) -Multinational girl band A20 MAY's latest song has been included in this week's top 40 chart compiled by U.S. Mediabase. Their song "PAPARAZZI ARRIVE" reached No. 39 on the chart released on Sunday, which is calculated based on the most played songs on radio stations in North America. The quintet with Mandarin-speaking and Chinese-American members, groomed by Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment who later left his namesake com December 9, 2025
• 
  South Korea's MegazoneCloud expands US push amid AI, cloud services boom SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korea’s MegazoneCloud is accelerating its expansion in the United States, targeting $300 million in revenue next year as demand for artificial intelligence and cloud migration continues to rise. The company said it will deepen cooperation with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and expand its U.S. workforce and sales network to drive growth. U.S. revenue stood at $29 million last year. The expansion plan was unveiled at the annual AWS re:Invent c December 9, 2025
• 
  South Korean PM meets BOK chief amid KRW concerns SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong held an unusual closed-door meeting early Tuesday, signaling the government’s reinforced determination to arrest the prolonged weakness of the Korean won that is rippling through every corner of Asia’s fourth-largest economy — from inflation and purchasing power to investment sentiment and long-term growth potential. The meeting, held at the government December 9, 2025
• 
  K-leggings stretch across Asia as XEXYMIX, Andar accelerate regional expansion SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korean athleisure brands known for form-fitting designs tailored to Asian body types are gaining strong traction across Southeast Asia, riding the broader “K-everything” wave sweeping the region. XEXYMIX, led by Chief Executive Lee Soo-yeon, said Tuesday it recently wrapped up a three-day pop-up in Jakarta — a key step in deepening its presence in Indonesia, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing fitness and wellness market December 9, 2025