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  Korea to up crackdown on drug trafficking on record smuggling SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korean authorities will up border control and crack down on drug trafficking after seizing a record 3,000 kilograms of illicit substances this year, mostly brought in through smuggling channels. The Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Friday it confiscated 2,913 kilograms of illegal drugs between January and October, nearly quadruple the volume seized during the same period last year. The surge underscores what officials describe as the shar December 5, 2025
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  Hancom Lifecare to supply K5 gas masks to Korean military SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Hancom Lifecare, a safety equipment subsidiary of Hancom Group, said Friday it has secured a major contract to supply gas masks to the South Korean armed forces. The company said it signed a 185 billion won ($13.8 million) agreement with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to deliver about 80,000 K5 gas masks by 2026. The K5 model, developed between 2010 and 2014, features a single-lens visor for improved visibility and dual filters desig December 5, 2025
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  Seoul included among world's most attractive cities SEOUL, December 5 (AJP) - Seoul has been included among the world's ten most attractive cities, according to an annual survey by data analytics company Euromonitor International released this week. The survey evaluates cities around the world based on several factors including "economic and business activity, tourism performance, infrastructure, tourism policy and appeal, health and safety, and sustainability." Seoul ranked 10th, making it into the top ten for the December 5, 2025
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  AI race to be defined by entrepreneurial spirit The global artificial intelligence market is exploding in size. Precedence Research projects that AI will swell from $757.6 billion to $3.7 trillion by 2034. An annualized growth of 19.2 percent is pronounced: AI is not just another fast-growing technology. It will reshape the very structure of the world economy. But in this era of relentless innovation, the decisive factor is no longer the technology itself. AI is becoming widely accessible—almost a public good. What will December 5, 2025
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  Kia marks 80th anniversary with pledge to lead future mobility SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Kia President Song Ho-sung pledged to accelerate innovation across electric and purpose-built vehicles as the automaker marked its 80th anniversary on Friday. “We will continue to innovate with various electric and purpose-built vehicle models to become a centennial company,” Song said at a commemorative event held in Yongin, south of Seoul. Reflecting on Kia’s evolution to a global brand, Song credited the company’s resilien December 5, 2025
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  KITA forecasts record exports for South Korea this year SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea's exports are on track to top $700 billion for the first time in history, with the recovery expected to continue into 2026, according to a report released on Dec. 5 by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). KITA's Institute for International Trade said exports are projected to rise 3.0 percent this year to $704 billion, while imports are expected to slip 0.3 percent to $630 billion. That would leave the country with a tra December 5, 2025
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  Naver teams up with Netflix for Culinary Class Wars Season 2 push SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Naver unveiled a joint marketing campaign with Netflix, leveraging its map and membership services to promote the streaming giant's upcoming cooking competition series Culinary Class Wars Season 2. The South Korean tech firm said on Friday its Naver Map application now features a curated list of restaurants operated by chefs appearing in the Netflix show, which premieres on Dec. 16. A internationally beloved series which pit 80 unknown chefs against December 5, 2025
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  Asian stocks mostly down early Friday ahead of FOMC week SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Asian stocks were mostly lower in early Friday trading as investors stayed on the sidelines ahead of next week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which is expected to set the tone for U.S. rate policy in 2025. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 0.5 percent to 4,047.41, while the KOSDAQ slipped 0.7 percent to 923.70 as of 10:05 a.m. Samsung Electronics gained 1.9 percent to 107,050 won ($72.8), whereas SK hynix fell 0.7 percent to 538,000 won. December 5, 2025
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  Korea's C/V surplus halves, outbound stock invest outsized inbound by a factor of 6 SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea posted its 30th straight monthly current account surplus in October, but the headline figure shrank to a six-month low as reduced factory activity during the Chuseok holiday dampened trade, according the central bank data, which also showed Korean outbound stock purchases overwhelming foreign inflows by a factor of six to explain the stubbornly weak Korean won against the U.S. dollar. The Bank of Korea said Friday that the country recorded a December 5, 2025
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  South Korea's finance chief rules out using pension fund for FX intervention SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea’s finance chief pushed back against speculation that the government might lean on the National Pension Service to help stabilize the weakening won, saying market fundamentals — not state intervention — should guide currency movements. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol, speaking in a radio interview Friday, said the government has no intention of directing the NPS, one of the world’s largest in December 5, 2025