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  Hotel Shilla CEO's son earns near-perfect score on university entrance exam SEOUL, December 5 (AJP) - Hotel Shilla president Lee Boo-jin has garnered fresh attention this week as it was revealed that her son earned a near-perfect score on last month's university entrance exam, creating a buzz among many parents. With this year's exam being one of the toughest as only five students achieved perfect scores, her son reportedly missed just one question. The news spread shortly after former conservative lawmaker Park Sun-young shared it on social medi December 5, 2025
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  Korea–Syria forum explores post-civil war reconstruction, economic partnership SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea and Syria held their first joint business forum in Damascus on Dec. 4, marking a rare step toward expanded economic engagement as Syria seeks partners for reconstruction and modernization efforts. The forum, hosted by the foreign ministries of both countries and organized by KOTRA and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, took place at the Sheraton Hotel in central Damascus. According to KOTRA, around 100 government officials, busi December 5, 2025
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  HYBE shares dip after court orders freeze in chair Bang's stock holdings SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Shares of South Korea's entertainment giant HYBE slid more than 1 percent early Friday after a Seoul court approved the prosecution request for a freeze on the stock holdings of its founder and largest shareholder Bang Si-hyuk worth 156.8 billion won ($106 million) while the investigation on malpractice related to pre-listing share transactions proceeded. The KOSPI-trading shares are down 1.4 percent at 291,250 won as of 9:40 a.m. in Seoul. Bang o December 5, 2025
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  South Korea expected to top $700 billion in exports for first time: KITA SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea’s exports are on track to surpass $700 billion for the first time this year, with momentum expected to continue into 2026, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said on Friday. KITA forecasts exports will climb 3 percent from last year to $704 billion, while imports are projected to edge down 0.3 percent to $630 billion, producing a $74 billion trade surplus. The report cites strong performances in semiconductors and shi December 5, 2025
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  KAIST professor Choi Won-ho receives top plasma engineering prize SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology said on December 5 that Professor Choi Won-ho of the Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering has received the K-T Rie Award at the Asian-European Conference on Plasma Surface Engineering, known as AEPSE 2025, one of the leading global gatherings in applied plasma science and engineering. The K-T Rie Award is presented every two years to an international researcher who has made notable contribut December 5, 2025
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  K-wave, riding past China's "Big Ban" China’s internet, fortified by its “Great Firewall,” blocks the platforms through which much of the world consumes culture — YouTube, Netflix, Facebook, Instagram. Yet Korean dramas, music, and entertainment continue to find audiences there, slipping through the cracks via VPNs, unofficial downloads, and fan-run networks. This quiet persistence offers a window into China’s cultural ecosystem, and into the limits of state control. Korean pop December 5, 2025
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  Samsung Heavy signs deals in US to boost role for MASGA SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - Samsung Heavy Industries is deepening its shipbuilding cooperation with the United States, targeting next-generation naval support ships and liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels as part of an expanded push into the U.S. market. At the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans this week, Samsung signed a three-way business cooperation agreement with U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO and South Korean engineering firm DSEC. The agreement covers col December 5, 2025
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  Seoul Metro increases subway trains as heavy snow disrupts commuters SEOUL, December 5 (AJP) - More subway trains were put into service during the morning rush hour in Seoul on Friday to prevent delays and disruptions caused by heavy snowfall the previous night. Seoul Metro said, "To minimize inconvenience due to snow, we increased the number of trains between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m." The capital and other metropolitan areas saw their first snow of the winter the previous day, with more than 5 centimeters falling in just a few hours, paralyzing traff December 5, 2025
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  South Korea takes steps to safeguard rare earths, critical energy resources SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) - South Korea has launched a national council to stabilize supplies of rare earth elements and expand strategic reserves, amid heightened global supply chain volatility. The council, chaired by Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Kim Jeong-gwan, convened for the first time on Friday with vice-ministers from related ministries to review a comprehensive rare earth supply chain strategy. The body will oversee the government's resource secur December 5, 2025
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  When it snows, it downpours in Seoul: first snow causes chaos SEOUL, December 05 (AJP) -Heavy snowfall across Seoul and southern Gyeonggi triggered a wave of accidents and commuter chaos from rush hour in Wednesday evening to late night as icy roads and inadequate snow removal efforts left drivers stranded and public transportation overwhelmed. In Seoul, the first snow has now become something of a pattern: when it snows, it downpours—the second year in a row in which the season’s first flakes arrived as a full-blown snowstorm. December 5, 2025