INTERVIEW: What surprised foreign job seekers about life and work in Seoul

SEOUL, September 7 (AJP) - At a career forum in Seoul's trendy Seongsu-dong on Saturday, more than 40 panelists shared hard-won lessons with international students seeking job opportunities here. Hosted by Exprivé, a company that connects over 10,000 foreign influencers living in Korea to promote Korean culture worldwide, Saturday's event aimed to help job seekers bridge into local industries and drew a packed crowd. On the sidelines, four Asian panelists from Singap

September 7, 2025

South Korea to allow visa-free travel for Chinese visitors starting this month

SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) -South Korea announced Sunday that it would temporarily allow visa-free entry for Chinese tour groups of three or more people, in a move aimed at revitalizing its tourism sector. The new policy, which takes effect on Sept. 29, permits these groups to travel across the country for up to 15 days. China has already been allowing visa-free travel for South Korean nationals since November of last year. Under the new policy, which will run until June 30 o

September 7, 2025

Immigration crackdown leads Korean firms to cancel business trips to US

SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Company has canceled all scheduled business trips to the United States after hundreds of South Korean workers were arrested in Georgia on charges of illegal stay and employment. Industry sources confirmed Sunday that the automaker had notified employees that all travel to the U.S. was suspended. The decision comes after a raid on a joint battery plant operated by LG Energy Solution and Hyundai Motor Group on Sept. 4 led to the detention of

September 7, 2025

Samsung plans to embed AI across 90 percent of its business by 2030

SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics plans to integrate artificial intelligence into nearly all of its operations within the next five years, a sweeping transformation that the company says will redefine how it makes and markets everything from smartphones to home appliances. Roh Tae-moon, the acting head of Samsung’s DX Division, which oversees consumer electronics and mobile devices, said at a news conference at the IFA 2025 trade show in Berlin that the company

September 7, 2025

Charter flight to bring home Korean workers held in US

SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - The South Korean government said on Sunday that it had successfully negotiated the release of over 300 of its citizens who were detained by American immigration authorities at a construction site in Georgia. The workers were building a joint battery plant for Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution. Lee Hun-sik, the chief of staff to President Lee Jae Myung, announced that “negotiations for the release of the detained workers have been compl

September 7, 2025

Rare lung disease drug fails to secure health insurance coverage in Korea

SEOUL, September 06 (AJP) - A breakthrough medication for a rare lung disease has been denied health insurance coverage in South Korea, leaving desperate patients to bear the full cost of treatment. According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service on Saturday, the Tyvaso inhalation solution was rejected on Thursday during its ninth pharmaceutical benefit evaluation committee meeting of 2025. The drug, developed by U.S. based United Therapeutics Corporation and do

September 6, 2025

[K-Pop] aespa's "Rich Man" album tops iTunes charts in 14 countries

SEOUL, September 06 (AJP) - South Korean girl group aespa claimed the top spot on iTunes Top Songs charts in 14 countries with their sixth mini-album "Rich Man," their agency SM Entertainment said Saturday. The album, released Friday, dominated charts in 14 countries including Thailand, Taiwan, and Russia. It also secured positions within the top 10 in 29 countries including the United States, France, and Japan. "Rich Man" swept China's digital music platf

September 6, 2025

South Korea-US trade complaints double as Trump tariffs undermine FTA benefits

SEOUL, September 06 (AJP) - South Korean exporters are grappling with mounting trade barriers as complaints about US market access surged to twice last year's levels, undermining benefits from the bilateral free trade agreement amid Washington's protectionist pivot. Trade grievances filed with South Korea's FTA support center jumped to 1,526 cases in the first seven months of this year, already surpassing the full-year 2024 total of 1,380 cases, according to data from th

September 6, 2025

US immigration raid at Hyundai Motor, LG Energy Solution battery plant comes amid ongoing economic cooperation

SEOUL, September 06 (AJP) - U.S. immigration authorities arrested 475 people including about 300 South Korean nationals at a Hyundai Motor Group battery plant construction site in Georgia, creating diplomatic tensions just weeks after Seoul pledged billions in American investments. The sweeping raid Friday (local time) at the 3000-acre Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint venture facility came as the two countries were conducting follow-up negotiations on tariffs and investm

September 6, 2025

TRAVEL: Cruising the inland sea of Chungju Lake

JECHEON, September 04 (AJP) - The Han River, which flows through the heart of Seoul, is formed where the Namhan River from North Chungcheong and the Bukhan River from Gangwon meet at Yangsu-ri in Gyeonggi before winding through the capital and emptying into the Yellow Sea. On the Namhan River sits Chungju Dam, South Korea’s largest concrete gravity dam, begun in 1978 and completed in October 1986. The dam’s completion created Chungju Lake, a vast inland body

September 5, 2025