Trump says 'not concerned at all' on Beijing military parade

SEOUL, September 3 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday brushed off suggestions that deepening ties among China, Russia and North Korea posed a challenge to Washington as the leaders of those countries gathered in Beijing for a military parade. In an interview with the Scott Jennings Radio Show, Trump said he was "not concerned at all" about the possibility of an "axis" against the United States. He added, "They would never use their military on us

September 3, 2025

South Korea begins Security Council presidency, to host debate on AI

SEOUL, September 3 (AJP) - South Korea on Tuesday (local time) began its one-month term as president of the United Nations Security Council, confirming the agenda for September and taking up the role of chairing the council's meetings. As its main event, South Korea will hold a high-level open debate on artificial intelligence and its implications for international peace and security. President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to preside over the session on September 24 at UN headqu

September 3, 2025

Kim Jong-un joins Xi, Putin at Beijing military parade, daughter absent from ceremony

SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - For the first time in 66 years, the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia stood side by side as Kim Jong-un joined Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at China’s "Victory Day" military parade on Wednesday. The parade, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, began at 9 a.m. in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Official photographs showed Xi at the center with his wife, Peng Liyuan, to his l

September 3, 2025

South Korea unveils $10.2 billion emergency support for tariff-hit exporters

SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - The South Korean government on Wednesday announced a sweeping 13.6 trillion won ($10.2 billion) relief package aimed at helping exporters weather U.S. tariffs, while expanding trade financing to a record 270 trillion won ($203 billion). The measures, unveiled during a joint meeting of economic ministers and industry officials, are designed to offset the burden of recently negotiated tariffs with Washington. Under the agreement, South Korea and the Un

September 3, 2025

Hyundai Motor union launches first strike in seven years amid wage standoff

SEOUL, September 3 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Company’s labor union began a partial strike on Wednesday, ending a rare seven-year stretch of labor peace at South Korea’s largest automaker as wage talks collapsed. The union stages two-hour work stoppages during morning and afternoon shifts at the company’s domestic plants on Wednesday and Thursday, and plans to extend the walkout to four hours on Friday. The action halts production across Hyundai’s key facilities i

September 3, 2025

Elderly poverty in South Korea projected to spike by 2050 without pension reform

SEOUL, September 2 (AJP) - South Korea's elderly poverty rate could soar to more than 40 percent within the next 25 years if the current pension system remains unchanged, according to a government-affiliated research report disclosed on Tuesday. The report, released last December by researchers at the National Pension Research Institute, projected that under the existing system, which sets the income replacement rate at 40 percent and the contribution rate at 9 percent, the el

September 2, 2025

UNICEF sends 2.7 million vaccines to North Korea this year to restore routine immunization

SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - North Korea has received nearly 2.72 million vaccine doses this year through UNICEF, restoring nationwide immunization services disrupted during the pandemic, A United Nations official told AJP through a written interview. Roland Kupka, UNICEF's interim representative to North Korea, said that three chartered flights delivered 1.57 million Pentavalent, 678,000 Measles-Rubella (MR), and 469,000 Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) as of August this year.

September 2, 2025

Lotte Biologics signs manufacturing deal for immunotherapy drug with US firm

SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - Lotte Biologics said Tuesday it had signed a manufacturing agreement with a U.S. biotechnology company to produce an experimental immunotherapy. The deal, which runs through 2030, covers late-stage clinical trials and potential commercialization of the drug candidate, which is being tested across multiple disease indications. The name of the client company was not disclosed under confidentiality terms. Lotte Biologics, a unit of the Lotte conglomerat

September 2, 2025

Korea's chaebol families add nearly $25 billion in wealth in first half of 2025

SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - The fortunes of South Korea’s largest business dynasties swelled in the first half of the year, buoyed by rising share prices in their sprawling corporate empires, according to data released Tuesday. Combined assets held by the owner families of the country’s 50 biggest conglomerates rose by nearly 33 trillion won, or about $24.8 billion, between January and August, research firm Leaders Index said. Their holdings were valued at 144.4 tri

September 2, 2025

Hanwha showcases submarines, weapons systems in bid for Polish defense contracts

SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - Hanwha Group said Tuesday its three defense affiliates were taking part in Eastern Europe’s largest arms fair this week, as the South Korean conglomerate looks to strengthen its foothold in Poland and compete for a major submarine modernization program. From Sept. 2 to 5, Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean are exhibiting at the 33rd International Defense Industry Exhibition, or MSPO 2025, in Kielce, Poland. The companies have set

September 2, 2025