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  LG CNS expands AI transformation into pharma, bio sectors with government and private contracts SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korean IT services firm LG CNS is accelerating its push into the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, securing a major government contract and completing an AI-powered automation system for drugmaker Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical. The company will participate in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's R&D project for clinical and preclinical drug development, a four-year, three-month initiative backed by about 37.1 billion won ($25 million) January 21, 2026
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  PM to visit Washington this week for first overseas trip SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is set to visit the U.S. this week, his office said on Wednesday. Kim will travel to Washington, D.C., and New York from Thursday to Monday, marking his first overseas trip since assuming the post in July last year. During his five-day trip, Kim will meet senior U.S. government officials, hold talks with members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and meet with South Korean nationals living there. His office expects the January 21, 2026
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  Hanwha Ocean taps ex-Canadian Navy officer to lead local subsidiary SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korea's Hanwha Ocean has appointed Canadian defense specialist Glenn Copeland to head its local subsidiary as the shipbuilder intensifies its bid for Canada’s Patrol Submarine Project, a program the company said could be worth up to 60 trillion won ($45 billion). Hanwha Ocean has established Hanwha Defense Canada to pursue the contract, and said Copeland’s appointment will allow it to step up engagement with Canadian authorities. January 21, 2026
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  OPINION: Why environmental policies keep failing consumers SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Protecting the environment is no longer optional. In the face of climate change and resource depletion, the government's role is clear. The key question is no longer whether to act, but how. South Korea's evolving policies on paper cups and straws including the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy's proposed charges on disposable cups demonstrate how environmental regulations can be inadequate when they overlook consumer acceptance. Paper January 21, 2026
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  SK Innovation brings KHNP into TerraPower deal to expand global SMR business SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - SK Innovation said on Wednesday it has sold part of its stake in U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) developer TerraPower to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), strengthening a three-way partnership aimed at expanding in the global next-generation nuclear power market. The transaction marks the first direct investment by a South Korean state-run energy company in a global SMR developer. Financial terms were not disclosed. TerraPower, founded in 2008 January 21, 2026
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  Samsung Display supplies OLED cockpit, rear screens for Zeekr's flagship SUV SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Samsung Display said Wednesday it is supplying three types of automotive OLED displays for the flagship luxury SUV from Chinese electric-vehicle brand Zeekr. The Zeekr 9X has ranked first in China’s large-SUV segment priced at around 500,000 yuan ($70,000) for two consecutive months since November, according to the company. Under the deal, Samsung Display is providing a 16-inch center information display, a 16-inch front passenger display and a January 21, 2026
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  Seoul honors Turkish General Tahsin Yazıcı as first global war hero under new program SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs held a ceremony on Tuesday to honor Brigadier General Tahsin Yazıcı, the Korean War commander of the Turkish Brigade, as the "Korean War Hero of the Month" for January 2026. The Turkish Brigade, known by the code name "North Star" (Kuzey Yıldızı), arrived in the port city of Busan on October 17, 1950. Attached to the U.S. IX Corps, the brigade quickly earned a reputation for ferocity and re January 21, 2026
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  OPINION: A compound crisis demands compound policy for Korean economy South Korea’s economy is sending mixed signals. Exports are at record highs and the stock market is approaching 5,000 points. At the same time, warning lights are flashing: a weaker won, renewed pressure on home prices and worsening youth employment. Some see the moment as an opening for a major shift; others warn of an economy cooling toward stagnation. In truth, opportunity and risk are advancing together — and that is the most difficult ph January 21, 2026
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  KOSPI catches its breath after two-week rally SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI pulled back on Tuesday, ending its year-opening rally, as selling pressure in major technology and auto shares outweighed gains in select growth and thematic stocks. The index fell 0.4 percent to close at 4,885.8, snapping a 13-session winning streak that included a series of record highs. Despite the pullback, it briefly climbed to an intraday high of 4,935.48, extending its run of fresh peaks before momentum faded in late January 20, 2026
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  More young Koreans abandon job searches: BOK SEOUL, January 20 (AJP) - The number of economically inactive or “idled” young people in South Korea has risen sharply, with a growing share abandoning job searches, underscoring mounting risks to the country’s long-term growth potential, the central bank said on Tuesday. According to a report from the Bank of Korea (BOK), the proportion of the idled population within the economically inactive group climbed to 15.8 percent in 2025, up from 12.8 percent in 2019. T January 20, 2026