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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Revised Commercial Act adds legal uncertainty to Korea's M&A landscape

SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - South Korea’s C-suite and boards must now weigh shareholder rights as heavily as employee considerations under the revised Commercial Act, a shift posing as a setback to bold, owner-driven decision-making long associated with chaebols. The implications of the overhaul were a central focus at a capital markets and M&A seminar hosted in Seoul by law firm Shin & Kim on Thursday, where corporate lawyers and market participants examined how the

December 4, 2025