North Korea breaks ground on memorial for troops killed in Russia

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - North Korea has begun building a war memorial in Pyongyang to honor soldiers who were dispatched to assist Russia's war in Ukraine and died there, state media reported Friday. According to the KCNA, a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the memorial took place the previous day with its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, along with Russian Ambassador to North Korea Aleksandr Matsegora and other embassy officials. In his speech, Kim said,

October 24, 2025

South Korea's Rainbow Robotics to make shipbuilding robots for Samsung Heavy

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Samsung Heavy Industries said on Friday that it has partnered with Rainbow Robotics to develop artificial intelligence–powered welding robots, part of the shipbuilder’s broader push to automate production and build a “smart shipyard” for the future. Under the agreement, Samsung Heavy will provide operational data and testing environments for the robots, while Rainbow Robotics will handle hardware development and technical support

October 24, 2025

Surge in Cambodian remittances via NH NongHyup Bank spurs crime concerns

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Remittances to Cambodia through South Korea’s NH NongHyup Bank have soared in recent years, prompting concerns among lawmakers and regulators about potential links to voice phishing and organized crime. According to data released by Rep. Eo Gi-gu of the Democratic Party, the amount sent to Cambodia has nearly tripled since 2021. Annual remittances rose from 36.8 billion won ($25.7 million) in 2021 to 45.9 billion won in 2022, 94.2 billion won i

October 24, 2025

South Korea's LS Buildwin wins high-voltage power project in Singapore

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - South Korea's LS Marine Solutions said on Friday that its subsidiary, LS Buildwin, has been awarded a contract worth about $60 million to build a high-voltage underground power network in Singapore. The project, undertaken in partnership with LS Cable, will involve the construction of a 230-kilovolt underground power network designed to strengthen Singapore’s national grid amid surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence and data c

October 24, 2025

Seoul confirms summits with Trump and Xi, Japan's under discussion

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, host of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, will hold bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 29 and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Nov. 1, both attending as state guests, the presidential office confirmed Friday. National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said a separate meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is being discussed

October 24, 2025

SM's TVXQ and RIIZE honored with top govt awards for global K-pop impact

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - SM Entertainment’s veteran duo TVXQ and rising boy group RIIZE have been recognized by the South Korean government for their contributions to the global expansion of K-pop. At the 16th Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards held Thursday, TVXQ — also known as Tohoshinki in Japan — received the Presidential Commendation, the nation’s highest honor in the cultural field. The six-member RIIZE earned the Minister of Culture, Sports

October 24, 2025

TRAVEL: Discover beauty of Mt. Hallasan and hidden gems on volcanic island of Jeju

JEJU, October 24 (AJP) - The beauty of South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju owes much to volcanic activity. The area, now the largest island on the Korean Peninsula, was originally a shallow sea. From deep beneath the earth, molten magma surged upward and collided with seawater in explosive volcanic eruptions, eventually forming land that rose above the sea. As volcanic activity continued, magma kept erupting, forming volcanic formations called "oreum" along

October 24, 2025

Samsung Heavy secures $244 million deal for three oil tankers

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Samsung Heavy Industries said on Friday that it has secured an order worth 341.1 billion won, or about $244 million, to build three oil tankers for a Liberian shipowner. The order brings Samsung Heavy’s total contracts this year to $5.2 billion, about 78 percent of its $5.8 billion goal for the merchant ship sector. The company also aims to reach $4 billion in offshore projects, including work on the Coral and Delfin floating liquefied natural gas

October 24, 2025

Anthropic of Claude AI chatbot to open office in Seoul next year

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Anthropic, the U.S. artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, said it will open a Seoul office early next year. “South Korea is a leader in AI innovation in Asia, and Claude is already widely used here,” Anthropic’s chief executive, Dario Amodei, said in a statement. “We look forward to collaborating with partners in South Korea’s world-class tech ecosystem to realize AI’s potential.” Senior

October 24, 2025

Asian shares rebound, lifted by optimism over Trump's APEC tour

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Asian stocks rebounded Friday, buoyed by news that U.S. President Donald Trump will embark on his first Asia tour of his second term next week — a trip that includes back-to-back summit meetings with leaders of South Korea, Japan, and China during APEC week. Markets welcomed expectations that the visit could bring progress on pending trade and investment issues across the region. The benchmark KOSPI rose about 1.5 percent, reclaiming the 3,900-point

October 24, 2025