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  South Korea ushers in private-led space era with 4th Nuri launch GOHEUNG, South Korea, November 27 (AJP) - South Korea opened a new chapter in its space program Thursday with the successful fourth launch of the homegrown Nuri rocket — the first assembled by Hanwha Aerospace — marking a decisive shift toward a private sector–driven space industry. The 200-ton, three-stage rocket lifted off from the Naro Space Center at 1:13 a.m. and entered a sun-synchronous orbit 600 kilometers above Earth, deploying a next-generation medium November 27, 2025
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  Korean Inc.'s USD hoarding is inevitable as U.S. trade and FDI footprints deepen SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s finance minister signaled the government had even asked major exporters for help in propping up the won — a reversal of the usual dynamic that underscores the urgency on the FX front. But expectations for meaningful action remain low, as companies tied to massive U.S. investment commitments have little incentive to part with their dollar reserves. The won’s annual average has already exceeded 1,400 per dollar this year, su November 26, 2025
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  PHOTOS: Korea Grand Sourcing Fair opens in Seoul, draws global buyers SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) — South Korea’s trade agency is hosting a large-scale sourcing fair in Seoul this week to boost global opportunities for K-beauty and K-food exporters. The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) opened the 2025 Korea Grand Sourcing Fair (KGSF 2025) on Tuesday at COEX, bringing together promising Korean exporters and major global buyers. First launched in 2009, the annual event has become a key platform for connecting domestic suppliers November 26, 2025
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  Asian shares rise on AI tailwind; Chinese markets mostly flat SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - Asian shares closed broadly higher Wednesday, lifted by renewed optimism over artificial intelligence following the debut of Google’s “Gemini 3.0” model. While sector performance varied across the region, sentiment improved as investors increasingly dismissed the notion of an AI bubble. The benchmark KOSPI climbed 2.67 percent to 3,960.87. Easing anxiety over the AI sector and direct market intervention by foreign exchange authorities s November 26, 2025
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  Koreans spend more time on ChatGPT than on Naver, making Korea OpenAI's No. 2 market SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Koreans have emerged as the world's most avid ChatGPT users, spending more time on the AI platform than on the country's dominant portal Naver, and pushing Korea to become OpenAI's second-most profitable market despite its small population, data showed. According to app analytics firm Sensor Tower, Korea ranked No. 2 after the United States in ChatGPT revenue contribution. Global downloads of the ChatGPT app have surpassed 1.4 billio November 26, 2025
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  Investigation underway after Eastar Jet's passenger flight lands with cargo door open SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - An Eastar Jet passenger plane landed at Jeju International Airport with its cargo door partially open earlier this week, the budget carrier revealed on Wednesday, days after the incident. The incident occurred last Monday when a flight carrying 177 passengers from Gimpo touched down with the door ajar, prompting an investigation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. With no injuries reported, the aircraft's pressurization system r November 26, 2025
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  Koreans donated gold during IMF crisis — but their love for "foreign" won't rescue the won this time SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - Korean authorities are pleading for all-around help — from the "big-brother" National Pension Service (NPS) to brokerages and exporters — to mobilize every possible tool to defend the Korean won drifting toward the untouched 1,500-won ($1.02) watershed. But they cannot expect sympathy, much less sacrifice, from ordinary Koreans, whose enduring appetite for overseas spending — on goods, travel, and securities — remains un November 26, 2025
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  Korean marriage cases spike in Sept in upside for birth growth streak SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - The number of marriages in Korea reached the largest tally in a decade in September. The sharp rise in marriages — widely considered a leading indicator of births — has raised expectations that the recent rebound in childbirth numbers could continue in the coming months. According to Statistics Korea's population trends for September released on Wednesday, 18,462 couples married last month, an increase of 3,005 cases from a year earlier. November 26, 2025
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  Online sexual violence on the rise among teenagers, report finds SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - Nearly 30 percent of teenagers have experienced sexual violence over the past three years, according to a report released by the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center (KSVRC) on Wednesday. Based on an analysis of reported cases from 2022 to 2024, the report found that there were 14,146 cases in 2022, 15,542 in 2023, and 14,874 in 2024. Among them, cases involving those under 19 increased from 27.6 percent in 2022 to 28.6 percent in 2024. The report also r November 26, 2025
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  South Korean shipowners warn against foreign sale of Hyundai LNG Shipping SEOUL, November 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s shipping industry has raised alarms over the potential sale of Hyundai LNG Shipping, the country’s largest liquefied gas carrier operator, to a foreign buyer, warning the deal could undermine national energy security. The Korea Shipowners’ Association said Wednesday that IMM Private Equity and IMM Investment are in talks to sell the company to Indonesia’s Sinar Mas Group. Hyundai LNG Shipping operates 12 liquefied November 26, 2025