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  Korean won nears 1,500, reshaping export gains and deepening cost pains across industries SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - The Korean won’s slide toward the 1,500-per-dollar mark — a level touched only during crisis periods — is raising alarms for a trade-dependent economy where a cheaper currency now delivers diminishing benefits to exports while magnifying cost burdens for companies with massive U.S. investment plans. According to Bank for International Settlements data, Korea’s real effective exchange rate (REER) fell to 89.09 at the end of October November 24, 2025
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  Food inflation may be brewing as the dollar–won rate stays at crisis levels SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Kalguksu, flour dough cut by knife into noodles and served in a steamy broth, is one of the cheapest comfort meals for Korean office workers on cold winter days. But even this humble bowl is no longer cheap. A serving now averages 9,846 won ($7), up 5 percent from a year ago and more than 50 percent from a decade earlier. It is the latest addition to Korea's growing list of food-flation items, as the soaring dollar–won exchange rate raises the November 24, 2025
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  Hollywood star Charlize Theron spotted in Seoul's trendy neighborhood SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Hollywood actress Charlize Theron was recently spotted in Seoul's trendy areas near Hongik University, crating a buzz among fans here. A video clip posted on social media on Sunday showed Theron dressed in a brown trench-style coat and sunglasses, walking with her daughter without any security guards. The clip went viral immediately. When one fan approached her and asked to take a photo together, Theron smiled and warmly posed with her arm around November 24, 2025
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  Gov't unveils plans to attract global talent, top scientists by 2030 SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea unveiled its plans to attract 2,000 foreign experts and recruit 100 top-tier global scientists by 2030 at a meeting held at the government complex in central Seoul on Monday. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Bae Kyung-hoon, the Minister of Science and ICT and other officials from relevant ministries. The ambitious plans aim to address the declining school-age population amid the country's ultra-low birthrate, as November 24, 2025
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   NPS pushed to front line of FX defense as KRW sinks to crisis levels SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s fiscal and monetary authorities, constrained in their ability to slow the won’s steep decline, are turning to an unlikely player for relief: the National Pension Service (NPS), the country’s largest institutional investor and one of the biggest structural movers of the dollar–won rate. Working-level officials from the NPS met finance ministry counterparts at the Sejong Government Complex on Monday. In a press stateme November 24, 2025
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  Bakery chain Paris Croissant to be split into operating, investment entities SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s SPC Group said Monday it will divide its affiliate Paris Croissant into two separate business and investment entities as part of a corporate restructuring plan approved at a board meeting on Nov. 21. The company began notifying employees of the changes, which it said are intended to streamline decision-making and clarify the responsibilities of Paris Croissant, which also functions as a de facto holding company within the gr November 24, 2025
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  South Korea's mobile download speeds triple global peers, report shows SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s telecommunications operators delivered mobile download speeds more than three times faster than those in other major countries last year, according to a report released Monday by the Korea Telecommunications Operators Association (KTOA). Average download speeds across South Korea reached 1,025.52 Mbps in 2024, roughly 3.8 times higher than the 268.01 Mbps average recorded across seven benchmarked countries, the association said. The November 24, 2025
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  South Korean man found dead in bag in Viet Nam SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - The body of a man believed to be South Korean was discovered inside a large bag in Viet Nam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. According to the South Korean Consulate General there, the body was found inside a large blue bag near a residential area in Ho Chi Minh City the previous day. "We are in close communication with local authorities and will provide necessary consular support," said a ministry official, declining to give November 24, 2025
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  Hanwha Ocean hosts Canadian industry chief in bid for submarine project SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Canadian Industry Minister Mélanie Joly visited Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard in Geoje on Monday, underscoring Ottawa’s deepening evaluation of Hanwha’s bid in Canada’s 60-trillion-won submarine procurement project. Joly’s trip follows a visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Oct. 30. Although she had originally planned to accompany him, Joly was unable to due to scheduling conflicts, the company said. At the November 24, 2025
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  Activist fund presses Stick Investment for succession plan, share buyback SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Activist fund Align Partners Capital Management has publicly urged private equity firm Stick Investment to disclose its leadership succession plan and carry out a share buyback. Align, which holds a 7.63 percent stake, released an open letter on Monday demanding that the company present a value-enhancement roadmap by Jan. 19. The fund argued that Stick Investment remains significantly undervalued, noting that its return on equity stood at just 0.3 p November 24, 2025