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  The ancient Korean ideal that could heal a polarized world The world today is being torn apart by widening polarization. Few places illustrate this more vividly than the United States. President Donald Trump’s “MAGA (Make America Great Again)” agenda—centered on reviving American manufacturing, cutting taxes, and tightening border controls—did produce short-term economic gains and job growth. Yet it also deepened the divides between the wealthy and the working poor, between regions, and across racial and cu November 22, 2025
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  School cooks speak up and walk out as Korea's free-lunch system strains livelihoods SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - In South Korea, school lunches are free — but the expectations are anything but modest. The national obsession with high-quality meals for students, coupled with strict hygiene standards and demanding palates of children and their parents, has long placed the burden squarely on the shoulders of cafeteria staff. This week, many of them stepped away from the steam-filled kitchens and into the streets. On Friday, about 94,000 members of the Nation November 21, 2025
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  Coupang, latest breach in Korea, with no effective guardrail in sight SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - Coupang has emerged as the latest flashpoint in Korea's widening cybersecurity crisis, with customer data leaking yet again as major companies — from telecom operators to card issuers — continue to fall victim to preventable attacks under a regulatory system that seldom imposes meaningful penalties. Coupang said late Thursday that an "unauthorized third party" accessed the personal information of more than 4,500 customers. Accor November 21, 2025
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  KOSPI, this year's stellar winner, crashes into year-end on AI bubble scare and FX pressures SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - South Korea’s KOSPI has been the strongest-performing major Asian index this year, but this week’s rout has laid bare its structural fragility — an equity market dominated by a few tech bellwethers and increasingly shunned by foreign investors as the won sinks to new lows. Until just days ago, enthusiasm bordered on euphoria. Forecasts that the KOSPI could surge to 5,000 or even 7,000 became commonplace. Even after Friday’s 3.8 November 21, 2025
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  Samsung Electronics names new DX, DS co-CEOs and brings in global science talent in sweeping leadership reshuffle SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics unveiled a major leadership reshuffle on Friday, reinstating a two-CEO structure and appointing Harvard professor Hongkun Park and software veteran Janghyun Yoon to top technology roles as the company accelerates its transition toward next-generation semiconductor and AI innovation. TM Roh, head of the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business and acting chief of the Device eXperience (DX) Division, has been formally promoted to President & November 21, 2025
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  POSCO removes Pohang steel plant chief after safety accidents SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - POSCO has removed the head of its Pohang steel mill after a series of safety incidents, including a toxic gas leak on Thursday that sent six workers to the hospital. The company said it will launch a special safety task force led by its newly established subsidiary, POSCO Safety Solutions. Industry sources said Friday that POSCO dismissed Pohang mill chief Lee Dong-ryeol after subcontracted workers and a POSCO employee were exposed to harmful gas du November 21, 2025
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  Asian stocks tumble across the board SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - All major stock markets in Asia fell more than 2 percent on Friday, with South Korea's benchmark KOSPI plunging nearly 4 percent. In Seoul, the KOSPI fell 3.8 percent to close at 3,853.26, while the junior KOSDAQ slumped 3.1 percent to 863.95. In large-cap stocks, Samsung Electronics plunged 5.8 percent to 94,800 Koren won ($64), and SK hynix dropped 8.8 percent to 521,000 won. Among the top 10 market-cap companies, only Kia gained 0.5 percent, whil November 21, 2025
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  Friendship Week returns to Shandong, boosting relations between South Korea and China SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - A special weeklong event is taking place this week in the Chinese city of Jinan, Shandong Province, the South Korean Embassy in China said on Friday. Under the banner of "Friendship Week," which was first launched in 2003, the event had served as a key platform for local cooperation between the two countries, promoting economic and cultural exchanges. This year's event marks both the first since the coronavirus pandemic and the first held November 21, 2025
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  Deutsche Motors, BMW's South Korean distributor, under 'special' tax probe SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - South Korea’s National Tax Service has launched a tax probe into Deutsche Motors, the country’s official distributor of BMW vehicles. Industry sources said tax officials recently visited the company’s Seoul headquarters to secure documents and computer records as part of the inquiry. The investigation is being led by the Seoul Regional Tax Office and is classified as a "special" audit, according to the sources. Deutsch November 21, 2025
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  Korea's late-40s breast cancer spike: researchers identify a surprising risk group SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - Overweight and obesity are the most common drivers of post-menopausal breast cancer in American women — but for Koreans, new evidence suggests the opposite: being underweight may be the greater risk factor. New data highlight that breast-cancer risk in Korea follows a markedly different biological pathway from that of Western populations, where excess body fat typically fuels tumor development after menopause. In Korea and Japan, breast-cancer i November 21, 2025