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  Growing strawberries year-round, even in desert with Korea's smart farming SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Strawberries are no longer a spring fruit in Korea. They have become seasonless — and in fact, their peak arrives in icy-cold winter. From strawberry cakes to lattes, the fruit dominates winter menus. "Orders are pouring in because it's winter strawberry season. We go through 10 kilograms of strawberries a day," said the owner of a café in downtown Seoul. Winter strawberries grown in greenhouses are known to be especially sweet January 8, 2026
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  Tax may be one reason Koreans prefer overseas ETFs over home-based ones SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Authorities have blamed overseas securities investment for the stubborn weakness of the Korean won and have rolled out incentives to encourage capital to return home. But for many individual investors, tax treatment remains a decisive reason to stick with foreign exchange-traded funds (ETFs). An investor who generates 30 million won ($20,691) in profits from Korea-listed ETFs within a pension account would take home about 19.1 million won after tax. That January 8, 2026
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  South Korean street-food chain captivates Singaporean palates with tailored approach SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - Snack-food chain Ssada Gimbap has achieved 4 billion won ($3 million) in annual sales in Singapore in just three years since making its entry into the Southeast Asian country. According to the affordable street-food chain, the key to its success lies in its deliberate strategy of gradually opening outlets in key locations. Starting with its first outlet in Bukit Timah, home to one of the largest South Korean communities there, in June 2023, the chain grad January 8, 2026
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  Shipbuilders lift South Korean stocks as Asian markets trade mixed SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Asian equities were mixed on Thursday, while South Korean stocks ended marginally higher as a sharp rally in shipbuilding shares offset weakness in technology-heavy stocks. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI edged up 0.03 percent to close at 4,552.37, finishing largely flat as gains among shipbuilders countered declines elsewhere. Buying in the sector was driven by rising expectations of large shipbuilding and offshore project orders linked to Canada. The t January 8, 2026
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  Naver's sovereign AI plan questioned over use of China's open-source technology SEOUL, Jan. 8 (AJP) - Naver’s push to develop a so-called “sovereign AI” model has come under scrutiny after disclosures that its government-backed foundation model incorporated components from Alibaba’s open-source Qwen system, raising questions about South Korea’s technological independence and its ambition to build advanced artificial intelligence from scratch. Industry sources said on Thursday that Naver Cloud’s HyperCLOVA X Seed 32B Sync mo January 8, 2026
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  Stray Kids to perform at star-studded charity concert in France later this month SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids will attend at a charity concert in France later this month. The eight-member band will perform along with global stars such as American singer-songwriter and actress Christina Aguilera, American rapper A$AP Rocky, and South Korean rapper G-Dragon at Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes, also known as the Yellow Coins Gala, slated to be held at a multipurpose indoor arena in Nanterre, a western suburb of Paris on Jan. 22. Organ January 8, 2026
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  Samsung regains top spot in global DRAM, NAND markets SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has regained the top global position in both DRAM and NAND flash memory following stronger-than-expected preliminary fourth-quarter results, according to data from industry researcher Counterpoint Research, released on Thursday. The research firm estimated that Samsung’s memory semiconductor revenue rose 34 percent from the previous quarter to $25.9 billion in the fourth quarter. DRAM accounted for $19.2 billion of the total, w January 8, 2026
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  [CES 2026] Seoul startups vie for attention at CES, powered by student talent LAS VEGAS, January 08 (AJP) - CES 2026 is not just a stage for global tech giants. For many startups, it serves as a debut platform or a critical stepping stone — and at the Seoul Pavilion this year, university students have emerged as unlikely stars. At the Seoul Pavilion at CES 2026, hosting 69 startups, student talent has become a defining feature. The pavilion is operated by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), which set up a 743-square-meter space inside Eureka Park, CES' January 8, 2026
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  Lee's approval rating inches up to 61% SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has inched up to 61 percent, up 2 percentage points from two weeks ago, a fresh poll showed on Thursday. Some 29 percent of respondents disapproved of Lee's performance, down 3 percentage points. But Lee gained support across the country overall except in the traditional conservative stronghold of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, where his approval rating stood at 49 percent. This was attributed t January 8, 2026
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  Hanwha chairman visits Jeju space center, underscores private space ambitions SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn visited the firm's Jeju Space Center on Thursday, underscoring the conglomerate’s push to build a private-sector space industry ecosystem. The Jeju center, located in Seogwipo on Jeju Island, is a key base for the group's space business. Kim toured satellite production and testing facilities and received briefings on this year’s business plan and Hanwha’s broader space operations. “ January 8, 2026