Trump to 'reach out' to North Korean leader

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would "reach out" to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. His comments come just a few days into his non-consecutive second term earlier this week, suggesting that he intends to re-engage in talks with Pyongyang. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said, "I'll reach out to him again," but gave no specific details. "I got along with him. He is not a religious zealot. He happens

January 24, 2025

Kia defies 'EV chasm' to report record annual revenue, operating profit

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - Kia Corp. achieved its highest-ever annual revenue and operating profit in 2024, surpassing 100 trillion won ($69.8 billion) in sales for the first time in its history, the company announced Friday. The automaker posted an operating profit of 12.67 trillion won, a 9.1 percent increase from the previous year, while revenue climbed 7.7 percent to 107.45 trillion won. Net profit surged 11.5 percent to 9.79 trillion won, driven by robust demand in North America

January 24, 2025

Ukraine may repatriate North Korean POWs once war with Russia ends

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - Ukraine has hinted at plans to repatriate North Korean war prisoners, once its ongoing war with Russia ends. Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, said his country must repatriate them in adherence to international law during his exclusive interview with Radio Free Asia (RFA) last week. He explained that captured soldiers must be released and repatriated without delay after the

January 24, 2025

SK hynix poised for another record-breaking year on AI chip boom

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - SK hynix is forecast to extend its record-breaking performance into 2025, buoyed by surging demand for artificial intelligence-related semiconductors, analysts said Friday. The South Korean chip giant reported a 12 percent year-on-year increase in fourth-quarter revenue to 19.77 trillion won ($13.8 billion), with operating profit rising 15 percent to 8.08 trillion won, surpassing market expectations. For the full year, the firm's revenue doubled to 6

January 24, 2025

PHOTOS: Migration for Lunar New Year holiday begins

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - As the Lunar New Year holiday approaches, Koreans are on the move. Around 1.3 million people are expected to travel abroad through domestic airports over the ten days from Jan. 24 to Feb. 2. On average, 134,000 passengers are expected to depart each day, marking a 13.8 percent increase compared to last year's average of 117,000 passengers per day during the holiday season.

January 24, 2025

Kim Jong-un remains silent on Trump as North Korean parliament meets

North Korea's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly is being held in Pyongyang on Jan. 23, 2025, in this photo released by the official Korean Central News Agency the following day. SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - North Korea's rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly held a two-day parliamentary session this week without its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, the country's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday. The gathering was apparentl

January 24, 2025

Trump's fossil fuel push draws mixed reactions from Korean refiners

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - South Korea’s oil refiners are cautiously exploring potential benefits from U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive fossil fuel agenda. Trump unveiled his push for fossil fuels after his inauguration on Jan. 20, declaring a national energy emergency and withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate accord. “We sit on the most oil and natural gas of any nation on earth, and we’re going to use it,” Trump said, signalin

January 24, 2025

Hong Sang-soo's latest film invited to Berlinale

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - Director Hong Sang-soo's latest film has been invited to compete at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, which opens next month. It marks the sixth consecutive year Hong has been invited to the festival since 2020, having taken home awards five times for his films including "A Traveler's Needs" (2024) and "The Woman Who Ran" (2020). Hong's 33th feature, "What Does That Nature Say to You," which wil

January 24, 2025

AI and health tech lead the trends at CES 2025

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - CES 2025, held in Las Vegas on January 7 (local time), opened with an electrifying atmosphere, drawing immense attention from attendees. Many keynote speeches were sold out early, and exhibition halls featuring major Korean companies like Samsung Electronics, SK, and LG Electronics were packed with visitors. LG Electronics' "World Premiere" event became even livelier with a surprise appearance by hip-hop star will.i.am. This year’s CES s

January 24, 2025

Legal battle looms over Korea Zinc management

SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) - A high-stakes legal battle is looming over the management of Korea Zinc after the company thwarted a hostile takeover attempt by restricting the voting rights of Young Poong at a shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday. The maneuver hinged on a technical article of Korea's commercial law, which nullifies voting rights when a subsidiary of one company owns more than 10 percent of another company that holds a stake in the parent firm. The restriction

January 24, 2025