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  Korea's foreign money deposits rise on weak won, BOK revises M2 definition SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -South Korea’s resident foreign-currency deposits rose in November as companies held on to dollar and euro assets amid expectations that the won’s weakness would persist, highlighting deeper structural pressures in the currency market even as authorities revise how monetary liquidity is measured. According to the Bank of Korea, foreign-currency deposits held at domestic banks totaled $103.55 billion at the end of November, up $1.71 billion from a December 30, 2025
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  Over 25,000 ethnic Koreans regain legal status after overstaying visas SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - More than 25,000 ethnic Koreans who had overstayed their visas here have regained their legal status, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday. According to the ministry, about 2,522 ethnic Koreans applied for a three-month program implemented between September and November as part of immigration policies to recover their legal status. Of those applicants, 1,544 were granted legal status after undergoing strict screening conducted by legal experts and human December 30, 2025
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  South Korea's foreign arrivals seen topping 21 million in 2026 on China-Japan tensions SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korea could see the number of foreign visitors rise to more than 21 million in 2026, driven by a continued recovery in inbound travel and potential spillover demand from escalating tensions between China and Japan, industry researchers said. Yanolja Research, a data-driven tourism research institute, projected that foreign arrivals to South Korea would reach a baseline of 20.36 million next year, up 8.7 percent from an estimated 18.5 million in 2025. December 30, 2025
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  US softens export curbs on chip equipment for Samsung, SK hynix plants in China SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The United States has decided to partially ease planned restrictions on shipments of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to Samsung Electronics and SK hynix plants in China, helping the South Korean chipmakers avoid immediate and significant operational disruptions, industry officials said on Tuesday. Washington had been preparing to revoke the companies’ broad export authorization status and require case-by-case approvals for each shipment of December 30, 2025
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  TRAVEL: Snowflower hiking to welcome the new year SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Only a few days remain in 2025. Leaving behind a year of lingering regrets, many people share the desire to welcome the new year with hope. Some travel abroad, while many climb mountains to steady their minds. Snowflower hiking is physically demanding, but it provides an opportunity to face beautiful snowy landscapes and strengthen one's resolve. Snowflowers are formed when water vapor in the atmosphere freezes onto trees, a gift of nature typically foun December 30, 2025
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  Seoul, Beijing agree to speed up services and investment talks under FTA SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -South Korea and China have agreed to speed up second-stage negotiations under their bilateral free trade agreement, focusing on services and investment, as the two sides seek to broaden economic cooperation. Yeo Han-koo, South Korea’s minister for trade, met Li Chenggang, China’s international trade negotiation representative, in Beijing to discuss ways to accelerate follow-up negotiations under the Korea-China FTA. The two sides agreed to hold December 30, 2025
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  Asian stocks quiet on '25 final day, Korean chip shares rally on inventory squeeze SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Asian equity markets spent the final trading day of 2025 on a largely subdued note, with South Korea standing out as memory-chip stocks surged to new highs amid signs of tightening supply. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI inched up 2.10 points to 4,222.66 as of 10:10 a.m., while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ fell 0.9 percent to 924.70. The broader index was little changed overall, but heavyweight semiconductor shares extended their rally. Samsung Electronics rose December 30, 2025
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  South Korea's An Mu submarine completes long-range Guam mission without any failure SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The South Korean Navy said on Tuesday that its An Mu submarine has completed a roughly 7,000-kilometer round-trip blue-water deployment and overseas training mission without a single equipment failure. The 3,000-ton An Mu, part of the KSS-III program, returned to Jinhae Naval Port after taking part in the South Korea–U.S. combined anti-submarine exercise “2025 Silent Shark.” The Navy held a welcome ceremony on Tuesday, hosted by Rea December 30, 2025
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  KAIST researchers wake up sleeping immune cells to attack cancer SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Scientists at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a way to turn a patient's own "sleeping" immune cells into cancer-killing machines. Instead of expensive and complicated laboratory processes, the new treatment works by injecting a special medicine directly into a tumor to reprogram cells from the inside. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on December 30 that a research December 30, 2025
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  North Korean leader inspects factory producing multiple rocket launchers SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has urged officials to "bring about a revolution" in upgrading an artillery weapons system while inspecting a munitions factory that produces multiple rocket launchers, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim, accompanied by a slew of military brass and key officials, visited the factory last Sunday and inspected the "production of weapons and combat e December 30, 2025