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  PHOTOS: Frontline vigilance — S. Korean troops brave extreme cold at border SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) — Amidst the bone-chilling winter at the North Korean border, South Korean military operations remain in constant motion, maintaining a 24-hour watch despite plummeting temperatures. At the heart of this defense is the General Outpost (GOP), a network of strategic surveillance positions situated approximately 2 kilometers south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Tasked with monitoring the volatile frontier, GOP units manage a vast expanse of rug December 29, 2025
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  Korean stock market reclaims the 4,200 level SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - While Asian markets were mixed—with Japan slightly down and China remaining flat—Korean stocks rose sharply. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI climbed 2.2 percent to close at 4,220 on Monday, while the KOSDAQ gained 1.4 percent to end at 932.59. It was the first time since Nov. 3 that the KOSPI closed above the 4,200 mark. The current level is just one point below the record high of 4,221.87 set on that date. Both Samsung Electronics a December 29, 2025
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  Korean banks' fight for deposits deepens as rate inversion signals liquidity strain SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - South Korean banks are raising deposit rates aggressively to stem an outflow of funds into buoyant stock markets at home and abroad, triggering an unusual inversion in short-term deposit yields and adding pressure to already strained borrowers. The competition for liquidity has pushed both lending and deposit rates higher, even as the Bank of Korea keeps its policy rate on hold. According to data released Monday by the central bank, the average interest December 29, 2025
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  PHOTOS: One year after deadly Jeju Air disaster SEOUL, Dec. 29 (AJP) — South Korea on Monday marked one year since a Jeju Air passenger jet crashed during an emergency landing, killing 179 people in one of the country’s deadliest aviation disasters. Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 traveling from Bangkok, struck a concrete localizer structure while attempting to land at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province at 9:03 a.m. on Dec. 29 last year. Of the 181 people on board, 179 were killed and two December 29, 2025
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  Memories linger as truth remains elusive a year after Muan airport crash SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - An 18-year-old boy left a note for his mother, promising that he had finally grown up in his final year of high school — and apologizing that he could not tell her in person. His message is one of hundreds now posted along a hallway at Muan International Airport, where families continue to mourn those lost in South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster. Nearly a year has passed since Jeju Air Flight 2216, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from Bangkok, s December 29, 2025
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  Independent prosecutors wrap up probe into wife of impeached former president SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors have concluded their investigation into a slew of allegations involving Kim Keon Hee, the wife of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol. In a press briefing in Seoul on Monday, Prosecutor Min Joong-ki, who led the six-month investigation, said that around 76 suspects were indicted over dozens of alleged offenses. He said the investigation, which began in early July, has uncovered multiple allegations involving Kim, who is accu December 29, 2025
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  Samsung to highlight regional startups as it expands C-Lab presence at CES 2026 SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will expand its startup program footprint at next year’s CES by bringing 15 C-Lab startups — including the largest number of regional teams to date — to the global tech show, signaling the company’s continued shift toward broader ecosystem-building rather than in-house product promotion. The companies will showcase AI, robotics and digital-health technologies inside Eureka Park at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas December 29, 2025
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  South Korea races toward a cashless society, leaving many elderly behind SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - In South Korea, wallets are fast becoming relics, as most people now pay with a swipe of their phones. Cash use has fallen sharply over the past decade, reflecting the country's rapid embrace of digital payments — a shift that is transforming daily life but also exposing a growing divide between the digitally fluent and those being left behind. This year, individuals spent an average of 324,000 won ($226) a month in cash, less than half the 808,0 December 29, 2025
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  In AI power game, China has the edge — at least for now, as U.S. makes energy a top priority Editor’s Note AI is no longer defined solely by algorithms. As large-scale deployment accelerates, data centers and power infrastructure have become decisive constraints. AJP examines how energy capacity is reshaping the U.S.–China AI rivalry — and what lessons South Korea must draw as time tightens in the global race. SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - AI is no longer constrained mainly by algorithms or chips. As data centers scale to industrial size, electricity has eme December 29, 2025
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  Woori Financial Group Chairman Lim Jong-ryong tapped for second term SEOUL, December 29 (AJP) - Woori Financial Group’s executive candidate recommendation committee has nominated incumbent Chairman Lim Jong-ryong as the group’s next chairman. Committee Chair Lee Kang-haeng said at a media briefing on Monday that Lim was credited with completing the group’s full-service financial portfolio by entering the securities business and acquiring an insurance company during his tenure. Lee said Lim also strengthened Woori’s fina December 29, 2025