Ex-first lady's sentence reduced to 5 yrs in prison over bribery charges SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Disgraced former first lady Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to five years in prison by an appellate court on Tuesday, reducing the seven-year term handed down by a lower court in a case involving bribery allegations over accepting expensive gifts in exchange for various favors. The Seoul High Court found Kim guilty of most of the charges and ordered the confiscation of certain items along with the forfeiture of 20.44 million won (US$15,000). But the court o September 22, 2026

Kian84's flying B&B idea grounded by safety, legal hurdles SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Public personal Kian84 initially wanted the second season of Netflix's "Kian's Bizarre B&B" to feature a guesthouse floating in the sky, but safety and legal restrictions forced the production to bring the idea back to earth, the entertainer said Tuesday. Speaking at a press event in Seoul, Kian84 said expectations had risen after the first season featured an unconventional guesthouse off Ulleungdo Island. "I genuinely want September 22, 2026

Korea to launch smaller prosecution service SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) -South Korea will launch a new prosecution service next month with around 80 to 85 percent of the country’s statutory prosecutor quota, in line with its diminished role. The Justice Ministry said Tuesday that the Cabinet approved revised decrees governing the organization and staffing of the new Prosecution Service, which will replace the current prosecution system on Oct. 2. The statutory quota currently stands at 2,292 prosecutors. The new September 22, 2026

Netflix's 'Bizarre B&B 2' with Kian84 and friends Kian84, Kim Yeon-koung and Lee Jun-ho pose for photos during a press conference for the Netflix variety show "Kian's Bizarre B&B 2" at Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery in Mapo District, Seoul, Sept. 22, 2026. AJP Yoo Na-hyun September 22, 2026

Uber's Baemin bid goes under Korean antitrust review SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Uber’s bid to take control of Baemin, South Korea’s largest food delivery platform, for around $15 billion faces the first regulatory test with the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) launching a preliminary antitrust review of the proposed combination of taxi-hailing and delivery services. The regulator said Tuesday it had received Uber’s application for a review of its planned acquisition of Germany’s Delivery Hero, which indirectly c September 22, 2026

Eastar Jet begins daily flights to Indonesia's resort city of Manado SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Eastar Jet has begun regular service to Manado, Indonesia, after nearly a year of charter flights, the budget carrier said Tuesday. After securing traffic rights from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in April, Eastar Jet decided to offer regular flights to the city amid steady demand for the route. The airline first began irregular flights between Incheon and Manado in October last year, becoming the first carrier to connect the two citi September 22, 2026

Humanoids show their moves — and limits — at first Seoul summit SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Two small wheeled robots zipped across the floor of COEX in southern Seoul on Tuesday until one rammed into the back of the other. The pair locked together like a Transformer, reared up and trotted off on four legs. A Unitree R1 humanoid glided forward and held out its hand to an AJP reporter. The grip was stiff and dry, and far stronger than it looked. The scenes played out at Humanoids Summit Seoul, where Korean companies presented robots as platf September 22, 2026

LG takes AI cooling push up a notch with Nvidia approval SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - LG Electronics has secured Nvidia's approval for its largest liquid-cooling system for AI data centers, as surging power consumption from increasingly dense AI servers accelerates a shift away from conventional air cooling. LG said Tuesday its 2.5-megawatt coolant distribution unit, or CDU, has been certified as an Nvidia DSX Ready CDU, meeting specifications for equipment used in Nvidia's AI factory infrastructure. Nvidia's DSX Ready desig September 22, 2026

Hyundai's electric buses to hit roads in Morocco SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor will supply about a dozen electric buses to Morocco, the automaker said on Tuesday. It is part of a project with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) under an official development assistance (ODA) program with Marrakech, the former imperial capital of Morocco. Under the project, Hyundai will provide 15 of its Elec City electric buses, fast chargers, and related equipment, while offering local training and technical support f September 22, 2026

Seoul ready to transfer $2.2 billion this month for first U.S. investment project SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - South Korea is ready to transfer $2.2 billion this month to help fund a gas-fired power project in Texas once U.S. President Donald Trump gives the go-ahead, the Korean industry minister said Tuesday. The $22.3 billion project would be the first under Seoul’s $200 billion investment pledge to Washington. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources briefed the National Assembly’s trade and industry committee on three candidate projects u September 22, 2026