Opinion: Germany lowers voting age to 16 for the European elections – but is it playing into the far right's hands?

SEOUL, May 09 (AJU PRESS) - Ahead of the European parliament elections in June, Germany has lowered the age limit on participation to 16. This makes it the largest of just a handful of states in the EU to allow people under the age of 18 to vote. Austria, Belgium and Malta have already enfranchised 16 and 17-year-olds, and Greece is to allow anyone turning 17 in 2024 to participate in the June vote. Around 4.8 million young Germans – plus about 300,000 young people from othe

May 9, 2024

Opinion: Boeing's Starliner launch – delayed again – will be an important milestone for commercial spaceflight

SEOUL, May 09 (AJU PRESS) - Already years late, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft continues to face delays as it prepares to launch NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams into space. The latest delay came as a problem with its ride to orbit, an Atlas V rocket, caused the first launch attempt late on May 6, 2024, to be scrubbed. When it does launch from the Kennedy Space Center, no earlier than May 17, this last crucial test for Starliner will try out the new spacecraft an

May 9, 2024

LIG Nex1 displays guided missiles at defense exhibition in Kuala Lumpur

SEOUL, May 08 (AJU PRESS) - LIG Nex1 is displaying its mid-range surface-to-air missile defense system "Cheongung-II" at the Defence Services Asia (DSA), which kicked off on Monday for a four-day run in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. More than 1,200 companies from some 60 countries are participating in the defense exhibition hosted by the Malaysian government. The Cheongung-II, also known as M-SAM, features the function of intercepting ballistic missiles at an altitude of ab

May 8, 2024

Hangeul forum inaugurated in Sejong City

SEOUL, May 08 (AJU PRESS) - The inaugural forum on promoting the use of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, was held in Korea's administrative capital, Sejong City, on Wednesday. Hosted by the Sejong Institute of Korean Language and Culture, the forum provided a platform to discuss ways to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving the Korean language. Notably, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Hyungwon Kang, dedicated to the globalization of Korean cultural heritage,

May 8, 2024

Coupang swings to net loss in first quarter amid growing competition from Chinese rivals

SEOUL, May 08 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's e-commerce giant, Coupang, turned to a net loss in the first quarter in the face of growing competition from Chinese rivals, namely Aliexpress and Temu, the company announced Wednesday. Coupang reported a net loss of $24 million (31.9 billion won) for the first three months of 2024, snapping its six-quarter run of profitability. Sales increased 28 percent year-on-year to $7.11 billion. But operating profit plummeted 61 percent to $40 million

May 8, 2024

Hanwha Q Cells begins operation of second solar module factory in US

SEOUL, May 08 (AJU PRESS) - Hanwha Q Cells, the solar power unit of Korea's Hanwha Group, has begun operation of its second solar module factory in the United States. The company said Tuesday it completed the construction of its new plant in Cartersville, Georgia, last month, capable of generating 3.3 gigawatts of solar modules annually. Together with its plant in Dalton, Georgia, Hanwha now has a total annual capacity of 8.4 gigawatts in the U.S., sufficient to power about 1

May 8, 2024

Opinion: War games risk stirring up troubled waters as Philippines − emboldened by US − squares up to Beijing at sea

SEOUL, May 08 (AJU PRESS) - U.S. Marines joined Filipino counterparts on May 5, 2024, for a mock battle at a telling location: a small, remote territory just 100 miles off the southern tip of the contested island of Taiwan. The combat drill is part of the weekslong Exercise Balikatan that has brought together naval, air and ground forces of the Philippines and the United States, with Australia and France also joining some maneuvers. With a planned "maritime strike" on

May 8, 2024

Korea's workforce expected to decline by 10 million by 2044 

SEOUL, May 07 (AJU PRESS) - Korea is expected to face a dramatic decline in its workforce of nearly 10 million by 2044 due to its low fertility rate, a report released by the Korean Peninsula Population Institute for Future (KPPIF) Tuesday shows. According to the report, the population aged 15 to 64, totaling 36.57 million in 2023, is projected to decline to 27.17 million by 2044. The total population will fall to 39.69 million in 2065 from 51.71 million in 2023. KPPIF forecasts

May 7, 2024

Queer parade to take place in central Seoul on June 1

SEOUL, May 07 (AJU PRESS) – The organizers of Korea’s largest LGBTQ festival on Tuesday announced plans to stage a Pride parade in central Seoul on June 1, criticizing the city government for rejecting its application to use the event's traditional spot of Seoul Plaza for the second consecutive year. The Seoul Queer Parade, a key event of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival (SQCF), will be held in the capital's Euljiro and Jongno districts, hundreds of meters from

May 7, 2024

Event promoting Korea underway in Paris ahead of Olympics

SEOUL, May 07 (AJU PRESS) - A Korea-themed festival featuring various events and splendid programs are currently underway across France, under the name of "2024 Korean Season." More than a dozen Korean cultural organizations including the Korea Tourism Organization and Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, are actively promoting Korea at the festival which runs for six months. The festival kicked off with a captivating performance and dance battle b

May 7, 2024