DP, PPP at odds over probe into Unification Church-related allegations

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - The ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) remain at odds over the scope of a proposed probe by independent prosecutors into bribery allegations involving the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies. Their talks were further bogged down by the DP's demand to include suspicions involving another dubious religious sect Shincheonji, despite the party's initial opposition to the probe. DP leader Jung

December 30, 2025

Samsung Electronics taps AI startup Nota for next Exynos mobile chip

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - South Korean artificial intelligence software firm Nota has signed a contract with Samsung Electronics to embed its AI model optimization technology in the latter's next mobile application processor, the Exynos 2600. The deal, announced Tuesday, follows an earlier agreement covering the Exynos 2500, extending a partnership aimed at boosting on-device AI performance in Samsung’s flagship chipsets. Nota, led by Chief Executive Chae Myung-soo,

December 30, 2025

Nota to supply AI optimization tech for Samsung's next-gen Exynos 2600 chip

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Korean AI model optimization firm Nota AI said Tuesday it has signed an agreement with Samsung Electronics to supply AI optimization platform technology for the tech giant's next-generation mobile application processor, the Exynos 2600. The deal marks a consecutive contract for Nota, following its previous partnership for the Exynos 2500. Under the agreement, Nota will participate in developing the next version of Samsung's proprietary toolchain, E

December 30, 2025

Coupang falls under pan-government scrutiny in Seoul despite remedy program

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -The South Korean government maintained that it will press ahead with a sweeping investigation into Coupang despite the e-commerce giant’s announcement of a large-scale compensation plan, vowing to leave “not a single suspicion” unresolved over a massive data breach affecting nearly all of its 34 million users. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon, who chairs a pan-government task force on the case, on Mon

December 30, 2025

Korea's Hanwha Aerospace signs $4 bn third-stage Chunmoo deal with Poland

SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) -South Korean defense company Hanwha Aerospace has signed a third-stage contract for its multiple rocket launcher system with Poland’s arms procurement authority, enabling the European country to domestically produce guided rockets under a joint manufacturing framework. The 5.6 trillion won ($4 billion) agreement, covering 80-kilometer-range guided missiles, was signed Monday at the Warsaw Military Museum between Hanwha WB Advanced Systems &mdash

December 30, 2025

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

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

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

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

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