• 
  South Korean government backs Korea Zinc's US smelter plan SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - The South Korean government has given a positive assessment of Korea Zinc's plan to invest in a smelter in the United States, raising expectations that key procedures such as permits and financing could move more quickly. The investment is also expected to strengthen Korea Zinc’s global footprint and deliver tangible progress in South Korea–U.S. cooperation on critical minerals, the government said. Industry Minister Kim Jeong-gwan t December 18, 2025
• 
  Foreign jobs hit record high in South Korea, exceeding 1.1 million SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Foreign employment in South Korea has exceeded 1.1 million for the first time, driven by a sharp increase in international students and nonprofessional workers, government data showed on Thursday. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ 2025 survey on foreign employment, the resident foreign population stood at 1.692 million this year, up 132,000, or 8.4 percent, from a year earlier. The rate of working foreign residents rose 1.4 percentage points December 18, 2025
• 
  OPINION: Oscar Night in 2030 - except that it won't end in one night On a spring evening in 2030, few people will reach for a television remote. They will tap the YouTube icon on the living-room screen instead. The Oscars will not appear on a numbered channel, but at the top of an algorithmic feed, marked simply: "Live now". The ceremony will begin—and almost immediately, it will splinter. Acceptance speeches will circulate as concise summaries. The red carpet will resurface as tagged video clips. Jokes will dissolve into meme December 18, 2025
• 
  Tottenham bids another emotional farewell to Son in documentary SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) -Tottenham Hotspur has released “Heung-Min Son: Homecoming,” a documentary capturing the final chapter of the South Korean star’s decade-long journey at the club, following his emotional return to North London in December. The film premiered this week on Tottenham’s official streaming platform and documents Son’s long-awaited farewell at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the Dec. 9 Champions League match against Slavia Prague. No December 18, 2025
• 
  Hyundai Motor Group conducts executive reshuffle, naming 4 new presidents SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group on Thursday carried out its regular executive reshuffle, promoting four senior executives to the rank of president. Manfred Harrer was promoted to president and continues to serve as head of the research and development divisions at Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp. Born in 1972, Harrer holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Munich University of Applied Sciences and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the U December 18, 2025
• 
  Seoul eases a set of FX liquidity rules to prop up the won SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) -The South Korean government has decided to broadly ease foreign-exchange stability rules for banks, exporters and foreign investors to improve FX supply and demand conditions in latest efforts to prop up the won hovering stubbornly at crisis-era levels without direct market intervention. The move was decided during another emergency meeting among the heads of the finance ministry, financial regulator, and the central bank Thursday morning after December 18, 2025
• 
  Louis Vuitton trademark case goes public at Korea's Supreme Court SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) -South Korea’s Supreme Court will hold a public hearing later this month to decide whether remodeling luxury handbags into entirely new products constitutes trademark infringement, a case expected to set the court’s first clear benchmark on the legal limits of the so-called “reform” or upcycling business. According to the Supreme Court on Thursday, its Second Division, presided over by Justice Kwon Young-joon, will hear public December 18, 2025
• 
  CJ CheilJedang brings Bibigo brand to Netflix's Culinary Class Wars Season 2 SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - CJ CheilJedang said Thursday it has supplied a branded pantry stocked with Korean food products for Netflix's cooking competition series Culinary Class Wars Season 2 expanding its global marketing push following a similar tie-up with Squid Game Season 2. The food giant provided a dedicated Bibigo-branded pantry that appeared in episodes released on Dec. 16, featuring ingredients ranging from basic condiments to signature ready-to-eat products for compe December 18, 2025
• 
  Asian markets subdued by Wall Street slide, BOJ rate anticipation SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Asian markets opened subdued on Thursday, taking cues from two key drivers — an overnight sell-off on Wall Street and anticipation ahead of the Bank of Japan’s rate decision. In New York, renewed concerns over an “AI bubble” resurfaced after a major financier reportedly withdrew from an Oracle-led AI data-center project. The gloom was partially offset by Micron Technology’s strong earnings and upbeat guidance, which sent its December 18, 2025
• 
  Seoul ranked 6th among world's most competitive cities SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Seoul was ranked as the sixth most competitive city in the world, according to a recent survey by Japanese think tank Mori Memorial Foundation released on Thursday. Seoul maintained its ranking in the foundation's annual Global Power City Index (GPCI) from the previous year, but its overall score rose sharply, narrowing the gap with fifth-ranked Singapore. The index, based on six functions such as "economy, research and development, cultural in December 18, 2025