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  Samsung Electronics steps up B2B push with HVAC, displays, AI solutions SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is ramping up its push into the business-to-business market, expanding its air conditioning portfolio into industrial applications and broadening its presence in corporate displays and connected building solutions for enterprise clients. According to industry sources, Samsung has reinforced its Air Solution team within the Digital Appliances division as it shifts focus from consumer-oriented air conditioners to industrial, infrastru December 16, 2025
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  Celltrion launches Eylea biosimilar in Europe, secures UK healthcare tenders SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - South Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion said it launched Eydenzelt, its biosimilar version of blockbuster eye disease treatment Eylea, in major European markets including Germany and Britain earlier this month as it seeks to expand its foothold in the lucrative ophthalmology sector. The company's UK subsidiary secured National Health Service tenders in three administrative regions immediately upon launch, including northern England, the countr December 16, 2025
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  Hyundai Motor extends World Archery sponsorship through 2028 SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor said on Tuesday it will extend its partnership with World Archery until 2028, maintaining its title sponsorship of the World Archery Championships and the Archery World Cup. The South Korean automaker first partnered with World Archery in 2016. Under the renewed agreement, Hyundai will also sponsor the Para Archery World Series and the Indoor Archery World Series. The Para Archery World Series, a development-focused program for athlete December 16, 2025
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  An Se-young named world's top badminton player for third straight year SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Badminton player An Se-young has been named this year's top player by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The world No. 1 in women's singles received the award at the BWF's annual gala dinner in Hangzhou, China on Monday, beating competitors such as Wang Zhiyi and Chen Yufei of China, and Japan's Akane Yamaguchi. With the award, An became the first female player to win it three years in a row, having first received the honor in 2023 December 16, 2025
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  Seoul and London upgrade FTA, lower tariff for Korean cars and consumer goods SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) -South Korea and the United Kingdom have finalized an upgraded free trade agreement that locks in permanent tariff-free access across 98 percent of South Korean tariff lines, marking one of the most comprehensive post-Brexit trade resets between the two countries. The revised agreement, signed in London on Monday by South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and UK Trade Minister Chris Bryant, concludes two years of negotiations aimed at modernizing the bilate December 16, 2025
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  Won–dollar exchange rate SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - A screen at Yonhap Infomax in Jongno District, Seoul, displays peak won–dollar exchange rates from 1997 to 2025 on December 16. The monthly average exchange rate this month has exceeded 1,470 won per dollar, marking the highest level on a monthly basis since the Asian financial crisis. The won opened at 1,476.0 per dollar on December 15, up 2.3 won from the previous session. As upward pressure on the currency continues, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister December 16, 2025
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  Samsung's Lee Jae-yong holds AI chip talks with Tesla, AMD in US SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong met Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk and Advanced Micro Devices Chief Executive Lisa Su during a visit to the United States, as the company moves to strengthen partnerships in next-generation artificial intelligence semiconductors. Lee returned to South Korea on Sunday after the trip, which focused on expanding Samsung’s foundry and memory businesses with leading global technology firms. “I worked ha December 16, 2025
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  15-hour raid on Unification Church ends without finding key evidence SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Police on Tuesday failed to find key evidence after a 15-hour raid on about a dozen locations linked to the powerful Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, over allegations of bribery involving political figures. During the raid, which began at 9 a.m. the previous day and wrapped up after midnight, police searched about 10 locations including the sprawling residence of the church's leader Han Hak-ja in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province as well as o December 16, 2025
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  OPINION: A reckoning for church-state separation South Korea’s Constitution guarantees freedom of religion while mandating the separation of church and state, a principle enshrined in 1948. For more than eight decades, this constitutional boundary has remained largely uncontested. Recently, however, calls have emerged to clarify the scope of this separation and strengthen penalties for violations, reflecting growing concern that the principle is being eroded. President Lee Jae Myung recently underscored the need for firm a December 16, 2025
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  OPINION: In defense of Korean democracy in martial law aftermath On Dec. 3, 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law sent shockwaves through South Korea, one of the world’s leading economies. The country was unprepared for such a drastic measure. Although rumors had circulated, few believed they would materialize. A nation built on the sacrifices of its people suddenly confronted a crisis evocative of its painful struggles for democracy. South Korea’s path to democracy has been anything but smooth. December 16, 2025