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  INTERVIEW: Global Cybersecurity Forum speakers warn of Korea's vulnerability to cyberattacks and crimes SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - South Korea’s position as one of the world’s most digitalized societies also makes it highly vulnerable to cyberattacks and crimes, warned guest speakers at the Global Cybersecurity Forum. "Traditional defenses like fences and soldiers are no longer sufficient. Cyber resilience must be treated as a core part of national security, not an afterthought," said Heidi Crebo-Rediker, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations October 1, 2025
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  Ex-foreign minister to assume role as South Korea's new envoy to US this weekend SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - Former Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is set to assume her post as South Korea's ambassador to the U.S. later this week, becoming the country's first female envoy to Washington. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday said that Kang, who served as foreign minister under former President Moon Jae-in, will take on the ambassadorial role on Oct. 4. Kang previously led New York-based think tank Asia Society, which fosters relations between the U.S. October 1, 2025
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  Entropy plays to the Korean beat in Seongsu's hip mecca SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Seongsu-dong, the capital of trendiness in Seoul brimming with warehouse galleries, hep cafes, and fashion-forward crowd, has been drawing international brands to pilot their newest products on Korea’s style-savvy consumers. Entropy Makeup was the latest to join the wave, opening its first standalone pop-up store at LECT in Seongsu last weekend. The two-week event spotlights the brand's new Slide Up Dough Cheek blush, a retro slide-phone–ins October 1, 2025
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  GM brings Super Cruise hands-free driving system to South Korea SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - General Motors on Wednesday introduced its hands-free driver assistance system, Super Cruise, to South Korea, expanding the technology beyond North America and China. The system, which allows hands-free driving under certain conditions, features automatic lane changes and driver monitoring to ensure motorists keep their eyes on the road. In South Korea, it will be available on more than 23,000 kilometers of highways and major roads. To adapt the tech October 1, 2025
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  Trade chief urges US to treat South Korea, Japan on separate terms SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s trade minister said Wednesday that he is working to persuade Washington to recognize the differences between the South Korean and Japanese economies in tariff talks with the United States. Speaking at a policy forum in Seoul, Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said that while the U.S. trade deficit with both South Korea and Japan appeared similar last year, the two economies diverge sharply in their industrial structures and foreign exchan October 1, 2025
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  South Korea to outsource non-combat roles as military personnel decline, says Defense Minister SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back announced plans to maintain military force levels at 500,000 by combining 350,000 active-duty soldiers with 150,000 outsourced personnel, in a press briefing on the occasion of Army Forces Day on Wednesday. In his first briefing since assuming his post, he said, "We aim to maintain 350,000 active combat troops by outsourcing non-combat roles to address the declining number of military personnel." The plans appea October 1, 2025
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  Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong's stock wealth surges $2.7 billion SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong added more than 3.7 trillion won ($2.7 billion) to his stock wealth in the third quarter, cementing his position as South Korea’s richest corporate leader by equity holdings, according to new data released Tuesday. The Korea CXO Institute reported that the market value of Lee’s shares rose 24.4 percent from 15.25 trillion won at the end of June to 18.98 trillion won by the end of September, driven October 1, 2025
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  Celltrion secures $300 million in export insurance to bolster global expansion SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Celltrion, one of South Korea’s leading biopharmaceutical companies, has obtained $300 million in short-term export insurance from the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation (K-Sure), a move aimed at strengthening its overseas operations and cash flow. The agreement marks the first time the state-run insurer has extended such support to the overseas branch of a Korean pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, underscoring the government’s effor October 1, 2025
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  North Korean leader sends congratulatory message to Xi on China's founding anniversary SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory message to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 76th anniversary of China's founding, reaffirming his commitment to enhancing strategic communication and cooperation between the two countries. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim said Pyongyang remains "steadfast" in its relations with Beijing, seeking to "steadily develop the traditional..... friendship n October 1, 2025
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  Battery materials plant opens in Saemangeum complex SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - LS-L&F Battery Solution, a joint venture between LS Corp. and battery materials maker L&F, inaugurated a precursor plant on Tuesday in the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province. The 1 trillion won ($730 million) facility, spanning about 40,000 square meters, is expected to employ roughly 1,000 people, underscoring the government’s efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains in the fast-growing battery sec October 1, 2025