• 
  Pop-up stores for popular South Korean time-slip series set to open across Asia SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Following the huge success of cable channel tvN's period drama "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty," pop-up stores selling merchandise and other goods in three Asian countries are expected to keep captivating fans. The drama's production company, Studio Dragon, said on Tuesday it will open pop-up stores in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, with the one in Seoul running from Thursday through next week. In Japan, these stores will be av September 30, 2025
• 
  Samsung C&T secures key US certification in nuclear reactor design SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Samsung C&T said Tuesday its construction division had obtained a coveted nuclear design certification from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a step that could strengthen the South Korean company’s hand in the fast-growing market for small modular reactors. The certification, known as ASME-N, covers nuclear piping system design and is widely regarded as a benchmark for safety and quality in the nuclear industry. It verifies a c September 30, 2025
• 
  Incheon Airport expects record number of travelers during long Chuseok holiday SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Some 2.45 million travelers are expected to depart from or arrive in South Korea during the upcoming Chuseok holiday which begins later this week, the Incheon International Airport Corporation said on Tuesday. The airport's busiest day is anticipated to be Wednesday, the first day of the weeklong holiday, with around 239,000 travelers, probably surpassing the previous record of 234,171 set on Aug. 4, 2019, as the total number of inbound and outbound September 30, 2025
• 
  ADB holds South Korea's 2025 growth outlook at 0.8 percent SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - South Korea’s economy is expected to grow 0.8 percent this year, the Asian Development Bank said Tuesday, leaving its July projection unchanged as government stimulus measures help counter sluggish exports and a cooling property market. In its September Asian Development Outlook, the bank reiterated that fiscal and monetary easing should support a modest recovery in the second half of 2025. The bank had cut its April forecast of 1.5 percent grow September 30, 2025
• 
  KAIST robots move from labs to shipyards and city streets SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - On September 30, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced that two robotics startups spun out of its labs are taking their machines into the real world, from climbing the steel walls of shipyards to walking among crowds in Seoul's Gangnam district. One of the startups, DIDEN Robotics, was founded in March 2024 by four researchers trained in KAIST's Department of Mechanical Engineering. The company's main September 30, 2025
• 
  LG Electronics pushes ahead with delayed India IPO, seeking fresh cash flow SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - LG Electronics said Tuesday it will complete the long-awaited listing of its Indian unit by year’s end, in a move aimed at both raising funds and positioning the company as a household name in one of its most dynamic markets. The company’s board approved the sale of a 15 percent stake in the Indian unit, or more than 101 million shares, and intends to file final documents with India’s market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Boa September 30, 2025
• 
  TRAVEL: Putrajaya – where modern Malaysia's administrative heart beats KUALA LUMPUR, September 30 (AJP) - Rising from what were once rubber and oil palm plantations, Putrajaya stands as a testament to Malaysia's ambitious modernization. The 4,931-hectare garden city, transformed from former plantations, became Malaysia's federal administrative capital after officially established in 1999. Now just 26 years young, the city prepares to host ASEAN meetings throughout 2025 under Malaysia's chairmanship. Named after Malaysia's f September 30, 2025
• 
  [South Korea-Japan Ties] K-wave sweeps Osaka Expo and Koreatown Editor’s Note: Aju Business Daily is publishing a special series to mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Japan. The series reflects on the renewed relationship between the two neighbors. SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Visitors queued for hours to enter the Korean Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, featuring K-pop stars and entertainment, as it has turned into one of the hottest draws during the world fair run September 30, 2025
• 
  First lady skips official engagements due to ear-related illness SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - First Lady Kim Hea Kyung is not accompanying President Lee Jae-myung to his summit with outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Busan on Tuesday. In a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, presidential physician Park Sang-min said that Kim "suffered sudden dizziness last night" and was diagnosed with otolithiasis, an inner ear condition that causes vertigo. "She got much better but still experiences di September 30, 2025
• 
  INTERVIEW: S. Korea invests in rural resilience as climate extremes worsen SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - South Korean farmers are feeling the intensifying pressures of climate change, from searing heat to destructive rains. Few know this better than Kim In-jung, the newly appointed head of the Korea Rural Community Corporation, who says the task before him is nothing less than safeguarding the nation’s food supply. “We are all experiencing the effects of climate change,” Kim said in an interview on Sept. 22. “This summer, September 30, 2025