Fire breaks out at motorcycle repair shop in Namyangju SEOUL, December 27 (AJP) - A fire broke out at a motorcycle repair shop in Namyangju, south of Seoul, authorities said Saturday. Fire officials said the blaze started about 2:55 p.m. at the shop in Byeollae-myeon, Namyangju, in Gyeonggi province. Black smoke rose from the building, prompting a series of calls from nearby residents. No casualties had been confirmed as of Saturday afternoon. Firefighters deployed 31 pieces of equipment and 78 personnel to contain the flames. P December 27, 2025

Mergers, pricing wars and tighter rules reshape South Korea's content industry in 2025 SEOUL, December 27 (AJP) - Consolidation trumped expansion as the dominant narrative across South Korea's gaming, streaming and webtoon sectors this year, as domestic platforms merged to survive, regulators tightened oversight and companies raced to secure global distribution deals. Streaming services combined subscriber bases while freezing prices under regulatory pressure. Webtoon publishers transformed anti-piracy operations from cost centers into strategic advantages. And ga December 27, 2025

FX volatility spurs interest in dollar-denominated insurance in Korea SEOUL, December 27 (AJP) -The dollar-won exchange rate has retreated sharply following strong verbal warnings by authorities against excessive volatility, combined with year-end dollar-selling demand and a broader weakening of the U.S. currency. Still, growing belief that the exchange rate may settle into a new “mid-1,400 won” range has renewed interest in foreign-currency–linked financial products, including dollar-denominated insurance. Sales of dollar December 27, 2025

Coupang shares jump 6% in New York after company releases probe findings on data leak SEOUL, December 27 (AJP) - Coupang shares rose on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Friday (local time), the first trading day after the company released its own findings on a major personal data leak. Coupang Inc., the parent company of the e-commerce firm, closed up 6.45 percent at $24.27 on the NYSE. U.S. markets were closed the previous day for Christmas, making Friday the first session after the announcement. Coupang said in a news release on Thursday that it had ide December 27, 2025

LG Energy Solution hit by $9 bn deal loss this month as FBPS scraps $3 bn contract SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) -LG Energy Solution (LGES) has terminated a 3.9 trillion won ($2.7 billion) battery supply contract with Freudenberg Battery Power Systems (FBPS), marking a second major cancellation in quick succession as the Korean battery maker grapples with a slowdown in the global electric-vehicle market. In a regulatory filing Friday, the South Korean battery maker said it mutually agreed with FBPS to end the contract after the U.S.-based company decided to withdraw fr December 26, 2025

Korea's No.2 retailer Shinsegae loses data on 80,000 employees and subcontractors SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) -Shinsegae Group has become another South Korean major retailer to report data breach involving 80,000 employees and workers at partner companies, although no customer data was compromised. Shinsegae I&C, the group’s information technology arm, said Friday it had detected signs of unauthorized access to its internal intranet and confirmed that employee-related data had been leaked. The exposed information includes corporate ID numbers, name December 26, 2025

OPINION: Yasukuni Shrine and Japan's quiet sanitization of its WWII crimes SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Japan often portrays itself as a paragon of modern civility - an orderly, technologically sophisticated society known for its consumer electronics, comics and clean toilets. However, that carefully cultivated image of December 26, 2025

Mirae Asset Securities prepares to launch omnibus accounts for foreign investors SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Mirae Asset Securities is preparing to introduce omnibus accounts that would allow foreign investors to trade South Korean stocks without opening local brokerage accounts, according to industry sources. The securities firm is developing systems and updating contract documents while working with overseas affiliates in the United States and Europe to prepare for account openings and service launches, industry officials said Friday. Omnibus accounts enable December 26, 2025

Defense and unification ministries hold joint session on potential inter-Korean military talks SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Ministry of Unification (MOU) held a joint workshop on Friday to prepare for potential military dialogue with North Korea, despite the lack of a response from Pyongyang regarding recent proposals. The session, held at the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue in central Seoul, focused on inter-agency coordination and reviewing readiness measures for future negotiations. During the workshop, defen December 26, 2025

Animation pioneer Nelson Shin, VFX leader Daniel Son to lead jury at WAIFF Seoul 2026 SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - The World AI Film Festival Seoul 2026 (WAIFF Seoul 2026) has appointed animation pioneer Nelson Shin as a jury member and named Daniel Son, founder and chief executive of visual effects studio Westworld, as president of the jury, reinforcing Korea’s growing role in shaping the future of AI-driven filmmaking. The appointments bring together two figures representing different generations of global visual storytelling — from the foundations of m December 26, 2025