TRAVEL: Malaysian chef serves heritage on a platter, from breadfruit fritters to deep-fried cow lungs

SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - Standing as one of Malaysia's most celebrated chefs, Dato' Ismail Ahmad showed guests how Malay breakfast is served and what rich culinary heritage the country boasts. Inside Restoran Rebung Chef Ismail, a Malaysian heritage cuisine restaurant in Kuala Lumpur owned by the chef himself, visitors were greeted with aisles of full Malaysian breakfasts, ready to be scooped up and eaten by the platter. From cekodok sukun, a Malaysian snack m

October 19, 2025

PHOTOS: A full-on field day under clear Autumn skies

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - "Sweeping victory, Blue Team! Cheer on, White Team!" On a clear, blue Autumn Friday, children's laughter filled an elementary school playground in Jungnang District Seoul. In Korea, schools traditionally hold a field day once a year, usually in spring or autumn. The event features a variety of games and, at times, class performances. Families join in the festivities, making it one of the biggest events of the school year — an experience

October 19, 2025

Waseda University awards honorary doctorate to LS Chairman Koo Ja-yeol

SEOUL, October 19 (AJP) - Waseda University conferred an honorary doctorate in law upon Koo Ja-yeol (Christopher Koo), chairman of LS Group's board of directors, at a ceremony attended by about 100 dignitaries from academia and business circles. The award ceremony took place at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Aizu Museum on the university's campus, with Korea University President Kim Dong-won and Waseda University President Tanaka Aiji among the distinguished guests. Koo, who j

October 19, 2025

KOSPI survives broad Asian stock slide U.S. bank concerns

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - Major Asian stock markets fell across the board Friday amid renewed jitters over the financial health of U.S. regional banks. Korean shares, however, defied the trend, extending their rally to fresh record highs. The benchmark KOSPI finished nearly flat but managed to notch a new closing high of 3,748.8, supported by strong gains in battery stocks after data showed global electric vehicle sales hit an all-time high in September. EcoPro soared 27.04 per

October 17, 2025

Seoul mulls expanding organ donor criteria amid dire shortage

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - Korea is considering expanding its organ donor eligibility to include patients who experience cardiac arrest after withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, joining a small group of countries that permit organ donation beyond brain-dead cases. The move comes amid an acute shortage of transplantable organs, with patients waiting an average of four years for a transplant. Whether the policy change can meaningfully ease the growing backlog remains uncertain, gi

October 17, 2025

Chinese sanctions on Hanwha Ocean could affect MASGA project, Seoul official warns

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - South Korea’s top defense procurement official warned on Friday that recent Chinese sanctions against Hanwha Ocean’s U.S. subsidiaries could eventually hinder a joint shipbuilding initiative between Seoul and Washington. During a parliamentary audit session, Suk Jong-geon, commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said the Chinese sanctions could affect the Make American Shipbuilding Great Again (MASGA) project, an effo

October 17, 2025

Chipotle lands, In-N-Out pops up — Korea rises as test kitchen for Western tastes

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - South Korea is fast becoming the test kitchen for Western food giants eyeing Asia. Chipotle, one of America’s leading fast-casual chains, has chosen Seoul to gauge Asian palates for its Mexican flavors, while California-based In-N-Out Burger has returned with a second pop-up event — underscoring how Western brands increasingly view Korean “Zenners” as the first benchmark to crack the regional market. Chipotle last month partnered w

October 17, 2025

Hyunmoo-5 deployment to begin by year-end amid rising North Korean ICBM threat

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - South Korea will begin deploying its 8-ton "Hyunmoo-5" ballistic missile by the end of this year, as part of its effort to reinforce deterrence against North Korea's advancing nuclear threat. The Defense Ministry confirmed the plan to AJP on Friday, saying the Hyunmoo-5 — dubbed the "monster missile" for its unprecedented payload — has entered the operational fielding phase and is planned for mass production, with deploym

October 17, 2025

Exchange, brokers warn as Korea's margin loans surge nearly 50%

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - Leveraged stock investment in South Korea has soared nearly 50 percent this year to surpass 23 trillion won ($16.4 billion), as the benchmark KOSPI’s 50-percent rally fueled aggressive borrowing for equity trades — prompting warnings from regulators and market participants. The balance of margin accounts at securities firms reached 23 trillion won, up 49 percent from 15.8 trillion won at the end of 2024, according to data released Friday by th

October 17, 2025

Lee's approval rating drops to lowest level since taking office

SEOUL, October 17 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating has dropped to a record low since he took office in June this year. According to a survey of over 1,000 adults conducted earlier this week by pollster Gallup Korea and released on Friday, Lee's approval rating stood at 54 percent, down one percentage point from a similar survey at the end of September. His disapproval rating also rose to 35 percent, while about 10 percent of respondents remained undec

October 17, 2025