Financial watchdog probes 'overheated' battle for control of Korea Zinc

SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) – Korea's financial watchdog launched an investigation on Tuesday into possible unfair trading practices related to the ongoing battle for control of Korea Zinc. Lee Bok-hyun, chief of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), ordered a probe into the "overheated" tender offers for the world's largest zinc smelter. "If any unfair trading, such as rumor-spreading, aimed at disrupting the tender offers is discovered, strict measur

October 8, 2024

Samsung Electronics estimates lower-than-expected Q3 earnings

SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday that its third-quarter operating profit likely surged 274.5 percent year-on-year to 9.1 trillion won (US$6.7 billion), which fell short of market expectations and prompted the head of its chip business to issue a rare apology for the poor performance. In a regulatory filing, the tech giant estimated its July-September revenue reached a record high of 79 trillion won, up 17.21 percent from a year earlier, surpassing the pr

October 8, 2024

Festival offers Vietnamese culinary delights

SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) - A food festival promoting Viet Nam's famous noodle soup Phở was held in Seoul over the weekend. Hosted by Viet Nam's daily newspaper Tuổi Trẻ and travel agency Saigontourist Group, the two-day event delighted many visitors with the culinary offerings of the Southeast Asian country. "The festival is a way of experiencing various aspects of Vietnamese culture through food," said Vietnamese Ambassador to Seoul Vu Ho during the opening ceremony

October 8, 2024

INTERVIEW: Now is prime time to promote Hangeul amid K-pop's global popularity, scholar says

SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) - Koreans are celebrating Hangeul Day on Wednesday, marking the 578th anniversary of the proclamation of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. Invented by King Sejong the Great in 1443 and propagated three years later, Hangeul is a highly logical and scientific writing system, making it easy to learn and contributing to Korea's status as one of the world's most literate countries. "Now is the best time to promote Hangeul, which is gaining traction worldw

October 8, 2024

Lawmakers call for probe into 4 trillion-won cryptocurrency fraud

SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) - Democratic Party lawmakers Yang Moon-suk and Min Hyung-bae called for a thorough investigation into a cryptocurrency fraud that has caused an estimated four trillion won ($29.7 billion) in damages, during a National Assembly audit in Seoul on Monday. The so-called "KOK" token, promoted through a multi-level marketing scheme, attracted 1.86 million domestic and international investors. Promises of monthly interest rates between 4 percent and 20 perc

October 8, 2024

Game developers to showcase new titles at G-Star 2024

SEOUL, October 08 (AJP) - Korea's largest gaming exhibition, G-Star 2024, is set to showcase a range of new titles when it opens on Nov. 14 in Busan. The four-day event, sponsored by leading game developer Nexon for the first time in seven years, is expected to feature a record-breaking 3,281 booths, including 2,364 in the business-to-consumer (B2C) area and 917 in the business-to-business (B2B) section. Several major gaming companies have confirmed their participation, inclu

October 8, 2024

OPINION: Nobel prize in medicine awarded for discovery of microRNAs, molecules that control our genes

SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) - Two scientists, Victor Ambros (UMASS Chan Medical School in the U.S.) and Gary Ruvkun (Harvard Medical School in the U.S.), have won the 2024 Nobel prize in medicine or physiology. They received the prestigious award for discovering tiny molecules in our cells called microRNAs. This discovery has not only changed our understanding of how our bodies work, but opens up a whole new area of science as well. It even extends into new treatments. These molecules

October 8, 2024

SK Bioscience to acquire stake in U.S. biotech firm

SEOUL, October 8 (AJP) - SK Bioscience, developer of Korea's first domestically produced COVID-19 vaccine, said Tuesday it will invest $3 million to acquire a stake in U.S.-based Fina Biosolutions. Fina Biosolutions possesses key technologies for conjugate vaccines that prevent diseases such as pneumococcal, meningococcal and typhoid fever. The company holds proprietary technology for manufacturing the CRM197 protein carrier, crucial in developing conjugate vaccines. SK Biosc

October 8, 2024

PHOTOS: 'Culinary Class Wars' contenders meet press ahead of finale

SEOUL, October 07 (AJP) - The top eight contestants and producers of Netflix's hit show “Culinary Class Wars” held a news conference in Seoul on Monday, one day before the final round airs. The show, which pits 80 unknown chefs against 20 celebrity chefs in a culinary competition, has been the most-watched non-English series on the platform for two weeks since its release on Sept. 17. Judged by restaurateur Paik Jong-won and Michelin-starred chef Ahn Sung-jae, the series wi

October 7, 2024

Toy market for adults surges as 'kidults' seek childhood nostalgia

SEOUL, October 7 (AJP) - Kim Geun-tae, a 27-year-old chip industry employee, recently found himself drawn to Loopy, a pink beaver character from the children's TV series “Pororo.” "I was so captivated by Loopy's expressive emojis on KakaoTalk that I ended up purchasing every series available," Kim said. Upon learning of a Loopy-themed pop-up store in Seoul, he made the hours-long trip from his home in Daejeon, just to buy a plushie and a figurine of

October 7, 2024