Imported cars win over more South Korean motorists, survey reveals SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - More motorists are showing increased interest in imported cars, according to a survey by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) released on Thursday. The association surveyed about 1,500 motorists and found that the majority of respondents or 66.3 percent held a favorable view of imported cars, while only 4.9 percent gave a negative response. The rest were neutral. The main reasons cited were the growing presence of impo December 18, 2025

Hyundai Motor still at the starting line as Tesla races toward autonomous finish SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Tesla’s shares surged to a record high last Tuesday on CEO Elon Musk’s renewed push toward fully autonomous robotaxis — a breakthrough that drew cool look at Hyundai Motor’s lag in self-driving technology. Tesla has been testing its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas since early this year. What began as supervised trials has moved further, with Musk signaling over the weekend that vehicles are now operating without a driver in the December 18, 2025

Tech slump drags Asian markets lower as investors eye BOJ SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Asian equity markets ended broadly lower on Thursday as fallout from an “Oracle shock” weighed on technology shares and investors stayed cautious ahead of the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) interest rate decision. Most major benchmarks declined, though mainland China’s Shanghai Composite showed relative resilience, appearing largely insulated from weakness in U.S. technology stocks. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI fell 1.53 percent December 18, 2025

Panmunjeom: The Cold War relic awaiting inter-Korean thaw SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Located within the Joint Security Area (JSA), Panmunjeom is the historic site where the Korean War armistice agreement was signed in 1953. Today, it remains a unique zone jointly managed by North and South Korea, partitioned by the Military Demarcation Line. While the area currently sits in silence due to strained inter-Korean relations and a total freeze in diplomacy, it remains the primary stage for global attention whenever dialogue resumes on the pen December 18, 2025

Construction site collapse leaves one in cardiac arrest, several injured SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - A steel bar collapsed at a subway construction site near Yeouido in Seoul, trapping several workers, police authorities said on Thursday. According to rescue officials, the collapse occurred at around 1:20 p.m., and all seven workers were rescued shortly afterward. Among them, one man in his 50s was found in cardiac arrest and was taken to a nearby hospital, while another man in his 50s suffered a minor ankle injury. A foreign worker in his 30s escaped December 18, 2025

Samsung tests LPDDR-based server memory as AI data centers seek lower power alternatives SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is testing a new LPDDR-based server memory module as artificial intelligence data centers increasingly prioritize power efficiency over raw performance, signaling a potential shift in how memory is deployed in next-generation AI infrastructure. The company said it has begun sampling its second-generation SOCAMM (Small Outline Compression Attached Memory Module), a server memory module built on low-power LPDDR technology, to global cus December 18, 2025

Weapons testing deal to sharpen KF-21 fighter jet's strike capability SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said on Thursday it has signed a contract with South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) to conduct additional weapons testing for the KF-21 fighter jet. The contract is valued at 685.9 billion won ($500 million) and is intended to support continued development of the aircraft by enabling flight-test verification of air-to-ground capabilities, KAI said. The additional weapons testing progr December 18, 2025

K-steel strains to stay afloat amid prolonged slump and gov't relief Editor's Note: This is the third installment in AJP's 2026 outlook series on South Korea's key industries, based on forecasts by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) -Stagnation is set to extend into 2026 for Korean steelmakers as demand remains sluggish and global markets stay flooded with low-priced Chinese exports — a downturn severe enough to draw legal protection for the industry. According to data compiled by the KCC December 18, 2025

Constitutional Court upholds impeachment of police chief over martial law involvement SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - The Constitutional Court of Korea on Thursday unanimously upheld the impeachment of police chief Cho Ji-ho over his involvement in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law martial law debacle last year. With the verdict, the commissioner general of the National Police Agency was immediately stripped of his post. The decision comes nearly a year after the National Assembly voted to impeach him for allegedly blocking lawmakers from enteri December 18, 2025

South Korea's Daesang to buy German amino-acid maker for $36 million SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - South Korea's Daesang Corp. said on Thursday it will enter the pharmaceutical biotechnology sector through the acquisition of AMINO GmbH, a German company specializing in pharmaceutical-grade amino acids. In a regulatory filing, Daesang said it will acquire a 100 percent stake in AMINO for about 50.2 billion won ($36 million). The company said it is in the process of securing the necessary regulatory approvals and aims to complete the transaction b December 18, 2025