FM offers condolences to victims of shooting rampage in Sydney SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Foreign Minister Cho Hyun expressed condolences to the victims and their families of a shooting rampage in Sydney, Australia over the weekend. "I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach," Cho wrote on X on Monday, adding, "I extend my heartfelt condolences to the victims, their families, and the people of Australia." Cho stressed that terrorism is an "inhumane, anti-civilization cr December 15, 2025

Lee, Laotian president agree to strengthen bilateral partnership SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung met with visiting Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith in Seoul on Monday. During their summit at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, the two leaders agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership, as the two countries mark 30 years of diplomatic relations. "Trade and investment have grown remarkably since 1995, with bilateral trade increasing 20-fold," Lee said, adding that mu December 15, 2025

Samsung Heavy secures key certification for 'floating nuclear reactor' design SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Samsung Heavy Industries said on Monday it has received preliminary certification for its floating nuclear power platform equipped with small modular reactors, marking a key step in its push into the emerging maritime nuclear energy market. The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) granted Approval in Principle (AIP) for Samsung Heavy’s Floating Small Modular Reactor (FSMR) design, which incorporates two SMART 100 reactors developed by the Korea Atom December 15, 2025

CJ Olive Young tops Korea's most-wanted employers list, survey shows SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - CJ Olive Young has emerged as South Korea’s most sought-after employer in 2025, overtaking technology heavyweights SK hynix and Naver, according to a survey released by local recruitment platform Catch on Saturday. The survey, which polled 3,079 job seekers and employees nationwide, found that 20 percent of respondents selected CJ Olive Young as the company they most want to join. The beauty retailer climbed two spots from last year’s third p December 15, 2025

Game developer Netmarble appoints new head for Japanese unit SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - South Korean game developer Netmarble appointed Kim Do-hyung as CEO of its Japanese subsidiary, Netmarble Japan, as it seeks to accelerate growth and diversify revenue in one of its key overseas markets. Kim is a veteran of the Japanese intellectual property (IP) sector, with experience dating back to the early 1990s in introducing Japanese game and manga IPs to South Korea. He has been involved in developing online games such as SD Gundam Capsule Figh December 15, 2025

Korean Air chief donates 100 million won to athletes ahead of Winter Olympics SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - Hanjin Group chairman and Korean Air president Cho Won-tae on Monday donated 100 Korean million (about US$70,000) to support athletes preparing for the upcoming Winter Olympics in northern Italy in February next year. Cho, who currently serves as Vice President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, toured key facilities at a national team training center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, encouraging athletes including short-track speed skat December 15, 2025

GM Korea dismisses exit speculation, pledges $300 million investment for 2026 SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - General Motors (GM) Korea on Monday moved to quell persistent speculation about a market withdrawal, unveiling a sweeping 2026 business strategy that underscores its commitment to both exports and domestic sales. GM Korea held its "GM Korea 2026 Business Strategy Conference" at the Cheongna Proving Ground in Incheon, where executives highlighted the country's pivotal role in the Detroit automaker's global supply chain. The company said it December 15, 2025

South Korea, US conduct joint anti-terror drill in Seoul SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - A joint drill between South Korea and the U.S. is underway in Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The two-day drill, dubbed "Winter Tiger," which runs Tuesday, is aimed at responding to nuclear and radiological terrorism, involving about 120 officials from both countries. Participants are simulating a radiological terror attack to evaluate emergency response capabilities and cooperation strategies between the two countries December 15, 2025

SK On expands at home with big bet on LFP amid uncertainty in global battery market SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - SK On is building a 3-gigawatt-hour lithium iron phosphate (LFP) facility at its Seosan complex in what would become the largest pure-play energy storage system (ESS) production site in Korea, a bold scale-up aimed at catching up with larger domestic rivals seeking to capitalize on power demand driven by AI investment. The facility, designed to roll out ESS capacity sufficient to power 40 to 50 large-scale data centers annually, will mark SK On's first December 15, 2025

South Korea's SeAH secures long-term aluminum supply deal with Boeing SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - SeAH Aerospace & Defense Materials, a unit of SeAH Besteel Holdings, said on Monday it has signed a long-term supply agreement with Boeing to provide high-strength aluminum alloy materials for commercial aircraft. Under the deal, SeAH Aerospace will begin supplying aluminum alloys used in aircraft fuselages and wings to the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer from 2026, the company said. Financial terms were not disclosed. The agreement December 15, 2025