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  US tariffs on Chinese graphite open door for Korean supplier POSCO Future M SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - The U.S. Department of Commerce has made a preliminary decision to impose a 93.5 percent anti-dumping tariff on anode-grade graphite imported from China, a move that could position South Korea’s POSCO Future M as a key beneficiary. The decision, announced on July 17, marks a notable shift from earlier actions that targeted specific companies — such as the more than 700 percent countervailing duties slapped on China’s Kaijin in May. This July 21, 2025
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  Police find homemade bomb at suspect's home after fatal gun attack SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - Police on Monday raided the home of a man in his 60s who had fatally shot his son the night before, retrieving a homemade explosive device. The suspect is now being questioned in connection with the rare firearm-related homicide, an unusual occurrence in South Korea, where private gun ownership is strictly regulated. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, on July 21, a special operations team was dispatched to the suspect's apartment in north July 21, 2025
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  Prosecutors seek arrest warrant for drone operations chief in martial law probe SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Independent prosecutors are seeking an arrest warrant for the head of a key military unit responsible for drone operations, surveillance, and reconnaissance. They said the warrant was filed on Sunday to secure the custody of Kim Yong-dae, commander of the Drone Operations Command, as part of their investigation into disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle late last year. They suspect Yoon allegedly ordered Kim, in collusio July 20, 2025
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  Hyundai, Kia ranked among UK's top five in monthly sales for first time SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Corp. ranked among the top five in monthly auto sales in the U.K. for the first time last month, according to data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on Sunday. Hyundai sold 10,109 vehicles in June, up 9.9 percent from a year ago to rank fourth, while Kia trailed closely with 10,043 units, placing fifth. This marks the first time both Hyundai and Kia have simultaneously made it into the U.K. July 20, 2025
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  KAIST and Yoshua Bengio develop breakthrough to make AI diffusion models 100 times faster SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - A research team at South Korea’s prestigious research institution KAIST, in collaboration with renowned artificial intelligence scholar Yoshua Bengio from the University of Montreal, has developed a technique that significantly accelerates the performance of AI diffusion models while maintaining high output quality. The new method addresses one of the biggest barriers to deploying diffusion models in real-time applications such as robotics and decision- July 20, 2025
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  Torrential rains leave dozens dead or missing, thousands displaced SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - Torrential downpours across the country have left at least 14 people dead and 12 others missing, while forcing thousands to flee their homes, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Sunday. As relentless heavy rain battered mostly southern part of the country for about a week since last Wednesday, flooding and landslides caused casualties in Osan, Gyeonggi Province; Seosan and Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province; and Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Provinc July 20, 2025
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  South Korea's special prosecutor indicts impeached president on martial law charges SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - South Korea's special prosecutor team on Saturday indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges related to his failed attempt to impose martial law last December, marking the third time the embattled leader faces prosecution. The special investigation team, led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, said it filed formal charges against Yoon while he remains in detention, including abuse of power and obstruction of rights. The charges stem from his brie July 19, 2025
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  Lee administration's first cabinet hearings draw criticism over lack of scrutiny SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - South Korea's first cabinet confirmation hearings under President Lee Jae Myung concluded Friday amid widespread criticism that the process lacked proper verification of ministerial nominees. The five-day ‘super week’ hearings examined 16 cabinet nominees from July 14 to 18, but opposition lawmakers and critics described the proceedings as ineffective and superficial. The ruling party focused on defending candidates while the opposition stru July 19, 2025
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  South Korea braces for fourth day of torrential rains as casualties mount SEOUL, July 19 (AJP) - Torrential rains that began pounding South Korea's central regions four days ago continued to wreak havoc across the nation, with casualties and infrastructure damage mounting. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported Saturday morning that the death toll remained at four, with two people still missing. The fatalities occurred in Gyeonggi Province's Osan city and South Chungcheong Province's Seosan and Dangjin cities, wh July 19, 2025
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  [K-Tech] EV sales surge in South Korea, signaling shift toward mass adoption SEOUL, July 18 (AJP) - Electric vehicle sales in South Korea soared by more than 40 percent in the first half of 2024, a surge that analysts say signals the country's EV market is beginning to break through the so-called “chasm” separating early adopters from the mainstream. A total of 93,569 new electric vehicles were registered between January and June, up 42.7 percent from 65,557 during the same period last year, according to data released Friday by the automotive July 18, 2025