CES 2026: Everyday robotics in all sizes and for all purposes — China's Zeroth Robotics LAS VEGAS, January 07 (AJP) - Meet W1, inspired by WALL-E, the adorable cleaning robot from the Pixar movie. Don't let its big-eyed, cute looks fool you. The robot can follow users anywhere and carry up to 50 kilograms of gear, while its built-in camera enables autonomous filming — a feature likely to appeal to professional filmmakers and outdoor hobbyists alike. W1 is part of the domestic robot lineup from Zeroth Robotics, which is scheduled to open for preorder in January 7, 2026

South Korea draws record FDI in 2025 as investor sentiment improves SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - South Korea’s foreign direct investment (FDI) reached a record high last year, rebounding strongly in the second half after a sluggish start, government data showed on Wednesday. FDI commitments in 2025 rose 4.3 percent from a year earlier to $36.05 billion, the highest level on record, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Funds actually received increased 16.3 percent to $17.95 billion, the third-highest total to date. The January 7, 2026

Lunar New Year train tickets to go on sale next week SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - Advance train tickets for the Lunar New Year break will go on sale next week, railway operator KORAIL said Wednesday. Tickets will be available online for a week starting next Thursday, about a month in advance, for trains running during the weeklong holiday from Feb. 13 to 18. The first two days of pre-booking will be reserved for senior citizens aged 65 and older, people with disabilities, and recipients of national merit honors. Ordinary citizens c January 7, 2026

Siemens maps AI-led industrial shift at CES, with fusion reactors highlighting digital twin strategy LAS VEGAS (AJP) - At CES 2026, Siemens outlined a vision for an AI-driven restructuring of global industry, arguing that artificial intelligence is moving beyond software applications to become a foundational element of physical systems across manufacturing, logistics, energy, and infrastructure. At the center of that strategy is digital twin technology, which the company presented as the key mechanism for applying AI safely and reliably in the real world. Siemens framed digital t January 7, 2026

Acting US envoy leaves Seoul after brief stint SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - Acting U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Kevin Kim returned to the U.S. less than three months after assuming the post. According to diplomatic sources on Wednesday, Kim recently notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of his departure. He is believed to have left for the U.S. to spend Christmas and has not returned to Seoul, as he may be assigned a new role there. The Korean American, who handled North Korea-related affairs at the U.S. State Department from 2018 January 7, 2026

Aekyung recalls popular 2080 toothpastes containing banned preservative SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - Aekyung Industrial said on Wednesday it is voluntarily recalling six toothpaste products manufactured in China after testing detected a preservative ingredient that is banned from use in oral-care products in South Korea. The recalled items are 2080 Basic Toothpaste, 2080 Daily Care Toothpaste, 2080 Smart Care Plus Toothpaste, 2080 Classic Care Toothpaste, 2080 Triple Effect Alpha Fresh Toothpaste and 2080 Triple Effect Alpha Strong Toothpaste. The p January 7, 2026

PPP leader apologizes for ex-president's martial law debacle SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - Jang Dong-hyeok, the leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), on Wednesday apologized for the disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law debacle last year. During a press conference at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, he said Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law was a "wrong and inappropriate" measure, which caused "great confusion and inconvenience to the public and hurt party members wh January 7, 2026

HD Hyundai Heavy another US Navy ship repair contract SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has secured another maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) contract from the U.S. Navy, this time for a logistics support vessel assigned to the Navy’s 7th Fleet. The company said on Wednesday it recently won a regular overhaul project for the 41,000-ton cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez, which was commissioned in 2012, without revealing the value of the contract. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries said it will begin work on Jan January 7, 2026

Hyundai Steel Industry wins $450 million offshore wind contract in South Korea SEOUL, January 07 (AJP) - Hyundai Steel Industry, a unit of Hyundai Engineering & Construction, said on Wednesday it has won a $450-million contract to manufacture and install substructures for an offshore wind farm in South Jeolla Province. The company signed a deal with Hanwha Ocean covering fabrication and installation of substructures for the project. The contract is valued at 611.5 billion won ($450 million), with work scheduled to run from this month through January 2029 January 7, 2026

OPINION: Why Korean words are likely to stay “Language is the dress of thought,” wrote Samuel Johnson, suggesting that the words a society adopts reveal what it values, often more clearly than any manifesto or statistic. If that is true, then the latest update to the Oxford English Dictionary offers an unusually revealing glimpse into the cultural mood of the moment. This year, the dictionary added several Korean-origin words, including haenyeo and ramyeon, alongside terms such as jjimjilbang, bingsu, sunbae, January 7, 2026