Lee meets Japanese and Chinese leaders at G20 in South Africa SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung held a marathon round of meetings with global leaders on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) in South Africa over the weekend. According to the presidential office on Monday, Lee on Sunday met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi again after their previous meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the southeastern city of Gyeongju late last month. The two leaders emphasized the importance of their November 24, 2025

OPINION: Rising drunk-driving incidents spark calls for tougher laws in South Korea SEOUL, November 24 (AJP) - Recent incidents involving drunk driving in South Korea have drawn international attention, particularly after a Japanese tourist died in a crash. This tragedy, along with a similar incident involving a Canadian a week earlier, has highlighted the country's lenient penalties for drunk driving. Despite the 2018 law allowing life sentences for fatal drunk driving cases, actual sentences range from two to eight years, much lower than Japan's 20-year sentences. November 24, 2025

South Korea's Strategic Edge in AI Amid Potential Bubble Nvidia announced record earnings on Nov. 19, with third-quarter revenue reaching $57 billion, a 62% increase from the previous year. Despite a net profit margin of 53% and net income of $31.9 billion, its stock fell 6.8% the next day. Wall Street attributes this to extended collection periods for big tech companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon, indicating uncertain returns on AI investments. OpenAI faces more severe challenges. Microsoft, its parent company, has inves November 24, 2025

K-pop anime qualifies for animated Oscar race SEOUL, November 23 (AJP) - Netflix’s animated film "KPop Demon Hunters," the first foreign-made animation centered on South Korean K-pop idols, has been listed among the titles eligible for consideration in the Academy Awards’ best animated feature category this year. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), 35 films qualified for the category at the upcoming 98th Oscars. The film earned its spot by completing a limited the November 23, 2025

S.Korean won drops to lowest level versus the U.S. dollar since 2009 SEOUL, November 23 (AJP) - The South Korean won’s real value has slipped to its lowest point, risking the deterioration of Korea's purchasing power in global trade. Data from the Bank of Korea and the Bank for International Settlements showed that the country’s real effective exchange rate — or REER — stood at 89.09 at the end of October against the reference year of 2020 as 100. The index was down 1.44 points from a month earlier and marked t November 23, 2025

Korean president speaks up on climate action and AI at G20 summit SEOUL, November 23 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attended the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday, as part of a regional tour of the Middle East and Africa designed to broaden South Korea's diplomatic engagement. During the two-day meeting, he outlined South Korea's views on climate and disaster response, artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation and inclusive economic growth. After visiting the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, Lee j November 23, 2025

The ancient Korean ideal that could heal a polarized world The world today is being torn apart by widening polarization. Few places illustrate this more vividly than the United States. President Donald Trump’s “MAGA (Make America Great Again)” agenda—centered on reviving American manufacturing, cutting taxes, and tightening border controls—did produce short-term economic gains and job growth. Yet it also deepened the divides between the wealthy and the working poor, between regions, and across racial and cu November 22, 2025

School cooks speak up and walk out as Korea's free-lunch system strains livelihoods SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - In South Korea, school lunches are free — but the expectations are anything but modest. The national obsession with high-quality meals for students, coupled with strict hygiene standards and demanding palates of children and their parents, has long placed the burden squarely on the shoulders of cafeteria staff. This week, many of them stepped away from the steam-filled kitchens and into the streets. On Friday, about 94,000 members of the Nation November 21, 2025

Coupang, latest breach in Korea, with no effective guardrail in sight SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - Coupang has emerged as the latest flashpoint in Korea's widening cybersecurity crisis, with customer data leaking yet again as major companies — from telecom operators to card issuers — continue to fall victim to preventable attacks under a regulatory system that seldom imposes meaningful penalties. Coupang said late Thursday that an "unauthorized third party" accessed the personal information of more than 4,500 customers. Accor November 21, 2025

KOSPI, this year's stellar winner, crashes into year-end on AI bubble scare and FX pressures SEOUL, November 21 (AJP) - South Korea’s KOSPI has been the strongest-performing major Asian index this year, but this week’s rout has laid bare its structural fragility — an equity market dominated by a few tech bellwethers and increasingly shunned by foreign investors as the won sinks to new lows. Until just days ago, enthusiasm bordered on euphoria. Forecasts that the KOSPI could surge to 5,000 or even 7,000 became commonplace. Even after Friday’s 3.8 November 21, 2025