K Shipbuilding wins $333 million tanker orders from European clients SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - South Korea’s mid-sized shipyard K Shipbuilding said on Thursday that it had signed contracts with two European shipping companies to build five tankers worth about $333 million. The orders, finalized on Nov. 6 and 12, include three 115,000-ton crude oil tankers and two 50,000-ton petrochemical tankers, the company said. All of the new vessels will comply with the International Maritime Organization’s standards for greenhouse gas emissio November 13, 2025

INTERVIEW: Korean economist sees AI as key to breaking out of low growth SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - South Korea has a rare chance to escape years of sluggish growth if it can harness artificial intelligence as a new engine of productivity, according to Jeon Kwang-woo, chairman of the Institute for Global Economics and a former head of the Financial Services Commission. In an interview with Aju Business Daily, Jeon said the country’s economy — long constrained by an aging population, weak investment, and slowing exports — could find November 13, 2025

North Korean, Laotian FMs meet in Pyongyang to strengthen ties SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - The foreign ministers of North Korea and Laos met in Pyongyang to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and her Laotian counterpart Thongsavanh Phomvihane pledged to implement agreements reached by their leaders in October to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the two countries, according to KCNA. Their meetin November 13, 2025

South Korea's CU convenience chain opens first US store in Hawaii SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest convenience store operator, BGF Retail, has opened its first American location in Honolulu, Hawaii. The store opened this week in the popular destination for Asian tourists and home to a sizable Korean community. The launch follows the establishment of BGF Retail Hawaii in May and a master franchise agreement with WKF Inc., a local company that will manage operations under the CU brand. Under the deal, BGF Retail wil November 13, 2025

South Korea's Lotte Chemical sells Pakistani unit in streamlining push SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - South Korea's Lotte Chemical said on Thursday that it had completed the sale of its controlling stake in its Pakistani subsidiary, Lotte Chemical Pakistan Limited. Lotte’s withdrawal from Pakistan underscores a broader trend among South Korean chemical companies seeking to pare back exposure in emerging markets with volatile currencies, while investing more heavily in specialty and sustainable chemical products that promise higher margins. November 13, 2025

Another body recovered at Ulsan power plant with one worker still missing SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - Another body was recovered early Thursday morning from the rubble of a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan. According to rescue workers, a man in his 30s was retrieved from the debris at the state-run utility Korea East-West Power at around 1:18 a.m. This brings the death toll to six, with one person still missing. The incident occurred when a 60-meter boiler tower suddenly fell during demolition work last Thursday, trapping seven November 13, 2025

K-pop sensation NewJeans signal full-group comeback by returning to ADOR under HYBE SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - NewJeans, the breakout K-pop act that shot to global fame upon debut in 2022 but became embroiled in a bitter dispute with its agency last year, is poised for a full-group comeback after members began signaling their return to ADOR, a move that lifts a major litigation burden for the parent manager HYBE ahead of the long-anticipated comeback of K-pop superstar BTS. On Wednesday, members Haerin and Hyein announced that they would return to ADOR, sayin November 13, 2025

Why Korea should benchmark Japan in tweaking retirement age and managing super-aged society SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Korea, under strong pressure from labor unions, is moving to extend the statutory retirement age to 65 as it enters a super-aged demographic structure, but the shift could strain public finances and the national pension system if it fails to draw voluntary participation from the private sector, responsible for most hiring. Korea's two largest umbrella unions are urging the progressive government and ruling party to mandate a "blanket, unconditi November 12, 2025

Survey shows Deepfake crimes seen as growing threat to young people in South Korea SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Nine out of ten South Koreans believe deepfake crimes pose a serious threat to society, a recent survey showed, underscoring escalated alarm over the abuse of artificial intelligence to generate sexually explicit or manipulated content. Deepfake refers to synthetic media generated using artificial intelligence to alter or replace a person's likeness in photos or videos. The technology is increasingly being abused to produce non-consensual sexual mate November 12, 2025

Homegrown space rocket set for first nighttime launch late this month SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - South Korea's homegrown space rocket Nuri is scheduled for liftoff later this month. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said Wednesday that the rocket, dubbed KSLV‑II, will be launched at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province on Nov. 27 unless unexpected problems occur, in which case there will be further launch windows between Nov. 29 and Dec. 4. The liftoff has been tentatively set for between 12:54 a.m. and 1:14 a.m., November 12, 2025