OPINION: Korean rice could find second life — in a glass

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - For generations, rice has been more than just food for Koreans — it has been the foundation of daily life and the symbol of a shared table. But that symbol is fading. In the 1970s, the average Korean ate more than 130 kilograms of rice each year. By 2024, that number had fallen to just 55.8 kilograms. As bread, noodles and ready-to-eat meals became more convenient, rice quietly lost its central place in the national diet. The decline is

October 14, 2025

Trump to meet Xi at APEC despite trade disputes, US official says

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month, a senior U.S. trade official said. In an interview with Fox Business on Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two leaders will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which is scheduled to take place in the southeastern city of Gyeongju from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. "I believe that meeti

October 14, 2025

INTERVIEW: Samyang's food research chief leads push for healthier kind of sweetness

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - As South Korean consumers increasingly seek healthier diets, the nation’s food industry is rapidly moving toward low-sugar and zero-sugar products. Among the companies leading this shift is Samyang, which has emerged as a major player in the market for allulose, a natural, low-calorie sweetener. Samyang began producing allulose in 2016, becoming one of the first Korean firms to enter the zero-calorie sweetener market. The ingredient offers abou

October 14, 2025

Samsung Elec estimates best-ever revenue and 3-year high OP for Q3

SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics signaled a strong comeback in the latter half of the year, well beating market expectations with an estimated three-year high operating profit of 12.1 trillion won ($9.1 billion) and record-breaking revenue, fully riding on the chip boom driven by artificial-intelligence engines. Revenue reached a historic quarterly high of 86 trillion won in the three months ended September, up 15 percent from 74.6 trillion won in the previous quart

October 14, 2025

Kazakhstan taps South Korea as key partner for its national drive towards digital powerhouse

SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Kazakhstan, the Central Asian hub eager to break away from its raw materials-based economy, is turning to South Korea as a strategic partner in its ambitious push to become a global digital and artificial intelligence powerhouse. A high-profile government delegation will visit Seoul this week to present Kazakhstan’s institutional and systemic transformation, highlighting the Alatau Smart City project as its flagship initiative. “Kazakhstan

October 14, 2025

IAA Korea, Clebus team up to digitize art through NFTs

SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - IAA Korea, the Korean branch of the International Association of Art (IAA), has signed a partnership with NFT technology company Clebus to push the art industry into the digital era and expand the global reach of K-art. The agreement marks a rare collaboration between a traditional fine arts institution and a blockchain firm, signaling a growing recognition of NFT technology in the global art world. The signing ceremony took place on September 24 in Seoul&r

October 13, 2025

Swedish crown princess to visit Korea this week to deepen bilateral ties

SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria will make an official visit to South Korea this week, accompanied by a high-level business delegation, in a trip aimed at bolstering economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two nations, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Monday. The visit, scheduled for Oct. 15 to 17, will include meetings with President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok to discuss ways to strengthen collaboration in trade, inv

October 13, 2025

Sookmyung startup Labincube brings Nobel-winning material into everyday use

SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - A startup from Sookmyung Women's University has brought a Nobel Prize-winning scientific material into people’s daily lives. Labincube, founded by Professor Choi Kyung-min from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, became the first company to use Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) materials in consumer products such as air purifiers and cosmetic fillers. Professor Choi previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory

October 13, 2025

Samsung Electronics Q3 profit set to double from last qtr on chip rebound

SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is expected to report third-quarter operating profit of 10.14 trillion won ($7.6 billion), more than doubling from the previous quarter and marking its strongest July–September performance, fueled by a sharp recovery in memory chip prices and progress in landing contracts for AI chips. The South Korean tech giant, due to release preliminary earnings before market open Tuesday, is projected to have logged a 10.4 percent on-year ga

October 13, 2025

K-beauty buttresses Korean exports while defining global mainstream

SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Beauty has joined chips and cars as another defining powerhouse for Korea, with K-beauty now shaping trends and commanding markets in two of the world's largest economies. Korea ranked as the world’s third-largest cosmetics exporter last year, trailing only France and the United States. In both the U.S. and Japanese markets, Korean beauty products have overtaken long-dominant French labels to become the top imported cosmetics. According to t

October 13, 2025