Korean court revisits authoritarian-era anti-communism conviction

SEOUL, December 20 (AJP) -A South Korean court has fully acquitted Anglican Church of Korea priest Yoon Jung-hyeon, overturning his 1975 conviction under the now-abolished Anti-Communism Law after a retrial held nearly five decades later. The Seoul Northern District Court ruled on Dec. 11, 202, that Yoon was not guilty, and the verdict became final last Friday. The court said it could not rule out the possibility that coercive interrogation or mistreatment occurred during t

December 20, 2025

BYD makes fast inroads in Korea with sales nearing 5,000 EV cars

SEOUL, December 20 (AJP) -BYD, China’s largest electric-vehicle manufacturer, has rapidly established a foothold in South Korea’s imported-car market, breaking into the top 10 foreign brands within its first year of local operations. According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association on Dec. 19, BYD sold 4,955 vehicles through November, accounting for 1.78 percent of the imported-car market. Based on recent sales momentum, full-year deliveries are

December 20, 2025

Korea's first private rocket launch put off on technical glitch

SEOUL, December 20 (AJP) -South Korean space launch startup Innospace has called off the launch attempt of the country's first privately-developed rocket, HANBIT-Nano, after engineers identified a technical issue during final countdown procedures in Brazil. The launch was scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Friday local time (9:30 a.m. Saturday in Korea) at the Alcantara Space Center, but was halted about an hour before liftoff when an abnormality was detected in a valve used to fill

December 20, 2025

Korea's FTC chief signals suspension on Coupang if fault confirmed in data leak

SEOUL, December 20 (AJP) -Ju Biung-ghi, chairman of South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, said authorities are keeping open the possibility of slapping business suspension e-commerce giant Coupang following a large-scale leak of customer personal data. Speaking on KBS’ “NewslineW" on Friday afternoon, Ju said the FTC is mobilizing “all available means,” including dispute mediation and support for consumer lawsuits, to assist those affected by

December 20, 2025

Unionized rail workers threaten indefinite strike again

SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Unionized railway workers on Friday again threatened to launch an indefinite strike starting next Tuesday, citing the failure to fulfill agreements over bonus payments. State-run rail operator KORAIL's workers, who called off a planned strike at the last minute earlier this week after tentatively agreeing to further discussions on performance-based bonuses, said they will go on strike from the first train next Tuesday unless the agreements are fulfille

December 19, 2025

Krafton, Naver, Mirae Asset pool capital for Asia startup bets

SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Game developer Krafton said on Friday it will set up an Asia-focused investment fund with Naver and Mirae Asset Group worth up to 1 trillion won ($740 million), betting on fast-growing technology companies across the region. The fund, named the Krafton–Naver–Mirae Asset Unicorn Growth Fund, will target promising technology firms in major Asian markets, including South Korea and India. The partners said the vehicle aims to generate long-ter

December 19, 2025

Musinsa opens first overseas multi-brand store in Shanghai's Anfu Road

SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - South Korean fashion platform Musinsa has opened its first overseas multi-brand store in Shanghai on Friday, marking a strategic push to expand its offline presence in China’s rapidly shifting fashion retail market. The new store, located on Anfu Road — one of Shanghai’s most influential fashion districts — brings together 59 brands across three floors, including 44 Korean designer and accessory labels and a selection of Chinese a

December 19, 2025

KT Wiz infielder Hwang Jae-gyun to end 20-year baseball career

SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Infielder Hwang Jae-gyun is retiring from baseball, the KT Wiz said on Friday. In a statement released by the club, Hwang said, "Despite a good offer from the club, I decided to retire after much consideration." He added, "Thanks to the fans who always supported me enthusiastically, I was able to play for 20 years." "It was a great honor to be selected for the national team and to compete in international sporting events such

December 19, 2025

KAI secures Surion helicopter contracts worth 71 billion won

SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Friday it has signed separate contracts to supply one Surion multipurpose helicopter each to the Korea Coast Guard and the Korea National Park Service. The Coast Guard contract is valued at 38.5 billion won, while the National Park Service deal totals 32.8 billion won, KAI said. Each contract covers one helicopter along with spare parts, ground support equipment and training for pilots and maintenance personnel.

December 19, 2025

Nine-year-old boy becomes South Korea's youngest professional go player

SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - A nine-year-old boy has become South Korea's youngest professional go or baduk player ever, the mind sport's governing body said on Friday. According to the Korea Baduk Association, Yoo Ha-jun earned professional status after passing the final qualification round the previous day, along with another young boy Pyo Hyun-woo who is 12 years old. The two stood out among about 55 under-12 apprentices to become South Korea's youngest professional G

December 19, 2025