Three workers killed in wind turbine fire in Yeongdeok SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - Three workers in their 40s and 50s died in a fire at a wind turbine in the eastern coastal county of Yeongdeok on Monday while conducting repairs and inspections. A fire broke out during the staged demolition process. According to Yeongdeok County authorities, all 24 wind turbines installed at the Changpo Wind Farm and nearby areas were installed in 2005 and have exceeded their 20-year design life. The workers who died in the fire were inspecting the bendin March 24, 2026

HMM marks 50th anniversary with new vision, growth strategy SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - South Korean container shipping giant HMM unveiled a new corporate vision and growth strategy as it marked the eve of its 50th founding anniversary, signaling fresh ambitions to expand beyond its core shipping business. At a ceremony held at the company's headquarters Tuesday in Yeouido, Seoul, Chief Executive Choi Won-hyok and about 100 employees gathered to formally launch the vision statement "Move Beyond Maritime," which the company describe March 24, 2026

LG Electronics sells over 3 million washers globally SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - The cumulative sales of LG Electronics' high-end washing machines have exceeded 3 million units, the home appliance giant said on Wednesday. Since its launch in the U.S. in September 2020, the Tromm WashTower, a washing machine that combines a washer and dryer in a single stacked unit, has been sold in about 77 countries, with some 1.2 million units sold in South Korea as of February. Buoyed by its energy efficiency and convenience, demand is risin March 24, 2026

KOSPI jumps as Iran strike fears ease, oil prices tumble SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) — South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI opened sharply higher on Tuesday upon expectation of a potential truce. Seoul’s main index rose 4.39 percent to 5,643.00 at the open, while the KOSDAQ gained 3.47 percent to 1,135.00. Gains later pared to around 2 percent as conflicting remarks from Washington and Tehran over a possible truce tempered early optimism. U.S. President Donald Trump delayed a potential strike on Iran by five days and signaled op March 24, 2026

Celltrion to invest 1.2 trillion won in new Songdo plant, expanding drug substance capacity to 571,000 liters SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - Celltrion announced plans to invest about 1.23 trillion won ($821 million) to build two new drug substance manufacturing plants at its Songdo campus in Incheon, as it moves to meet rising global demand for its biosimilar and novel drug products. The new Plants 4 and 5 will add 180,000 liters of drug substance (DS) production capacity to Celltrion's existing network, the company said Tuesday. Combined with a separately announced expansion at its Branchb March 24, 2026

North Korea calls South Korea 'most hostile' SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - North Korea called South Korea the "most hostile” country, vowing to maintain the country's status as a nuclear weapons state, state media reported on Tuesday. During a speech outlining policy priorities at the country's Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang the previous day, its leader Kim Jong-un said the country's nuclear status is irreversible and warned that any attempt by what he called "hostile forces" to infringe March 24, 2026

Korea's PPI extends gains for sixth month in Feb; war-driven pressure yet to hit SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) — South Korea’s producer prices rose for a sixth straight month in February, as higher energy and commodity costs lifted input prices across the board, pointing to building import-driven inflation pressure even before the full impact of war-related shocks. The producer price index (PPI) stood at 121.36 (2020=100) in February, up 0.6 percent from a month earlier, according to preliminary data released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Tuesday. On a March 24, 2026

OPINION: BTS concert proves live stage power in AI age Last weekend’s BTS live show swept South Korea into a rare, collective high. Staged in central Seoul’s Gwanghwamun and livestreamed globally on Netflix, the concert reached 300 million viewers across the world — a simultaneous celebration of BTS and a showcase of Seoul itself. Beyond the spectacle, the group’s first full reunion performance in nearly four years underscored a deeper shift: live events are emerging as K-pop’s most powerful growth March 24, 2026

Samsung Electronics and union reopen talks, strike risk lingers SEOUL, March 23 (AJP)-Management at Samsung Electronics and its labor union held an unexpected executive-level meeting Monday, signaling a possible thaw in tensions after the union abruptly canceled a planned rally outside Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s residence. Vice Chairman Jun Young-hyun, who leads the critical Device Solutions (DS) division, met a four-member delegation from a joint protest committee that includes representatives of the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSE March 23, 2026

KOSPI suffers one of biggest routs as Trump ultimatum rattles Asian markets SEOUL, March 23 (AJP) - The Seoul bourse suffered one of its steepest selloffs Monday as a sharp risk-off wave swept across Asia after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, prompting heavy foreign outflows and broad-based selling. The rout came as escalating tensions in the Middle East stoked fears of disruptions to global energy supply routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil. The U March 23, 2026