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  Court weighs detention of subway arson suspect as probe continues SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - A man in his 60s accused of starting a fire on Seoul’s Line 5 subway on May 31 appeared in court Monday for a detention hearing, two days after the blaze disrupted Seoul’s subway train service and sent dozens to the hospital. The suspect, surnamed Won, was brought to the Seoul Southern District Court. The hearing, held to decide whether to formally detain him ahead of trial, lasted about 15 minutes. Won faces charges of setting fire to a train June 2, 2025
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  Canadian orchestra and S. Korean pianist collaborate to display friendship and partnership SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - The grandeur of the Seoul Arts Center came alive last Saturday night as Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra and acclaimed South Korean pianist Son Yeol-eum delivered an evening of musical collaboration. The performance, part of the NAC Orchestra's first-ever tour to South Korea, marked a highlight in the yearlong celebration of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Under the baton of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra presen June 2, 2025
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  Korea eyes LMR batteries for EVs to bridge gap between range, affordability SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - South Korea’s battery manufacturers are fast-tracking efforts to commercialize lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries, a next-generation chemistry that industry leaders see as a crucial middle ground between cost-efficiency and performance in electric vehicle (EV) technology. The push marks a strategic pivot for an industry long dominated by two competing battery types: nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) batteries, prized for their high energy density but s June 2, 2025
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  UAE in talks with TSMC to build advanced chip plant SEOUL, June 2 (AJP) - The United Arab Emirates is in preliminary discussions with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to build a cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication facility as Gulf nations accelerate efforts to position themselves at the forefront of the global artificial intelligence race. TSMC has reportedly held multiple meetings in recent months with Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, and representatives of MGX Fund Management, a UAE-base June 2, 2025
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  Samsung in talks to integrate Perplexity AI in Galaxy S26: report SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is in discussions to integrate technology from Perplexity AI into its next generation of smartphones, potentially marking a significant departure from the firm's long-standing reliance on Google’s artificial intelligence services. The proposed deal, first reported by Bloomberg, would see Samsung embedding Perplexity’s AI assistant and search tools in its upcoming Galaxy S26 series, expected to launch in the first half of 2 June 2, 2025
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  Fans flock to Incheon for K-pop's global gathering SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - Thousands of K-pop fans from across the globe converged on Incheon’s Inspire Entertainment Resort over the weekend for the 2025 Weverse Con Festival, the fourth installment of Hybe’s annual music celebration. Spanning two days, the event drew such a surge of international visitors that local restaurants within the sprawling resort struggled to accommodate the influx. The festival has evolved into a global pilgrimage for fans of Korean pop music, June 2, 2025
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  Samsung Pay outage disrupts morning transactions across country SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - A three-hour outage of Samsung Pay, the popular mobile payment service, disrupted morning routines across South Korea on Monday, leaving customers unable to complete transactions and prompting widespread frustration among users and retailers. The disruption began around 7 a.m. and was resolved by 10:22 a.m., according to Samsung officials. During the outage, users attempting to make purchases with their smartphones reported failures at convenience stores, ca June 2, 2025
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  Candidates make last-ditch appeals to voters on eve of presidential election SEOUL, June 2 (AJP) - Monday is the final day of campaigning ahead of Tuesday's presidential election, with candidates set to canvass until the last minutes to win over voters. Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) kicked off his final day of campaigning with a visit to the southern resort island of Jeju, before making stops in Busan, Daegu, and Daejeon, and wrapping up in Seoul as the final leg of his rally. According to a PPP spokes June 2, 2025
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  Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo enter final stage of campaign as snap election nears SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - With just one day remaining before South Korea’s Jun. 3 snap presidential election, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo launched their final push to win over voters on Monday morning. Lee is spending his last campaign day in the Seoul metropolitan area, a key battleground in previous elections. His campaign is highlighting policies focused on economic revitalization, balanced regional development, and June 2, 2025
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  Astana International Forum wraps up with call for stronger global cooperation SEOUL, June 1 (AJP) - A two-day international forum aimed at strengthening multilateral cooperation and tackling global challenges wrapped up in Kazakhstan’s capital on Friday. The Astana International Forum (AIF), held from Thursday to Friday, brought together more than 1,000 participants from over 70 countries, including heads of state, business executives, renowned academics, and representatives. Throughout the event, over 40 panel discussions, side events, and specia June 1, 2025