Busan poised to host UNESCO's annual gathering next year

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - South Korea is expected to host the upcoming session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in the southern port city of Busan in July next year. The decision is set to be made at the committee's latest session, currently underway in Paris this week, with South Korea as the sole candidate. With no other countries in the bid, the country appears almost certain to host the event. Once Busan is selected as the venue for the international gathering, which

July 15, 2025

SHINee's Onew to release second full-length album "PERCENT"

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - K-pop group SHINee member Onew will return to the music scene with the release of his second full-length album, "PERCENT," dropping Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT). The album arrives five months after his January mini-album "CONNECTION." According to his agency, SM Entertainment, the title track "ANIMALS" captures the moment when instinct takes control. The song features a refined bass line, acoustic guitar, synths, and sound ef

July 15, 2025

Industry minister nominee backs US-style tax credits for chips, batteries

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - South Korea’s nominee for industry minister, Kim Jung-gwan, is pushing for the introduction of production tax credits for semiconductors and battery materials, according to parliamentary documents released Tuesday ahead of his confirmation hearing. Kim, a former senior economic official and most recently an executive at power equipment firm Doosan Enerbility, said the government must adopt “strategic and proactive industrial policies with competi

July 15, 2025

POSCO to supply advanced steel for Saudi Aramco's gas plant

SEOUL, July 15 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest steelmaker POSCO will supply hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) resistant steel to Saudi Aramco for its Fadhili gas plant expansion project. The agreement is a strategic win for POSCO and a notable shift in procurement norms for Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, which has traditionally sourced such critical materials from European manufacturers. The Fadhili expansion, designed to increase the plant’s gas proces

July 15, 2025

TRAVEL: Glimpse into daily life in North Korea from across the Amnok River

Amnok River, July 09 (AJP) - North Korea was once one with South Korea and remains close, yet unreachable. Today, we can only catch glimpses of the country under limited circumstances and in specific places. We cannot talk to them, shake their hands, or interact freely. One of the few places we can view North Korea relatively closely is from the Chinese border. While South Korea and North Korea are separated by the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, China and North Korea are s

July 15, 2025

BLACKPINK's North American tour kicks off with sell-out concerts in Los Angeles

SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK performed in front of a sell-out crowd of more than 100,000 fans in Los Angeles over the weekend as part of their world tour. According to their agency YG Entertainment on Monday, the two-day concerts at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood were sold out shortly after tickets went on sale, packing the venue and making BLACKPINK the girl group to draw the largest crowd ever at the stadium. The enthusiastic fans erupted in cheers as the four g

July 14, 2025

High-income YouTubers under crackdown over unreported earnings

SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s tax authorities have ramped up enforcement efforts against YouTubers and other online content creators, uncovering widespread tax evasion and imposing billions of won in penalties. According to data submitted to ruling party lawmaker Jung Tae-ho by the National Tax Service (NTS), audits were conducted on 21 YouTubers in 2024 alone, resulting in 8.9 billion won (approximately $6.45 million) in penalties. The intensified scrutiny reflects gro

July 14, 2025

NCT DREAM marks 9th anniversary with time travel-themed album 'Go Back To The Future'

SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - As NCT DREAM approaches its 9th anniversary, the group is making a comeback with its fifth full-length album, "Go Back To The Future," built around the concept of time travel. The album was officially introduced during a press conference on Monday at Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul. The seven-member group, including Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Chenle, and Jisung, explores the past, present, and future in a narrative that connects their b

July 14, 2025

LG targets global markets for StandbyME 2 portable screen after domestic success

SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - LG Electronics will begin the global rollout of its StandbyME 2 portable screen this week. The company plans a phased international launch, starting with Hong Kong and Turkey this week. Additional markets, including the United States, Canada, Vietnam, and Singapore, will follow in July, with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Spain scheduled for August. The StandbyME 2, a second-generation upgrade of LG’s portable screen lineup, recorded stron

July 14, 2025

US commits to maintaining troop levels in South Korea

SEOUL, July 14 (AJP) - The presence of U.S. troops in South Korea will likely remain at current levels under an annual defense bill drafted last week by the Senate Committee on Armed Services. The committee's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for next year passed last Friday contains a clause that "prohibits a reduction in U.S. military posture on the Korean Peninsula or a change in wartime operational control over the Combined Forces Command until the Secretary of

July 14, 2025