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  Kakao spins off sagging Daum portal to focus on core business SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - South Korean tech conglomerate Kakao has spun off its long-struggling Daum portal business into a wholly owned subsidiary, ending an 11-year integration between the two companies. The board of directors approved the move on Thursday, establishing the new entity under the leadership of Yang Joo-il, who currently heads Kakao’s content division and oversees Daum operations. The spin-off, according to the company, is part of a broader effort to streamline May 22, 2025
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  LG Electronics solidifies lead in premium TV market in Europe SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - LG Electronics has surpassed 10 million OLED television sales in Europe, a milestone that underscores the South Korean tech giant’s continued dominance in the region’s premium TV segment. The achievement, reached in April 2025, comes 12 years after LG first brought OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology to market in 2013. While it took eight years to reach the first 5 million units sold, the company doubled that number in just four years. May 22, 2025
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  Soprano Sumi Jo to receive France's highest cultural honor next week SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Soprano Sumi Jo is set to receive France's highest cultural honor next week, according to the Korean Cultural Center in Paris. Jo will be awarded the Commander's medal of the Order of Arts and Letters in recognition of her contributions to French art. Established in 1957 by the French Ministry of Culture, the prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made "significant contributions to the arts and literature both in France and int May 22, 2025
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  PHOTOS: Inside high-speed delivery culture of Dongdaemun fashion district SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - In the warren-like alleys of Dongdaemun Shopping Complex, Seoul’s sprawling wholesale fashion hub, a unique culture built on speed has quietly defined the rhythm of commerce for decades. Here, the hum of motorcycles and the shuffle of small delivery trucks are as much a part of the landscape as bolts of fabric and sequins glinting in warehouse light. For more than 40 years, Dongdaemun has operated not just as a wholesale marketplace, but as a vital a May 22, 2025
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  Girl band TWICE to drop new full-length album in July SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - K-pop girl band TWICE will release a new album in July. More than a month ahead of the album's release slated for July 11, their management agency JYP Entertainment teased fans with a video on social media earlier this week. The 14-minute teaser clip shows all nine members in blue outfits, with clues hinting at the impending release of their fourth full-length album "This Is For." The upcoming album comes nearly four years after their last full May 22, 2025
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  Wine tasting contest underway in Seoul SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Lotte Department Store announced on Thursday the return of its popular blind wine tasting event, “The V:lind." Inspired by the famed 1976 Judgment of Paris — where a panel of French judges, in a blind tasting, ranked California wines above their French counterparts — Lotte’s initiative aims to elevate consumer appreciation through taste alone, stripping away biases tied to origin or price. This year’s edition has expanded i May 22, 2025
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  PHOTOS: Traditional way of rice planting SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - The staple food for Koreans is rice, a grain deeply interwoven with the nation's history and culture. Each May, the paddies across the country come alive as farmers begin the arduous process of cultivating this essential crop. Traditionally, this involved flooding the fields, meticulously preparing the soil, and hand-planting delicate rice seedlings, known as "mo." While modern machinery now dominates most of these tasks, allowing for efficient preparati May 22, 2025
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  Search underway to find new US envoy for North Korean human rights SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - Washington's post for a special envoy on North Korean human rights issues, which has remained vacant since early this year, is expected to be filled soon. When asked during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Wednesday whether there are plans to appoint someone to the post left vacant since former envoy Julie Turner stepped down in January, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that thorough vetting procedures are currently underway to &quo May 22, 2025
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  SK hynix develops new mobile storage solution aimed at powering on-device AI SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - SK hynix has developed a new mobile storage solution based on its latest NAND flash technology, positioning the product as a key component for next-generation smartphones powered by artificial intelligence, the firm said Thursday. The company’s latest offering is a Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 4.1 solution built using its 321-layer 1-terabit Triple Level Cell (TLC) 4D NAND flash — the tallest NAND stack produced to date, according to SK hynix. T May 22, 2025
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  Job creation in South Korea falls to record low SEOUL, May 22 (AJP) - South Korea’s job market has continued its downward spiral, with the number of new positions falling to the lowest level, highlighting the deepening strain on the country's economy and labor force. According to data released Thursday by the Korean Statistical Information Service, only 2.44 million new jobs were created in the fourth quarter of 2024 — down from 2.55 million in the same period a year earlier. The decline marks the 11th consecut May 22, 2025