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  FDA conducts inspection of Samsung Biologics production facilities SEOUL, May 21 (AJP) - Inspectors from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have begun a formal inspection of Samsung Biologics’ production facilities in Songdo, Incheon, according to industry sources, Wednesday. The inspection, which commenced on Monday and is scheduled to run through May 27, is focused on evaluating the company’s manufacturing processes. FDA officials visited Plants 3 and 4 on Tuesday, conducting what sources described as an "unusually detailed May 21, 2025
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  Massive fire at Kumho Tire factory fully contained at last SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - A massive fire at a tire-manufacturing plant in southwestern South Korea was fully extinguished on Tuesday, nearly three days after it first broke out over the weekend. According to fire authorities, the blaze started early Saturday morning at Kumho Tire's factory in Gwangju, forcing about 400 workers to evacuate and leaving three people injured including two firefighters. Some 1,236 cases of damage have been reported so far by residents near the factory May 20, 2025
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  Amorepacific's Hera expands custom makeup service as international demand soars SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Hera, a contemporary beauty brand under South Korea’s Amorepacific, is expanding its personalized cosmetics offering as international demand for bespoke makeup continues to surge. The brand’s popular Custom Match program will now include its flagship Black Cushion foundation, offering hundreds of shade variations tailored to individual skin tones. Launched as a reservation-based service for custom lipsticks and foundation, Custom Match has seen a May 20, 2025
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  Nvidia pledges AI supercomputer for Taiwan as Computex 2025 opens SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Asia’s largest information technology trade show, Computex 2025, opened Tuesday with more than 1,400 companies from around the world unveiling their latest innovations, underscoring the central role of artificial intelligence in the industry’s future. The exhibition kicked off with momentum following a keynote speech on Monday by Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia, who announced plans to build Taiwan’s first large-scale artificial intelli May 20, 2025
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  Musinsa sees sharp rise in foreign sales at stores after enhancing tourist services SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Korean fashion brand Musinsa Standard reported a sharp rise in sales from foreign customers at its Seoul stores, following the rollout of services tailored to international tourists. According to the company, Tuesday, the Hannam branch saw foreign customer sales increase more than threefold in April compared to February, when the new services were introduced. Across five major locations — Gangnam, Myeongdong, Seongsu, Hannam, and Hongdae — sale May 20, 2025
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  Lotte Department Store to host global retail forum next month SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Lotte Department Store will co-host the World Department Store Summit (WDSS) in Seoul next month, marking the first time the global retail conference is held in South Korea, the company announced on Tuesday. The two-day event, set for June 11 and 12 at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, will bring together senior executives from more than 20 department store groups across 10 countries. This year’s theme, “How to Best Captivate Customers,” will explore str May 20, 2025
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  PHOTOS: Overseas voting begins for presidential election SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - South Korean citizens living abroad began casting their ballots on Tuesday for the country's presidential election. The National Election Commission said that the overseas voting period will run until Sunday, May 25, at noon (KST). Polling stations have been set up in 223 locations across 118 countries, including 182 diplomatic missions and 41 additional sites. For the first time, overseas polling stations have been established in four countries where South Korea May 20, 2025
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  Boy band RIIZE to embark on world tour to promote first full-length album SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - K-pop boy band RIIZE will embark on their first world tour in July, riding the momentum of their new album released earlier this week. Starting with a three-day concert in southern Seoul in early July, the sextet will tour about a dozen cities around the world including Bangkok in Thailand, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Saitama, and Tokyo in Japan, Jakarta in Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Manila in the Philippines until February next year. The tour w May 20, 2025
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  US, South Korea, Japan hold trilateral secretariat meeting in Washington SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - The United States, South Korea, and Japan have convened a Trilateral Coordinating Secretariat Managing Board meeting in Washington, D.C. on Monday (local time), the U.S. Department of State announced. The Department of State said in a statement that the meeting was led by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kevin Kim, South Korean Deputy Director-General for North American Affairs Yi Won-woo, and Japanese Deputy Director-General May 20, 2025
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  BTS' Jin releases remixes from his latest mini album SEOUL, May 20 (AJP) - Jin, the eldest member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, released a new compilation album on Tuesday. According to his agency BitHit Music, the album contains eight tracks including six remixed versions of "Don't Say You Love Me," the title song from his second mini album "Echo," released last week, about six months after his debut solo album "Happy" late last year. Along with the instrumental version of the song, the remixes vary May 20, 2025