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  South Korea downplays market fallout from US credit downgrade SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance convened an emergency meeting on Monday to evaluate the potential ripple effects of Moody’s downgrade of the United States’ sovereign credit rating, concluding that the impact on domestic markets would likely remain limited. The meeting, held via conference call and chaired by Vice Finance Minister Yoon In-dae, came two days after Moody’s Investors Service lowered the U.S. long-term issuer ra May 19, 2025
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  Presidential candidates to clash again in televised debate later this week SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - With just two weeks or so left until next month's presidential election, four presidential hopefuls are set to clash once again in another televised debate later this week. During their first televised debate hosted by election watchdog National Election Commission last Sunday, Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), Lee Jun-seok of the minor centrist Reform Party, and Kwon Youn May 19, 2025
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  PHOTOS: Coming-of-Age Day SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - May 19 is South Korea's Coming-of-Age Day, observed annually on the third Monday of May. Under the nation's civil code, individuals attain adulthood at the age of 19. Historically, the transition to adulthood was marked by traditional ceremonies. For young men, this involved styling their hair in a topknot and donning a gat, a traditional Korean hat. Young women would put their hair up in a chignon and adorn it with a binyeo, an ornamental hairpin. Contempo May 19, 2025
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  Tech industry turns gaze to Taiwan as Computex 2025 opens SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - The global technology and semiconductor sectors are converging on Taiwan this week as Computex 2025, Asia’s largest information technology trade show, opens Tuesday with heightened anticipation surrounding a keynote address by Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang. The four-day event, organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and the Taipei Computer Association, will be held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. Roughly 1,400 compan May 19, 2025
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  Lee Jae-myung and Kim Moon-soo offer different visions for constitutional reform SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - With South Korea heading to the polls on Jun. 3 for a snap presidential election, constitutional reform has emerged as a key dividing line between the two leading candidates, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party. Both agree the Constitution needs to change, but their proposals reflect fundamentally different priorities and political philosophies. The snap election was triggered by the impeachment and removal of form May 19, 2025
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  Korean grape exports soar to record high SEOUL, May 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s grape exports surged to an all-time high in the first quarter of 2025, nearly doubling from the same period a year earlier, according to customs data released Monday. Export volume reached 1,412 metric tons between January and March, an 89.8 percent increase year-over-year, the Korea Customs Service said. Despite a decline in average prices — from 5,389 won per kilogram in March 2024 to 4,978 won this year — the total value of May 19, 2025
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  K-pop boy band BoyNextDoor's new album hits 1mln sales in five days SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - K-pop boy band BoyNextDoor’s latest mini album "No Genre" has surpassed one million in sales just five days after its release, setting a new record for the group. According to Hanteo Chart on May 18, the album, which dropped on May 13, recorded a total of 1,074,316 copies sold as of the previous day. The figure marks a sharp rise from their previous release "19.99," which sold 759,156 copies in its first week and became a million-sel May 18, 2025
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  BTS' Jin thanks fans, debuts new solo track at album showcase SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - BTS member Jin expressed heartfelt thanks to fans and premiered songs from his new solo album during an offline event held Saturday in Seoul, his agency Big Hit Music said Sunday. The 32-year-old hosted the event in Seongsu, a trendy neighborhood in eastern Seoul, to celebrate the release of his second solo mini album “Echo.” He performed three tracks, including the title song "Don’t Say You Love Me." "The support from fans May 18, 2025
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  State institute KAIST partners with Naver to develop app for autistic children SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - South Korea's leading science and technology institute, KAIST, has joined hands with Naver Cloud AI Lab to develop a smartphone application designed to help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) communicate more effectively with their parents. KAIST announced on Sunday that the newly developed app, called “AAcess Talk,” was created through a collaboration between its research team and the artificial intelligence lab under Naver, the cou May 18, 2025
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  Lee Jae-myung builds commanding lead as Kim Moon-soo trails, Lee Jun-seok stays in single digits SEOUL, May 18 (AJP) - One week into South Korea’s snap presidential election, Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung is beginning to break away from the pack, a survey showed Saturday. Lee’s campaign, steady and cautious, is gaining traction even in regions once considered hostile ground. People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo remains stalled in second place, while Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok stays in the single digits, aiming to position hims May 18, 2025