South Korean barbecue chain Myeongryun Jinsagalbi expands across Southeast Asia SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - South Korea’s leading charcoal-grilled rib franchise, Myeongryun Jinsagalbi, said Tuesday it has established a local subsidiary in the Philippines, betting on Southeast Asia to turn “K-barbecue” into a global brand. Through a master franchise agreement, it opened eight restaurants there as of October 2025, including one directly operated outlet. The move reflects a deeper commitment to managing brand quality and adapting to local taste October 28, 2025

BMW vehicles to adopt Kakao unit's voice AI system SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Kakao’s artificial intelligence model, Kanana, is set to make its global debut through a partnership with BMW. DK Techin, Kakao’s IT service subsidiary, said Tuesday that it had signed an agreement with BMW Group to develop a Korean-language voice AI system for the German automaker’s vehicles. The signing took place at DK Techin’s headquarters in Seongnam, south of Seoul. Under the partnership, BMW’s upcoming models will October 28, 2025

Putin meets North Korean foreign minister, hails progress in ties SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that relations with Pyongyang are moving forward as planned during a meeting in Moscow with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, the Kremlin said Monday. Conveying his warm regards to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, he said, "Everything is going according to plan." Choe thanked Putin for taking the time to meet with her and mentioned that she had heard his summit with Kim in Beijing early last October 28, 2025

OPINION: South Korea's defense rise owes debt to Russia SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung recently declared that South Korea aims to become the world’s fourth-largest defense exporter by 2030 — a bold vision reflecting the country’s growing role in the global arms market. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, South Korea ranked 10th in defense sales in 2023. Its share of global arms exports surged from 1 percent in 2012–2016 to 2.8 percent in 2017–2021 on averag October 28, 2025

Korea's Q3 GDP adds stronger than expected 1.2% on quarter, sentiment weakens ] Seoul, October 28 (AJP) -South Korea’s economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter, expanding 1.2 percent on quarter on the back of a rebound in capital investment and a modest recovery in consumer spending, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea on Tuesday. The stronger-than-expected growth — up from 0.7 percent in the second quarter and following a 0.2 percent contraction in the first — was largely driven by renewed capit October 28, 2025

World Korean business leaders gather in Incheon for economic summit INCHEON, October 27 (AJP) - About 2,000 Korean business leaders from around the globe convened in Incheon for a four-day economic summit aimed at strengthening commercial ties between overseas Korean entrepreneurs and domestic firms. The 2025 Korea Business Expo Incheon opened Monday at Songdo, south of Incheon, drawing about 1,500 Korean businesspeople from abroad and 500 domestic participants including corporate executives and government officials. The four-day convention, runn October 27, 2025

INTERVIEW: Mysterious Hungarian bomb maker in Korean independence fight to come alive in upcoming book by ex-Hungarian envoy SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - A Western engineer aiding Korean independence fighters in assembling bombs against imperial Japan sounds like a scene from historical fiction. But former Hungarian ambassador to South Korea Mózes Csoma found that it was real — and is preparing a book on the remarkable story of a Hungarian who joined Korea’s struggle for independence. "As a historian, I find deep meaning in the story of someone who fought for another people&rsquo October 27, 2025

PHOTOS: As APEC opens in Gyeongju, Seoul feels the buzz SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - As the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit opened on Monday in Gyeongju, national attention has fixed on the gathering of world leaders. Though Gyeongju sits some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the capital is equally swept up in the APEC fervor. Excitement over the high-profile event has spread across the country, with banners and displays promoting APEC visible throughout Seoul. At major landmarks such as Seoul Station and the Gwanghwamu October 27, 2025

Trump makes another overture to Kim, but any impending meeting remains in doubt SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump has once again expressed eagerness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his brief visit to South Korea this week. "I'd love to meet with him if he'd like to meet, I got along great with . If he wants to meet, I'll be in South Korea," Trump told reporters on Monday aboard Air Force One while traveling from Malaysia to Japan as part of his Asian tour, which includes South Korea for the Asia-Paci October 27, 2025

K-fashion joins APEC sponsorship as young labels expand global reach SEOUL, October 27 (AJP) - Breaking into the global mainstream has long been a challenge for Korean fashion labels. Yet the rise of social media—coupled with the global influence of K-pop stars and K-dramas—has propelled a new wave of brands such as Matin Kim and platforms like Musinsa to the forefront of the international fashion scene, celebrated for their blend of style, affordability, and authenticity. Matin Kim, which this month made its debut on Amazon following s October 27, 2025