Korean e-commerce firms vying to lure customers quitting Coupang over fee hike

SEOUL, April 26 (AJU PRESS) - Following Coupang's recent announcement of a 58 percent increase in its monthly premium membership fee, Korean e-commerce firms are in a race to attract former Coupang customers. On April 12, Coupang disclosed a plan to raise its monthly premium subscription fee from 4,990 won ($3.6) to 7,890 won. The premium membership offers benefits like free delivery, unlimited video streaming, and complimentary food delivery. The price hike has already been a

April 26, 2024

N. Korean leader inspects test-firing of new multiple rocket launcher shell

SEOUL, April 26 (AJU PRESS) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly overseen a test-firing of a new 240-millimeter (9.4 inches) shell for multiple rocket launchers (MRLs), which can target South Korea’s capital area. The state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Friday Kim attended the evaluation of the new precision-guided MRL rocket the previous day. The North announced the development of the weapon in February. During the test, Kim said the new rocke

April 26, 2024

Korean football team fails to qualify for Olympics for first time in 40 years

SEOUL, April 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's hopes of securing a spot in the men's football in the Paris Olympics were shattered Thursday after they lost to Indonesia in a penalty shootout in Doha, Qatar. This is the first time in 40 years that Korea has missed the men's football tournament at the Olympics since the 1984 Los Angeles games. Korea faced Indonesia in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium i

April 26, 2024

Opinion: New 'cold war' grows ever warmer as prospect of nuclear arms race hots up

SEOUL, April 26 (AJU PRESS) - Champagne corks popped on Dec. 3 1989 as Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and U.S. president George H.W. Bush met on the cruise ship, Maxim Gorky, off the coast of Malta to declare the end of the cold war. Gorbachev and Bush's predecessor in the White House, Ronald Reagan, had – at two summits over the past five years – thrashed out agreements that would limit and reduce both sides' nuclear arsenals. With the cold war over, Gorbache

April 26, 2024

Seoul aims to revitalize Han River into leisure, tourism hub

SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) - The Seoul city government is pushing for a major development plan for the Han River and its waterfront areas, including the construction of a floating hotel, a water-ski slope, urban marinas and various leisure activity facilities. Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the initiative, dubbed "River City Seoul," on Wednesday as part of efforts to revitalize the river into a vibrant hub of leisure and tourism by 2030. A total of 550 billion won ($400

April 25, 2024

Education startup Mathpresso makes TIME's top edutech company list

SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) - South Korean startup Mathpresso has been listed on the "World's Top Edtech Companies of 2024" by TIME Magazine. Mathpresso was ranked 136th on the list released on Tuesday. The magazine collaborated with market research firm Statista to select 250 education technology firms from among 7,000 candidates. "The ranking is built on two pillars: financial strength and industry impact," TIME said on its official website. The Korean s

April 25, 2024

Vietnamese schools adopt AI-based Korean learning platform

SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) – Visang Education, a Korean educational company, said Thursday its artificial intelligence-based Korean-language learning platform has been adopted by seven schools in Viet Nam. The platform, called Master K, incorporates various smart learning solutions, such as virtual learning and AI pronunciation tests, to enable remote lectures. The Southeast Asian country has designated Korean as one of its first foreign languages but has yet to secure enough

April 25, 2024

VISUALS: Premier electric vehicle fair underway in Seoul

SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) - The 37th International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition (EVS37) is under way at COEX in Seoul. About 160 companies from 12 countries are participating in the world's largest and oldest EV conference and exposition running from Tuesday to Friday. The 37th event is hosted by the World Electric Vehicle Association and the Electric Vehicle Association of Asia Pacific and organized by the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers. Established in 1969, EVS st

April 25, 2024

HYBE takes legal action against NewJeans agency CEO amid management control feud

SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) - Entertainment giant HYBE plans to file a complaint Thursday against Min Hee-jin, the CEO of its affiliated label behind popular K-pop girl band NewJeans, on charges including breach of trust. HYBE said this week's audit confirmed that Min had devised plans to take over management control of the subsidiary, ADOR, and break away from the K-pop powerhouse. Auditors secured a computer file from an ADOR executive that showed Min's side con

April 25, 2024

Opinion: Russia's invasion of Ukraine has left the entire region at a heightened risk of radioactive pollution

SEOUL, April 25 (AJU PRESS) - Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put the country's nuclear facilities at considerable risk. For example, on April 7 a drone attacked Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. This attack on the largest nuclear power plant in Europe was a rare instance of a direct assault on a nuclear facility. While both Ukraine and Russia deny responsibility for the drone attack, it's clear that Russia's ongoing invasion has put the site at active

April 25, 2024