Korean industry minister seeks exemption as Trump's deadline for reciprocal tariffs looms

SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) - South Korea's Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ahn Duk-geun said that it would be difficult for South Korea to avoid the impact of reciprocal tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, scheduled to take effect on April 2. During talks with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnik in Washington D.C., Ahn emphasized the close interconnection between the two countries' industrial ecosystems, particularly in advanced technology sectors. &

March 22, 2025

Mass rallies expected in Seoul as impeachment verdict looms

SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) - About 300,000 demonstrators are expected to flood central Seoul on Saturday as South Korea braces for a potential impeachment verdict against President Yoon Suk Yeol in the coming days. Pro-impeachment groups, including the Bisang Action for Yoon Out & Social Reform, have registered rallies with an anticipated attendance of 100,000 people, though organizers claim they will mobilize up to one million supporters. The opposition Democratic Party plans to

March 22, 2025

Russia's top security official arrives in Pyongyang for talks

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - Russia's high-ranking security official arrived in Pyongyang for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Moscow state-run news agency TASS reported on Friday. Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of the security council of the Russian Federation, is also expected to meet with other senior officials during his trip. The visit comes amid increasingly close ties between the two countries, with Pyongyang's deployment of thousands of troops to Moscow to sup

March 21, 2025

INTERVIEW: Malaysia, S. Korea poised to deepen economic ties through FTA

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - As Malaysia and South Korea look ahead to the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026, the two countries are working closely to finalize a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that could significantly strengthen their economic partnership. In an interview held at the Embassy of Malaysia in Seoul on Mar. 17, Ambassador Mohd Zamruni bin Khalid called the ongoing FTA negotiations a major milestone that will shape the future of bilateral ties. "Since the

March 21, 2025

Lotte World Tower to go dark Saturday night for Earth Hour campaign

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - Lotte World Tower, South Korea’s tallest building, will go dark for 60 minutes on Saturday night as part of Earth Hour, a global environmental campaign organized by the World Wildlife Fund. Lotte Property & Development, which manages the 123-story skyscraper, said the tower will switch off its exterior lighting at 8:30 p.m. local time. Approximately 50 affiliated companies and tenants will also participate in the initiative, which aims to raise awar

March 21, 2025

Court rules to ban NewJeans' independent activities amid dispute with agency

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - A court on Friday ruled in favor of K-pop girl group NewJeans' agency, banning them from engaging in independent activities. The ruling by the Seoul Central District Court came about two months after ADOR filed a lawsuit against the group's five members, insisting that the contract remains valid and cannot be unilaterally terminated. Last month, NewJeans changed their name to NJZ and began their own independent activities, such as ad endorsement de

March 21, 2025

Yoon's verdict inches closer as Constitutional Court set to decide on PM Han's impeachment

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - With the Constitutional Court of Korea set to rule on Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment trial early next week, its verdict to decide on President Yoon Suk Yeol's fate over his botched martial law debacle late last year seems to be on the horizon. While serving as acting president shortly after the debacle, Han has been suspended from his duties due to his refusal to appoint three justice nominees to he highest court along with several other al

March 21, 2025

Alaska governor will meet Korean energy firms for LNG project

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - Governor Mike Dunleavy of Alaska will arrive in South Korea next week, seeking to forge partnerships for the state’s monumental liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, a $44 billion undertaking that would reshape energy flows across the Pacific. During a two-day visit, March 24-25, Governor Dunleavy is scheduled to meet with South Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ahn Duk-geun, and hold discussions with key executives from South Korean

March 21, 2025

PHOTOS: Dragon's Head Coast on edge of Jeju Island

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - Jeju Island's Yongmeori Coast, or "Dragon's Head Coast," is a tableau of striated sandstone cliffs, sculpted by millennia of wind and wave. Here, the earth itself appears to mimic a mythical beast, its head plunging into the churning waters. The cliffs, carved into fantastical shapes by the relentless sea, create a labyrinth of grottoes and overhangs, a landscape both alien and breathtaking.

March 21, 2025

Korean firms target US biosimilar market as drug patents expire

SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) - As blockbuster drug patents begin to expire across the United States, South Korean biotechnology companies are making a calculated push into the lucrative U.S. biosimilar market — an arena projected to reach $26 billion this year. The expiration of patents for more than a dozen high-revenue biologics — many of which generate over $1 billion annually — has turned the American pharmaceutical landscape into a fierce battleground for biosimilars

March 21, 2025