Alcoholic beverages to carry bigger warning labels SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Warning labels on alcohol bottles are getting bigger, bolder, and harder to ignore, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Wednesday. The measure, set to take effect as early as September next year, is part of efforts to raise awareness of health risks and dangers associated with drinking. The ministry believes bigger cautionary labels will help consumers take the warnings more seriously when purchasing alcoholic beverages. The background color of t November 19, 2025

South Korea's HD Hyundai celebrates 5,000th ship delivery SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s HD Hyundai has become the world's first shipbuilder in the world to deliver 5,000 vessels. The company commemorated the achievement with a ceremony at its flagship shipyard in Ulsan. HD Hyundai delivered its first vessel — the Atlantic Baron, a 260,000-ton very large crude carrier — in 1974. In the five decades since, it has supplied ships to more than 700 customers across 68 countries. The 5,000th vessel, the November 19, 2025

South Korea's first submarine sets sail on final voyage SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - South Korea's first submarine Jang Bogo embarked on its final voyage on Wednesday, ahead of its retirement later this year. The 1,200-ton vessel, named after a legendary captain and maritime trader from the ancient kingdom of Silla, will retire at the end of this year, concluding its 34-year mission to protect the country's maritime sovereignty. The submarine set off from a naval base in Jinhae for the two-hour farewell cruise with its first c November 19, 2025

India's Mukesh Ambani to visit Korea for meeting with Lee Jae-yong SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Mukesh Ambani, chairman of India’s Reliance Group known as Asia’s wealthiest individual, is scheduled to visit South Korea next week for discussions on artificial intelligence and next-generation communications technology with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Industry sources said Ambani will arrive on Nov. 25 for a two-day visit accompanied by his son, Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm. The trip will include November 19, 2025

South Korea's external debt rises to $738 billion, but stability indicators improve SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s external debt climbed to more than $738 billion in the third quarter, though government officials said the country’s overall financial position strengthened as short-term liabilities declined and long-term debt expanded. The Ministry of Economy and Finance said Wednesday that external debt reached $738.1 billion at the end of the July–September period, an increase of $2.5 billion from the previous quarter. The rise was l November 19, 2025

"Materialist"-style exclusive matchmaking flourishes among Gangnam's upper class SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - In the American film "Materialist", New York–based matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson) explains the formula behind a “quality” match that leads to a stable marriage: “similar upbringings, similar levels of education, similar family structures, similar incomes.” That bourgeois logic is now driving a quiet boom in exclusive matchmaking services in Seoul’s wealthiest districts, particularly in Gangnam, where housing November 19, 2025

Two more dead, bringing death toll to four in truck crash in Bucheon SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - Two more people have died from a deadly crash at an open-air market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province last week, bringing the death toll to four. According to police on Wednesday, a man in his 20s and a woman in her 80s, who were seriously injured last Thursday when a pickup truck plowed through the market, died earlier this week. Two women in their 60s and 70s died at the scene, and a number of injured people have since been receiving treatment. The d November 19, 2025

Global defense officials attend KOTRA forum to explore Korean weapon systems SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) on Wednesday hosted a defense export networking event with the Seoul Association of Military Attachés (SAMA), bringing together foreign defense officials and South Korean defense companies in an effort to expand global partnerships. The gathering drew 110 participants, including 35 military attachés from 30 countries — including Chile, India, Poland and Canada — as well as re November 19, 2025

South Korea's Innospace to develop space data center with UAE firm SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s Innospace, a private rocket developer, is deepening its ties with the Middle East as it seeks new footholds in the global space economy. The company said Wednesday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Madari Space, a United Arab Emirates start-up, to jointly develop and commercialize a space-based data center. The agreement was announced during the Dubai Airshow. Under the partnership, the two companies will expl November 19, 2025

Seoul tweaks rules on artisanal spirits but disappoints brewers hoping to ride the K-wave SEOUL, November 19 (AJP) - South Korea is home to the world's best-selling liquor — soju, a clear distilled spirit often dubbed Korean vodka — and the globally rediscovered rice wine, makgeolli. Authorities have finally moved to loosen regulations on traditional liquor tastings and wholesale licensing, but artisanal brewers find them fall short of their expectations on addressing the deeper structural barriers that prevent them from riding the rising K-food wave. November 19, 2025