South Korea-US tariff negotiations intensify as July deadline approaches with specific American demands

SEOUL, June 28 (AJP) - South Korea and the United States engaged in detailed tariff negotiations from Jun. 22 to 27 in Washington DC, with American officials presenting specific demands ranging from beef import regulations to participation in Alaska's liquefied natural gas projects, government sources said on Saturday. The third round of technical discussions between Trade Minister Yeo Han-gu and US counterparts comes as the Jul. 8 deadline for mutual tariff relief approaches, ma

June 28, 2025

Samsung Electronics surpasses 10,000 GWh renewable energy usage in 2024, introduces first domestic PPA contracts

SEOUL, June 28 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics' renewable energy consumption exceeded 10,000 gigawatt-hours for the first time in 2024, reaching 10,069 GWh and representing an 8.4 percent increase from the previous year, the company reported on Friday. The milestone was disclosed in Samsung's 2025 Sustainability Management Report, which detailed the company's environmental, social and governance performance alongside its expanding commitment to clean energy adoption across

June 28, 2025

Special prosecutor to question former President Yoon over martial law case on Saturday

SEOUL, June 28 (AJP) - Special prosecutor Jo Eun-seok questioned former President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday as a suspect in connection with the Dec. 3 martial law declaration and related charges, after Yoon arrived at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office through the main entrance at 9:55 AM. The questioning marks the first time the former leader has been investigated at the prosecution office where he once worked for over two decades, coming 16 days after the special prosecutor'

June 28, 2025

Lee pledges proper compensation for sacrifices of war veterans and other victims

SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung invited some 160 war veterans, decorated individuals, heroes and other guests to a luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. Among the attendees were the surviving families of those who lost their lives in a 2002 naval skirmish in the West Sea, as well as victims of North Korea's sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan in March 2010 and its shelling of Yeonpyeong Island several months later. During the luncheon which was held in commemor

June 27, 2025

Apple's EU fee cuts spotlight South Korea's unfulfilled promise to curb app store 'commission abuse'

SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - Electronics giant Apple's decision to slash app store fees in Europe is putting fresh pressure on South Korea's government to deliver on President Lee Jae Myung's campaign promise to tackle what critics call "commission abuse" by big tech platforms. The iPhone maker announced sweeping changes to its European app store policies on Thursday, cutting maximum commission rates from 30 percent to 15 percent and allowing developers to promote al

June 27, 2025

Musinsa'high-end concept store sees 60 percent surge in foreign customer sales in first half

SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - Foreign customer transactions at Musinsa Empty Seongsu, the high-end fashion concept store operated by South Korean fashion platform Musinsa, surged 61 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, the company announced on Friday. International visitors now account for approximately 56 percent of total offline sales at the Seongsu location, Seoul's iconic hipster district, highlighting the store as a must-visit fashion destinati

June 27, 2025

AI dispatch system helps food deliverymen avoid motor accidents: Study

SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - A study has found that an artificial intelligence-based logistics system developed by Woowa Youths, the logistics unit of food delivery giant Woowa Brothers, has significantly reduced motor accident rates among its delivery workers. The findings were presented this week at an international academic conference in Cyprus, the company said Friday. The research was unveiled on Wednesday at Statistical Challenges in E-Commerce Research (SCER 2025), a major global

June 27, 2025

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong awaits Supreme Court ruling on merger case next month

SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong will receive a Supreme Court ruling on Jul. 17 regarding charges related to the 2015 merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. Lee was acquitted of all 19 charges in an appeals court ruling in February, maintaining his innocence in a case that has lasted nearly five years since prosecutors first filed charges in September 2020. The case centers on the 2015 merger that combined Samsung C&T and Cheil I

June 27, 2025

Xiaomi to launch flagship smartphone in South Korea as it challenges Samsung on home turf

SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is to launch its flagship "Xiaomi 15" smartphone during the grand opening of its very first offline store Mi Store in South Korea on Saturday, as the Chinese elctronics giant takes a bold step into the notorious South Korean market often dubbed “graveyard of foreign smartphone brands” where Samsung maintains its strong grip, with Apple capturing the hearts of young consumers. Along with the flagship smartph

June 27, 2025

US Senate passes resolution commemorating Korean War anniversary

SEOUL, June 27 (AJP) - The U.S. on Thursday adopted a resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, reaffirming its alliance with South Korea. According to U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska, the Senate unanimously passed the resolution coinciding with the anniversary, which recognizes "important lessons from the war, particularly the imperative of maintaining military readiness in defense of the United States and its allies." The res

June 27, 2025