Lee, Trump will strengthen shipbuilding cooperation under 'MASGA' initiative SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump and on Monday (local time) pledged to expand cooperation in shipbuilding, with Trump endorsing a sweeping South Korean proposal aimed at reviving America’s long-declining industry. At their first summit meeting at the White House, Trump voiced support for what Seoul has branded the “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” initiative, or MASGA — a $150 billion August 26, 2025

[K-Pop] Multinational units of K-pop girl group BlingOne meet fans in Seoul SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BlingOne, which has no South Korean members at all, held a fan event in Seoul on Monday as its Chinese and Peruvian unit members came together. Formed through the World K-Pop Center's global audition project "Click the Star," which aims to discover and nurture aspiring K-pop stars from 32 countries across the world, BlingOne began their journey with three Peruvian members in June last year and six Chinese members in February th August 26, 2025

PHOTOS: President Lee's first summit with Trump SEOUL, August 26 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump held their first summit on Aug. 25 (local time) at the White House, discussing a range of issues including North Korea and bilateral economic cooperation. During the meeting, President Lee requested that Trump visit South Korea during the APEC summit in Gyeongju and meet with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. In response, Trump indicated he would be willing to meet with Kim this year, if a meeting August 26, 2025

Hearing scheduled later this week to decide former PM's arrest SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is scheduled to face a hearing later this week that will determine his arrest over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law debacle last year. The Seoul Central District Court said on Monday that the hearing is set for Wednesday, following independent prosecutors' request for Han's arrest as part of their investigation into the debacle, after several rounds of questioning August 25, 2025

Beijing urges Seoul to pursue 'strategic autonomy' to improve bilateral ties SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - South Korea needs "strategic autonomy" to achieve "steady, sustained progress" in its relations with Beijing, a state-run Chinese newspaper said Monday. In an op-ed by Global Times, a sister newspaper of the official People's Daily, the English-language daily said, "Only with strategical autonomy could South Korea earn the genuine respect of the international community, including China, and be able to navigate a complex, August 25, 2025

[K-Tech] Samsung-Johns Hopkins team honored for breakthrough in cooling technology SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics said Sunday that a joint project with Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory has been recognized among the world’s top 100 innovations at this year’s R&D 100 Awards, an annual competition that highlights advances in science and engineering. The joint research centers on “next-generation Peltier cooling technology,” a method that uses electricity rather than chemical refrigerants to regula August 25, 2025

LocknLock sets up subsidiary in India SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - LocknLock, the South Korean lifestyle products maker best known for its food storage containers and tumblers, said Monday it has established a subsidiary in India, part of its broader effort to deepen its reach in emerging markets. The Mumbai-based unit will focus on developing products tailored to Indian consumers, including a localized version of the company’s Metro tumbler line, which is marketed on its use of safe materials and minimalist design. August 25, 2025

Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 9 defies slump in global EV sales SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor’s latest electric sport utility vehicle, the Ioniq 9, has sold nearly 15,000 units worldwide in the six months since its debut, the company said Monday. The large SUV, a centerpiece of Hyundai Motor Group’s collaboration with battery maker SK On, recorded 14,391 sales across domestic and international markets through July, the company said. The vehicle was first released in South Korea in February. The performance stands out agai August 25, 2025

[K-Tech] SK hynix begins mass production of next-generation NAND chip with 321 layers SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - SK hynix said Monday it has started mass production of a 321-layer NAND flash memory chip, a development the company described as a world first in quad-level cell, or QLC, technology. NAND flash, a type of non-volatile memory that retains data even without power, is a critical component in solid-state drives and data centers. QLC technology, which stores four bits of information in a single cell, allows for greater density but typically comes with trade-of August 25, 2025

K-pop anime's sing-along screenings draw large crowds in US SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - Special two-day screenings of Netflix's South Korean anime "KPop Demon Hunters" attracted a horde of K-pop fans and other moviegoers in the U.S. over the weekend. To capitalize on the seemingly unstoppable popularity of the animation, the American streaming giant offered sing-along screenings at more than 1,700 theaters across North America, many of which sold out as soon as tickets became available. The limited-time screenings allowed audie August 25, 2025