OPINION: How Korean semiconductor firms can navigate uncertainty amid U.S. tariff bombshells (This opinion article was contributed by Per Stenius, the founder and CEO of Finnish management consulting firm Reddal.) SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - With the recent tariff deal with the United States reducing the duty burden on South Korean exports to 15% from the initially envisioned 25%, President Lee Jae Myung celebrated the agreement as overcoming “a significant hurdle.” Various voices from the Bank of Korea to local analysts also praised the deal for reducing uncertaint August 9, 2025

S.Korea braces for torrential rains as powerful storm system targets flood-hit regions SEOUL, August 9 (AJP) - South Korea's southern provinces face another deluge this weekend as meteorologists warn of intense rainfall reaching 70mm per hour in coastal areas, threatening regions still reeling from recent flooding. The Korea Meteorological Administration said Saturday that thunderstorms packing strong winds would pummel the southern half of the peninsula through Sunday afternoon, with some areas expecting more than 200mm of precipitation. The heaviest downpours wi August 9, 2025

IVF without spousal consent sparks legal debate over parental rights SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - When South Korean actress Lee Si-young revealed last month that she was pregnant with her second child, using a frozen embryo created with her ex-husband and implanted after their divorce, it sparked a heated debate over the legal and ethical implications of in vitro fertilization (IVF). While the law has not apparently been violated in a technical sense, experts say, the ethical furor suggests that it is ambiguous and that some kind of amendment may be nec August 8, 2025

[K-Pop] Former VCHA members form new girl band, set to release single later this month SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - K-pop girl band GIRLSET, formerly of VCHA, will release an album later this month, their agency JYP Entertainment said on Friday. Their single, slated for release on Aug. 29, was created by American songwriter Theron Thomas, who previously worked on K-pop juggernaut BTS' member Jungkook's "Seven" and girl group BLACKPINK member Rosé's viral hit song "APT." The quartet consists of Camila, Kendall, Lexi, and Savanna, wh August 8, 2025

Joint exercise with US to be scaled down, with field training postponed SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - South Korea will conduct its annual joint defense exercise with the U.S. later this month, with half of some key field drills postponed until September due to this summer's unprecedented heat wave. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) here said Thursday that the exercise, dubbed Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), will kick off its 10-day run on Aug. 18, involving some 18,000 South Korean troops and a similar number of U.S. personnel. The exercise consists of compu August 8, 2025

Kolmar Korea posts record quarterly earnings on global K-beauty boom SEOUL, August 08 (AJP) - Cosmetics manufacturer Kolmar Korea posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue in the second quarter, fueled by the global proliferation of the K-beauty trend. The company reported consolidated revenue of 730.8 billion won (approximately $555 million) for the April–June period, a 10.7 percent increase from a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing on Friday. Operating profit rose 2.4 percent to 73.5 billion won ($55.8 million), with the oper August 8, 2025

OPINION: Next generation data centres set new standards for sustainability (This opinion article was contributed by Joe Kim, Senior Manager, Data Center Division, Cushman & Wakefield Korea) SEOUL, August 08 (AJP) - Achieving both operational efficiency and sustainability is becoming an increasingly critical challenge across the real estate sector. Data centers are no exception. Given their immense energy demands and dependence on stable power supply, the need for sustainable innovation is more urgent than ever. According to the International Energy August 8, 2025

South Korea posts record current account surplus of $14.27 billion in June SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - South Korea recorded its largest-ever monthly current account surplus in June, buoyed by resurgent semiconductor exports and a surge in dividend income from overseas investments, the Bank of Korea said Friday. The surplus reached $14.27 billion, the most since the central bank began compiling data, according to preliminary balance of payments figures for June. It marked the 26th consecutive month of a surplus, underscoring the resilience of the country’ August 8, 2025

Lee expected to meet Trump for first bilateral summit late this month SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is expected to sit down for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington later this month. According to government sources, Lee is likely to fly to Washington, D.C. on Aug. 24 for his first bilateral summit with Trump at the White House the following day. The upcoming summit will be Lee's first test in bilateral relations, marking his official debut on the international diplomatic stage, although he briefly participated August 8, 2025

North Korea 'embraces nascent mobile payment services' SEOUL, August 8 (AJP) - North Korea appears to have embraced nascent mobile payment and digital wallet services. More and more North Koreans are making payments using mobile phones, with cash transactions "becoming increasingly rare," the Choson Sinbo, a mouthpiece for Pyongyang in Japan, reported on Thursday. According to the daily published by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan or Chongryon, residents in Pyongyang are now able to use their mobile dev August 8, 2025