INTERVIEW: Korean biz at home and abroad must unite to leverage and lengthen K-power:OKTA chair SEOUL, November 05 (AJP) -An economic bloc representing 50 million South Koreans and 7.5 million ethnic Koreans overseas — built on a self-sustaining trade and supply-chain network that links the manufacturing base at home with capital and distribution capabilities abroad — is the vision of the World Federation of Overseas Korean Economic and Trade Association (World-OKTA), its chair said. Korean entrepreneurs at home and abroad have risen to global prominence and mu November 5, 2025

North Korea likely to pursue talks with US early next year, spy agency speculates SEOUL, November 5 (AJP) - North Korea will likely respond to U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated overtures after all, South Korea's spy agency believes. According to lawmakers who were briefed in a closed-door parliamentary audit at the National Intelligence Service (NIS)'s headquarters in southern Seoul on Tuesday, Pyongyang is expected to "pursue dialogue" with Washington sometime in March next year when South Korea conducts its annual joint military exerc November 5, 2025

South Korean, Japanese firms consider joint venture for next-generation chip materials SEOUL, November 05 (AJP) - Samsung Electro-Mechanics said on Wednesday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical Group to explore establishing a joint venture for producing glass cores, a key component in next-generation semiconductor packages. The agreement comes as they are seeking to strengthen their foothold in the fast-evolving semiconductor packaging industry, where new materials are increasingly critical to supporting artificial November 5, 2025

South Korea's stock market rides early wave of AI-driven supercycle SEOUL, November 05 (AJP) - South Korea’s stock market appears to be entering the early stages of what analysts are calling an artificial intelligence–driven “supercycle,” as investors pour into semiconductor, robotics, and infrastructure shares amid growing optimism about the country’s role in the global AI boom. The rally gained momentum following recent international events such as the APEC summit and Nvidia’s AI conference, both of which un November 5, 2025

Viral K-beauty powered by rich foundation palette for every skin tone SEOUL, November 04 (AJP) - “You guys have no idea how happy I am right now — it’s literally perfect. I can finally use their cushion foundation,” said @MissDarcei, a beauty influencer with more than 800,000 YouTube followers. Her excitement reflects a growing wave of international consumers who say Korean cushion foundations now work just as well on darker skin tones as they do on lighter ones. The secret behind the viral rise of K-beauty lies in its fast-e November 4, 2025

South Korea, U.S. reaffirm support for nuclear submarine plan SEOUL, November 04 (AJP) - Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed plans to move ahead with South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine program and other key alliance issues during the 57th Security Consultative Meeting held Tuesday at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan. The two discussed follow-up measures from last month's summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump in Gyeongju, where Trump approved November 4, 2025

Unification Ministry undergoes organizational revamp to restore inter-Korean relations SEOUL, November 4 (AJP) - In its latest organizational overhaul, the Ministry of Unification revived its office handling inter-Korean dialogue while abolishing the one responsible for addressing North Korea's human rights violations and related issues. The ministry said on Tuesday the newly streamlined structure for its affiliated agencies took effect at midnight, after going through relevant legislative procedures. The office, abolished two years ago under disgraced former P November 4, 2025

Four out of ten Korean tech workers eye work abroad as firms vie to keep them home SEOUL, November 04 (AJP) - Four out of ten South Koreans employed in science and engineering say they want to work abroad in pursuit of higher compensation and better social recognition, underscoring the talent pressures Korean companies face as global competition intensifies in AI and IT. A recent Bank of Korea study found that 42.9 percent of salaried STEM-degree holders are considering relocating overseas within the next three years, and the share rises to about 70 percent amo November 4, 2025

INTERVIEW: UAE, Korea deepening hydrogen and CCS partnership as they look beyond nuclear SEOUL, November 04 (AJP) - The governments of the United Arab Emirates and South Korea are engaged in "high-level discussions" on joint hydrogen production and hydrogen logistics for future transportation and supply, according to a senior UAE energy official. His Excellency Eng Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI), said hydrogen will play a central role in both countries' lon November 4, 2025

Asian markets retreat as regional winners KOSPI and Nikkei give way to profit-taking SEOUL, November 04 (AJP) - Asian stocks fell across the board Tuesday as profit-taking swept through the region, with South Korea’s KOSPI posting the steepest loss among major Asian benchmarks and Japan’s Nikkei 225 also tumbling sharply. South Korea’s KOSPI slid 2.37 percent to close at 4,121.74, wiping out the previous day’s gains. Foreign investors dumped 2.2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) worth of shares, joined by institutional investors who offloaded 498 November 4, 2025