K-steel strains to stay afloat amid prolonged slump and gov't relief Editor's Note: This is the third installment in AJP's 2026 outlook series on South Korea's key industries, based on forecasts by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) -Stagnation is set to extend into 2026 for Korean steelmakers as demand remains sluggish and global markets stay flooded with low-priced Chinese exports — a downturn severe enough to draw legal protection for the industry. According to data compiled by the KCC December 18, 2025

Constitutional Court upholds impeachment of police chief over martial law involvement SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - The Constitutional Court of Korea on Thursday unanimously upheld the impeachment of police chief Cho Ji-ho over his involvement in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law martial law debacle last year. With the verdict, the commissioner general of the National Police Agency was immediately stripped of his post. The decision comes nearly a year after the National Assembly voted to impeach him for allegedly blocking lawmakers from enteri December 18, 2025

South Korea's Daesang to buy German amino-acid maker for $36 million SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - South Korea's Daesang Corp. said on Thursday it will enter the pharmaceutical biotechnology sector through the acquisition of AMINO GmbH, a German company specializing in pharmaceutical-grade amino acids. In a regulatory filing, Daesang said it will acquire a 100 percent stake in AMINO for about 50.2 billion won ($36 million). The company said it is in the process of securing the necessary regulatory approvals and aims to complete the transaction b December 18, 2025

Pro-Pyongyang paper slams Washington for omitting North Korea from US security policy SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - What is most "notable" in the U.S.' National Security Strategy (NSS) released early this month is that it does not mention North Korea at all, said a pro-North Korea newspaper in Japan. In a column published on Thursday, Choson Sinbo, a mouthpiece for Pyongyang run by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan or Chongryon said failing to mention North Korea would amount to the U.S. admitting the "complete failure" of it December 18, 2025

South Korean government backs Korea Zinc's US smelter plan SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - The South Korean government has given a positive assessment of Korea Zinc's plan to invest in a smelter in the United States, raising expectations that key procedures such as permits and financing could move more quickly. The investment is also expected to strengthen Korea Zinc’s global footprint and deliver tangible progress in South Korea–U.S. cooperation on critical minerals, the government said. Industry Minister Kim Jeong-gwan t December 18, 2025

Foreign jobs hit record high in South Korea, exceeding 1.1 million SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Foreign employment in South Korea has exceeded 1.1 million for the first time, driven by a sharp increase in international students and nonprofessional workers, government data showed on Thursday. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ 2025 survey on foreign employment, the resident foreign population stood at 1.692 million this year, up 132,000, or 8.4 percent, from a year earlier. The rate of working foreign residents rose 1.4 percentage points December 18, 2025

OPINION: Oscar Night in 2030 - except that it won't end in one night On a spring evening in 2030, few people will reach for a television remote. They will tap the YouTube icon on the living-room screen instead. The Oscars will not appear on a numbered channel, but at the top of an algorithmic feed, marked simply: "Live now". The ceremony will begin—and almost immediately, it will splinter. Acceptance speeches will circulate as concise summaries. The red carpet will resurface as tagged video clips. Jokes will dissolve into meme December 18, 2025

Tottenham bids another emotional farewell to Son in documentary SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) -Tottenham Hotspur has released “Heung-Min Son: Homecoming,” a documentary capturing the final chapter of the South Korean star’s decade-long journey at the club, following his emotional return to North London in December. The film premiered this week on Tottenham’s official streaming platform and documents Son’s long-awaited farewell at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the Dec. 9 Champions League match against Slavia Prague. No December 18, 2025

Hyundai Motor Group conducts executive reshuffle, naming 4 new presidents SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group on Thursday carried out its regular executive reshuffle, promoting four senior executives to the rank of president. Manfred Harrer was promoted to president and continues to serve as head of the research and development divisions at Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp. Born in 1972, Harrer holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Munich University of Applied Sciences and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the U December 18, 2025

Seoul eases a set of FX liquidity rules to prop up the won SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) -The South Korean government has decided to broadly ease foreign-exchange stability rules for banks, exporters and foreign investors to improve FX supply and demand conditions in latest efforts to prop up the won hovering stubbornly at crisis-era levels without direct market intervention. The move was decided during another emergency meeting among the heads of the finance ministry, financial regulator, and the central bank Thursday morning after December 18, 2025