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  BLACKPINK's Jennie teases upcoming album with pre-release track SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - Jennie, a member of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, teased a track from her upcoming full-length solo album on Friday, ahead of its release this spring. "Love Hangover," a dance song featuring American singer-songwriter and rapper Dominic Fike, is part of tracks included in the album "Ruby," which is set for release on March 7. The song explores the inner conflict of trying to break free from someone who feels both toxic and healing, ca January 31, 2025
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  Two Korean-American teen skaters among victims of plane collision in US SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - Two Korean-American teen skaters were among the victims of an aircraft crash in the U.S. on Wednesday, according to local news reports. An American Airlines flight from Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, crashed into the Potomac River after colliding midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, which had three soldiers aboard while landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia. The nighttime midair collision took the l January 31, 2025
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  Samsung Electronics posts lower-than-expected Q4 profit SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics reported fourth-quarter operating profit of 6.49 trillion won ($4.87 billion), falling 15 percent short of market expectations as its key semiconductor business showed weaker-than-anticipated performance despite higher sales of premium memory chips. The world's largest memory chip maker posted revenue of 75.79 trillion won ($52.6 billion) in the fourth quarter, down 4 percent from the previous quarter. Its semiconductor division re January 31, 2025
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  Defense chiefs from South Korea, US reaffirm alliance in phone call SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - South Korea's Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho spoke with newly appointed U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the phone on Friday, according to the Ministry of Defense here. During their first phone call, Kim and Hegseth reaffirmed the "strong and unwavering alliance" between the two countries, emphasizing the importance of further strengthening and expanding the bilateral relations, which have served as a "linchpin" of peace January 31, 2025
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  Netflix to release final season of 'Squid Game' in June SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - Netflix's megahit South Korean series "Squid Game" will come to an end with its third and final season in June, the global streaming giant said on Thursday. Netflix teased the dystopian thriller's upcoming season with a promotional poster, hinting at new competitors entangled in another ruthless contest along with the show's main characters including the enigmatic "Front Man." Scheduled for release on June 27, the final se January 31, 2025
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  DeepSeek stuns AI industry, escalating US-China tech rivalry SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - A little-known Chinese startup has sent shockwaves through the global artificial intelligence industry, unveiling a model that rivals OpenAI’s ChatGPT in both performance and cost efficiency. The breakthrough by DeepSeek, a firm with just 180 employees, has been likened to the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, a moment that reshaped the geopolitical landscape by signaling Moscow’s early lead in the space race. On Jan. 27, DeepSeek&rsq January 31, 2025
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  Shockwaves from China's DeepSeek hit Korean chip stocks SEOUL, January 31 (AJP) - Shares of South Korea’s leading chipmakers, SK hynix and Samsung Electronics, tumbled Friday as investors reacted to mounting uncertainty in the artificial intelligence sector following the shockwaves from Chinese AI startup DeepSeek. SK hynix, a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for AI applications, plunged 9.86 percent to 199,200 won, while Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chipmaker, declined 2.42 percent. Hanm January 31, 2025
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  Over 70 percent of separated family members in South Korea die without reunion, government reports SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Over 70 percent of South Koreans who registered for family reunions have died without seeing their loved ones in North Korea, according to government data released Thursday. The Ministry of Unification reported that 97,350 registered separated family members had passed away by the end of last year. Over the past year, 2,959 more passed away, leaving only 36,941 survivors. Of the 134,291 individuals who applied for family reunions, around 72 percent hav January 30, 2025
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  K-pop band aespa kicks off world tour in Seattle SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - K-pop sensation aespa kicked off their world tour in North America and Europe with their concert in Seattle. The four-member band began their tour "2024-25 aespa LIVE TOUR - SYNK: PARALLEL LINE" on Tuesday at the Accesso ShoWare Center in Seattle. Despite opening additional restricted-view seats, all tickets were sold out. The girl band showcased hit songs from the past year, including "Supernova," "Armageddon," and "Wh January 30, 2025
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  South Korea surpasses Japan in number of Starbucks stores SEOUL, January 30 (AJP) - Despite a population less than half the size of Japan's, South Korea now has more Starbucks locations than its neighbor for the first time. According to Starbucks' global website on Thursday, South Korea had 2,009 Starbucks stores as of the end of last year, surpassing Japan by 18 locations. Although South Korea has a population of 52 million compared to Japan’s 125 million, it now ranks third globally in Starbucks store count, behind only t January 30, 2025