Trump threatens to raise tariffs back to 25%, blaming Seoul for delaying tariff deal SEOUL, January 27 (AJP) -U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he is raising tariffs on a wide range of South Korean goods from 15 percent to 25 percent, citing delays in South Korea’s National Assembly approving a bilateral trade agreement reached last year. “Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative, I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS January 27, 2026

Regulator blocks merger plan for Korea's leading car rental firms, citing monopoly risks SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has blocked a proposed merger between Lotte Rental and SK Rent-a-Car, the country’s largest and second-largest rental-car operators, citing concerns that the deal would weaken competition and lead to higher prices. The commission said on Monday it had issued such an order on a filing by private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners to acquire a 63.5 percent stake in Lotte Rental. Affinity acquired January 26, 2026

A star rising quietly from the K-pop margins with soothing voice -Hanroro SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) – While the global spotlight is fixed on BTS’s long-awaited comeback and K-pop’s high-profile Grammy ambitions, a very different ascent is unfolding on Korea’s domestic charts — quieter, slower, but no less decisive. Hanroro, an indie singer-songwriter once known mainly through word of mouth, has emerged as one of the most talked-about new voices of the year. Often described as a “Gen Z rock star,” she has climbed s January 26, 2026

Lunar New Year's preparation slightly eases from last year SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - The cost of preparing an ancestral table at traditional markets ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday has been surveyed at 296,500 won(about 205 dollars), slightly lower than last year. According to a survey conducted by Korea Price Information (KPI), a specialized price research agency, on Jan. 25, the cost for a four-person family declined 1.98% year-on-year at traditional markets. Large discount stores also saw a 0.64% drop to 406,880 won(about 282 dolla January 26, 2026

KOSDAQ steals the day in subdued Asian markets SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - Korea’s secondary KOSDAQ stole the spotlight Monday, surging more than 7 percent as most Asian equities retreated, in a striking display of risk appetite concentrated in higher-beta names. The tech-heavy index jumped 7.09 percent — its biggest daily gain in more than two years — to close at 1,064.4 and return to 1,000-mark in four years. The sharp advance triggered a temporary trading halt under the sidecar mechanism at 9:59 a.m., a January 26, 2026

Kazakhstan president proposes vice presidency and unicameral parliament in major reform push SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced a major overhaul of the national government on January 20, proposing the creation of a vice presidency and a transition to a single-chamber legislature. Speaking at the National Kurultai in Kyzylorda, the president outlined a series of constitutional amendments intended to modernize the state system. The proposal includes the establishment of a Vice President who would represent South Korea's neighbor on the i January 26, 2026

Team Korea in Canada under watch as Korea's defense manufacturing moves to global center SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) -As countries accelerate rearmament amid a more inward-looking U.S. security posture, South Korea’s defense manufacturing capacity has moved to the center of global procurement — a shift underscored by Seoul’s decision to dispatch a high-level delegation to Canada to back a $44 billion submarine bid. Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik departed for Canada on Monday, leading a delegation that includes Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and January 26, 2026

Hongcheon ice fishing festival ends with a splash SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) -The arctic cold snap did not spoil the fun at the 2026 Hongcheon Kkongkkong Ice Fishing Festival, which drew about 270,000 visitors to the Hongcheon River area and injected fresh vitality into the local economy. Despite the severe weather, food stalls and sales of local agricultural products reached record highs. The festival earned positive reviews for enhancing its quality as Hongcheon’s signature winter tourism attraction by combining a wide range January 26, 2026

In icy Seoul, the Han River slows to a hush SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) -Under the grip of Arctic air, sections of Seoul’s great waterway have begun to harden — ice floes drifting in silence, icicles clinging to embankments where the river meets the city. What is usually a moving ribbon of steel-gray water now carries the weight of winter, visible and unmistakable. A severe cold wave continues to blanket South Korea as northerly winds sweep down the peninsula, driving temperatures sharply lower and pushing wind January 26, 2026

AI servers shift toward memory as Samsung moves first with HBM4 rollout SEOUL, January 26 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has bolted out in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) race as it readies to roll out sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory, HBM4, next month bound for U.S.-based fabless chip leaders Nvidia and AMD. The Korean tech giant has completed final qualification processes with major AI accelerator customers, clearing the transition from sampling to mass production ahead of next-generation chip launches expected later this year. Industry source January 26, 2026