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  Trump may soften stance on North Korea's denuclearization, spy agency speculates SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to pursue dialogue with North Korea and may opt for a "small deal" with its leader Kim Jong-un over the renegade country's nuclear weapons program, South Korea's spy agency said on Monday. The assessment was made during a closed-door briefing to lawmakers by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), just a week before Trump is set to take the oath of office in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20. January 13, 2025
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  Foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan hold talks ahead of Trump's inauguration SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan held talks in Seoul on Monday and agreed to maintain stable diplomatic relations between the two countries amid political uncertainty after President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle last month. It was South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul's first meeting with his Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya, after the two talked over the phone in October last year when Iwaya was appointed as January 13, 2025
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  SM Entertainment's new girl group set for debut next month SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Rookie girl band Hearts2Hearts will make their debut next month. SM Entertainment said on Monday that the eight members of its new girl band are preparing for their debut on Feb. 24. They will become the talent mill's first girl group in about five years, following the debut of aespa in 2020. The announcement came just a day after SM unexpectedly unveiled a teaser video for the group during their 30th anniversary concert, "SMTOWN LIVE 2025," h January 13, 2025
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  BOK's post-martial law liquidity supply outpaces pandemic measures SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea (BOK) injected 47.6 trillion won ($32.3 billion) in repurchase agreements (RPs) last December, a liquidity infusion surpassing its total pandemic-era support. RPs, the central bank’s monetary policy toolkit, are used to supply short-term liquidity to financial institutions by purchasing bonds with agreements to resell them at a later date. This intervention in December brought the BOK’s RP purchases for 2024 to an unpreced January 13, 2025
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  Korean firms ramp up US investments amid policy uncertainty SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Major South Korean companies are committing to substantial investments in the United States, signaling strategic moves to align with shifting trade and economic policies under a second Trump administration. On Nov. 13, CJ Group broke ground on a $540 million Asian food manufacturing plant in South Dakota, a day after Governor Kristi Noem was tapped as the nominee for homeland security secretary by President-elect Donald Trump. SPC Group followed suit o January 13, 2025
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  Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi blockbuster set for world premiere at Berlinale SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho's new Hollywood film will have its world premiere at this year's Berlin International Film Festival. Slated for release here on Feb. 28, "Mickey 17" has been invited for screening at the festival, which kicks off its 10-day run on Feb. 13. This marks Bong's return to the festival after more than a decade, since his previous post-apocalyptic thriller "Snowpiercer," starring Hollywood star January 13, 2025
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  Soaring interest margins lead to big rewards for employees at Korean banks SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - South Korea's major banks are set to increase wages and performance bonuses for their employees, despite facing economic headwinds and mounting public criticism over their profitability. The five largest banks – Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori, and Nonghyup – have agreed to raise base salaries by 2.8 percent, up from 2 percent in 2024, according to banking industry sources on Monday. Shinhan and Hana banks have allocated performance bonuses January 13, 2025
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  Dining costs in South Korea rise for third consecutive year SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Dining costs in South Korea soared for the third straight year in 2024, climbing 3.1 percent according to data released Monday by Statistics Korea. This marked a significant jump above the overall consumer price index, which rose 2.3 percent. The price index for dining reached 121.01, with cafeteria prices experiencing the sharpest increase at 6.9 percent – the highest since records began in 2001. Popular menu items saw substantial price hikes. January 13, 2025
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  Annual ice fishing festival kicks off in Hwacheon SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - The annual Sancheoneo Ice Festival, one of the biggest winter festivals in South Korea kicked off in Hwacheon, Gangwon Province last Saturday. The small town, surrounded by mountains and with a population of just 23,000, transforms into a winter wonderland at this time of year, drawing over 1 million visitors including foreign tourists every year. Visitors can enjoy ice fishing to catch trout through holes about 15 cm in diameter along a 2-km-long stretch of icy s January 13, 2025
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  Ukraine proposes swap of North Korean captives for Ukrainian POWs held in Russia SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) - Kyiv is willing to return captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday. In a post on X, he said he is ready to ready to hand them over to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia." His offer came just a day after he revealed that Ukrainian f January 13, 2025