KOSPI closes higher on LGES battery deal while Chinese and Japanese markets stay flat SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - The South Korean stock market saw gains on Monday, while other major Asian markets including Japan and China, remained flat. South Korea's benchmark KOSPI rose 1.3 percent to close at 4,154.85, while the junior KOSDAQ edged up 0.3 percent to finish at 927.79. Memory chip giant Samsung Electronics gained 0.9 percent, closing at 109,400 won (US$75), and rival SK hynix rose 5.2 percent to 573,000 won. LG Energy Solution, the third-largest company in ter December 8, 2025

KAIST researchers develop water spray purifier capable of removing dust without filters SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - A research team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on December 8 that developers had created a novel air purification technology capable of removing 99.9% of fine dust without the use of filters, mechanical pumps, or noise, while emitting zero ozone. The research team, led by Department of Materials Science and Engineering Professor Kim Il-Doo and Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Lee Seung-Seop, succ December 8, 2025

Korean big-box retailers shrink under decade-old regulations SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest hypermarket chains are steadily losing ground as long-standing regulatory constraints undermine their competitiveness while e-commerce and less-regulated rivals expand, industry data show. The total number of outlets operated by major chains — including E-Mart, Lotte Mart and Homeplus — fell 7.5 percent to 392 this year from 424 in 2017. E-Mart reduced its store count from 159 to 157, Lotte Mart from 123 to December 8, 2025

PHOTOS: Yeongjong tidal flats busy with oyster harvesting SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - December 8, 2025

PHOTOS: Strolling through Jeju's Yakcheonsa temple SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Yakcheonsa Temple gets its name from a spring that flows from spring to fall and a pond with medicinal water that runs year-round. The temple boasts the largest dharma hall in East Asia. Currently, it is beloved for its extensive temple grounds walks and temple stay programs. December 8, 2025

Rise in vaping keeps smoking rate from declining further, survey finds SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - Although conventional cigarette smoking has decreasing, the rising use of e-cigarettes means that overall tobacco consumption is not declining as much as it could be, a new survey suggests. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency surveyed 230,000 adults between May and July and released its findings on Monday. According to the survey, the smoking rate for traditional cigarettes dropped to 17.9 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous December 8, 2025

As U.S. and China drop denuclearization language, Seoul downplays shift SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - The United States and China have both subtly or explicitly backed away from the long-held principle of "complete denuclearization" of North Korea, yet Seoul appears largely unconcerned — a stance that is raising alarms among security watchers. Analysts say the shift is not abrupt but rather an unmistakable acknowledgment of a transformed strategic landscape. North Korea is now a constitutionally protected nuclear-armed state; the Unite December 8, 2025

Half of Korea's AI startups fail within three years, report shows SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Nearly half of South Korean artificial intelligence startups fail to survive beyond three years, underscoring structural weaknesses in funding and commercialization, according to a report released on Monday by the Korea Industrial Technology Association. The association said the three-year survival rate of AI startups stood at 56.2 percent as of the end of 2023, well below the 72.7 percent survival rate of general AI companies and the 68.8 perc December 8, 2025

Comedienne Park Na-rae suspends activities amid mounting allegations SEOUL, December 8 (AJP) - A slew of allegations from verbal abuse and tantrums to illegal medical practices that emerged last week has led comedienne Park Na-rae to suspend all activities. In a message posted on social media on Monday, Park said, "I have decided to stop all activities until everything is resolved," adding, "I cannot continue to burden my colleagues on the programs ." In response, the shows and programs she had regul December 8, 2025

Korean big techs toughen data-protection systems, Coupang faces lawsuits in U.S. and at home SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Major South Korean digital-tech companies are scrambling to revisit their data-protection posture and reinforce security protocols after Coupang's colossal data breach put the personal information of more than 30 million shoppers at risk, triggering tougher regulatory scrutiny and a wave of litigations. The incident has laid bare the vulnerability of Koreans' private data in a society where virtually every aspect of daily life — banking, shop December 8, 2025