Seoul's indie game festival Beverocks opens ticket sales with Naver Webtoon onboard SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) -The largest indie game festival in the Seoul metropolitan area, Beverocks 2025, has begun early ticket sales, officially kicking off this year’s event. For the first time, the festival will feature games based on Naver Webtoon IPs and will host the experimental game showcase Out of Index as part of its expanded lineup. Smilegate Future Lab announced earlier this week that early-bird tickets for Beverocks 2025, set to run from December 5 to 7 at D October 15, 2025

Asian markets open mixed amid renewed tariff disputes between US and China SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Asian stock markets opened mixed on Wednesday, reflecting varied investor sentiment across the region. In Seoul, the benchmark KOSPI rose 39 points at around 3,601 in early trading, while the junior Kosdaq gained 5.2 points to open at 853.2. Japanese shares climbed even higher, with the Nikkei 225 jumping 599.4 points to 47,446.7, buoyed by strong buying in technology and manufacturing stocks. Not all Asian bourses joined the rally though. In China, t October 15, 2025

Kathakali performance opens 11th Sarang Festival in Seoul SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - The 11th edition of Sarang: The Festival of India in Korea opened on Tuesday evening with a dazzling Kathakali performance at Ewha Womans University's Samsung Hall in Seoul. Around 300 people from South Korea, India, and other countries filled the hall, their attention drawn to the vibrant rhythms and colorful movement unfolding on stage. The air was alive with music as the deep beat of drums, the clash of cymbals, and the resonant chan October 15, 2025

Signiel Busan named Asia's 'leading beach hotel' for second consecutive year SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Signiel Busan in South Korea's southern port city of Busan has been named Asia's "Leading Beach Hotel" for the second consecutive year, the luxury hotel said on Wednesday. The recognition came from the World Travel Awards, which has selected winners through votes cast by travel experts and industry professionals across more than 160 countries since 1993. Located near Haeundae Beach, the hotel is praised for its panoramic ocean views f October 15, 2025

Hyundai to face massive tariff costs if US maintains 25% rate on car exports SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor could face massive annual costs of more than 8 trillion won if the U.S. maintains a 25-percent tariff on exports of its vehicles, according to a report by NICE Credit Rating. The report estimated Hyundai's annual tariff burden at 8.4 trillion won if South Korea remains subject to a 25-percent rate, compared to 15 percent for the European Union and Japan. This would make Hyundai's costs the highest among major global automakers, surpa October 15, 2025

KOSPI loses early gains as Asian stocks retreat on trade war flare-up SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - South Korea’s record-setting morning session turned into broad selling by the close, as investors across Asia recoiled from a new chapter in the U.S.–China trade conflict. The benchmark KOSPI slipped 0.63 percent to 3,561.81, after hitting an intraday record high of 3,637.45 earlier in the day. The Kosdaq also dropped 1.46 percent to 847.96. Samsung Electronics, which spearheaded the morning rally on record-breaking third-quarter results, f October 14, 2025

Naver Webtoon steals NY Comic Con show with Disney and BOOM extended family SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Naver Webtoon can no longer be seen as an exotic newcomer from Korea after its standout showing at the 2025 New York Comic Con (NYCC), held at the Javits Center in New York City from Oct. 9 to 12. One of the largest pop culture conventions in the United States, NYCC celebrates comics, graphic novels, animation, film, and television, drawing more than 200,000 fans from around the world each year. Webtoon's presence this year embodied everything the October 14, 2025

From traditional to street, the K-food lineup rich for APEC summit SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - It remains unclear whether the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, will stage a face-to-face meeting between the U.S. and Chinese leaders later this month, but organizers have ensured a rich and diverse lineup of Korean food and cuisine. Food industry leaders Nongshim, CJ Cheiljedang, and Kyochon F&B have joined household names like Samsung Electronics as official corporate sponsors of the event. They are joined by younger franchises such as Okdongs October 14, 2025

Lee calls for urgent rescue of kidnapped South Koreans in Cambodia SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for using "all available resources" to bring South Korean nationals kidnapped in Cambodia home. During a cabinet meeting with key officials at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, Lee urged officials to "promptly mobilize all available resources to secure the safety of South Korean citizens in Cambodia." His remarks came after the recent revelation that a South Korean college student who October 14, 2025

Korean petrochemical players mull exit from ever-crowding money-losing market SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - South Korean petrochemical producers are opting to bow out of the China-dominant game as they struggle to stay afloat despite government-mandated streamlining and output controls. SKC and Kuwait's Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) are reportedly seeking a buyer for their combined stake in joint venture SK picglobal, as market woes from Chinese oversupply and Middle Eastern competition have spilled over from basic petrochemicals to downstream produc October 14, 2025