C-democracy, or political participation through wagering, sprouts in polarized Korea SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - "C-democracy" — where wagering meets political motive — is emerging in South Korea, as bets on former president Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment odds illustrate how fandom-driven political participation is evolving into fortified camps amid deepening polarization, a media scholar said at a forum in Seoul. "The fandom-engaged, interest-based model of democracy is shifting into a fortress-centered one — a fragmented, hybr December 2, 2025

More subway workers threaten strike SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - More subway workers are expected to go on strike next week if their demands for increased staffing are not met. The Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU), which operates Line 9, separately from Seoul Metro (which manages Lines 1 through 8), held a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday, threatening a potential partial strike on Dec. 11. The action would maintain train schedules but involve operational slowdowns such as delayed door c December 2, 2025

PHOTOS: Korea's year-end tradition of sharing warmth through kimchi SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - As the calendar year draws to a close, a heartwarming tradition is unfolding across South Korea: mass kimchi-making events, known locally as gimjang. The time-honored custom sees communities, volunteers, and local organizations gather to prepare large quantities of the fermented cabbage. While gimjang is traditionally a family affair, these widespread annual events focus on collecting and distributing the kimchi to those in need — particularly the December 2, 2025

South Korea's daily inflation nears 3% in November on steep won weakening SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - South Korea’s inflationary pressure strengthened in November, with daily living costs hovering near 3 percent as a sharply weaker won pushed up fuel and import prices while discouraging overseas travel and spending, government data showed Tuesday. According to the consumer price index (CPI) released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, headline inflation rose 2.4 percent from a year earlier, matching October’s on-year gain. Fuel prices December 2, 2025

INTERVIEW: KEAD chief aims to expand job opportunities for disabled in emerging industries SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - Dec. 3 marks the UN's International Day of Persons with Disabilities, highlighting the importance of employment opportunities for the disabled amid rapid changes in the labor market. The Korea Employment Agency for Persons with Disabilities (KEAD) is at the forefront of this effort. Lee Jong-seong, KEAD's head, is focused on creating jobs for the disabled. "The expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital industries is reshaping th December 2, 2025

KAI strengthens space portfolio with new satellite launch SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said Tuesday the country's new multipurpose satellite was successfully launched at 2:21 a.m. local time from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana aboard a VEGA-C rocket. KAI played a key role in the mission, jointly developing and assembling the satellite with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Officials said the launch significantly strengthens South Korea’s precision earth-observation capa December 2, 2025

South Korea holds world's first contest to counter AI hacking SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - South Korea has wrapped up the world’s first AI Hacking Defense Contest (ACDC), an event designed to test emerging cybersecurity threats and defense techniques in the era of artificial intelligence. The competition was hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) in partnership with the Korea Information Security Industry Association (KISIA). The contest examined three major domains December 2, 2025

Four injured in explosion during military training in Paju SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - Four people were injured in an explosion at an army training site in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday. The accident occurred during anti-aircraft shooting drills when a 30-mm shell became stuck in a launcher. According to military authorities, the injured included three non-commissioned officers and one civilian employee. They were airlifted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in the province with injuries such as shoulder wounds and tinnitus, bu December 2, 2025

BLACKPINK's Jennie sets new milestone with four RIAA certifications SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's member Jennie has earned another "gold" certification for a song from her first full-length solo-debut album. According to the U.S. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s latest list released this week, "ExtraL" from her album "Ruby" received the honor. This brings Jennie's RIAA certifications to four, the most among K-pop solo artists, including three tracks from &quo December 2, 2025

Korea's only commercial small-satellite platform firm targets global growth with planned IPO SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Nara Space Technology, South Korea’s only commercial provider of small-satellite platforms, is preparing to list on the KOSDAQ market as it seeks to scale its global business on the back of growing demand for earth-observation data. At a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday, CEO Park Jae-pil said the company aims to become a world-class small-satellite developer, leveraging the “space heritage” it has accumulated through successful laun December 2, 2025