Glass ceiling still persists for women in public-sector jobs SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - Many women, particularly those in state-run and public-sector jobs, still struggle to climb the career ladder due to a persistent glass ceiling in South Korean society. According to data from the Ministry of Personnel Management submitted to lawmaker Kwang Hyang-yeop of the ruling Democratic Party, women accounted for only 12.9 percent of high-level government posts, with just 201 among 1,554 senior officials, as of December last year. Gender disparity October 2, 2025

INTERVIEW: South Korean start-up bets on AI to transform learning Long before the recent surge in artificial intelligence triggered by OpenAI in 2023, Ellis Group had been quietly embedding AI tools into education. Founded a decade ago by a team of researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the company now counts more than 9,500 institutions and 2.75 million users on its AI education platform, EllisLXP. The Seoul-based firm has become a leader in South Korea’s AI education sector, providing software for u October 2, 2025

South Korea's inflation rises back above 2 percent in September SEOUL, October 02 (AJP) - Consumer prices in South Korea rose 2.1 percent in September from a year earlier, returning to the 2 percent range after two months of slower growth, according to government data released on Thursday. The uptick was driven largely by higher costs for processed foods and livestock products, the National Data Office said. The consumer price index climbed to 117.06, rebounding from a 1.7 percent increase in August, when a temporary reduction in telecom fee October 2, 2025

S. Korea must race to grab US-bound talents for leap in AI race: IFEZ czar SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Brain power defines the AI era, and the possibility of a brain drain in Silicon Valley from the U.S. imposition of hefty fees on skilled-worker visas offers an "enormous" opportunity for South Korea, said the nation’s foreign direct investment (FDI) czar. "This is a windfall, and we must move fast in hosting roadshows to draw global brains here," said Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Commissioner Yun Won-sok in an exclusive inte October 2, 2025

Chipmaking Team Korea joins OpenAI's $500 Billion AI initiative SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s chipmaking giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have signed a preliminary agreement with OpenAI to join the $500 billion “Stargate” initiative aimed at proliferating next-generation AI data centers worldwide. Under the letter of intent, Samsung and SK hynix are prepared to commit as much as 8 trillion won ($6 billion) a month to the project, which is co-led by SoftBank and Oracle. The partnership extends beyond memory October 1, 2025

Malaysia targets 47 million visitors in 2026 tourism push KUALA LUMPUR, October 01 (AJP) - Malaysia unveiled an ambitious target to draw 47 million international visitors in 2026 at the opening of Global Travel Meet 2025, a three-day summit focused on sustainable tourism development and industry partnerships. The event, running from Oct. 1 to 3 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, seeks to bolster Malaysia's standing as a premier travel destination while building momentum for Visit Malaysia 2026, the country's major tourism camp October 1, 2025

Korean retailers double down on SE Asian foray amid weak demand at home SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - Faced with lengthy depression in domestic demand at home, Korean retailers have been aggressive in their outreach and expansion in the Asian market, riding on the popularity of Korean contents and food. Pivot Asia has become the common strategy for Korean retailers spanning from fashion houses to convenience stores. Lotte Shopping is accelerating its overseas business with 'Lotte Mall Westlake Hanoi', based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since opening two y October 1, 2025

Concert for Peace 2025 brings global musicians together in Seoul SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - The Concert for Peace 2025 took place on September 30 at Youngsan Art Hall in Seoul, with musicians from several countries performing together to highlight the role of culture in building dialogue. This was the third edition of the series, which began in Hiroshima and Osaka, and has become a platform for showing how music can cross borders and speak to shared human values. At the heart of the event was the Child Citizen Orchestra, founded i October 1, 2025

Hotels in flurry of preparations ahead of APEC summit in Gyeongju SEOUL, October 1 (AJP) - As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea comes just around the corner, accommodation arrangements for leaders and heads of state have become a point of contention. With both U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to attend, the historic city of Gyeongju is drawing attention as it prepares to host the multilateral gathering from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. Recently, Hotel Shilla asked customers to cancel r October 1, 2025

Samsung Elec's watershed tri-fold display to share APEC spotlight SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will seize the global stage of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea to unveil the world’s first tri-fold smartphone. Tentatively named the Galaxy G Fold, the device features a 9.96-inch infolding display, up to 16 gigabytes of RAM, and as much as 1 terabyte of storage, according to market sources. It runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and comes with a 200-megapixel main camera, along October 1, 2025