Actress Kim Sae-ron laid to rest

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Actress Kim Sae-ron was buried in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Wednesday. The 24-year-old, best known for her role in the 2010 hit action thriller "The Man from Nowhere," shocked the nation when she was found dead of apparent suicide at her home in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul last Sunday. Police said there is no suspicion of foul play, although no suicide note was found. Earlier in the morning, the young actress' private funeral was held

February 19, 2025

PHOTOS: Wildlife at Gangneung's Namdaecheon Stream

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Namdaecheon Stream in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, a haven for wildlife, becomes a battleground in winter. As food grows scarce, a fierce struggle for survival unfolds among the animals that gather there.

February 19, 2025

PHOTOS: Seoul store turns instant noodles into tourist attraction

SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - Near Hongik University in Seoul, there's a unique convenience store. You can find a special convenience store that resembles a library bookshelf filled with countless books, but filled with instant noodles instead. This store, called the “Ramyun Library,” offers visitors a new experience that can be enjoyed not only with their eyes but also with their tongue and nose. The “Ramyun Library,” which opened its first store in Decem

February 19, 2025

SK Telecom replaces ChatGPT with in-house AI for call summaries

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - SK Telecom announced Wednesday it has fully transitioned to its in-house developed A.X artificial intelligence model for call summarization features, completely replacing external models like ChatGPT. "By using our in-house AI model for the call summary service, which handles up to 50 million uses daily, we have significantly reduced API costs previously paid to overseas AI model developers like OpenAI," said Kim Tae-yoon, SK Telecom's vice

February 19, 2025

PHOTOS: 'A Room of Quiet Contemplation' at National Museum of Korea

SEOUL, February 18 (AJP) - The Room of Quiet Contemplation on the second floor of the National Museum of Korea is always filled with visitors. This space houses two Gilt-bronze Pensive Bodhisattva statues, designated as National Treasures, from the late 6th to early 7th century, displayed side by side. As you walk through the dimly lit and silent corridor, you come face to face with the serene figure of a Pensive Bodhisattva, seated with one leg crossed over the other, gently resting one hand on

February 19, 2025

Trump reaffirms 25 percent tariffs; South Korea to support affected firms with trade finance package

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed Wednesday that his administration would impose tariffs of approximately 25 percent on imported automobiles, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, with formal details expected to be unveiled around April 2. Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago in Florida, Trump outlined his plan, specifying that automobile tariffs would likely be set at 25 percent. He suggested that tariffs on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals cou

February 19, 2025

Former SNU scholar appointed to head non-profit foundation for school safety and youth education

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Former Seoul National University president Sung Nak-in was appointed as a new chairman of a non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting school safety and youth education on Tuesday. Founded in 1999 with the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan as its first chairman, the foundation has been instrumental in raising awareness about school safety while providing educational resources and scholarships to underprivileged students to support their education. A

February 19, 2025

Travel agencies in China to resume tours to North Korea

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Travel agencies in China have begun selling group tours to North Korea this month. If realized, it would mark the first such trips in five years, though it remains to be seen whether the isolated country will fully reopen its borders. Zhixing Heyi, a Beijing-based travel agency, is currently offering a three-night, four-day tour to Rason, North Korea's easternmost border region, departing on Feb. 24. The agency said it had received an official notic

February 19, 2025

Political uncertainty stalls Korea's plan to develop next-generation reactors

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - South Korea’s ambitious plans for Small Modular Reactor (SMR) development have encountered setbacks as political disputes stall progress, while global competitors advance in the next-generation nuclear market. SMRs have emerged as a transformative force in power generation, offering cost-effectiveness and enhanced safety features, with expenses projected to be reduced by up to 33 percent compared with aging coal plants. According to industry exper

February 19, 2025

TikTok booms in Korea despite privacy concerns linked to DeepSeek

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - ByteDance’s TikTok has solidified its foothold in South Korea’s social media landscape, surpassing Facebook in combined monthly active users, even as concerns mount over data transfers linked to DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence app. According to data from mobile analytics firm Mobile Index, the short-video platform and its lightweight counterpart, TikTok and TikTok Lite, recorded approximately 4.9 million and 4.8 million monthly acti

February 19, 2025