INTERVIEW: Climate expert urges Seoul's new climate ministry to finalize NDC

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korea must commit to a long-term pathway to reduce carbon emissions now that it is set to launch a new ministry integrating energy, climate, and environmental functions, said a leading climate scientist. "The most urgent task for the ministry would be to finalize the 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)," said Axel Timmermann, director of the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) Center for Climate Physics at Pusan National Unive

September 18, 2025

Seoul opts for promotion-first and regulation-later approach on AI deployment

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korea has chosen a middle path between Europe’s strict rules and U.S.’s hands-off stance in global race to govern artificial intelligence. The Ministry of Science and ICT this week detailed the criteria for high-impact AI systems pertinent to the Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust" dubbed as the AI Basic Act due to take effect next January. Seoul will be the second jurisdiction after th

September 18, 2025

The sky's the limit for K-ramyeon riding on Demon Hunters craze

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - The challenge of slurping fiery-hot ramyeon is nothing new. But when a chart-topping K-pop trio does it in a Netflix hit that becomes the platform's most-watched animated film, the sales surge – and stock rally – for Korean snack makers can be staggering. Instant noodle giant Nongshim, featured as a motif in "KPop Demon Hunters," closed Thursday at 481,500 won ($347), up 24.6 percent from a year ago. Nearly 30 percent of that j

September 18, 2025

Gov't launches task force to tackle US visa issues after Georgia immigration raid

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - The government launched an interagency task force to address issues related to U.S. visas. The task force, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, aims to ensure that the concerns raised by South Korean businesses are reflected during negotiations with the U.S. The move follows the weeklong detention of hundreds of South Korean workers during a sweepi

September 18, 2025

KB Financial pivots to artificial intelligence to lead Asian banking

Editor's Note: This article is the 36th installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest financial group is making a high-stakes wager on artificial intelligence, betting that the technology will reshape the future of banking in Asia and cement its dominance in the region’s fast-changing financial

September 18, 2025

Georgia immigration raid prompts calls for special visa program for South Korean workers

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Despite Seoul's massive $350 billion investment pledge to Washington, a sweeping U.S. immigration raid early this month led to the detention of hundreds of South Koreans working at a joint electric vehicle battery plant under construction in Georgia. The incident severely disrupted South Korean companies' plans to send skilled workers to the U.S. for productivity and quality control. The raid underscores the need for clear and consistent v

September 18, 2025

Korea's drug crisis spikes, treatment gap widens

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korea, once hailed as drug-free, is confronting a fast-rising drug crisis with young adults most affected and treatment systems lagging to raise long-term public health concerns. From January through August, authorities confiscated 2,810 kilograms of illegal drugs — 3.5 times the 787 kilograms seized in all of 2024, Democratic Party lawmaker Chung Il-young said Thursday, citing data from the Korea Customs Service. The haul, equivalent to a

September 18, 2025

Samsung Electronics will receive $250 million grant from Texas

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics will receive a $250 million grant from the state of Texas to support its semiconductor expansion, Governor Greg Abbott announced Wednesday (local time). The funds, allocated from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund, are separate from the $4.7 billion in federal aid Samsung secured last year under the CHIPS Act. The new grant was announced after Abbott met with Kyung Kye-hyun, Samsung’s vice chairman, in Austin on Sept.

September 18, 2025

Son Heung-min nets hat trick for LAFC

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Son Heung-min, who made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut with Los Angeles FC (LAFC) last month, scored his first hat trick, leading his team to a 4-1 victory in an away match against Real Salt Lake in Utah on Wednesday. His first goal came just 3 minutes into the game, followed by another goal in the 16th minute. Son then completed his hat trick in the 82nd minute, sliding in to finish a pass from fellow Denis Bouanga. Having done his part brillia

September 18, 2025

Lotte Card data breach exposes information of nearly 3 million customers

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korea’s Lotte Card said Thursday that nearly one-third of its customers were affected by a major data breach stemming from a hacking attack in August. At a press conference in Seoul, CEO Cho Jwa-jin confirmed that the personal information of 2.97 million members was compromised in the Aug. 14 incident. “We sincerely apologize to our customers and relevant authorities for causing great concern,” Cho said. The leaked data was ti

September 18, 2025