Renewables ride the AI power boom, but the grid can't keep up SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Renewables are being fully employed to feed the world's hungry AI data centers as farming Mother Nature is cheap and quick to build. Yet a widening gap between green ambition and grid reality — from Beijing to Naju — is exposing the limits of an energy transition running at full tilt. Global electricity demand from data centers is set to roughly double to about 945 terawatt-hours by 2030 and reach around 1,200 TWh by 2035, the International Ene June 24, 2026

AI K-pop group SweeTeez to releases new single 'Line & View' SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - AI-generated K-pop girl group SweeTeez will roll out its new single "Line & View" on major streaming platforms Wednesday at noon. The single contains two tracks: the title track "Line & View" and "Where You Went, Cloud." Built around synth-pop and future bass, the title track explores repeated encounters and separations between people kept apart by distance and time. The second song deals with remembrance and the cycl June 24, 2026

North Korea deploys new destroyer amid push for naval buildup SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - North Korea has deployed a new 5,000-ton destroyer ready for combat, state media reported on Wednesday. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the reclusive country's leader Kim Jong-un attended a commissioning ceremony for the Choe Hyon held in Nampo the previous day, expressing expectations that his country's naval capabilities would be strengthened to what he described as "admirable beyond imagination." T June 24, 2026

GenAI phones to take 45% of global market in 2026 SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Smartphones equipped with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) will account for nearly half of global shipments next year, even as a deepening memory shortage drives the broader market to its sharpest annual contraction in more than a decade. According to market researcher Counterpoint Research, GenAI-capable handsets are forecast to make up 45 percent of global smartphone shipments in 2026, up from 36 percent from a year earlier. The share is expecte June 24, 2026

South Korea moves to make culture a larger part of foreign aid SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - South Korea plans to make culture a larger part of its foreign aid policy, using its experience in the arts and creative industries to support developing countries, the foreign and culture ministries said Tuesday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism signed an agreement at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul to jointly develop official development assistance projects focused on culture. Un June 24, 2026

i-dle teams with Latin pop producers for new EP 'We Made' SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - K-pop girl group i-dle will release its ninth EP, "We Made," on July 6, Cube Entertainment said Wednesday. The group unveiled the six-track album's full track list through its official social media accounts. "Gimme Dat Love," the lead single, is a Latin pop-inspired track produced by Daramola and Samantha Cámara. Daramola has previously worked with Anitta, Becky G and Jason Derulo. Members Yuqi and Soyeon also took part in t June 24, 2026

Seoul seeks to raise free subway age to 70 SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - South Korea's capital is moving to overhaul one of its longest-standing welfare benefits for older citizens, proposing to raise the eligibility age for free subway rides from 65 to 70 as the country grapples with the realities of a superaged society. If approved, the ordinance would authorize the Seoul city government to offer free or discounted bus rides to residents aged 70 and older who live in the city. The city would decide later how many free ride June 24, 2026

KMU captures 80-year history in free custom fonts SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Digital typography acts as the unspoken visual voice of an institution, meaning the subtle shape of a written letter projects an organization's deeper philosophy to anyone reading it. To ensure its eighty-year heritage serves as a living tool for everyday human communication rather than a static monument, a Seoul institution has translated its core identity into two custom digital fonts to be shared with the world, Kookmin University said Wednesday. Conv June 24, 2026

K-pop boy band Stray Kids to release 'RUN IT' ahead of world tour SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) -Eight-member K-pop boy group Stray Kids will release a new digital single, "RUN IT," JYP Entertainment said Wednesday. The song was written and produced by 3RACHA, the group's in-house production unit comprising Bang Chan, Changbin and Han. Built around brass, marching drums and world-beat rhythms, the track captures the group's drive and confidence as they head into a new tour cycle. Stray Kids earned their eighth No. 1 on th June 24, 2026

'Teach You a Lesson' tops Netflix for 3rd week; 'Husbands in Action' No. 2 SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Korean drama series "Teach You a Lesson" remained No. 1 on Netflix's non-English TV chart for a third consecutive week, while action comedy "Husbands in Action" debuted at No. 2 among non-English films, according to data released by Netflix on Wednesday. Teach You a Lesson drew 11.8 million views and 126.2 million viewing hours during the latest tracking period. Netflix calculates views by dividing total viewing hours by a title's June 24, 2026