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

Trump, Xi expected to meet at upcoming APEC summit in Gyeongju

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - All eyes around the world are expected to be on South Korea's historic city of Gyeongju next month, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are both expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. While neither side has been officially confirmed, their attendance at the multilateral gathering scheduled for Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 appears almost certain. During a conference in central Seoul on Wednesday, Act

September 18, 2025

Senior Ukrainian officials visit HD Hyundai for post-war reconstruction talks

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - A delegation of top Ukrainian government officials visited HD Hyundai's facilities this week to advance collaboration on post-war reconstruction, the company said Thursday. The visit was part of a larger construction machinery training program for Ukrainian officials organized by the Korea Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association and the Korea Construction Equipment Technology Institute. The delegation included key figures like Deputy M

September 18, 2025

Gmarket-Aliexpress merger gets conditional approval from anti-trust regulator

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has conditionally approved the high-profile merger between an affiliate of Shinsegae Group and Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group's Korean unit. On Thursday, the commission announced its decision to greenlight the merger of Shinsegae affiliate Gmarket and Alibaba's AliExpress Korea, but only under strict conditions designed to prevent the two companies from sharing consumer data and to e

September 18, 2025

OPINION: China keeps 'doing right thing'

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Recent surveys by multiple international polling agencies show that global public opinion toward China continues to improve, with the country's image gaining wider recognition around the world. This growing recognition reflects China's commitment to "doing the right thing"

September 18, 2025

Turkish ambassador underscores friendship at Seoul screening of war film Ayla

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Turkish Ambassador to South Korea Salih Murat Tamer underscored the enduring friendship between the two countries at a special screening of the film "Ayla: The Daughter of War" on September 17. "Watching the film Ayla together here in Seoul is not just an opportunity to enjoy a movie. It is a special occasion to reaffirm the brotherly bond forged during the Korean War," he said in his welcome remarks. He added, "The people of T&uum

September 18, 2025

PHOTOS: BIFF 2025

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has officially commenced its 10-day event, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The festival began with an opening ceremony on the evening of Sept. 17 at the Busan Cinema Center's outdoor theater. The outdoor theater, with its 5,000 seats, was completely filled with enthusiastic spectators. A wave of cheers and applause greeted a host of actors and directors as they made their way down the red carp

September 18, 2025

South Korea pushes for easing US rules on shipbuilding cooperation

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - South Korea's defense procurement chief said in Washington, Wednesday (local time), that talks are advancing with the United States on shipbuilding and defense industry cooperation, including the long-delayed Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement, which would allow Korean companies greater access to U.S. contracts. Seok Jong-geon, head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), said he is focusing on addressing

September 18, 2025

Discussions 'underway to bring back South Korean workers' amid calls for US visa overhaul

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - Discussions are reportedly underway to facilitate the return of South Korean workers who opted to "voluntarily" leave the U.S. earlier this month after being detained for about a week in an immigration crackdown in Georgia. Local daily Savannah Morning News reported Wednesday that there are "a lot of discussions about getting them back," quoting Trip Tollison, president and CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority, an indepen

September 18, 2025