Hanwha Hotels & Resorts to acquire Ourhome for 8.7 trillion won

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Hanwha Hotels & Resorts announced Wednesday it will acquire a 58.62 percent stake in South Korean food service company Ourhome for 8.7 trillion won ($6.5 billion). The company said in a regulatory filing that it will initially acquire 50.62 percent of shares from major shareholders, including former Vice Chairman Koo Bon-sung and Chairwoman Koo Mi-hyun. The remaining 8 percent owned by Koo Bon-sung will be purchased through a third party, it said.

February 12, 2025

CES Insight & Innovation Awards honor top Korean innovators

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - The 2025 CES Insight & Innovation Awards recognized leading Korean companies that have demonstrated technological excellence and global competitiveness at CES 2025. Hosted by Aju News Corporation and its English-language news agency AJP, the event took place at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, celebrating businesses that are driving innovation across industries. This year’s awardees include Koo Ja-kwan, chairman of Samkoo INC, recognized fo

February 12, 2025

CES Insight & Innovation Awards highlights Korea's global tech competitiveness

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - The 2025 CES Insight & Innovation Awards, an event recognizing outstanding South Korean companies making a mark in the global market, took place on Wednesday at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. Hosted by Aju News Corporation and its English-language news agency AJP, the event aimed to shed light on innovative Korean businesses and provide insights into the latest technology trends showcased at CES 2025. The awards ceremony was accompanied by the CES

February 12, 2025

PHOTO: Korean Stone Art Museum

SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Korean Stone Art Museum At the entrance of the outdoor garden, Garden of Stones, in the Korean Stone Art Museum, a massive stone tiger (seokho) stands guard. Traditionally, these stone tigers served as guardian spirits, protecting royal tombs from evil spirits. Passing beyond the seokho, visitors are greeted by a row of stone scholar statues (muninseok), which were once placed at noble family tombs. These particular statues were repatriated from J

February 12, 2025

Meta in talks to acquire Korean AI chip startup Furiosa AI

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - Meta Platforms Inc. is engaged in discussions to acquire South Korean artificial intelligence chip startup Furiosa AI, potentially strengthening its semiconductor capabilities amid the global AI competition, sources familiar with the deal said Wednesday. Founded in 2017 by former Samsung Electronics and AMD engineer June Paik, Furiosa AI specializes in developing AI inference processors for data center servers. The Seoul-based company debuted its first

February 12, 2025

PHOTOS: A graduation in hanbok

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - On Feb. 11, graduates of Dongmyeong Girls’ High School in Seoul marked their commencement in traditional fashion, donning hanbok for the ceremony. The event also included a coming-of-age ritual.

February 12, 2025

Man sentenced to 7.5 years for fatal car crash in central Seoul

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday sentenced a man to seven and a half years in prison without forced labor for killing nine people and injuring six others after ramming his car into a pedestrian road in central Seoul last July. The 68-year-old man, surnamed Cha, caused the deadly incident by driving his vehicle in the wrong direction on a one-way, four-lane street. After colliding with two oncoming vehicles, he suddenly accelerated and plowed i

February 12, 2025

Seoul unveils ambitious makeover plan for Dongdaemun areas

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday announced an ambitious master plan to rejuvenate the areas surrounding the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a former stronghold of South Korea’s fashion industry that has struggled in recent years. The initiative, set to begin next month and slated for completion by late 2026, aims to breathe new life into the aging commercial hub through a series of urban renewal projects and infrastructure upgrades. T

February 12, 2025

G-Dragon to embark on world tour with gig in Goyang next month

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - G-Dragon, a member of K-pop boy band Big Bang, will embark on a world tour with a concert here next month, the concert's organizer Coupang Play said on Wednesday. The concert, part of his tour, is slated for March 29 and 30 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, but specific details about his upcoming tour remain under wraps. Expectations are already building among his fans, as it will be his first solo concert since his world tour in 2017, when he drew over

February 12, 2025

South Korea eases travel advisory for parts of Israel

SEOUL, February 12 (AJP) - South Korea lowered its travel advisory for parts of Israel starting Wednesday, according to the Foreign Ministry. With the adjustment, which came about a year after improved security conditions following last year's Middle East escalation, residents and other South Korean expats in Israel are no longer advised to leave the country. However, travelers are still recommended to refrain from visiting the region. Travel bans also remain in place for Gaz

February 12, 2025