Data-center AI chip market seen at $860 bln by 2030 SEOUL, September 27 (AJP) — The global market for artificial intelligence chips used in data centers is projected to reach $860 billion by 2030 from $124 billion in 2024, a state-run bank research institute said. The market is expected to expand at an average annual rate of 38 percent over the period as investment in AI infrastructure continues to increase. The outlook was included in an Aug. 31 report by the Overseas Economic Research Institute at the Export-Import Bank of September 27, 2026

Lee calls for renewed Korea-Mexico trade talks SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for renewed trade talks with Mexico, pushing for a comprehensive trade agreement. Speaking at a Korea-Mexico business forum in Mexico City on Friday, Lee said Mexico is South Korea’s largest trading and investment partner in Latin America, with Korean companies including Samsung, LG, SK and Kia maintaining significant operations in the country. Bilateral trade reached $20.6 billion last year. “ September 26, 2026

Trump, Xi set AI talks, oppose tolls on global waterways SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to establish a new dialogue on advanced artificial intelligence and oppose tolls on international waterways, a position that could add pressure on Iran over its control of the Strait of Hormuz. The agreements were among a series of trade, security and technology measures announced after Xi’s state visit to Washington this week, according to a White House fact sheet released September 26, 2026

Seoul, Kyiv clash over secrecy of North Korean prisoner transfer SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - South Korea on Saturday reaffirmed that it handled the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war from Ukraine according to legal and humanitarian principles, as Seoul and Kyiv offered conflicting accounts over whether the move was supposed to remain secret. A presidential office official, speaking to reporters in Mexico City during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit, declined to directly respond to Ukraine’s denial that it had agreed to September 26, 2026

Alcohol-related deaths rise among Korean women as health costs climb SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Alcohol-related deaths among South Korean women have risen over the past decade, as health care costs linked to drinking and smoking continue to climb. The alcohol-related death rate among women reached 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2025, up from 2.4 in 2015, according to the National Data Office. The increase was particularly pronounced among women in their 50s, whose rate rose to 6.6 from 4.3 over the same period. High-risk drinking among women has also September 26, 2026

Chuseok traffic builds as Busan-to-Seoul trip stretches to 7 hours SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Highway congestion intensified across South Korea on Saturday afternoon, the third day of the Chuseok holiday, as more travelers headed back toward Seoul. According to the Korea Expressway Corp., estimated travel time to the Seoul tollgate as of 1 p.m. was seven hours and 50 minutes from Busan, seven hours and 30 minutes from Ulsan, six hours and 50 minutes from Mokpo and Daegu, six hours and 30 minutes from Gwangju, five hours from Gangneung and three ho September 26, 2026

Iran offers seven-day Hormuz reopening plan, rejects nuclear concessions SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Iran has presented the United States with a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Washington meets a series of conditions, while signaling that any agreement on the waterway would not lead to concessions over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran had delivered the proposal to Washington through Qatar and that normal shipping could resume within seven days once the United States begins ca September 26, 2026

Korea secures more Mexican crude, opens door to defense deals SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) -South Korea secured an additional 13 million barrels of Mexican crude oil and laid the groundwork for Korean defense companies to participate in Mexico’s military modernization program, said Seoul's top security aide. President Lee and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to deepen cooperation in energy supply chains and defense as part of a broader effort to turn their strategic partnership into more concrete economic and industrial tie September 25, 2026

Foreign visitors drive record crowds at Seoul palaces SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) -Royal palaces in Seoul drew record crowds last year, led by a surge in foreign visitors to Gyeongbok Palace as interest in Korean pop culture increasingly spilled over into traditional heritage sites. Gyeongbok, the largest of Seoul’s four main royal palaces, attracted 6.89 million visitors in 2025, up 6.9 percent from 6.44 million a year earlier, according to data submitted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Heritage Serv September 25, 2026

Chuseok scenes change, but fight for Eumma jeon remains hot SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - In a city where groceries can arrive at the door within hours, holiday food can be ordered on a smartphone and warehouse stores promise nearly everything under one roof, there is still a corner of Seoul where preparing for Chuseok begins with a queue. On Thursday, traffic around Eunma Shopping Center in Seoul's affluent Daechi-dong had nearly ground to a halt. Cars trying to enter the parking lot became tangled with vehi September 25, 2026