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  Drone spectacle lights up Busan's Gwangalli Beach SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - A spectacular drone show lit up the sky above Gwangalli Beach in the southern port city of Busan last Saturday. The 12-minute show featured mythical creatures and legendary guardians including dragons, white tigers, xuanwu (black tortoise), and vermillion birds, painting the night sky with a thousand lights, creating a stunning spectacle. The year-round show, which first began in 2022, takes place every Saturday evening twice per night — at 7 p.m. an March 30, 2026
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  South Korean researchers use light and air to make medicine ingredients SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - A research team in South Korea has developed a way to produce essential pharmaceutical raw materials using only sunlight and ambient air, potentially slashing carbon emissions in the chemical industry. This breakthrough simplifies the manufacturing of complex drugs by replacing traditional, waste-heavy chemical processes with a sustainable loop that relies on natural elements. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on Mar March 30, 2026
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  Busan's Yeongdo Island offers delight for palate with taste of sea BUSAN, March 30 (AJP) - Yeongdo, a small coastal island in the southern port city of Busan, South Korea, has long been known for its bountiful seafood. As dusk falls and fishing boats return, street-food tents light up one by one, a daily ritual unchanged for generations that reflects the island's life deeply rooted in the sea. Getting off at Nampo Station leads visitors to the island by crossing the city's iconic Yeongdo Bridge, which glows golden at night March 30, 2026
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  POSCO Holdings named Business of the Year at 2026 Australia–Korea Business Awards SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - POSCO Holdings was named Business of the Year at the 2026 Australia–Korea Business Awards (AKBA) in Seoul on Friday, according to the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AustCham Korea). This year’s recognition of POSCO Holdings highlights the company’s long-standing investment in Australia’s resources sector and its growing role in future-facing industries shaping the bilateral partnership, including critical minerals, battery ma March 30, 2026
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  Cliché or not, BTS "Arirang" rework delivers globally  SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - RM winces. When the first draft of “Body to Body” lands with a bold Arirang sample layered toward the end, the BTS leader isn’t convinced. It feels, he says, almost too obvious — like “mixing bread, pork cutlets and kimchi” into one plate, a blend leaning too heavily on sentiment. Jimin laughs it off. Strange as it sounds, he says, the mix “may taste very good.” J-Hope leans further in: if they’re goi March 30, 2026
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  Asian Culture Calendar SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - South Korea Mar. 27 - Apr. 5 64th Jinhae Gunhangje Festival Apr. 9, 11-12 BTS ARIRANG World Tour Apr. 3 - 7 Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival Apr. 4 - 12 Wangin Festa Apr. 30 - May. 6 Seoul Spring Festa Japan Apr. 4 Japan Fireworks Expo in Osaka Mar. 19 - Apr. 19 Nijo Castle Sakura Festival Apr. 1 - 5 Beppu Onsen Festival Apr. 9 - 17 Nagahama Hikiyama Festival Hong Kong Apr. 11 - 30 Global Sources Hong Kong Show Ap March 30, 2026
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  Korea to adopt a new overnight repo benchmark SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) -South Korea will overhaul its benchmark interest rate system, phasing out vulnerable quote-based rates and shifting to a transaction-based standard to prevent manipulation risks and strengthen market credibility. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) finalized the reform plan Monday at a joint meeting with the Bank of Korea (BOK) and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), marking one of the most comprehensive changes to the country’s rate-setting f March 30, 2026
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  Chicken prices surge as prolonged avian flu cuts supply SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Surging chicken prices are putting South Korea's poultry industry on alert. The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza has cut broiler supplies, while a weaker won has added to feed-cost burdens, increasing pressure for broader price hikes. According to market insiders on Monday, major poultry producers, including Harim, Allpum, and Maniker, have recently raised prices to large retailers by about 5 to 10 percent. The increase comes amid a supply sh March 30, 2026
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  Damien Hirst's first Seoul solo draws crowds in awe SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Damien Hirst (b. 1965) is one of the most influential — and controversial — figures in contemporary art. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s as a leading member of the Young British Artists (YBAs), a group known for pushing boundaries with shock, spectacle and conceptual rigor. His works grappling with death and mortality drew strong public interest in Seoul as visitors filled the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seo March 30, 2026
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  Ex-PM Kim Boo-kyum declares bid for Daegu mayor SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on Monday declared his bid for Daegu mayor in the upcoming local elections slated for early June. At a press conference at the National Assembly, the ruling Democratic Party (DP)'s key hopeful said he will run for the mayoral post of the southern city, a traditional stronghold of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The four-term lawmaker, who also served as interior minister under former President Moon Jae-i March 30, 2026