Four injured in explosion during military training in Paju

SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - Four people were injured in an explosion at an army training site in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday. The accident occurred during anti-aircraft shooting drills when a 30-mm shell became stuck in a launcher. According to military authorities, the injured included three non-commissioned officers and one civilian employee. They were airlifted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in the province with injuries such as shoulder wounds and tinnitus, bu

December 2, 2025

BLACKPINK's Jennie sets new milestone with four RIAA certifications

SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - K-pop girl group BLACKPINK's member Jennie has earned another "gold" certification for a song from her first full-length solo-debut album. According to the U.S. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)'s latest list released this week, "ExtraL" from her album "Ruby" received the honor. This brings Jennie's RIAA certifications to four, the most among K-pop solo artists, including three tracks from &quo

December 2, 2025

Korea's only commercial small-satellite platform firm targets global growth with planned IPO

SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Nara Space Technology, South Korea’s only commercial provider of small-satellite platforms, is preparing to list on the KOSDAQ market as it seeks to scale its global business on the back of growing demand for earth-observation data. At a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday, CEO Park Jae-pil said the company aims to become a world-class small-satellite developer, leveraging the “space heritage” it has accumulated through successful laun

December 2, 2025

AJP addresses trust gap in bias-driven news landscape

SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - The media's role of ensuring fairness and trust has become increasingly vital as audiences and readers grow either selective or evasive in consumption of news, and as societies shift from institution-based to network-driven structures, media veterans and scholars said in a forum hosted by Asian news agency AJP on Tuesday. The forum, held to commemorate AJP's first anniversary, featured Sohn Jie-ae, visiting professor at Ewha Womans University, Park

December 2, 2025

South Korea's Hanwha Ocean wins $255 million order for two large oil carriers

SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - Hanwha Ocean said Tuesday it has secured an order for two very-large crude carriers (VLCCs), valued at 375.3 billion won ($255 million). The VLCCs will be built at the company’s Geoje shipyard. Company officials say improved conditions in the international oil market are fueling new orders. Rising production and exports by OPEC members have lifted VLCC freight rates, while the aging of the global tanker fleet is accelerating replacement demand

December 2, 2025

North Korea stresses strong ties in commemorative letter to Laos on 50th anniversary

SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a congratulatory letter to Laos on the 50th anniversary of its national founding, emphasizing the longstanding ties between the two countries. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim expressed confidence in the continued development of friendly cooperation between the two countries in his letter to Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith. A floral tribute was also delivered through the North Korean

December 2, 2025

Korean auto parts firms follow global automakers to pull back from China

SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - South Korean auto parts suppliers are taking steps to restructure their supply chains as global automakers scale back operations in China. The rapid shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) in the Chinese market and rising export costs triggered by tariffs are pushing companies to seek new manufacturing bases. According to industry officials, wheel-bearing producer A Corp. earlier this year relocated part of its Jiangsu, China, plant to Gyeongju in sout

December 2, 2025

CJ CheilJedang strikes retail partnership with Thailand's largest store operator

SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - CJ CheilJedang has signed a supply agreement with Thailand’s largest retailer, CP Extra. CP Extra operates more than 2,700 outlets under its Makro wholesale chain and Lotus supermarkets, providing CJ CheilJedang with broad access to Thailand’s mainstream retail channels. The partnership will target increased sales of Bibigo fried noodles, kimchi, dumplings, K-street foods and Korean-style sauces. Makro will handle bulk and B2B-oriented p

December 2, 2025

PHOTOS: Following the tracks, following the taste (Gwangju) – 1 –

SEOUL, December 2 (AJP) - For centuries, this region has been known for its food. With fertile fields and access to clean coastal waters, it offered ingredients from both land and sea, and its generous use of fermented seasonings created dishes with depth and warmth. This is Jeolla Province, the southern end of the Korean Peninsula. Yongsan Station in the morning still carried the last of the night’s energy. Passing through commuters and stepping onto the KTX

December 2, 2025

Made-in-Korea brands epitomise the rise of Asia's integrated value chain

SEOUL, December 02 (AJP) - A Samsung Galaxy phone can no longer be described as “made in Korea” in any literal sense. Battery materials mined in Indonesia, memory chips manufactured in Korea, components sourced from Japan and final assembly in Vietnam or India all feed into a device that takes weeks to complete and crosses multiple borders before reaching a consumer. The smartphone illustrates how Samsung Electronics has secured its position at the premium end of the g

December 1, 2025