Coupang may face fines of up to $1 bn if negligence is tied to data theft

SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - South Korea’s largest e-commerce platform Coupang faces a wave of criminal and civil lawsuits, alongside potential fines that could exceed $1 billion, if authorities confirm corporate negligence in the massive data theft allegedly carried out by a former employee of Chinese nationality. Under the Personal Information Protection Act, strengthened in 2023, regulators may impose penalties of up to 3 percent of annual revenue for data-protection violatio

December 1, 2025

Working-level officials set to hammer out implementation measures for bilateral agreements in Washington

SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) - Officials from South Korea and the U.S. are set to meet for further working-level discussions in Washington this week after the two countries released a comprehensive joint fact sheet last month detailing agreements on bilateral trade and security. According to the Foreign Ministry, Deputy Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo is set to meet with U.S. counterpart Christopher Landau on Monday in the first high-level talks since the release of the joint fact sheet

December 1, 2025

Kia's November sales drop 0.8 percent year-on-year to 262,065 units

SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - Kia said on Monday it sold 262,065 vehicles worldwide in November, down 0.8 percent from a year earlier, as both domestic and overseas sales edged lower. The Sportage remained the company’s best-selling model with 49,351 units, followed by the Sorento at 25,282 and the Seltos at 22,293. In South Korea, sales declined 1.6 percent to 47,256 units. The Sorento led the domestic market with 10,047 units. Overseas sales also dipped 0.8 percent to

December 1, 2025

Coupang theft set to become Korea's worst data crisis raises sober reckoning on cybersecurity

SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - Korea — a society whose everyday routines run almost entirely online — is grappling with its biggest data crisis to date after e-commerce giant Coupang confirmed that information linked to nearly all of its customers — 33.7 million people, or three out of four Korean adults — had been stolen. More worrisome is that while previous high-profile breaches this year involved external hacking attacks on wireless carriers and credit-card

December 1, 2025

OPINION: Pope's 2027 visit a strategic moment for Korea and Italy

SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - Korea and Italy may sit on opposite ends of the Eurasian landmass, yet the pulse of the two nations beats with a surprisingly similar rhythm. Both societies brim with passion; both celebrate life through food, drink, music and dance; and both possess an instinctive sensitivity to beauty that permeates daily life. From the c

December 1, 2025

South Korea's Webzen slapped fine for manipulating game item odds, misleading players

SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - South Korean game developer Webzen has been fined for manipulating item acquisition probabilities in its mobile title Mu Archangel and misleading players, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said on Monday. The regulator imposed a 158 million won (about $120,000) penalty for failing to disclose mechanisms that significantly reduced users’ chances of obtaining rare in-game items. According to the FTC, between June 2020 and March 2024 Webzen s

December 1, 2025

Lee to reflect on first year of martial law debacle with special address

SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is set to deliver a special address on Dec. 3, as South Korea marks the first anniversary of disgraced former President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law debacle. His address is expected to focus on the key role of the people and the National Assembly in swiftly ending the martial law, which plunged the nation into political turmoil, according to the presidential office. Lee will honor the efforts of South Koreans who turned chaos

December 1, 2025

Jeju beef, pork enter Singapore market for first time

SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - South Korea has exported Jeju-produced beef and pork to Singapore for the first time, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on Monday. The ministry, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, held a shipping ceremony at Jeju Port, sending 4.5 tons of meat products valued at roughly 2.8 billion won. The shipment represents the first case in which Singapore directly assessed and

December 1, 2025

Stray Kids achieve eighth consecutive No. 1 on Billboard 200

SEOUL, December 1 (AJP) - K-pop boy band Stray Kids' latest album topped the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, surpassing American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl," which had held the top spot for seven weeks. "Stray Kids claim their eighth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart as 'Do It' debuts atop the ranking dated Dec. 6," the American music chart said on Sunday, adding, "With an eighth No. 1, Stray Kids

December 1, 2025

Korean game makers target Southeast Asia, India as next growth engines

SEOUL, December 01 (AJP) - South Korea's major game publishers are expanding their focus on Southeast Asia and India, betting on the regions’ rapidly growing mobile-first user base and rising spending power. Companies are not only exporting games but also investing, forming joint ventures, and reorganizing operations to secure long-term positions in the markets. Industry officials say Southeast Asia has emerged as the world’s second-largest market for mobile g

December 1, 2025