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  INTERVIEW: How Jay Songzio shaped BTS's return in armor and restraint SEOUL, April 3 (AJP) — More than 18 million viewers tuned in live. Add to that over 30 million registered fans worldwide, and the scale of the moment becomes clear. When the lights rose on March 21 over all seven members of BTS — together on one stage for the first time in nearly four years — it was less a comeback than a global event. The afterglow has yet to fade. The album ARIRANG has climbed the Billboard charts, and its music videos continue to ripple across April 3, 2026
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  Alone but together: inside Korea's burgeoning "admin night" culture SEOUL, April 1 (AJP) — “Roasted sweet potato.” “Yes.” “Hamster Prince!” “Yes.” “Homebody.” “Yes.” It’s 8pm Tuesday and organizers in a café in the Gwanak district of southern Seoul have started a roll call of participants, using their nicknames. One by one, people share what they plan to accomplish that day. “I’ll finish the book I started last week.” “I&rsq April 1, 2026
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  Pulmuone vows AI-driven growth push at annual shareholder meeting SEOUL, March 31 (AJP) - South Korean food company Pulmuone held its annual general meeting, pledging to accelerate its artificial intelligence transformation strategy and expand into new business segments as it eyes a deeper footprint in global markets. The meeting, held at the Korea Science and Technology Convention Center in Seoul's Gangnam district on Tuesday, drew shareholders and company executives under the theme "ONE" — a reference to the firm's corpor March 31, 2026
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  Global love for K-content hits new highs, but fatigue also on the rise SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - That K-content is widely loved is no longer in doubt. With K-pop-themed animation sweeping the Grammys and Oscars, and Netflix livestreaming BTS’ comeback, the latest data only puts a number to the momentum: nearly 70 percent approval worldwide. According to data released Monday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, 69.7 percent of respondents expressed favorable views tow March 30, 2026
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  CJ CheilJedang to supply PHA bioplastic to India's Konspec as global green materials push gains pace SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - CJ CheilJedang said Monday it will supply polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA, to Konspec, one of India's leading bioplastic compound manufacturers, marking the latest step in the South Korean food and biotechnology giant's push to commercialise its biodegradable materials business globally. Under the arrangement, CJ CheilJedang will deliver PHA to Konspec, which will use the material to produce compounds optimised for cutlery products such as forks and kniv March 30, 2026
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  Pulmuone inks MOU with Konkuk University animal hospital to promote canine blood donation culture SEOUL, March 30 (AJP) - Pulmuone's pet food division has signed a memorandum of understanding with the blood donation center at Konkuk University's veterinary hospital to promote a culture of canine blood donation in South Korea, the food company said Monday. Under the agreement, Pulmuone's pet business unit will provide cash and in-kind support to the KU I'M DOgNOR Blood Donation Center at Konkuk University Animal Hospital over the next three years, backing public a March 30, 2026
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  AI beginning to crowd out young Koreans from elite professions SEOUL, March 27 (AJP) – Jenny Kim, 23, a senior at Yonsei University, had thought finding a job would be secure once she entered a top Seoul university majoring in engineering, but many of her peers are now despondent. “There may not be much left to do in computer engineering,” she said, as artificial intelligence has already replaced much of the entry-level back-office corporate work. Sophomore Kim S.H., studying structural engineering, also said he and his p March 27, 2026
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  Many teenagers still addicted to smartphones despite overall decline SEOUL, March 26 (AJP) - About a quarter of South Koreans were at risk of overdependence on smartphones last year, according to a survey released Thursday. The risk was similarly high among young children but decreased among adults and those in their 60s compared with the previous year. The Ministry of Science and ICT conducted one-on-one interviews with about 10,000 households nationwide to survey patterns of smartphone usage. Some 22.7 percent of smartphone users were classifi March 26, 2026
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  CJ CheilJedang builds food industry's first automated frozen kimbap line to chase global demand SEOUL, March 25 (AJP) - CJ CheilJedang has constructed the food industry's first automated frozen gimbap production facility at its CJ Blossom Campus in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, as the South Korean food giant moves to scale up its global kimbap business. The fully automated line handles every stage of production — from filling and rolling to cutting and tray packaging — and took about 18 months to develop, according to CJ on Wednesday. The company said t March 25, 2026
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  Folk Museum anchors Gwanghwamun beyond BTS spotlight SEOUL, March 24 (AJP) - Gwanghwamun, the historic gateway to Gyeongbokgung Palace, briefly became the center of the world last Saturday as BTS turned it into a global livestream stage. But just steps away, another kind of crowd continues to gather — one drawn not by spectacle, but by story. On ordinary days, that stop is the National Folk Museum of Korea. Museums have been enjoying a surge in popularity, fueled in part by last year’s “K-pop Demon Hunters” March 24, 2026