LGBTQ pride festival underway in Seoul amid looming Christian counter-protests SEOUL, June 13 (AJP) - Tens of thousands of LGBTQ rights advocates and conservative Christians are gathering in downtown Seoul on Saturday for rival rallies, marking the city's largest annual face-off over sexual minority rights. The Seoul Queer Culture Festival kicked off at 11 a.m., with organizers operating stages and booths along Namdaemun-ro and Ujeongguk-ro in central Seoul. The festival’s main event, the Queer Parade, is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Participant June 13, 2026

SCIENCE and MEDICINE: A centenarian is not created by a single secret GOCHANG, South Korea, June 13 (AJP) -Three scientists who have spent careers studying people who live to 100 gather in South Korea — and find, to their surprise, that their very different methods have led them to the same place. They arrived in Gochang, a rural county on Korea's southwestern coast three very different arguments about why some people live to 100. By the time their conversation ended, the geneticist, the epidemiologist, and the social gerontologist had r June 13, 2026

World Cup 26: Red floods Seoul as Taeguk Warriors begin World Cup journey SEOUL, June 12 (AJP) — South Korea's 2026 FIFA World Cup journey began not in Mexico but in the heart of Seoul on Friday, where office workers in red jerseys streamed into Gwanghwamun Square carrying coffee cups, national flags and hopes of a winning start against Czechia. Hours before kickoff at Guadalajara Stadium, the broad plaza beneath the statue of King Sejong was already buzzing with chants, K-pop music and the rhythmic beat of drums as supporters gathered for o June 12, 2026

AI technologies take center stage at global longevity summit SEOUL, June 11 (AJP) —Artificial intelligence (AI) and Human Digital Twin (HDT) technology could fundamentally reshape how people age, enabling physicians to predict disease risks, simulate health outcomes and deliver personalized interventions before symptoms appear, longevity researchers said Wednesday. The technologies are increasingly being viewed as a bridge between decades of aging research and practical healthcare applications, allowing scientists to combine genomic, June 11, 2026

Original Beer Company launches first canned lagers through GS25 SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - Original Beer Company, a South Korean craft brewer known for its champagne-style bottled beers, will launch its first canned products through GS25 convenience stores nationwide on June 11 as it seeks to expand beyond premium retail channels and reach a broader consumer base. According to the company Wednesday, the initial lineup consists of OBC Lager Helles and OBC Lager Vienna, priced at 13,000 won ($8.5) for a four-can bundle. The launch marks the brewery June 10, 2026

South Korea's workforce over 70 tops 2 million as aging and poverty reshape labor market SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - More than 2 million South Koreans aged 70 and older were employed last year to make up a record 7.5 percent of the country's workforce, underscoring how rapid aging and persistent old-age poverty are reshaping the labor market. According to Ministry of Data and Statistics, the number of employed people aged 70 or older reached 2.16 million in 2025, nearly doubling from 1.22 million in 2018. Their share of total employment climbed from 4.5 percent to 7. June 10, 2026

From chicken to K-pop: why Jensen Huang fell for Korea's soft power SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) — Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang surely knew how to mix business with pleasure. He returned home Tuesday with deals on not just memory chips for Nvidia's next-generation Rubin and Vera platforms, but also bags of HBM chip snacks to munch on and the lingering aftertaste of chicken, soju and Korean hospitality. Since his arrival last Friday, Huang dominated headlines and social media feeds, shuttling between beer and soju gatherings with Korean tech giants June 9, 2026

Global scholars gather in Gochang for annual conference to discuss longevity SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - Global scholars and researchers from about a dozen countries on Tuesday gathered in South Korea's southwestern town of Gochang to discuss longevity and healthy aging as the world becomes increasingly toward a super-aged society. About 50 global scholars and researchers from a dozen countries gathered in South Korea's southwestern town on Tuesday to discuss longevity and healthy aging as the world increasingly moves toward a super-aged society. Their June 9, 2026

Songzio and Heliot Emil reunite for falconry-inspired collection SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - South Korean designer label Songzio, whose designs recently took center stage during BTS's "ARIRANG" comeback performance in March, has collaborated once again with Copenhagen-based fashion brand Heliot Emil on a new collection inspired by falconry. Titled "Falconry," the collection will be released on Friday after the brand's first collaboration sold out shortly after its debut last year. Drawing on themes of speed and control, i June 2, 2026

K-BBQ draws fresh attention as Jensen Huang's Seoul dinner plan puts samgyeopsal in spotlight SEOUL, June 02 (AJP) - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s reported plan to visit a Samgyeopsal (pork belly) restaurant, a staple of Korean barbecue (K-BBQ), during his upcoming trip to Seoul has turned a casual dinner itinerary into a cultural talking point, putting the charcoal-grilled pork menu back in the spotlight as one of South Korea’s most visible dining experiences for foreign visitors. Huang is expected to visit South Korea this week after appearing at the Computex tra June 2, 2026