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BTS comeback draws 104,000 to Seoul, lifts retail sales as event concludes safely SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) -The BTS’s comeback concert in central Seoul on Saturday drew more than 100,000 people and ended without a single major incident, delivering both a powerful display of K-culture’s global reach and a sharp boost to retail sales around the event zone. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Sunday, an estimated 104,000 spectators gathered around Gwanghwamun Plaza on Saturday, as global fans — known as ARMY — joined Seoul resid March 22, 2026

Daejeon factory fire kills 14; company chief apologizes amid probe into cause SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) - The head of a South Korean auto parts manufacturer publicly apologized on Sunday after a devastating factory fire in Daejeon left at least 14 workers dead and dozens injured, as authorities launched a full-scale investigation into the cause of the blaze. Sohn Ju-hwan, CEO of Anjeon Industry, visited a joint memorial altar set up at Daejeon City Hall, where he bowed deeply and expressed remorse before the victims. Holding a white chrysanthemum, Sohn stood March 22, 2026
Korea's 20-something employment slumps to 9- year low in Feb SEOUL, March 22 (AJP) -Employment of South Koreans in their late 20s has hit the lowest in nearly a decade as rapid engagement of artificial intelligence worsens job prospects for entry level amid economic slowdown. According to the National Statistical Portal (KOSIS) and job data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, 2.346 million people ages 25-29 were employed in February, down 62,000 from a year earlier. It was the lowest February figure since 2017. The employment March 22, 2026
BTS Live: How purple are you? Inside every ARMY's story SEOUL, March 21 (AJP)-Many had crossed the Pacific and the Atlantic. On the day of the concert, they arrived dressed for the scene — in purple. Scarves, dresses, glow sticks and dyed hair turned central Seoul into a moving spectrum of the group’s signature color, as fans circled the barricaded perimeter of Gwanghwamun Square ahead of BTS’s comeback concert. From the open-air stage, rehearsal tracks from the new album carried across the plaza — loud, me March 21, 2026
BTS Live Update: AJP joins purple, BTS members share mix of nerve and excitement SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) -AJP and its sister publication Aju Business Daily joined the wave of anticipation in Gwanghwamun, distributing special BTS editions in Korean, English and Chinese to fans gathering ahead of the evening concert. More than 20,000 copies were handed out, quickly drawing crowds as fans flocked to pick up the editions featuring the latest group photo on the front page. “I love the photo. It’s something I don’t have,” one fa March 21, 2026
BTS Live: Seoul fights to ensure "bangtan" - bulletproof and safe show SEOUL, March 21 (AJP) -BTS, the English acronym for Bangtan Sonyeondan — “bulletproof” — will return to the stage in a city determined to live up to the name. Seoul authorities are moving to ensure that the group’s largest-ever crowd show at Gwanghwamun ends, quite literally, bulletproof. Security has been dialed up to an extraordinary level, shaped by the lingering trauma of the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush and rising geopolitical risks, from Mi March 21, 2026
South Korea again urges nationals to leave Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon immediately SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - The government on Thursday once again urged South Korean nationals in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon to leave immediately. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said no South Korean casualties have been reported so far, but it remains deeply concerned about the safety of South Koreans still residing in high-risk areas across the Middle East. "We strongly urge all South Koreans and businesspeople in affected areas to leave as soon as possible," said a ministr March 19, 2026
South Korea, US wrap up annual joint military exercise SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - This year's joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States has concluded, military authorities from both countries said in a joint statement on Thursday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) said the annual exercise dubbed "Freedom Shield" (FS) was conducted under more realistic scenarios simulating full-scale war and other conflicts to prepare for contingencies on the Korean Peninsula & March 19, 2026
Young newlyweds drive marriage rates to rise for third straight year SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - Some 240,000 couples tied the knot last year, up 8.1 percent or 18,000 couples from a year earlier, seeing a rise for a third straight year since 2025, the Ministry of Data and Statistics said Thursday. The figure is also the highest in seven years, up from 239,200 in 2019, recovering to pre-pandemic levels after dipping to around 200,000. Of the total 240,000 couples, some 82.6 percent were first-time marriages for both spouses, while 9 percent were remar March 19, 2026
Naver to bolster AI tools to block abusive comments ahead of local elections SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - Naver will enhance its artificial intelligence (AI)-based system to detect abusive comments ahead of local elections in early June, South Korea's largest online portal said on Thursday. It plans to introduce a feature dubbed "Cleanbot" by April that will automatically prevent users from leaving comments on certain articles such as politically sensitive or election-related stories, months ahead of the June 4 elections to elect mayors and govern March 19, 2026