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  Policymakers scramble to rescue Korea's fast-sinking film industry SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - Moviegoing is quickly going out of fashion in South Korea, with the only films able to stay in theaters for more than a month being foreign, fandom-driven animation franchises this year. As audiences remain glued to YouTube and Netflix, visits to cinemas have dwindled, prompting the government and film policymakers to roll out a series of measures to rescue a struggling industry. “The biggest challenge is that audiences now draw a very clear line December 31, 2025
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  Minor earthquake detected in Goheung SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - A 2.0-maginitue earthquake struck Goheung in southwestern South Korea on Wednesday. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the quake occurred at around 3:30 p.m., about 14 kilometers northeast of Goheung, South Jeolla Province. The epicenter was located at 34.70 degrees north latitude and 127.37 degrees east longitude, at a depth of 14 kilometers. The KMA stated that some residents in the affected area felt weak tremors, but there have December 31, 2025
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  Lee to lead large entourage for his trip to China SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will be accompanied by a group of financial leaders on his trip to China next week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. Among his entourage is Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Jin Ok-dong, who will join Lee during his state visit to China from Jan. 4 to 7, according to industry sources on Tuesday. With the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) organizing the entourage, Jin, who chairs the business lobby's financi December 31, 2025
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  To shorten working hours, Korea wants employers to pay strictly by hours  SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - South Korea is known for long working hours. The five-day workweek is only a generation old, and the 52-hour cap has been in place for less than eight years. Average working hours remain above the OECD average, and the government now wants to address this by overhauling the way wages are calculated. It plans to tackle the loosely defined "comprehensive wage" system, under which various allowances and overtime pay are bundled into an annual or mon December 31, 2025
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  Asian Culture Calendar SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - South Korea Dec. 31 – Jan. 1 Yeosu Hyangiram Sunrise Festival Dec. 31 – Jan. 1 Homigot Sunrise Festival Dec. 31 – Jan. 1 Jeongdongjin Sunrise Festival Jan. 10 – Feb. 1 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival Jan. 31 – Feb. 8 Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival Japan Dec. 31 – Jan. 1 NO LIMIT! COUNTDOWN 2026 Jan. 14 Shittenoji Doya Doya Festival Jan. 20 – Feb.8 Kobe Luminarie Thailand Jan. 10 – 1 December 31, 2025
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  Cold snap grips Seoul on New Year's Eve SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - A cold wave advisory was issued for Seoul and surrounding areas on Wednesday as sub-zero temperatures gripped the capital on New Year's Eve. Such an advisory is issued when morning temperatures are expected to drop by more than 10 degrees Celsius from the previous day, or at least 3 degrees below the seasonal average, or when the morning low is forecast to remain at or below -12 degrees for two or more consecutive days. As the bitter cold snap is December 31, 2025
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   New physician shortage forecast shows Korea's medical standoff remains unresolved SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) -South Korea could face a shortage of up to about 11,000 doctors by 2040, according to a new government-backed projection, underscoring brewing healthcare crisis rooted in delayed medical reform after a year-long fallout from mass walkouts by doctors. The estimate was released Tuesday by the physician workforce supply-and-demand projection committee, an independent body under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The panel projected that physician demand will December 31, 2025
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  Lee to visit China for summit with Xi Jinping next week SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will embark on a four-day trip to China early next week for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. At a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Lee is scheduled to depart for Beijing on Sunday for the summit, then travel to Shanghai before returning home on Wednesday. The meeting will be the two leaders' second since their first meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific December 30, 2025
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  New senior post in charge of AI created at Defense Ministry SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - A deputy minister-level post in charge of artificial intelligence (AI)-related affairs has been created within the Ministry of Defense to accelerate the military's technological modernization. Approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and set to take effect later this week, the new post will spearhead the military's adoption of cutting-edge technologies while overseeing key areas where AI is needed, including logistics, information, and the procur December 30, 2025
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  Over 25,000 ethnic Koreans regain legal status after overstaying visas SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - More than 25,000 ethnic Koreans who had overstayed their visas here have regained their legal status, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday. According to the ministry, about 2,522 ethnic Koreans applied for a three-month program implemented between September and November as part of immigration policies to recover their legal status. Of those applicants, 1,544 were granted legal status after undergoing strict screening conducted by legal experts and human December 30, 2025