Kazakhstan eyes Korean investment for AI-driven smart city, industrial growth ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 01 (AJP) - Kazakhstan is courting South Korean investment for its next phase of industrial and digital transformation, including an AI-centered smart city project and new transport initiatives, Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Kuantyrov said Thursday. Speaking at a briefing held at The Hilton Hotel ahead of the Kazakhstan Global Investment Round (KGIR) in Astana, Kuantyrov said the two countries share common goals in digitalization and artificial intelli November 1, 2025

'K-Submarine' moves to the center in Korea's defense ambition SEOUL, October 31 (AJP) - Nuclear submarines, once a politically sensitive topic in South Korea, have abruptly moved into the mainstream after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Seoul's pursuit of a nuclear-powered submarine program. With Washington's unusually explicit approval, President Lee Jae Myung elevated submarine cooperation to the top of his diplomatic agenda, raising the issue in back-to-back summits with Canada and Thailand on the sidelines of the APEC October 31, 2025

TOPIK website restored after data center fire, tests to resume normally SEOUL, October 31 (AJP) - The official website for the Test of Proficiency in Korean, or TOPIK, has resumed normal operations, about two months after a fire at a government data center forced cancellations of some tests, the Ministry of Education and the National Institute for International Education said Friday. The restoration means that upcoming tests, including those scheduled for November, will be held as planned, officials said, adding most systems related to test administra October 31, 2025

South Korea to complete military satellite network with final launch on Sunday SEOUL, October 31 (AJP) - South Korea is set to complete its first military reconnaissance satellite network this weekend with the launch of a rocket carrying its fifth and final satellite under its “425 Project." The Ministry of National Defense said Friday that the rocket will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 2 p.m. (KST) on Nov. 2. Once operational, the five-satellite constellation will allow South Korea to monitor North Korean mili October 31, 2025

Seoul nears nuke submarine ambition upon Trump blessing SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - Whether by catering to personal ego or through a calculated diplomatic playbook, Seoul secured what had long seemed unattainable: U.S. backing for a nuclear-powered submarine, delivered during U.S. President Donald Trump's brief visit ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Before departing Korea, Trump posted Thursday that Seoul would build its "Nuclear Powered Submarine in the Philadelphia Shipyards," signaling October 30, 2025

Xi enters as Trump exits the APEC stage SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - What should have been a venue for championing free trade and regional cooperation on shared challenges — from AI governance to climate change — instead turned into a geopolitical showcase between the world's two superpowers. Gyeongju, the ancient Silla capital hosting South Korea's first APEC summit in 20 years, became the stage for a U.S.–China hegemony face-off as President Xi Jinping arrived just as U.S. President Donald Trump October 30, 2025

Lee stresses China's 'constructive role' for North Korea's denuclearization SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung has stressed China's "constructive role" in maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, Beijing's Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday. Lee said South Korea "urgently needs China's constructive role in order to achieve a substantive solution" for nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula, in a written interview with the state-run news agency coinciding with Chinese President Xi Jinpi October 30, 2025

Lee holds talks with Canadian PM in Gyeongju SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung agreed to expand cooperation in the defense and economic sectors with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during their summit on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea's historic city of Gyeongju. Hailing the North American country as a "key ally," Lee highlighted the special relationship between the two nations, recalling Canada's military support during October 30, 2025

Samsung heiress' recent move to Yongsan reflects South Korean parents' obsession with education SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - Samsung heiress and Hotel Shilla president Lee Boo-jin has reportedly moved back to her home in Seoul's tony district of Yongsan just north of the Han River. Her recent relocation from Daechi-dong in the capital's upscale district of Gangnam clustered with crammers, to the quieter neighborhood appears to be related with her son's graduation from high school. According to industry sources, Lee lived in Daechi-dong throughout her son's mi October 30, 2025

Seoul draws less risky terms than Tokyo in U.S. investment deal SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - South Korea and the United States finalized a long-pending tariff agreement on Wednesday, cementing the structure of Seoul's massive investment framework with Washington. Under the deal, South Korea's $350 billion package will consist of $200 billion in direct cash investment and $150 billion in shipbuilding cooperation aligned with the MASGA (Make American Shipbuilding Great Again) initiative. The agreement upholds a 15 percent tariff r October 30, 2025