OPINION: South Korea needs AI strategy that matches its demographic crisis South Korea is confronting a demographic reckoning unlike anything in its modern history. The country’s fertility rate fell to a record low of 0.75 in 2024 — the lowest in the world — and its working-age population has been shrinking since 2020. By next year, older adults will make up more than 20 percent of the population, a figure expected to reach 34.4 percent by 2040. These shifts threaten to upend the foundations of the nation’s economic growth, strain November 14, 2025

OPINION: Debates over raising retirement age emerge as South Korea becomes super-aged society SEOUL, November 11 (AJP) - With South Korea now officially a "super-aged society," concerns are mounting over how to secure stable income for its rapidly growing elderly population. This has reignited discussions about further raising the retirement age, a decade after it was last set at 60 in 2013. Proposals to raise the retirement age to 65 have sparked mixed reactions, exposing generational and social divides over how and when such changes should take effect. The ruling Democrati November 11, 2025

OPINION: Behind EV boom lies growing pile of battery waste The global shift to electric vehicles has hit a temporary slowdown. Sales have cooled, incentives are waning, and skeptics are asking whether the EV boom has peaked. Yet the slowdown is likely to last only a few years. The market will recover as costs fall and technology improves. What deserves far more attention, however, is what happens after the battery runs out. Batteries make up roughly 40 percent of an electric vehicle’s cost. They are the beating heart of the EV November 11, 2025

OPINION: South Korea's 260,000 GPUs and vision for AI hub As artificial intelligence becomes the engine of global competition, nations are racing to secure not only the technology but also the computing power that makes it possible. South Korea’s recent partnership with NVIDIA — acquiring 260,000 of the latest AI graphics processing units — is more than a technical upgrade. It is a statement of intent that the country aims to be a serious player in the new digital order. The deal has quadrupled South Korea's na November 11, 2025

OPINION: C5+1 Summit — A New Chapter for Central Asia's Growth and Partnership SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - On November 6, 2025, the C5+1 Summit between the United States and the five Central Asian nations convened in Washington, D.C., marking the 10th anniversary of the framework’s launch and opening a new chapter for regional cooperation. Currently, six major global partners — the United States, Japan, the European Unio November 7, 2025

OPINION: Investing in innovation is South Korea's best defense SEOUL, November 07 (AJP) - Last week, the world’s attention turned to Gyeongju, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the APEC summit. The two leaders agreed to ease trade and resource tensions, offering a glimmer of hope for the global economy. Yet the thorniest issues — Taiwan, security, and the future of global supply chains — remain unresolved. Their meeting, the first since the 2019 G20 summit in Osak November 7, 2025

OPINION: Greece and Korea: A living dialogue between civilizations SEOUL, November 04 (AJP) - Throughout history, countless thinkers and philosophers have drawn inspiration from ancient Greece. Among them, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) held a lifelong admiration for Greek civilization, seeing in its art, philosophy, and culture the supreme ideals of beauty, harmony, and humanity. He once proclaimed, “Become like the Greeks! They lived divinely.” Ins November 4, 2025

OPINION: Trump's 'beautiful' tariffs and waning trust in US power SEOUL, November 04 (AJP) - U.S. President Donald Trump calls tariffs the “most beautiful word.” True to that conviction, he has wielded them like a hammer — striking friends and foes alike, unsettling global markets, and testing the limits of American diplomacy. He claims these hard-edged tactics have brought results: smoother negotiations with South Korea and Japan, a temporary truce with China, and what he boasts are eight global conflicts “resolved&rdq November 4, 2025

OPINION: As technology advances, can wisdom keep up? SEOUL, November 03 (AJP) - Human history can be read as the story of technology — a long march from the roar of engines to the quiet hum of algorithms. Each invention begins as a spark of imagination, becomes the engine of industry, and ultimately reshapes the fabric of civilization. From steam to silicon to synthetic intelligence, this evolution has not only transformed economies but also the meaning of being human. The progression of technology tends to follow three d November 3, 2025

OPINION: Why K-food must become trusted global brand SEOUL, October 31 (AJP) - Korean food has become a fixture on dining tables around the world. In New York, restaurants serve gochujang-marinated steak. In Paris, supermarkets feature kimchi sections. Across Southeast Asia, spicy instant noodles have achieved near–pop culture status. Even in the United States, retailers like Costco and Walmart now boast bustling K-food aisles. What began as a culinary curiosity has evolved into a living cultural experience — one that October 31, 2025