K-beauty, BTS loom large over first Korean presidential visit to Mexico in 16 years SEOUL, September 24 (AJP) -K-beauty and BTS are set to loom large over President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Mexico, as South Korea seeks to turn the enormous popularity of Korean culture into deeper business ties with Latin America's second-largest economy. Lee arrived in Mexico City Wednesday for the first state visit by a South Korean president in 16 years, with a summit with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum scheduled for Thursday. While electric vehicles, batt September 24, 2026

Lee, Trump push investment, shipbuilding ties in New York summit SEOUL, September 24 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to deepen cooperation on strategic investment, shipbuilding and key security issues including nuclear-powered submarine fuel and wartime operational control during an impromptu meeting in New York, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The two leaders met for about 30 minutes from 7:20 p.m. Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, welcoming what they described as si September 24, 2026

Family holiday Chuseok takes on a different meaning as Korea ages SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) — Growing old is becoming increasingly synonymous with growing solo in South Korea. People in their 60s now make up the largest share of the country's one-person households, as rapid aging and changes in marriage and family life reshape the profile of those living alone. For Kim H.S., a restaurant owner in his 50s in Seoul's Apgujeong district, this year's Chuseok will be spent with his dog. "Christmas has Kevin. Chuseok has Don September 23, 2026

Chuseok cash circulates as more flows back to banks SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) — Cash remains abundant in South Korea, where the economy is running at its strongest pace since the pandemic. But more of that money appears to be making its way back into the banking system before it can circulate for long in everyday spending. The Bank of Korea said Wednesday that net currency issuance over the 10 business days through Sept. 23 totaled 3.6451 trillion won ($2.70 billion), down 792.3 billion won from a year earlier, mainly because September 23, 2026

Lee holds impromptu meeting with Trump in New York SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with U.S. President Donald Trump in an impromptu meeting in New York on Tuesday. According to Cheong Wa Dae here, the roughly 30-minute meeting took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly after progress was made earlier in the week in negotiations over South Korea's planned U.S. investments under a broader trade deal reached late last year. Their talks came after South Korea reportedly September 23, 2026

OECD lifts Korea growth outlook to 3.7%, ADB to 3.2% on AI chip boom SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) -Two major international institutions sharply raised South Korea's growth forecasts on Wednesday as booming AI-related semiconductor exports and stronger production pushed the economy well beyond expectations from just a few months ago. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) lifted its 2026 growth forecast for South Korea to 3.7 percent from 2.6 percent in June, a 1.1 percentage-point upgrade. The Asian Development Bank (AD September 23, 2026

Seoul to cut regional reliance in oil imports to 50% by 2035 SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - South Korea will continue to diversify its crude oil suppliers to bring reliance on any single region to 50 percent or less by 2035, drawing lessons from the Middle East conflict after sourcing nearly 70 percent of its imports from the region. The government will also add 20 million barrels of oil storage capacity by 2030 and expand critical mineral stockpiles under its first long-term national resource security plan, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and R September 23, 2026

Lee pledges push to revive US–North Korea talks, build lasting peace SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - South Korea will work to revive long-stalled dialogue between North Korea and the United States to lay the groundwork for ending the threat of war and establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, President Lee Jae Myung told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. "Above all, the most critical task is to end the longstanding war on the Korean Peninsula and build a peace framework," Lee said in his address to the high-level session September 23, 2026

Korea's consumer sentiment rebounds as income hopes outweigh rate concerns SEOUL, September 23 (AJP) - Consumer sentiment in South Korea remained solid in September as expectations for higher income outweighed concerns over a heavier debt burden from back-to-back rate hikes and a stagnant stock market, according to central bank data. The Composite Consumer Sentiment Index (CCSI) rose 2.1 points from August to 106.6, its biggest monthly gain since May, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Wednesday. The rebound followed a 2.3-point decline in August that ended t September 23, 2026

Korea's export boom meets a leaner Chuseok table SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - Chuseok, South Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday and one of the country’s biggest occasions for family gatherings, is around the corner, but the mood is hardly celebratory. "The holiday is shorter this year, and it looks like many are skipping this year. The business is not good," said a wholesaler at Garak Market in southern Seoul. "The fruit prices are horrific. Instead of a box of pears, I bought only a couple for the jaesa (a September 22, 2026