UPDATE: Korea's youth employment falls for 46th month in Aug *Updated with comments from a Ministry of Data and Statistics briefing and additional data SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - Youth employment in South Korea fell for a 46th straight month in August and manufacturing jobs declined for a 26th month despite stronger overall hiring. The number of employed people aged 15 to 29 fell by 143,000 from a year earlier to 3.428 million. Their employment rate dropped 1.0 percentage point to 44.1 percent. "Youth employment remained weak as jo September 9, 2026

How social media is rewriting presidential politics SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - Donald Trump did not need a podium or a press conference to dominate the political conversation over the U.S. Labor Day weekend. He needed his social media account. The U.S. president posted more than 60 times on Truth Social on Sunday alone, filling his feed with political messages, memes and AI-generated images. Some mocked foreign countries and political opponents, while others depicted Trump in exaggerated or imaginary scenes. An independent archive September 8, 2026

AI makes Korea richer, but leaves its youth behind SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - On paper, South Korea has rarely looked richer. For its young people, it has rarely been harder to get a foothold. Real gross national income jumped 15.6 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, the strongest increase since the fourth quarter of 1988, while per-capita GNI now has a strong chance of topping $40,000 for the first time. Much of the lift has come from the AI chip boom, which is showering export income and corporate profits on a September 8, 2026

Hormuz contribution stays undecided as Iran warns Seoul SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - The government does not accept the assessment that its own handling of an attack on a South Korean cargo ship in May left an opening for Iran's warning to Seoul this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. That warning came on Sept. 7. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei posted a statement written in Korean on his X account, telling South Korea that any country stationing forces or joining operations in the Persian Gulf September 8, 2026

Lee second-term question looms over Assembly session SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung may be in France this week, but back home the political heat is rising over a question the opposition wants him to answer himself. Will he rule out another presidential run if constitutional reform moves forward? Main opposition People Power Party (PPP) wants a clear answer before going into any discussion for constitutional revision. PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig during his parliamentary address at the National A September 8, 2026

More jobseekers eligible for support as age limit rises to 34 SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - More young adults in South Korea will become eligible for job-related support as the government decided to raise the age limit from 29 to 34. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the revisions to the relevant rules, approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, raise the upper age limit to 34, expanding the range to those aged 15 to 34, from the previous range, which defined young people as those aged 15 to 29. The ministry said the move will September 8, 2026

Lee arrives in Paris for summit with Macron SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Paris on Monday for a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron, after wrapping up the first leg of his itinerary in Nice as part of his weeklong trip to France. After laying a wreath at the Arc de Triomphe and attending an official welcome ceremony, Lee will have a luncheon meeting with Macron before holding expanded summit talks. The two leaders are expected to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties and expand September 8, 2026

UPDATE: South Korea sees per-capita GNI top $40,000 this year *Updated with additional information from a Bank of Korea briefing SEOUL, September 8 (AJP) - South Korea's national income increased sharply in the second quarter amid surge in chip and other exports, pushing the gross savings rate to a historic high and placing the per-capita gross national income on track to top $40,000 this year. The Bank of Korea (BOK) said real gross national income (GNI) rose 15.6 percent from a year earlier and 3.1 percent from the previous quarter. September 8, 2026

Korea, France launch 1 billion euro film investment drive SEOUL, September 08 (AJP) -South Korea and France will invest a combined 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) in their film and audiovisual industries over five years as the two countries seek to deepen cooperation in content production and strengthen their creative industries. President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron announced the Global Film and Audiovisual Industry Investment Cooperation Initiative at the inaugural Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence in September 8, 2026

South Korea, US plan 8 nuclear reactors under investment pact SEOUL, September 07 (AJP) - South Korea and the United States are set to include a plan to pursue the construction of eight nuclear power reactors in the United States in their bilateral strategic investment framework, a ruling-party lawmaker confirmed to AJP on Monday. The lawmaker, who serves on the National Assembly’s Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, said the plan to pursue eight reactors would be included in the framework governing the two countries& September 7, 2026