Kia to enter US pickup truck market

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Kia Corp. announced Thursday it will invest 42 trillion won, or about $31.5 billion, over the next five years as it ramps up its transition to electric vehicles and expands its global manufacturing footprint. The investment, disclosed during the company’s annual CEO Investor Day, represents a 10 percent increase over Kia’s previous five-year plan and is aimed at boosting annual production capacity to 4.25 million vehicles by 2030. The figure avera

April 10, 2025

Kazakh Kurultai in Seoul brings together diaspora communities across Asia

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - The second Kurultai of Kazakhs in Asia was held in South Korea from Apr. 5 to 6, drawing over 200 participants from ethnic Kazakh communities in Korea, Malaysia, Japan, China, and Mongolia, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Korea said Wednesday. A Kurultai is a traditional assembly rooted in Turkic and Mongol cultures, historically convened to discuss important political, social, or cultural matters. In the modern context, the Kurultai serves as

April 10, 2025

Trump scales back tariffs for allies, escalates trade pressure on China

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - President Donald Trump abruptly scaled back his sweeping tariff plan on April 9, temporarily exempting about 70 countries from the brunt of his trade actions while dramatically escalating pressure on China with a punitive 125 percent tariff. The policy reversal came just 13 hours after the White House enacted a set of country-specific reciprocal tariffs that rattled global markets and drew criticism from U.S. allies. Under the revised framework, trading pa

April 10, 2025

Korean chipmakers on edge as Trump's agenda roils global supply chain

Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of stories examining how the Trump administration's economic policies affect South Korea's key industries. From trade restrictions to shifting global supply chains, we explore the challenges businesses faced, how they adapted, and the lasting effects on the country's economy. SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - South Korea's semiconductor companies are navigating a new wave of uncertainty as U.S. President Donald Trump escalates h

April 10, 2025

INTERVIEW: Seoul-based music agency connects K-pop with global market through creative works

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Amid the rising global popularity of K-pop, AMPLIFIED, an agency that helps artists and songwriters connect with music labels while managing their copyrights and other related matters, is expanding its reach. With a small but skilled team of around 20 international specialists with a keen ear for potential chart-toppers and global hits, it boasts its expertise in the music industry. Among them is London-based renowned team LDN Noise, which collaborated wit

April 10, 2025

Trump suggests broader 'package' deal for defense cost-sharing along with trade issues

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - President Donald Trump apparently intends to leverage his sweeping tariff policy to address a broader range of issues, including trade and security concerns, with U.S. allies and other countries as part of a "package" deal, which he previously described as his "one-stop shopping" approach. When asked if Washington has any plans to withdraw or reduce its troops from Europe, Trump told journalists in the Oval Office on Wednesday, "It de

April 10, 2025

[UPDATE] Lee Jae-myung confirms presidential run, pledging to lead a 'real Korea' with K-Initiative vision

SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - Lee Jae-myung, former leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, officially declared his candidacy for president on Thursday, becoming the first prominent figure to launch a bid following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. In a video message, Lee vowed to build a “real Korea” that leads the world under a new K-Initiative vision focused on economic growth, life-centered values, and diplomacy based on national interes

April 10, 2025

Presidential race heats up as key candidates declare bids

SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - Political heavyweights and key figures are rushing into the upcoming presidential race to fill the power vacuum left by the ouster of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The snap election, scheduled for June 3, follows the Constitutional Court of Korea's unanimous decision last week to impeach Yoon over his botched martial law debacle late last year. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), resigned from his post on Wedn

April 9, 2025

INTERVIEW: Peruvian envoy highlights APEC collaboration, green cooperation and cultural ties with Korea

SEOUL, April 09 (AJP) - Paul Duclos, Ambassador of Peru to South Korea, praised the evolving partnership between the two nations, describing it as “an excellent relationship that has adapted itself over time to changing bilateral and global interests.” In an interview held on Apr. 8, the ambassador reflected on over six decades of diplomatic ties, emphasized multilateral collaboration through Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and detailed strategic areas for fu

April 9, 2025

From pizza to cream buns, baseball-themed treats soar

SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - On a sunny April afternoon, the stands at Jamsil Baseball Stadium pulse with energy. Fans in team jerseys cheer between bites of cream-filled buns, and vendors weave through the crowd with boxes of limited-edition pizza shaped for one-handed snacking — perfect for keeping the other hand free to wave rally towels. This is baseball season in South Korea. But beyond the roar of the crowd and the crack of the bat, another game is unfolding — one being

April 9, 2025