Opinion: France's headscarf ban in 2024 Summer Olympics reflects narrow view of national identity, writes scholar of European studies

SEOUL, May 30 (AJU PRESS) - The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris have sparked a discussion about whether female Muslim athletes who wear a headscarf should be allowed to compete. In September 2023, the International Olympic Committee, upholding freedom of religious and cultural expression for all athletes, announced that athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Games can wear a hijab without any restriction. French athletes, however, are bound by France's strict separation of

May 30, 2024

U.S. senator proposes redeploying tactical nukes to Seoul

SEOUL, May 30 (AJU PRESS) - A high-ranking U.S. official has brought up the idea of redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to Seoul as a deterrent against increasing threats from North Korea. In a report released on Wednesday, Senator Roger Wicker, the top-ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services said, "North Korea continues to outpace expectations with respect to its nuclear and missile programs, with capabilities that can target the continental Unite

May 30, 2024

HD Hyundai Electric wins transformer order from Britain's National Grid

SEOUL, May 30 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's HD Hyundai Electric has sealed an 82.1 billion won ($59.7 million) order to supply high-voltage transformers to National Grid, a British electricity and gas utility company. Nine 400-kilovolt and 275-kilovolt transformers will be provided to the London-based firm until 2027, the electrical equipment maker said in a regulatory filing Wednesday. They will be installed at five substations across Britain run by National Grid. The contract's

May 30, 2024

N. Korea fires barrage of short-range missiles into East Sea

SEOUL, May 30 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea fired a barrage of missiles into the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday. According to the JCS, North Korea launched about 10 projectiles, presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), from Sunan near Pyongyang at around 6:14 a.m. (2114 GMT) on Thursday. The missiles flew approximately 350 kilometers (217 miles) before crashing into the sea. South Korea's military authorities speculated that

May 30, 2024

Samsung under probe after two workers exposed to radiation

SEOUL, May 30 (AJU PRESS) - South Korean authorities are investigating after two workers at a Samsung Electronics semiconductor plant were exposed to radiation, rekindling longstanding concerns about safety lapses at the tech giant's production lines. The workers were operating an X-ray inspection machine on a chip production line at Samsung's plant in Giheung, south of Seoul, on Monday when their hands were accidentally exposed to radiation, the Nuclear Safety and Securit

May 30, 2024

Opinion: Could Korea become a model for tackling illegal tiger trade?

SEOUL, May 30 (AJU PRESS) - The illegal wildlife trade is one of the greatest threats to all Asian big cats – tigers, leopards, snow leopards and Asiatic lions, as well as lesser-known species including clouded leopards and the Asiatic cheetah. For that reason, Asian big cats are some of the most strictly protected animals under international law and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, better known as Cites. But the illegal tr

May 30, 2024

Foreign ownership of LG Electronics soars on charge into AI markets

SEOUL, May 30 (AJU PRESS) - Foreign ownership of LG Electronics has exceeded 31 percent for the first time in two years and eight months with the Korean conglomerate expanding into artificial intelligence markets. As of Tuesday, foreign holdings in LG Electronics stood at 31.18 percent, according to Korean financial information provider FnGuide. Foreign investors made net purchases of about 200 billion won ($146.4 million) in May alone. Institutional investors also net purchased m

May 30, 2024

Non-alcoholic options now available at restaurants and bars in Korea

SEOUL, May 29 (AJU PRESS) - Restaurants and bars are now able to sell no- and low-alcohol beverages, such as non-alcoholic beer or non-alcoholic wine, following the recent amendment to Korea's relevant law took effect on Tuesday. Previously, wholesalers were banned from supplying restaurants with premade or mass-produced beverages containing less than one percent alcohol. Non-drinkers, attending corporate drinking parties or other events, had to consume something else like w

May 29, 2024

Chinese-lettered Gwanghwamun signboard harms national pride, Hangeul campaigners say

SEOUL, May 29 (AJU PRESS) - A group of scholars and activists demanded Wednesday the government replace the Chinese-lettered signboard of Gwanghwamun, a landmark gate in central Seoul, with one written in the Korean alphabet, Hangeul, citing concerns about national pride and cultural identity. About 20 advocates of Hangeul held a news conference in front of the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, organized by the Korean Language Society and other Hangeul-related institutions.

May 29, 2024

Samsung Electronics union calls first-ever strike

SEOUL, May 29 (AJU PRESS) - Unionized workers at Samsung Electronics on Wednesday declared the first-ever strike in the company’s 55-year history. The National Samsung Electronics Union, representing 22 percent of employees, announced a one-day walkout on June 7 to press their demand for wage hikes. “We declare a strike in the face of management's disregard for workers,” the union said at a news conference after wage negotiations fell apart the previous da

May 29, 2024