Documentary featuring Korea-born panda hits theaters

SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - "My Dearest Fu Bao" featuring Fu Bao, Korea's first panda born here, hit local theaters in Korea on Wednesday. The documentary film explores Fu Bao's 1,354-day stay in Korea, as well as the journey of her parents, Ai Bao and Le Bao, from their arrival in the country. It highlights her emotional bond with her zookeepers and their mutual interactions until their farewell in April this year. Fu Bao left Korea to settle in her new

September 4, 2024

Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister to visit Seoul this week

SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to visit Korea later this week, the presidential office said on Tuesday. After arriving in Seoul on Friday for a two-day visit, the outgoing Japanese leader will hold talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon and Kishida are expected to "review their bilateral cooperation, assess achievements, and discuss future directions to strengthen regional and global stability." It will be Kishida's 12th me

September 4, 2024

Samsung unveils new laptop with advanced AI capabilities

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has introduced its latest laptop, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, featuring Intel's next-generation AI chipset. The device is equipped with the Intel Core Ultra Processor Series 2, supporting up to 47 tera operations per second (TOPS) neural processing unit (NPU) and enhancing AI application compatibility and graphics performance. The laptop integrates with Galaxy smartphones, allowing users to access Galaxy AI features on the PC's la

September 4, 2024

More patients rejected from emergency rooms amid doctors' strike

SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - The number of patients being turned away from emergency rooms (ERs) has more than doubled due to a medical vacuum caused by trainee doctors protesting the government's plan to increase medical school admissions, the National Fire Agency (NFA) said Wednesday. From February to Aug. 25 this year, the NFA redirected some 1,197 ambulances to other hospitals after they were rejected at ERs — a 131 percent increase from 678 cases during the same period

September 4, 2024

Amid declining sales, Audi closes several service centers in Korea

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - German luxury automaker Audi is grappling with declining sales in Korea, leading to the closure of several local service centers. Audi's new vehicle registrations in Korea from January to July this year totaled 4,524 units, marking a 59.4 percent decrease compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA). In July, Audi registered 921 vehicles, placing seventh among importe

September 4, 2024

KAI showcases latest fighters, helicopters at Egypt air show

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), one of the country's largest aerospace and defense companies, said on Wednesday it is showcasing aircraft at the Egypt International Air Show (EIAS) in El Alamein, aiming to expand its presence in African and Middle Eastern markets. The three-day event, which opened Tuesday, features about 200 companies from 80 countries displaying approximately 50 military and commercial aircraft. KAI is presenting its FA-50 multi-purpose

September 4, 2024

Gyeongbokgung Palace invites visitors to experience royal delicacies this fall

SEOUL, September 4 (AJP) - Visitors are invited to indulge in a taste of royal cuisine at Gyeongbokgung Palace in central Seoul this fall. A culinary program at the historic palace, which began on Wednesday, runs until the end of October, offering a unique opportunity to savor traditional Korean confectionery and refreshments once served to royal families. "This special experience allows visitors to sample royal court desserts and medicinal teas through the reenactment of the k

September 4, 2024

POSCO secures stake in world's second-largest graphite reserve in Tanzania

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - POSCO International, the trading arm of Korea's steel group POSCO, has agreed to invest $40 million in a graphite mine project in Tanzania. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy announced Tuesday the company signed a deal to increase the POSCO group’s stake in Black Rock Mining (BRM), which owns the Mahenge graphite mine, to 19.9 percent. POSCO Holdings had previously invested $7.5 million in the Australian company. The Mahenge mine is es

September 4, 2024

Bus drivers in Gyeonggi withdraw strike plan after reaching last-minute deal

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - Unionized bus drivers in Gyeonggi Province withdrew their strike plan on Wednesday after reaching a last-minute settlement with their employers. The two sides agreed to a 7 percent wage increase, lower than the unions’ original demands of 12.32 percent and 21.86 percent, following a 12-hour negotiation that concluded at 3 a.m. The federation of unions, which represents 16,000 drivers from 45 companies in the province surrounding Seoul, had planned t

September 4, 2024

OPINION: The harsh process of becoming K-pop star is opening to western performers

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - "Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience" is a six-part reality show following five British trainees over 100 days as they debut as a Korean-pop (K-pop) idol boy group called Dear Alice. In collaboration with SM Entertainment, a K-pop powerhouse, the show will introduce the behind-the-scenes of making a K-pop idol through an immersive training system. Showing a glimpse of the lives of K-pop trainees, the first episode introduces K-pop as a multi-billion

September 4, 2024