North Korea holds world's third-largest stash of bitcoins

SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - North Korea is estimated to hold the third-largest amount of bitcoin in the world, following a series of covert cyberattacks targeting cryptocurrencies, a recent analysis reveals. A hacker group called Lazarus, which is thought to be linked with the North Korean regime, currently holds approximately 13,562 bitcoins valued at US$1.14 billion, according to cryptocurrency exchange Binance and blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence. That puts North Kore

March 19, 2025

K-beauty YouTuber draws crowds at Leferi's latest Seoul pop-up

SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - A new pop-up store by global beauty retail company Leferi is drawing throngs of visitors at The Hyundai Seoul department store, offering rare in-person consultations with Minsco, a prominent Korean beauty creator. Since its launch on March 14, "Minsco Select Store" has captivated fans eager to receive personalized makeup advice from the influencer, who has amassed more than 810,000 subscribers across social media. The store marks Leferi’s

March 19, 2025

Activists urge referral of North Korean leader to international criminal court

SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - Human rights groups called for North Korea to be held accountable for human rights violations and other alleged crimes against humanity at a forum in Geneva earlier this week. Hosted by Seoul-based non-profit organization People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE) and other advocacy groups, the event as part of this year's regular session of the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday shed light on the North Korean regime's heinous and brutal crim

March 19, 2025

Credit card delinquency rate hits decade-high in South Korea

SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - The delinquency rate for credit card companies in South Korea climbed to its highest level in a decade last year, as tightening bank loan regulations and worsening economic conditions placed additional strain on borrowers. The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) reported that the delinquency rate for the country’s eight major credit card firms reached 1.65 percent at the end of 2024, marking a 0.2 percentage point increase from the previous year. This f

March 19, 2025

SK hynix showcases advanced AI memory solutions at Nvidia's GTC 2025

SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - SK hynix is making a prominent appearance at Nvidia’s Global AI Conference, GTC 2025, taking place from March 17 to 21. Under the theme “Memory, Powering AI and Tomorrow,” the company is showcasing a suite of cutting-edge memory products designed for artificial intelligence applications across data centers, on-device computing, and the automotive sector. Among the highlights of SK hynix’s exhibit is its HBM3E 12-layer high-bandwidth

March 19, 2025

PHOTOS: Spring flowers laden with late snow

SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - The country witnessed a spring snow on March 18, transforming newly emerged flowers into a striking tableau of winter and spring.

March 19, 2025

US biotech firms urge Korea to ease restrictions on modified crops

SEOUL, March 19 (AJP) - U.S. biotechnology companies are pressing South Korea to revise its laws governing living modified organisms (LMOs), arguing that the country’s approval process for agricultural imports is overly stringent and lacks transparency. The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the world’s largest biotech trade group based in Washington, recently submitted a formal request to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), describing

March 19, 2025

Foreign ministers of South Korea, China, and Japan to sit for talks in Tokyo this weekend

SEOUL, March 18 (AJP) - The foreign ministers of Korea, China, and Japan will hold talks in Tokyo this weekend, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. Minister Cho Tae-yul will leave for the island country on Friday to sit for a trilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, slated for Saturday. The upcoming meeting comes more than a year after the last one, which took place in the southern port city of Busan in November 2023.

March 18, 2025

Attempted leak of nuclear-related software possible cause behind South Korea's inclusion in 'sensitive country' list

SEOUL, March 18 (AJP) - The recent revelation that South Korea has been classified as a "sensitive country" by the U.S. appears to have been triggered by an attempted leak of nuclear reactor design technology. A semiannual report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) disclosed that an employee at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was caught attempting to board a flight to South Korea with software related to nuclear reactors, resulting in the termination of

March 18, 2025

Food, restaurant chains raise delivery prices despite lower app fees

SEOUL, March 18 (AJP) - A growing number of South Korean restaurants are charging higher prices for delivery orders than for in-store purchases, despite recent changes in commission rates by major food delivery platforms. Industry sources said Tuesday that several major chains, including Ediya Coffee, Mom's Touch, and Gupne Chicken, have adopted dual pricing structures for delivery orders. Ediya Coffee, which operates approximately 3,000 stores nationwide, announced that st

March 18, 2025