Label control battle casts shadow over NewJeans' comeback

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - An apparent power struggle over control of the music label behind NewJeans is casting a shadow over the highly anticipated comeback of the popular K-pop girl group. Entertainment giant HYBE said Monday it is conducting an audit of the management of its affiliate, ADOR, on suspicion that CEO Min Hee-jin is seeking to take over the management control of the label. The investigation, launched on the same day, targets Min and another ADOR executive, acco

April 23, 2024

N. Korean leader praises accuracy of short-range ballistic missiles

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has praised the accuracy of Pyongyang's short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) after guiding a nuclear counterattack drill on Monday. Kim said that the drill was part of efforts to enhance its tactical nuclear strike capabilities, which are being developed as deterrents against hostile activities by South Korea and its allied forces. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired multiple SR

April 23, 2024

Opinion: Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department and the art of melodrama

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - Taylor Swift album drops have become cultural moments – whether or not you are a fan of her music. Each album in the Swift catalogue seeks to open up new themes, discussion, sounds and ideas, while retaining a sense of familiarity that doesn't alienate fans. Lyrically, The Tortured Poets Department is a euphoric rejection of societal expectations. It embraces all the Taylor-isms her fans have come to know and love, from her one-note melodies

April 23, 2024

Opinion: A global plastics treaty is being negotiated in Ottawa this week

SEOUL, April 23 (AJU PRESS) - Plastic pollution spans the globe, yet national policies are generally not effective enough, and have so far focused primarily on waste management rather than targeting the root cause. To make matters worse, the global trade in plastic waste tends to push waste to parts of the world with the least capacity to manage it. On this basis, in March 2022, nearly 200 nations endorsed a historic resolution to develop a new global and legally binding agreement o

April 23, 2024

Hyundai Motor, Matrix Renewables sign solar energy deal for EV plant in US

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) - Hyundai Motor Group will use solar energy to power its electric vehicle plant currently under construction in Georgia, the Korean conglomerate said Monday. Hyundai has recently signed a 147-megawatt power purchase agreement (PPA) with Matrix Renewables, under which the carmaker will receive electricity generated from the Spanish firm’s 210-megawatt solar power project in Texas, slated to begin operations in October 2025. In the largest renew

April 22, 2024

Korean oil refiners harness pyrolysis technology to recycle plastics

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) - Major Korean oil refiners are ramping up projects to utilize pyrolysis technology for recycling plastic products as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions. In the thermal decomposition process, extreme heat and pressure are used to break down plastics into crude oil or raw polymer material. GS Caltex said on Monday it utilizes crude oil extracted through a pyrolysis recycling process to produce petroleum products at its plant located in the sou

April 22, 2024

Russia pushes back against cancellations of ballet shows in Seoul

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) – Russia has criticized South Korea over the recent cancellations of Russian ballet performances in Seoul amid Moscow's ongoing war against Ukraine. Last week, a Bolshoi Ballet show scheduled for April 16-18 was called off one day before the opening. In March, the performance by Russian star ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, scheduled for April 17-21, was abruptly scrapped at the last minute. In an Instagram post on Friday (local time), the Russ

April 22, 2024

Korea witnesses aging workforce trend in SME labor market

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) - Amidst Korea's rapidly aging population and a trend of young individuals steering clear of smaller enterprises, the labor market has seen a rise in the number of older workers in 2023. Data from Statistics Korea revealed on Monday that individuals in their 20s and 30s comprised 30.9 percent of the total small-and-medium-sized enterprise (SME) workforce of 25.3 million. Employees aged 50 and above constituted 47.8 percent of the workforce. The p

April 22, 2024

AI translation service for foreigners gains momentum in Korea

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) - The booming tourism industry is driving the adoption of innovative solutions, with AI translation services taking center stage. These services, capable of real-time speech-to-text conversion, are removing language barriers for non-Korean speaking visitors. Leading the charge is Lotte Department Store, a subsidiary of the Lotte Group. Recognizing the influx of foreign customers, particularly at its Jamsil branch, which is receiving roughly 700 daily inqu

April 22, 2024

Opinion: Bitcoin is halving again – what does that mean for cryptocurrency and market?

SEOUL, April 22 (AJU PRESS) - Bitcoin, the largest and most talked about digital asset, has been on a rollercoaster of a ride since its launch in January 2009. With a market capitalization that reached a high of more than US$1.4 trillion (£1.125 trillion) this February and volatile swings since, bitcoin has attracted lots of attention recently. Now a hotly anticipated recurring event that happens roughly every four years is taking place: the bitcoin halving. This could have

April 22, 2024