South Korea reports over 3,000 crime victims in Philippines

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Over 3,180 South Koreans fell victim to crimes including murder and robbery in the Philippines from 2020 through the first half of 2024, yet no safety agreements exist between the two nations, according to parliamentary audit data released on Thursday. The Philippines ranks as the third-highest country for Korean casualties in the Asia-Pacific region, following China (6,054) and Japan (3,621), with total incidents reaching 26,226 across the region. South

October 24, 2024

SK hynix posts record quarterly earnings on AI chip boom

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - South Korean chipmaker SK hynix on Thursday reported its highest-ever quarterly sales and profits, driven by surging demand for artificial intelligence memory chips. The world's second-largest memory chip manufacturer said in a regulatory filing it posted 17.57 trillion won ($13 billion) in revenue for the third quarter, up 93.8 percent from a year earlier. Operating profit was 7.03 trillion won ($5.2 billion), swinging from an operating loss of 1.79

October 24, 2024

UN delays Gaza polio vaccination due to ongoing conflict

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - UN agencies have postponed a polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza due to Israeli airstrikes, mass displacement, and limited access. The second phase of the campaign, aimed at vaccinating 120,000 children following Gaza's first polio case in 25 years, was scheduled to start on Wednesday but was delayed. Israel's military offensive in Jabalia, targeting Hamas fighters, has left over 400 people dead and displaced 60,000 since it began two weeks

October 24, 2024

Hezbollah confirms death of successor in Israeli airstrike

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Hezbollah has confirmed on Tuesday that cleric Hashem Safieddine, expected to become its next leader, was killed in an Israeli airstrike nearly three weeks ago. The Israeli military announced Safieddine's death on Tuesday night, stating that he was targeted in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut. Hezbollah mourned him as a "great leader and martyr" who lived an "honorable life." Safieddine, head of Hezbollah's executive

October 24, 2024

Korea's economy edges up 0.1% in third quarter

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - South Korea's economy grew by just 0.1 percent in the third quarter, the Bank of Korea said Thursday, falling well short of the central bank's August forecast of 0.5 percent. Korea's real gross domestic product (GDP) regained growth momentum in the July-September period after a 0.2 percent contraction in the second quarter, which followed unexpected growth of 1.3 percent in the first quarter. Exports fell 0.4 percent in the third quarter, dra

October 24, 2024

BOJ's Ueda signals concerns over gradual rate hikes

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda expressed concerns about potential risks associated with an overly cautious approach to monetary tightening, emphasizing the need for balanced policy decisions. Speaking at a Washington event during the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank meetings on Wednesday, Ueda highlighted the dangers of maintaining low interest rates for extended periods, warning that such a strategy could foster speculative market beha

October 24, 2024

China to launch monthlong consumption campaign in five major cities

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - China will initiate a monthlong campaign to boost consumer spending in November, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday. The campaign will take place in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing and feature a variety of activities aimed at promoting consumption in shopping, dining, tourism, exhibitions, and performances. Local authorities and relevant departments have been instructed to refine their plans and introduce effective measures t

October 24, 2024

Xi meets Modi at BRICS summit, calls for cooperation on development goals

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS summit on Thursday. Analysts in China highlighted the meeting's strategic importance, suggesting that improved China-India relations benefit both countries and contribute to a multipolar world order. During their conversation in Kazan, Russia, Xi urged both nations to support each other's development ambitions, stressing the need for enhanced

October 24, 2024

OPINION: Why more men and fewer white women say they will vote for Trump in US election

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Donald Trump is leading Kamala Harris by 11 percentage points with male voters, according to a recent New York Times poll. Trump is carving out a definitive advantage with U.S. men. While Trump's core support comes from white men, he has also made notable gains with Hispanic-American and African-American men. Though Trump has repeatedly denigrated Hispanics and regularly uses anti-immigrant rhetoric, this has not been a deal breaker for the Latino commu

October 24, 2024

Meta faces new legal challenges in Japan over fraudulent ads

SEOUL, October 24 (AJP) - Social media giant Meta Platforms Inc., owner of Facebook and Instagram, is set to face multiple lawsuits in Japan over cryptocurrency scam advertisements that falsely used celebrity endorsements. The litigation announced on Wednesday, will be filed by about 30 plaintiffs across five district courts including Saitama, Chiba and Osaka, targeting both Meta and its Japanese subsidiary. They are seeking damages of about 300 million yen (US$1.9 million). The

October 24, 2024