1+ hour, 41+ min ago (433+ words) National Unification minister meets US envoy, stresses bilateral cooperation in resuming US-NK dialogue Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 21:50:59 Unification Minister Chung Dong-young underscored the importance of close South Korea-US cooperation in resuming dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang in his meeting with acting US Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim on Tuesday. According to the unification ministry, Chung noted that a "window of opportunity" has opened for such a resumption following summits held on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in late October and said the period leading up to planned US-China talks in April will be an important one. The unification minister added South Korea will strengthen efforts to play its role as a "pacemaker" to help set up summit talks between Pyongyang and Washington and explained ongoing efforts by Seoul to restore inter-Korean ties. Chung and Kim agreed to closely…...

3+ hour, 22+ min ago (536+ words) National S. Korea asks Lone Star to reimburse legal costs after winning annulment in investor dispute Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 20:09:44 The Ministry of Justice said Tuesday it has sent a letter to Lone Star requesting the private equity fund to reimburse legal costs incurred during an investor-state dispute settlement over the 2012 sale of a local bank. The move came after the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes recently ruled in favor of South Korea, nullifying its earlier decision ordering Seoul to pay Lone Star $216.5 million in compensation plus interest. Under the ruling, Lone Star is required to pay South Korea's legal costs incurred during the proceedings within 30 days, or by Dec. 18. In the letter, the ministry requested Lone Star to pay a combined 7.4 billion won ($5 million), including legal costs incurred during the proceeding as well as interest. "We will do our best…...

3+ hour, 26+ min ago (389+ words) National Lee pays tribute at Korean War Memorial in Ankara Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 20:05:42 President Lee Jae Myung paid tribute at the Korean War Memorial in Ankara on Tuesday and met with Turkish veterans who fought in the 195053 conflict, honoring their service and sacrifice. Lee laid a wreath of red and blue flowers -- the colors of the South Korean national flag -- at the memorial and observed a moment of silence, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung. Four surviving Turkish veterans and 13 family members of fallen service members attended the ceremony. Turkey dispatched more than 21,000 troops to the 1950-53 Korean War to fight alongside the United Nations forces, making it the fourth-largest contributor after the United States, Britain and Canada. Lee described Turkey as a "brotherly nation" during his summit with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, noting that Turkey sent troops…...

4+ hour, 58+ min ago (708+ words) Life&Culture [Stars up close] Why Park Jeong-min is going viral as Korea's most down-to-earth star Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 18:33:52 The versatile character actor has carved out an unlikely niche " beloved by cinephiles and the terminally online alike Rather than sulking, Park bounded onto the stage to join singer Hwasa for a performance of "Good Goodbye"" recreating scenes from her music video in which he'd starred " before shouting "Take the shoes!" as she made her exit. Within hours, social media had crowned him "No-Trophy Park," a joking term of endearment that somehow felt like the night's real prize. This is the curious case of Park Jeong-min. Unlike most leading men who maintain a carefully cultivated mystique, the 38-year-old actor has for some time been a cult figure among Korea's younger, predominantly male, terminally online crowd " as much through his acclaimed filmography as…...

5+ hour, 2+ min ago (521+ words) Business Samsung, Reliance chiefs push deeper AI-chip alliance Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 18:30:00 Samsung Electronics Chair Lee Jae-yong met with Mukesh Ambani, chair of India's Reliance Industries and Asia's richest business leader, in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss expanding cooperation in future growth sectors, including semiconductors, next-generation telecommunications, AI data centers and batteries, the Korean tech giant said. During the meeting, Samsung presented Ambani with a full lineup of its latest technologies from AI and extended reality devices to foundry services, data center solutions, next-generation communication systems, advanced displays, cloud platforms, batteries, energy storage systems and engineering capabilities. Ambani also tested Samsung's Galaxy XR devices and next-gen micro RGB displays. Reliance, long centered on petrochemicals and retail, has been accelerating its push into information and communications technology. It is currently building the world's largest AI data center in India, heightening expectations for deeper…...

7+ hour, 17+ min ago (544+ words) Business Seoul shares snap 2-day drop on hopes for rate cut, eased AI fear; won rebounds Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 16:15:11 South Korean stocks rose slightly Tuesday to end a two-session losing streak as revived hopes for a US rate cut and eased fears over artificial intelligence uncertainties boosted appetite for risky assets. The local currency gained sharply against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 11.72 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 3,857.78. It marked the first daily gain since Friday, when it tumbled 3.79 percent. Trade volume was light at 275.5 million shares worth 13.1 trillion won ($8.9 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 553 to 325. Foreign investors led the rebound, purchasing a net 116 billion won worth of stocks, while institutions and individuals dumped a net 79.3 billion won and 27.5 billion won, respectively. Overnight on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.44 percent and the…...

7+ hour, 27+ min ago (339+ words) National Bad air day in Seoul Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 16:05:15 Most parts of South Korea experienced high levels of fine and ultrafine airborne dust, as northwesterly winds carried yellow dust from China. As of Tuesday morning, ultrafine dust levels in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province reached "very bad" levels " above 76 micrograms per cubic meter " with Seoul recording 92 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Most other parts of South Korea reported "bad" levels of fine and ultrafine dust, while only North and South Gyeongsang provinces saw "moderate" levels. Air quality rapidly worsened from Sunday as yellow dust from the Gobi Desert in China was carried in by northwesterly winds. A wildfire burning in northeastern China has further deteriorated air conditions as of Tuesday afternoon, the National Institute of Environmental Research said. The KMA forecast that poor air quality would…...

7+ hour, 35+ min ago (670+ words) Business Seoul's FX defense faces rising US pressure Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 15:56:36 As the National Pension Service moves to help stabilize the weakening won, a new challenge looms: mounting pressure from Washington for greater transparency in Korea's foreign exchange practices. On Monday, South Korean foreign exchange authorities and the NPS held the first meeting of a new consultative body aimed at addressing the won's slide against the dollar. Although officials did not disclose specific measures, several options are under consideration, and each carries political and regulatory implications. One tool available to the NPS is adjusting its foreign exchange hedging strategy. If the pension fund deploys a more active hedge, it could free up as much as 10 percent of its dollar-denominated foreign assets, worth $376.71 billion as of the end of May. This would effectively inject roughly $38 billion into the market and ease downward…...

7+ hour, 42+ min ago (1104+ words) National Game of numbers in Korean politics: fight over vote rules Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 15:50:10 Updated : Nov. 25, 2025 - 15:50:42 Parties' in-fighting grows amid plans to change candidate selection rules South Korea's two major political parties are moving to rewrite their primary rules ahead of next June's local elections, setting off contentious internal battles over who should hold greater sway in shaping their candidate slates. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party are both seeking to give greater influence to dues-paying members in their internal primaries, though they are pursuing sharply different paths to get there. Across the aisle, critics warn that increasing the weight of members' votes risks amplifying the voices of party loyalists in both camps, widening their distance from the broader electorate, including moderate voters. The People Power Party is moving to raise the weight of…...

7+ hour, 45+ min ago (660+ words) Business Samsung taps new AI talent in biggest reshuffle in years Published : Nov. 25, 2025 - 15:47:18 Tech giant elevates rising leaders in AI, robotics, advanced chips as part of accelerated generational shift Samsung Electronics on Tuesday carried out its largest executive promotion round in recent years, elevating a wave of rising leaders in AI, robotics and advanced chips as the tech giant accelerates a generational shift for the AI era. In its annual reshuffle, Samsung promoted 161 employees to executive positions " a sharp increase from 143 in 2023 and 137 in 2024 " signaling a pivot toward younger, next-generation leadership capable of steering the tech giant through intensifying global competition. "This year's promotions reflect our commitment to stay ahead of rapid industrial changes and secure leadership in AI, robotics and semiconductors," the company said. "The executives promoted have delivered measurable results across core businesses." The new lineup includes 51 vice…...