News

[Weather] Improved air quality, warmer than usual but freezing over Seollal holiday

2025/01/24 10:00

Yesterday's improved air quality was much appreciated. We should have normal air quality except for some of the central regions including here in Seoul with morning dust. A mix of snow and rain is in the forecast for east coast regions, which should help to ease the dryness in the air. Mountainous regions in Gangwon-do Province will see heavier snowfall of up to 15 centimeters into Saturday. Early spring warmth continues with a high of 9 degrees in the capital, 서울 and Gwangju at 12 degrees under sunny skies. Traffic has been much heavier this week. In Korea, it's common that before a holiday, people visit their business partners and clients to hand out gifts, exchange gifts, and wish them a happy new year. Warmer temperatures continue over the weekend but those traveling on the east coast need to drive with care. There is nationwide wintry precipitation in the forecast early next week and that will bring freezing air back to the country over Seollal holiday week. Plan accordingly for travel!

Corpse flower blooms in Sydney for the first time in 15 years

2025/01/24 10:00

Finally to Australia, where Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden saw the blooming of a "corpse flower," or Putricia, for the first time in 15 years on Thursday. The rare flower, which is native to Sumatra, Indonesia, is known for its pungent odor, often compared to rotting flesh. The occasion attracted over 20,000 visitors, as the flower's bloom is a significant event, due to its rarity and brief 24-hour lifespan. Visitors endured lines exceeding two hours to witness the rare spectacle, and some described the scent as being like a dead animal.

China FM says no abnormalities detected in Fukushima seawater sample

2025/01/24 10:00

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Thursday that recent tests of seawater samples collected near Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant revealed no abnormalities. The first independent test of samples since October 2024, was conducted as part of an agreement between China and Japan, allowing stakeholders to perform independent sampling and monitoring, under the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency. China's foreign ministry spokesperson noted the limits of the significance of a single test result, and China has not yet hinted at lifting its ban on Japanese seafood imports, which was imposed in August 2023.

Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family pay settlement over OyContin crisis

2025/01/24 10:00

Also, in the U.S., Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family, on Thursday, agreed to a 7.4 billion U.S. dollar settlement, to resolve numerous lawsuits alleging their role in the U.S. opioid crisis through the marketing of their product, OxyContin. Under the settlement terms, the Sacklers will pay 6.5 billion U.S. dollars over 15 years, and give up their ownership of Purdue Pharma. An additional 900 million U.S. dollars will come from Purdue itself. The agreement follows the U.S. Supreme Court's rejection of a 6 billion dollar settlement that would have granted the Sacklers immunity from future civil lawsuits. The new settlement does not provide such immunity. The OxyContin crisis led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and addictions in the U.S. since the drug's release in 1996. The Sackler family continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Federal court blocks Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship

2025/01/24 10:00

Starting in the U.S., on Thursday, District Judge John Coughenour in Seattle put a two-week temporary halt, on President Donald Trump's executive order, aimed at ending birthright citizenship, calling it "blatantly unconstitutional." Trump's order sought to deny citizenship to children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents. The order challenges the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to anyone born in America, with a few minor exceptions. 22 states and several immigrant rights groups are challenging Trump's executive order, arguing that it would strip many individuals of their right to citizenship. The Justice Department plans to appeal Judge Coughenour's decision, asserting that the order correctly interprets the Constitution. The case, which represents an early setback for the Trump administration's immigration agenda, could potentially end up at the Supreme Court for a final decision.

Trump's Second Term Begins: What’s the path forward for South Korea's economy?

2025/01/23 20:00

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring you today's most pressing issues from across the globe, I'm Kim Mok-yeon. U.S. President Donald Trump is moving forward with his tariff agenda. He announced plans to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese goods starting February 1, citing China's role in fentanyl trafficking to Mexico and Canada. This follows his earlier decision to impose a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, also effective February 1, as part of his broader efforts to combat drug flows and illegal border crossings. While Trump has delayed announcing broader universal tariffs, economies around the world are keeping close tabs as the measure is expected to have wide-ranging impacts on global trade, including potential effects on domestic businesses. For more on the impact of Trump's economic policies, we invite Hwagyun Kim, Professor of Banking and Finance at Texas A&M University, Mays Business School. Welcome. Also joining us is Oh Joon-seok, Dean of the College of Economics and Business at Sookmyung Women's University. Great to have you with us again, Professor. (KIM) 1. So let's start with Professor Kim, although President Trump stated he would sign an executive order on universal tariffs on his first day in office, there was no mention of specifics in his inauguration speech. What do you think is the reason for this? (OH) 2. Following the news, the Korean won-dollar exchange rate has fallen to around 1,430 won in just one month. Some analysts suggest this may be due to expectations that Trump will adopt a more relaxed tariff policy. Professor Oh, Do you think the strong dollar trend will ease? (OH) 3. Trump has postponed the universal tariff policy for now, stating it's not yet ready, but if he proceeds with it, when do you think it will happen? What impact would this have on South Korean companies Professor Oh? (KIM) 4. While Trump has postponed the universal tariff, he has started to specify tariff pressures on Mexico, Canada, and China. On February 1st, the U.S. will impose a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico. Professor Kim, What is the background behind this? Is this a card for renegotiating the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement? (OH) 5. Many South Korean companies have entered Mexico and Canada as key gateways to the North American market. If the U.S. imposes the 25% tariff as planned, what impact will it have on South Korean companies Professor Oh? (KIM) 6. President Trump has stated that he is considering a 10% tariff on China starting February 1. During the election campaign, he promised to impose tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese products. Professor Kim, How do you foresee the future of the U.S.-China tariff war? (OH) 7. In response to Trump's tariff threats, what measures should the South Korean government take to minimize the damage? What are the ways to strengthen export capabilities Professor Oh? (KIM) 8. Many analysts suggest that the policies of the Trump 2.0 administration may worsen U.S. inflation. Given the current trends in prices Professor Kim, how do you assess Trump's immigration expulsion policies and the declaration of a national energy emergency as mentioned in his inauguration speech? (OH) 9. There is speculation that the Federal Reserve may keep the key interest rate unchanged until the end of the year due to Trump's inauguration. Professor Oh, What do you expect the outcome to be in the upcoming FOMC meeting next week? (KIM) 10. Meanwhile, there is no significant mention of cryptocurrency-related policies in Trump's inauguration speech or executive orders, and Bitcoin, which had fallen below $101,000 on inauguration day, is now showing signs of recovery. Professor Kim, What is your outlook for Bitcoin under the Trump 2.0 administration?

[Weather] Ultra-fine dust will clear a bit; rain or snow forecast on the east coast

2025/01/23 20:00

The skies have been filled with dust for four days now. The air quality in most parts of the country is still at a "bad" level with ultra-fine dust advisories still in place. As for the ultra-fine dust forecast, dust levels in many areas will gradually move back to "normal" levels tomorrow except for some areas in central and western parts of the country. Meanwhile, more rain or snow is forecast along the east coast between tomorrow night and Saturday to relieve the dryness. Until then, the atmosphere stays very dry with dry weather advisories. Tomorrow, Seoul will start off at minus 2 degrees Celsius, Chuncheon and Gyeongju at minus 5 degrees. Highs will move up to 9 degrees in Seoul. Daegu and Gyeongju will reach 12 degrees. Sunny and warm weather will be seen in inland areas this weekend. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

[Econ & Biz] Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Personalized AI at the core of Samsung's S25 strategy

2025/01/23 20:00

Samsung Electronics' Unpacked conference took place on Wednesday, local time, in San Jose, California. There, the tech giant unveiled its latest flagship smartphones the Galaxy S25 series with AI technology taking center stage. For a closer look, our business correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon joins us here. Hye-ryeon, tell us more about what's new. Well, Jung-min, I went to take a look at the new phones for myself in Gangnam today, and here's what I saw. The Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra are all equipped with new AI tools unseen in their predecessors unveiled as the firm's first AI smartphones a year ago. The new models will hit the shelves on February 7th in the same price range as the S24. They use Google's Gemini AI model alongside Samsung's in-house AI voice assistant Bixby, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chips for on-device processing – meaning that you don't have to be connected to the internet to be able to use AI functions. And these AI functions provide a key element in the S25 user experience: personalization. "With the S25, users can enjoy a seamless experience where the AI agent and personalized AI features make life easier—just say what you need, and the phone will recommend and handle it for you." For example, "Now Brief" and "Now Bar" is a new service that provides a morning feed catering to your personal preferences based on user data, as well as giving you updates throughout the day — such as giving you directions to your next meeting, or giving you a breakdown of the latest sports games you've missed based on what teams you follow. And this is another reason why on-device processing is so crucial – because personal data used to tailor these functions will only be stored and processed on the phone. With many using mobile phones to search the web, Gemini's search tool enables users to look up information from their own images and even videos. While the new AI features are the main focal point of the new phones, the hardware also boasts some upgrades. The new Ultra line has a 50-megapixel sensor on its ultra-wide rear camera in contrast to the S24's 12-megapixel sensor for better quality images and videos and also features a new, hardier screen. The series overall has rounded corners with a reduced bezel for a bigger display, and there's an even thinner model to come – called the Galaxy S25 Edge. This model was briefly previewed at the end of the Unpacked event, setting up competition in the skinny smartphone market, with Apple's ultrathin model expected to come later this year. Are there any other new reveals from Samsung Electronics alongside their new phones? Well, Jung-min, there's actually a new monthly service that they're launching called the "New Galaxy Club." Subscribers can choose between a 12-month or 24-month plan, and effectively purchase the latest Galaxy smartphone at half the upfront cost. Last month, Samsung entered the appliance subscription market with its AI products by introducing the "AI Subscription Club" service. I asked an expert about why Samsung Electronics might feel the need to launch such a service like this alongside its newest model, and here's what he said. "As data builds up, they can provide a variety of services powered by tailored AI and large language models. In the long term, they can use the smartphone's AI chip to deliver personalized services in real-time, and apply AI in specific areas to their needs." You mentioned earlier that Samsung Electronics is entering the ultrathin smartphone market alongside Apple — with the S25 series in general, where do they stand in terms of the competition out there? The smartphone industry right now is extremely competitive — not just between Samsung Electronics and Apple with the biggest portions of the pie, but Chinese companies too. Both Apple and Samsung Electronics saw a decline in shipments last year, according to data from the International Data Corporation — while Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi experienced the fastest growth with a more than 15 percent increase. But Samsung stands out with its diverse lineup of devices, positioning it to integrate AI across phones, cars, and home appliances seamlessly. "This is the only company in the world that has it all. Looking ahead to the AI era, if collaboration across the board becomes the norm and personalized AI services based on data become a part of everyday life, I think Samsung is in an incredibly strong position." Thank you for your report, Hye-ryeon. Thank you for having me.

More than 16,000 hospitals to open over Lunar New Year's holidays next week

2025/01/23 20:00

During the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays, or Seollal, around 16-thousand hospitals and clinics will provide services, with nearly 3-thousand being open on Lunar New Year's Day, which is January 29th. The health ministry stated on Thursday that more hospitals will be in operation than last year's Chuseok and Seollal holidays; the latter of which came before the country's prolonged medical standoff between doctors and the government. It also pledged to operate an emergency medical control center to monitor open hospitals, clinics and pharmacies to minimize gaps in the emergency medical system.

SK hynix, LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor report 2024 results; SK hynix achieve highest-ever performance

2025/01/23 20:00

On the corporate front. SK hynix staged a stellar performance last year on the back of strong demand for AI memory. Lee Eun-hee has more. SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chipmaker, has announced that it recorded its highest-ever revenue and operating profit in 2024, driven by the strong demand for High Bandwidth Memory. The company said Thursday that its revenue surpassed 66 trillion Korean won or around 46 billion U.S. dollars, marking a 102-percent increase compared to the previous year. Operating profit turned positive, soaring to just over 16 billion U.S. dollars. Last year's fourth quarter also saw a record-high operating profit of over 6 billion dollars. SK hynix reported record revenue, surpassing 2022 by over 14 billion U.S. dollars, and its operating profit exceeded the 2018 peak. One expert says the first half of this year is expected to be very promising, noting Trump's AI initiative. "Given the new launch of Trump government, semi-conductor industry in general and HBM in particular, there are a lot of good materials to push SK hynix's stock price at the moment. So it is quite in the short-term based." Meanwhile, LG Electronics achieved record-high revenue in 2024, reaching approximately 61 billion U.S. dollars, a 6-point 6 percent increase compared to the previous year. This growth was driven by strong performance in its core home appliance business and expanding automotive electronics sector, which has seen nine years of consecutive growth. This marks the company's highest revenue in two years. However, both annual and quarterly operating profit declined, attributed to slower recovery in global consumer electronics demand and rising logistics costs. The company experienced an "earnings shock" in quarter four, with operating profit halving and falling more than 56-percent year-on-year to over 93 million U.S. dollars. On the same day, Hyundai Motor also released last year's revenue data, reporting over 175 trillion Korean won or more than 121 billion U.S. dollars, which is up 7-point-7 percent on year, but operating profit declined 5-point-9 percent to around 9-point-7 U.S. dollars. Hyundai Motor's revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024 rose nearly 12 percent compared to the same period last year, driven by strong sales of high-value models, including hybrid and Genesis vehicles which boosted the average selling price. However, quarter four operating profit fell 17-percent to almost 2 billion U.S. dollars, impacted by higher incentives, external uncertainties, and a sharp rise in exchange rates. A Hyundai official stated that despite these challenges, the company continues to grow, supported by strong North American sales and increasing hybrid model sales. Lee Eun-hee, Arirang News.

S. Korea's economy grows 2% y/y in 2024 amid weak consumption, construction sector

2025/01/23 20:00

The South Korean economy marked a two-percent annual growth last year, slightly below earlier projections. Lee Soo-jin reports. South Korea's economy only showed modest growth in 2024. That's according to data from the Bank of Korea released on Thursday which shows that the country's gross domestic product a key indicator of economic growth grew 2 percent on-year in 2024. This was lower than both the central bank's November forecast of 2-point-2 percent and the government's forecast of 2-point-1 percent. "After our November forecast, political uncertainty in the country grew, and economic sentiment weakened which then impacted private consumption. Construction investment also remained sluggish as orders remained weak." In 2024,.. private consumption rose 1-point-1 percent, which was lower than the 1-point-8 percent increase of the year before while construction investment entered into negative territory. But as exports saw a sharp rise, jumping to 6-point-9 percent from 3-point-9 percent in 2023, leading economic growth, while modest, to be higher than that of last year's 1-point-4 percent on solid exports, a rise after three straight years of decline. As for the fourth quarter, economic growth expanded only point-1 percent on-quarter,.. and was also lower than the central bank's forecast. The central bank mainly attributed this to smaller growth in private and public spending as well as negative growth in construction investment. This follows an on-quarter increase of 1-point-3 percent in the first quarter, negative growth of point-2 percent in the second, and point-1 percent in the third quarter. With last year's economic growth hovering below forecasts, there are rising concerns about South Korea's economic growth this year, fueled by factors such as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. "Korean economy has been dependent on international trade and export to the United States. Multinational enterprises have promised to build a factory in the United States to avoid tariffs but as long as they make use of some parts from China they are still subject to tariffs." The Bank of Korea on Monday lowered this year's GDP growth forecast to as low as 1-point-6 percent, and the government to 1-point-8 percent in its 2025 economy policy plans released early this month. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.

Top diplomats of S. Korea and U.S. discuss bilateral alliance, N. Korea issues among others

2025/01/23 20:00

Moving on. The top diplomats of South Korea and the U.S. held their first phone call on Thursday, during which Washington stressed the alliance between the two countries. Also addressed was North Korea's nuclear issue. Our Kim Bo-kyoung gives us the details. South Korea and the U.S.'s top diplomats held their first phone talks on Thursday, and agreed to maintain close cooperation based on their countries' steadfast alliance. The talk between Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, and new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio came after President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president on Monday. Items discussed between the two included bilateral relations, the North Korea nuclear issue, and trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo. Welcoming Rubio's inauguration, Cho said he hopes the Seoul-Washington alliance that has continued for over 70 years will further develop under the new Trump administration. While saying the fact he is holding phone talks with Cho within 24 hours of taking office, Rubio emphasized that the two countries' alliance is the main pillar, the linchpin of peace and security on not only the Korean peninsula, but also the region. A statement released by the U.S. State Department said they also talked about trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo, emphasizing its critical importance. It noted how the two discussed ways to advance bilateral cooperation to address shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. "The trilateral security cooperation mechanism was said to have been created to address shared threats and crises in the Indo-Pacific, so the word "shared challenges" is not new. However, it is highly likely that this mechanism could be explicitly made to serve as a way to counter China." The North Korea nuclear issue was also included in their talks, and the two ministers agreed to maintain close coordination on this. The expert said Rubio a Trump loyalist, could compromise his thoughts despite being a traditionalist. "He holds the traditional Republican view on foreign affairs and security, putting importance on alliances and taking a principled approach to the North Korea issue. But as Rubio has become 'Trumpified,' there is a chance he might compromise his own views." Meanwhile, after Cho stressed the importance of close communication between Seoul and Washington, Rubio agreed, and invited him to the States to further discuss specific cooperative measures. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.

Live from Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office: Pres. Yoon's case transferred from CIO to prosecution

2025/01/23 20:00

Today, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials officially transferred its investigation of President Yoon Suk Yeol to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. For more, we have our Kim Jung-sil standing by live at the prosecution's office here in the capital city. Jung-sil, Welcome. Let's begin with this latest development. Thank you, Jung-min. The atmosphere here at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office is rather quiet this evening, with the investigation into President Yoon officially transferred here today. This morning, the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) formally requested the prosecution to take over the investigation into President Yoon, more than 50 days after his December 3rd martial law declaration. Take a listen to a comment from a CIO official earlier today. "The CIO has today decided to request the prosecution of the suspect in accordance with Article 26, Section 1 of the CIO Act, and has referred the case to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office." Why has the case been transferred earlier than expected, and what led to this decision? Jungmin, the case was handed over earlier than planned due to President Yoon's refusal to cooperate with the CIO. Despite their best efforts, including securing warrants that led to the president's arrest and detention, the CIO faces a backlash as the investigation continues to hit a stalemate. The only session he attended was for 10 hours on the first day of his arrest, where he remained silent. Yoon refused to appear for further questioning, citing health and security concerns. The CIO also faced repeated interference from the Presidential Security Service in its attempts to seize evidence, including the president's secret phone. Given these challenges, the CIO decided it would be more effective for the prosecution to take over, which it was initially expected to do on January 28th. Now, all eyes will be on the prosecutors in the office behind me as they carry out this unprecedented investigation. Now, what's the expected about the prosecution's investigation? The prosecution will continue investigating the allegations of insurrection and abuse of power flagged by the CIO, reviewing as many as 30,000 pages of records handed over by the CIO. While insurrection charges are typically handled by the police, no sitting president has ever been investigated by them; past investigations of former presidents were conducted by the prosecution. Legal experts note that while President Yoon's argument is technically valid, it does not prevent the prosecution or CIO from pursuing the case. "Technically, it's true that the power to investigate crimes of insurrection has been given to the police but the prosecution office retains the power to investigate any further crimes that are related to crimes they are already investigating." Now the question is , will the president cooperate this time? It remains uncertain, Jung-min. President Yoon, having served as prosecutor general, knows the process well, so his actions will be strategic. We will just have to keep a close eye on this. That's all from me, back to you. All right Jung-sil thank you for that coverage. That was our Kim Jung-sil reporting live from the prosecutors' office.

Fmr. Defense Minister testifies as first witness at President Yoon's impeachment trial

2025/01/23 17:00

We start at the Constitutional Court where the fourth hearing into the impeachment case against President Yoon Suk Yeol kicked off earlier this afternoon again in his presence. For more Arirang's Oh Soo-young joins us live from the court. Soo-young so what are the latest developments there? Yes. The President appeared in front of justices for the second time as he attended his fourth trial hearing, where the former defense minister was called in as the first of eight witnesses. Kim Yong-hyun is one of the key figures implicated in planning and executing the martial law decree. Considered Yoon's right-hand man, Kim initially said he'd take responsibility for the chaos that ensued. It seemed his loyalty to the President would remain firm as he initially refused to answer questions by the National Assembly's impeachment panel, saying his words were highly likely to be distorted. He changed his mind after a short break. As the session proceeded, the focus of the questions was on the legality of the martial law decree, with Kim insisting Yoon had held a proper Cabinet meeting beforehand, saying that a copy of the martial law declaration was distributed to Cabinet members and that someone had kept the minutes. Also, when asked if he had written the controversial note the finance minister received, instructing him to draft a budget for emergency legislation, Kim said he had, and handed it to an administrative staff member. This came after President Yoon initially said he could not remember whether he wrote the note or not, before recently denying that he had. There was also much focus on the martial law proclamation which included a ban on political activities one of the Assembly's grounds for impeaching Yoon. Kim said he had personally typed up the proclamation, but couldn't seem to recall which software he used when asked by the Assembly. Furthermore, on whether there was an order for military troops to storm the National Assembly on December third, "drag out Assembly members," Kim said he'd meant troop members inside the Assembly to avoid potential clashes. With his testimony, Kim more or less established the stance that martial law was declared to uphold the Constitutional order, out of deep frustration with the opposition-led parliament's efforts to impeach incumbent officials,.. thwart effective governance, and cut down budgets vital to public safety and livelihoods. The National Assembly's side, meanwhile, has continued to argue that Yoon's martial law declaration and the related decrees were unconstitutional and violated procedures, citing how Cabinet members said they didn't agree with the martial law nor documented their approval. Going forward I hear the president will now be attending all of the remaining four sessions? Yes. Yoon's lawyers say he will if possible attend all future hearings which have been scheduled until February 13th. He's filed without success an appeal against his arrest, and major figures implicated in the suspected insurrection have also been arrested so he is looking cornered when it comes to the criminal investigation against him. By attending future hearings, President Yoon could emphasize his narrative and might even directly question witnesses if necessary, as he did today. Also, he may be more determined to appear at the Constitutional Court as a means of further rallying his supporters, emboldened by the latest polls which show growing numbers back the ruling party, and his non-impeachment. On Thursday, the police deployed 54 riot police units, consisting of 3,500 officers, around the court to prepare for potential incidents. Approximately 160 police buses were stationed, forming walls around the Constitutional Court. Around 200 people were gathered nearby, waving Korean and American flags and chanting for the President's release and for the Court to drop the impeachment. On the opposite side of the street, though, people were calling for his impeachment and for him to be punished. The police formed tight lines to prevent clashes between the opposing groups. All right Soo-young thank you for the latest on the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.

[Weather] Ultra-fine dust will ease off a bit; rain or snow on the east coast from tomorrow night

2025/01/23 17:00

The ultra-fine dust has been a problem for four days. We passed the worst of the smog yesterday, but the air quality in most parts of the country is still at a "bad" level. As a result, ultra-fine dust advisories are still in place. However, from this afternoon, the air has been starting to clear. Ultra-fine dust levels will gradually ease off tomorrow except for some areas in central and western parts of the country. Meanwhile, there is rain or snow forecast for the east coast areas between tomorrow night and Saturday to relieve the dryness. Until then, the atmosphere will stay very dry with dry weather advisories. Tomorrow, Seoul will start off at minus 2 degrees Celsius and Daejeon at minus 4 degrees. Highs will move up to 9 degrees in Seoul. Gwangju and Busan will reach 13 degrees. The weather will be mostly sunny and warm in inland areas this weekend. That's all for Korea. Here are the weather conditions around the world.

Foreign Minister Cho holds phone talks with newly appointed U.S. State Secretary Rubio

2025/01/23 17:00

Meanwhile Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul held talks on the phone with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this morning during which the two top diplomats agreed to maintain close coordination in response to North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions. According to the Foreign Ministry here Minister Cho also shared hopes for greater advancements in the bilateral alliance under the new U.S. administration. Rubio for his part reportedly invited his Korean counterpart to the U.S. for more talks on cooperation. Both officials also highlighted the importance of the trilateral security partnership including Japan.

Quad joint statement omits reference to Korean Peninsula denuclearization

2025/01/23 17:00

In Washington earlier this week. Newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted his counterparts of the Quad framework for talks which ended with a joint statement that visibly omitted any mention of North Korea and its nuclear weapons ambitions. Lee Seung-jae has details. The top diplomats of the United States, Australia, India, and Japan met in Washington for their first Quad foreign minister's meeting since the launch of the Donald Trump administration earlier this week. This meant that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was the first to be confirmed in Trump's new Cabinet, was taking part in the meeting for the first time. However,.. the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of the Quad nations saw the removal of any reference to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Instead,.. the top diplomats vowed to strengthen a "free and open" Indo-Pacific, while opposing "any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion." It also did not mention China or North Korea by name. The latest joint statement is in stark contrast to the previous years, where the foreign ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The difference in the joint statement also comes as Trump and his defense chief nominee Peter Hegseth used the term "nuclear power" to describe North Korea. And according to a prominent U.S. expert and former officer at the U.S. National Intelligence Council Sydney Seiler,.. the new U.S. administration believes Pyongyang's nuclear threat has evolved over the last four years,.. given the use of a term,.. that was largely avoided by U.S. officials in the past. Seiler says the Trump administration "faced the reality" that the regime "continues to grow its arsenal qualitatively and quantitatively," and the threat is greater than four years ago. He added that the remarks are a "realistic view" of the threat. While the term "nuclear power" is different from "nuclear-weapon state," a term used to describe countries like the U.S., Russia, and the UK, it raises concerns for South Korea,.. which seeks close policy coordination with Washington to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Samsung's Galaxy S25 series promises private, personalized user experiences with AI tools

2025/01/23 17:00

Samsung's Galaxy S25 series are out and they are pledging to change the way individuals interact with their smart phones thanks of course to AI. Our business correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon explains. Imagine a phone that knows what you need before you do — that's what Samsung's latest smartphones promise to make a reality. At its Unpacked conference on Wednesday in San Jose, California, Samsung Electronics announced its latest flagship Galaxy smartphones — the Galaxy S25 series. The Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra are all equipped with new AI tools unseen in their predecessors unveiled as the firm's first AI smartphones a year ago. The new models will hit the shelves on February 7th in the same price range as the S24. They use Google's Gemini AI model alongside Samsung's in-house AI voice assistant Bixby, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chips for on-device processing – meaning that you don't have to be connected to the internet to be able to use AI functions. And these AI functions provide a key element in the S25 user experience: personalization. "With the S25, users can enjoy a seamless experience where the AI agent and personalized AI features make life easier—just say what you need, and the phone will recommend and handle it for you." For example, "Now Brief" and "Now Bar" are new services that provide a morning feed catering to your personal preferences based on user data, as well as giving you updates throughout the day — such as giving you directions to your next meeting, or giving you a breakdown of the latest sports games you've missed based on what teams you follow. And this is another reason why on-device processing is so crucial – because personal data used to tailor these functions will only be stored and processed on the phone. With many using mobile phones to search the web, Gemini's search tool enables users to look up information from their own images and even videos. '"The S25 also makes everyday interactions easier, by simply being able to ask your phone to do things. Schedule the launch of the new S25 in my calendar. Schedule it for February 7th." While the new AI features are the main focal point of the new phones, the hardware also boasts some upgrades. The new Ultra line has a 50-megapixel sensor on its ultra-wide rear camera in contrast to the S24's 12-megapixels for better quality images and videos and also features a new, hardier screen. The series overall has rounded corners with a reduced bezel for a bigger display, and there's an even thinner model to come – called the Galaxy S25 Edge. This model was briefly previewed at the end of the Unpacked event, setting up competition in the skinny smartphone market, with Apple's ultrathin model expected to come later this year. Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.

SK hynix, LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor report 2024 results; SK hynix achieve highest-ever performance

2025/01/23 17:00

On the corporate front. SK hynix staged a stellar performance last year on the back of strong demand for AI memory. Lee Eun-hee has more. SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chipmaker, has announced that it recorded its highest-ever revenue and operating profit in 2024, driven by the strong demand for High Bandwidth Memory. The company said Thursday that its revenue surpassed 66 trillion Korean won or around 46 billion U.S. dollars, marking a 102-percent increase compared to the previous year. Operating profit turned positive, soaring to just over 16 billion U.S. dollars. Last year's fourth quarter also saw a record-high operating profit of over 6 billion dollars. SK hynix reported record revenue, surpassing 2022 by over 14 billion U.S. dollars, and its operating profit exceeded the 2018 peak. One expert says the first half of this year is expected to be very promising, noting Trump's AI initiative. "Given the new launch of Trump government, semi-conductor industry in general and HBM in particular, there are a lot of good materials to push SK hynix's stock price at the moment. So it is quite in the short-term based." Meanwhile, LG Electronics achieved record-high revenue in 2024, reaching approximately 61 billion U.S. dollars, a 6-point 6 percent increase compared to the previous year. This growth was driven by strong performance in its core home appliance business and expanding automotive electronics sector, which has seen nine years of consecutive growth. This marks the company's highest revenue in two years. However, both annual and quarterly operating profit declined, attributed to slower recovery in global consumer electronics demand and rising logistics costs. The company experienced an "earnings shock" in quarter four, with operating profit halving and falling more than 56-percent year-on-year to over 93 million U.S. dollars. On the same day, Hyundai Motor also released last year's revenue data, reporting over 175 trillion Korean won or more than 121 billion U.S. dollars, which is up 7-point-7 percent on year, but operating profit declined 5-point-9 percent to around 9-point-7 U.S. dollars. Hyundai Motor's revenue for the fourth quarter of 2024 rose nearly 12 percent compared to the same period last year, driven by strong sales of high-value models, including hybrid and Genesis vehicles which boosted the average selling price. However, quarter four operating profit fell 17-percent to almost 2 billion U.S. dollars, impacted by higher incentives, external uncertainties, and a sharp rise in exchange rates. A Hyundai official stated that despite these challenges, the company continues to grow, supported by strong North American sales and increasing hybrid model sales. Lee Eun-hee, Arirang News.

S. Korea's economy grows 2% y/y in 2024 amid weak consumption, construction sector

2025/01/23 17:00

In other news. The South Korean economy marked a two-percent annual growth last year slightly below earlier projections. Our correspondent Lee Soo-jin reports. South Korea's economy only showed modest growth in 2024. That's according to data from the Bank of Korea released on Thursday which shows that the country's gross domestic product a key indicator of economic growth grew 2 percent on-year in 2024. This was lower than both the central bank's November forecast of 2-point-2 percent and the government's forecast of 2-point-1 percent. "After our November forecast, political uncertainty in the country grew, and economic sentiment weakened which then impacted private consumption. Construction investment also remained sluggish as orders remained weak." In 2024,.. private consumption rose 1-point-1 percent, which was lower than the 1-point-8 percent increase of the year before while construction investment entered into negative territory. But as exports saw a sharp rise, jumping to 6-point-9 percent from 3-point-9 percent in 2023, leading economic growth, while modest, to be higher than that of last year's 1-point-4 percent on solid exports, a rise after three straight years of decline. As for the fourth quarter, economic growth expanded only point-1 percent on-quarter,.. and was also lower than the central bank's forecast. The central bank mainly attributed this to smaller growth in private and public spending as well as negative growth in construction investment. This follows an on-quarter increase of 1-point-3 percent in the first quarter, negative growth of point-2 percent in the second, and point-1 percent in the third quarter. With last year's economic growth hovering below forecasts, there are rising concerns about South Korea's economic growth this year, fueled by factors such as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. "Korean economy has been dependent on international trade and export to the United States. Multinational enterprises have promised to build a factory in the United States to avoid tariffs but as long as they make use of some parts from China they are still subject to tariffs." The Bank of Korea on Monday lowered this year's GDP growth forecast to as low as 1-point-6 percent, and the government to 1-point-8 percent in its 2025 economy policy plans released early this month. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.