SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea on Thursday formally enacted a far-reaching law governing the use of artificial intelligence, positioning itself as the first country to introduce a comprehensive legal framework aimed at curbing misinformation, deepfakes and other emerging risks tied to the technology. The legislation, known as the AI Basic Act, establishes national [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday pledged a sweeping crackdown on what he described as entrenched ties between religious groups and political power, calling such practices “a path toward national ruin” and signaling possible expansion of ongoing investigations. Speaking at a New Year press conference, Mr. Lee warned against the organized [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of newly opened real estate brokerage offices in South Korea fell last year to its lowest level since the Asian financial crisis, underscoring the prolonged slump gripping the country’s property market. According to data released Tuesday by the Korea Association of Realtors, just 9,150 licensed brokers opened new [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s artificial intelligence–based labor law consultation service recorded more than 117,000 inquiries last year, underscoring growing demand for round-the-clock guidance on wages, working hours and employment rights, the Labor Ministry said Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, usage of the AI-powered service rose sharply in 2025, [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Kakao Corp. said Wednesday that it has begun rolling out a major update to KakaoTalk, introducing artificial intelligence tools that turn shared photos into short videos and expand the capabilities of its in-app digital assistant. The new feature, called the “Canana Template,” allows users to convert images exchanged in chat [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea said Wednesday it will sharply increase investment in nuclear fusion research this year, nearly doubling its budget as the government accelerates efforts to move the technology from laboratory development toward real-world demonstration and eventual commercialization. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it has finalized its 2026 [...]
SEJONG, Jan. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — President Donald Trump’s comments suggesting that South Korean investment funds could be used for an ambitious Alaska natural gas development project have sparked unease in Seoul, raising concerns that political rhetoric in Washington could complicate ongoing bilateral investment negotiations. Speaking at the White House on Tuesday to mark the first [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s unexpectedly strong start to the year is beginning to reshape investor sentiment, as retail traders scale back bets on a market downturn and shift cautiously toward products that track the rise of the benchmark index. Data released Wednesday by Yonhap Infomax showed that individual investors last week reduced [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday signaled a push for stronger government intervention in everyday cost-of-living issues, calling for the development of low-cost sanitary pads — potentially distributed free of charge — while pressing ministers to accelerate reforms across welfare, labor safety and public integrity. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — A long-delayed redevelopment project in northern Seoul, once known as the city’s last remaining daldongne — or hillside shantytown — will proceed as planned after a court rejected a request to halt construction over concerns about stray animals. The Seoul Northern District Court recently dismissed an injunction filed by a [...]