Sep 21, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
With the federal funding deadline set for September 30, Congress remains at loggerheads and the odds of a partial government shutdown are rising. If funding lapses on October 1, immigration and employment-verification services will not grind to a total halt, but the impact will vary by agency. For Korean Americans, Korean employers, students, and visitors, the practical question is what can still move forward
Sep 20, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
The White House clarified on Saturday that the newly announced $100,000 fee for H-1B visas will apply only to new petitions, not to current H-1B holders, renewals, or re-entry of existing beneficiaries.
Sep 19, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
Apple's iPhone 17 launch brought back long queues at flagships from New York to Beijing and a day-one push for the base model, placing Korea's display and camera suppliers squarely in the spotlight as Apple defends share against intensifying competition in China. At Apple's Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan, CEO Tim Cook greeted early customers amid a festive scene of preorder pickups and first-wave unboxings. Similar lines formed at major international locations, including Beijing's Sanlitun flagship, underscoring a return of in-person
Sep 19, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
President Donald Trump is set to impose a $100,000 application fee on H-1B visa petitions, a sweeping move that could reshape skilled immigration and add substantial costs for employers that sponsor foreign professionals, according to the White House and multiple reports. The change, expected to be formalized by presidential proclamation, comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration and follows a high-profile raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy battery plant in Georgia, where hundreds of Korean workers were detained over alleged visa violations.
Sep 17, 2025 PM EDT - Isaac
Korean beauty today is as much about the conversations around products as the formulas themselves. What started with sheet masks and the pursuit of a "glass skin" look has evolved into something broader: a culture where rankings, reviews, and online voices strongly influence which brands thrive. In Korea, millions of users turn to platforms like Hwahae to share experiences, while global creators such as Hyram Yarbro or James Welsh translate those products for
Sep 16, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
South Korea has launched an inquiry into possible human rights violations after U.S. immigration agents detained dozens of Korean workers at a Hyundai-LG battery plant in Georgia earlier this month. The incident has sparked diplomatic discussions and raised questions about protections for foreign labor.
Sep 16, 2025 PM EDT - Isaac
Ten years ago, Korean webtoons were little more than a curiosity for American readers, discovered through fan translations and shared links. Now they are popping up everywhere-from Disney+ dramas like Moving to print editions on U.S. bookshelves. The format, built for scrolling on phones, has become familiar to Gen Z readers who already spend much of their day swiping on apps.
Sep 10, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
Roughly 475 workers were detained during a large-scale immigration raid at a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery plant construction site in Georgia on September 4, more than 300 of them South Korean nationals. The South Korean government has prepared a charter flight to bring its citizens home, but the exact timing of the departure remains uncertain amid U.S. procedural delays.
Aug 15, 2025 AM EDT - Hannah
Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong secured a record $16.5 billion chip manufacturing deal with Tesla and broke Sony's iPhone sensor monopoly with an Apple contract during his 17-day US business trip. These major wins position Samsung as a stronger competitor to TSMC in the global semiconductor market.
Jul 30, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
LG's ChatEXAONE AI chatbot excels at business strategy and analysis compared to ChatGPT and Google Gemini, but struggles with math problems and current events, positioning itself as an enterprise-focused tool rather than a general-purpose AI assistant.
Jul 10, 2025 AM EDT - Hannah
Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a announced plans to launch an AI agent service powered by OpenAI technology that can autonomously handle daily tasks like restaurant bookings and taxi reservations, following a strategic partnership between the Korean tech giant and OpenAI announced in February 2025. The initiative is part of Kakao's push to transform into an "AI-native" company through its Kanana messenger app, which will operate separately from KakaoTalk.
Jun 21, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
POSCO Group became the first steelmaker ever inducted into the World Steel Dynamics Hall of Fame after 15 consecutive years as the world's most competitive steelmaker, and is now betting its future on revolutionary hydrogen-based steelmaking technology to maintain its technological edge through 2050.
Jun 10, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Hyundai Department Store has developed HEYDI, South Korea's first AI shopping assistant designed specifically for physical retail spaces, which will launch globally in July 2025 supporting seven languages for international customers. The conversational AI system provides real-time personalized shopping recommendations, restaurant reservations, and store navigation as part of the company's broader digital transformation strategy.
Jun 10, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
South Korea's Fair Trade Commission approved the merger of streaming platforms Tving and Wave to create a domestic rival to Netflix, but the deal still faces opposition from major shareholder KT Studio Genie. The combined platform would control about 25% of Korea's streaming market compared to Netflix's 61%.
Jun 10, 2025 AM EDT - Hannah
HYBE IM announced its MMORPG "Architect: Land of Exiles" will launch on iOS and macOS platforms in the second half of 2025, marking a rare move for Korean MMORPGs to fully support Apple's ecosystem. The Unreal Engine 5-powered game, developed by Aquatree with a 30 billion won investment, represents a crucial test for HYBE IM's expansion into comprehensive game development.
Sep 19, 2025 PM EDT - Jason
Sep 19, 2025 PM EDT - Hannah
Sep 19, 2025 AM EDT - Jason
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Isaac
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
K-WAVE - Dec 31, 1969 PM EST - Hannah
