news highlight

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  HYBE wins Asian award for global cash overhaul SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - HYBE has won an Asian corporate treasury award for a system that manages cash across its overseas operations, the K-pop company said Friday. HYBE received the Overall Winner prize in the Judges' Choice category at the 2026 Adam Smith Awards Asia. Winners were announced in September and honored at a ceremony in Singapore on Nov. 10. The competition, organized by Treasury Today Group, drew 345 entries from 21 countries. HYBE was the only recipient i November 13, 2026
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  AI bust? Korea presses on with chip republic despite Huang setback Editor’s note: South Korea has basked in the glow of Nvidia’s epic rise and now stands exposed to the fallout from the sudden departure of Jensen Huang, a central architect and driver of the AI boom. His exit comes as scrutiny of soaring AI spending and resistance to data center construction test the durability of a boom that has powered Korea’s semiconductor earnings and export surge. In this four-part series, AJP examines the ripple effects on chipmakers, the wide November 13, 2026
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  Military newspaper marks 62 years with photo exhibition SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - South Korea's Defense Media Agency will hold a photo exhibition in Seoul next week to mark the 62nd anniversary of Kookbang Ilbo, the country's military newspaper, the agency said Friday. The exhibition will run from Nov. 18 to 29 at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, showcasing photographs documenting the activities of South Korean troops and the military's development over the years. Under the theme "Dedication to the People: Today November 13, 2026
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  S. Korea to repatriate independence activists' remains from US, Uzbekistan SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - South Korea will repatriate the remains of two independence activists buried in the United States and Uzbekistan next week, marking the first return of a Korean independence fighter's remains from Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said Friday. The remains of Ho Si-han (1885–1956) and Lee Gwal (1898–1963), who fought against Japanese colonial rule, will arrive at Incheon International Airport on Sunday, along with tho November 13, 2026
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  Korea designates two historic Buddhist halls as Treasures SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - South Korea has designated two 17th-century Buddhist temple halls as state-protected Treasures for their historical and architectural value, the Korea Heritage Service said Friday. The newly designated sites are Daewoongjeon Hall at Unheungsa Temple in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province, and Daewoongjeon Hall at Geodongsa Temple in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province. Unheungsa served as a base for Buddhist monks who fought against Japanese forces d November 13, 2026
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  aespa joins Eartha Kitt for new 'Santa Baby' SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - K-pop group aespa has teamed up with the American singer Eartha Kitt for a new version of the Christmas classic "Santa Baby" featuring her original vocals, SM Entertainment said Friday. The collaboration comes ahead of the 100th anniversary of Kitt's birth on Jan. 17, 2027. Kitt first recorded the song in 1953, and her rendition remains one of its most recognizable versions. Primary Wave Music, the song's music publisher, handled the November 13, 2026
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  KHNP holds Czech reactor schedule after contractor split SEOUL, November 13 (AJP) - Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power will seek a construction permit for two reactors in the Czech Republic in April 2027 as planned, despite parting ways with its main builder last month, the state-run company said Friday. The timeline, which also targets a construction start in November 2029, held firm at a joint review meeting in Seoul from Nov. 9 to 12 with project owner Elektrarna Dukovany II (EDU II), KHNP said. About 30 EDU II officials and 70 members November 13, 2026
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  Swiss children switch sides to challenge career stereotypes ZURICH, November 12 (AJP) -Thousands of Swiss schoolchildren spent Thursday trying out jobs dominated by the other gender as Switzerland held its National Future Day for the 26th time. Boys helped out in care homes and therapy practices. Girls put on hard hats at building sites and tried their hands at joinery. More than 1,700 companies and public bodies participated in Nationaler Zukunftstag, Switzerland’s annual career exploration day for pupils in grades five to seven, S November 13, 2026
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  Shut out of Ukraine talks, Europe's leverage rests on its money ZURICH, November 12 (AJP) -Europe may not be leading the talks to end the war in Ukraine, but it is paying for much of the war effort — making its money its main source of influence over any peace deal and the focus of a budget fight this week. Since the United States sharply cut its aid, European countries have become Ukraine’s largest military donors, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research group tracking support for Ukraine. Eur November 13, 2026