Seoul rebounds as bond yields ease, chip tariffs loom SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - The KOSPI rebounded at Thursday's open, clawing back part of the previous session's 4 percent slide after U.S. Treasury yields pulled back from a nearly three-year high and Wall Street snapped a two-day losing streak. The main index in Seoul was quoted at 6,661.27 in morning trade. The index added 98.55 points, or 1.5 percent. The recovery is narrow. The KOSPI 200 gained 1.4 percent, while the KOSDAQ, the junior board for smaller and technolog September 3, 2026

Gyeonggi brings in real-life 'Teach You a Lesson' experts SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education has launched a 300-member team of specialists to support and defend South Korea teachers exposed to malicious complaints, harassment and attacks from students and parents. The initiative takes a cue from the Netflix drama “Teach You a Lesson,” which depicts a fictional government agency created to restore teachers’ authority in schools. Gyeonggi Superintendent of Education Ahn Min-seok has m September 3, 2026

T'way Air gears up for Trinity Airways debut with new livery SEOUL, September 3 (AJP) - Low-cost carrier T'way Air is in its final preparations for its transition into the new Trinity Airways, unveiling its first aircraft to feature the new livery ahead of the launch next week. The carrier said Thursday that it held an event at Gimpo International Airport on Monday to mark the delivery of a Boeing 737-8 featuring its new logo and design. Crew members wearing the airline's new uniforms also attended the event ahead of the aircraft' September 3, 2026

Krafton commits to G-Star for 10th straight year SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - Krafton announced that it will exhibit at G-Star 2026, the country's largest gaming expo, extending its unbroken run of appearances to a decade and offering the beleaguered show a marquee domestic name. The Battlegrounds maker has taken part in the Busan event every year since 2017, using the fair to unveil marquee titles and let visitors sample upcoming releases through hands-on demos and interactive programs. The company announced Thursday that i September 3, 2026

Hanwha Ocean wins $1 billion LNG tanker deal SEOUL, September 3 (AJP) - Hanwha Ocean has secured an additional order from a Taiwanese shipping company to build six liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered container ships, according to industry sources on Thursday. The order worth 1.55 trillion won (US$1.1 billion) is for six 13,650-TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships, bringing its total orders from Taiwan's Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation to 13. The newly ordered ships will be equipped with fuel tanks made using Hanwh September 3, 2026

"Build in America or pay," Lutnick warns chipmakers again SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) -U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reiterated that the Trump administration is preparing a new round of semiconductor tariffs designed to push foreign chipmakers to expand production in the United States. “I think what you're going to see is targeted, thoughtful tariff policy that basically says if you build here, you don't pay, but if you don't build here, expect to pay to enter the greatest market in the world,” Lutnick tol September 3, 2026

U.S. moves to deploy multi-domain forces to South Korea SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - The United States is moving to deploy elements of its Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) to South Korea, potentially strengthening the U.S. military’s ability to counter China’s anti-access and area-denial capabilities in the region, according to reports and sources Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that the U.S. Army, under acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, was moving MDTF forces from Europe to South Korea, September 2, 2026

Bad loans hit 8-year high, but banks can absorb losses, FSS says SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - Corporate debt is souring at a faster pace in South Korea, but financial authorities say the increase in bad loans is unlikely to pose a broader financial risk as banks remain profitable and well capitalized. Business nonperforming loans, or NPLs, rose by 1 trillion won from three months earlier to 15.2 trillion won at the end of June, accounting for the bulk of the banking sector's 18.9 trillion won in bad loans, according to the Financial Supervisor September 2, 2026

Korea's squishy toy craze puts 14+ labels under scrutiny SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) -South Korea's squishy-toy craze is getting a sober safety check. In Seoul's Dongdaemun toy district, the old staples of childhood are still everywhere. Children weave between shops packed floor to ceiling with transforming robots, Lego sets, dolls and BB guns. Wedged among them is a newer kind of toy, designed less to build or shoot than to squeeze, stretch and crack. There are croissant-shaped squishies, tubs of brightly colored slime, September 2, 2026

Uzbekistan looks to its Islamic golden age to build a new future SEOUL, September 02 (AJP) - The Center for Islamic Civilization, sprawling across a site roughly the size of 14 soccer fields, embodies in its glittering magnificence and grandeur what “New Uzbekistan” envisions: ushering a young, increasingly digital population into the AI age while keeping it firmly anchored in Islamic heritage and spirituality. The sprawling cultural and research complex cost about $161.8 million to build, according to a government construction dire September 2, 2026