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  NCT DREAM to host live viewing events in 86 cities worldwide SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) - NCT DREAM will broadcast the finale concerts of its fourth world tour in cinemas across 86 cities worldwide, its agency SM Entertainment said Tuesday. NCT DREAM is a seven-member Korean boy group that debuted in 2016 as a unit of the broader NCT brand, known for hit tracks such as “Hot Sauce,” “Candy” and “ISTJ.” The “2026 NCT DREAM TOUR FINALE” will be held over six days, March 20–22 and March 27&ndas March 3, 2026
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  Hyundai Motor Group unveils autonomous robot for high-risk firefighting SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group released a video showcasing a new autonomous firefighting robot designed to penetrate high-risk disaster zones where human entry is restricted. The "physical AI" solution revealed Tuesday targets environments with collapsing structures, toxic gas, or extreme heat to secure the "golden time" for fire suppression. Developed with the National Fire Agency, the robot features an advanced 6X6 in-wheel motor system that all March 3, 2026
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  BTS Comeback D-17: Show goes on regardless of Middle East tensions SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) - With 17 days to go, BTS is pressing ahead with its long-awaited return, undeterred for now by escalating military tensions across the Middle East. The group is set to release its fifth studio album on March 20, followed by a free concert at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul on March 21 — a symbolic stage meant to herald its first full-group comeback in nearly four years. “The schedules will proceed as announced,” a source close to the matter March 3, 2026
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  Samsung showcases AI-powered devices at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona SEOUL, March 3 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has been showcasing artificial intelligence (AI)-based network services and other technologies at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, which kicked off on Monday. The electronics giant set up a large booth at the Fira Gran Via, the venue of the annual tech expo, featuring its flagship Galaxy phone series and highlighting its aim to offer customers services beyond mobile devices while expanding into a broader ec March 3, 2026
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  Asian markets stay low, KOSPI down nearly 3% but defense stocks fly SEOUL, March 3 (AJP) — Asian markets remained lower Tuesday as the region is expected to bear the collateral damage from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz responsible for 70 to 90 percent of fuel imports from the Middle East. The Seoul bourse was heavily volatile, with the KOSPI swinging between 6,180 and 6,040.60 amid a tug-of-war between retail buying and foreign selling. As of 11:10 a.m., the benchmark index was down 2.89 percent at 6,063.39. On the secondary bourse, t March 3, 2026
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  Middle East Crisis – NK condemns attack and likely recalibrate to wage own game SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) - If the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Ali Khamenei and the capture of Nicolás Maduro were meant to signal American reach, the leader most coldly calculating their implications would be Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned what it called "illegal aggression" and "hegemonic and gangster-like" behavior by Washington, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The rhetoric was familiar. The strategic March 3, 2026
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  Middle East Crisis: BOK to maintain 24/7 monitoring SEOUL, March 3 (AJP) - The Bank of Korea said on Tuesday it will maintain around‑the‑clock monitoring with its overseas offices and discuss potential fallout from the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran dubbed "Operation Epic Fury." In a meeting chaired by its chief Rhee Chang‑yong, officials discussed global developments since last Saturday's airstrikes, as well as potential volatility in financial markets. With the country's financial and foreign exchang March 3, 2026
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  Middle East Crisis: Seoul enters emergency mode, readies contingency plan SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) -South Korea postured itself to an emergency mode Tuesday, launching round-the-clock surveillance and readying financial support for exporters as it braces for protracted conflicts in the Middle East and disruption in the fuel flow that could unsettle the economy heavily dependent on external demand and energy imports. Authorities moved swiftly as geopolitical tensions following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran rippled across global energy and financial markets, ra March 3, 2026
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  South Korea to offer support program for exporters hit by Middle East conflict SEOUL, March 3 (AJP) - The government will come up with support for small and mid‑sized exporters hit by the Middle East conflict following the U.S.‑led military action against Tehran dubbed "Operation Epic Fury" last week. According to the Financial Services Commission (FSC), a financial support program worth approximately 13.3 trillion won (around US$9.2 billion) will be provided to exporters affected by the conflict. The decision was made at a meeting chaired by FSC March 3, 2026
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  Middle East Crisis: Seoul stocks and currency open 2% lower on fuel jitters SEOUL, March 3 (AJP) — South Korean markets, returning from a long weekend, opened sharply lower Tuesday as investors moved to price in rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and the growing risk of prolonged disruption to energy supplies. The benchmark KOSPI fell 2.60 percent at the open to 6,081.92, while the tech-heavy KOSDAQ dropped 2.57 percent to 1,162.17. The disruption of the Strait of Hormuz — which handles rou March 3, 2026