Japanese bond yields trigger global tantrum, South Korea most sensitive SEOUL, Jan 21 (AJP) - Major sovereign bond yields, including South Korean treasuries, jumped on Tuesday after a sharp surge in Japanese government bond yields — bringing the elephant in the room back into focus: the massive yen carry trade. The benchmark 10-year JGB yield closed up 7 basis points at 2.34 percent, its highest level in nearly three decades. The move quickly spilled over abroad, pushing the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield up 7.5 basis points to 4.295 percent and Au January 21, 2026

Samsung Biologics becomes first Korean drugmaker to join 2 trillion won income club SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Samsung Biologics on Wednesday posted record annual operating profit for 2025, becoming the first pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in South Korea to surpass the 2 trillion won threshold. The contract drug manufacturing giant posted an operating profit of 2.07 trillion won ($1.4 billion) for 2025, soaring 56.6 percent from a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing released Wednesday. Revenue climbed 30.3 percent to 4.55 trillion won, while net January 21, 2026

Seoul weighs weekly half-price movie tickets to lure audiences back to cinemas SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korea is considering offering half-priced movie tickets and free admission to royal palaces every Wednesday, instead of once a month, as part of a broader effort to revive cultural consumption — though doubts remain over whether the move can rescue a struggling cinema industry. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it plans to expand “Culture Day,” currently held on the last Wednesday of each month, to every Wednes January 21, 2026

Busan's Gwabeop elementary school holds graduation event SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Gwabeop Elementary School in Sasang-gu, Busan, held its 44th and final graduation ceremony on Jan. 20. The event included a graduation for eight last graduates followed by a farewell ceremony, marking the end of the school's long history. According to the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, Gwabeop Elementary opened on March 5, 1982, with 28 classes and 1,261 students. Student enrollment declined sharply in recent years—6 new students in 202 January 21, 2026

Bupyeong fire station conducts winter water rescue training January 21, 2026

Samsung's foldable lead holds as Apple's entry nears SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Selfies taken by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have served diplomatic and branding purposes alongside their social media role. During a state visit to Beijing, selfies were taken on a Xiaomi smartphone gifted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. More recently, photos during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Seoul were taken on a Samsung Electronics device. President Lee gifted Meloni a pink Galaxy Z Flip 7, matching the prime minis January 21, 2026

Polls show strong support in South Korea for new nuclear plants SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - A majority of South Koreans support building new nuclear power plants as electricity demand surges with the expansion of artificial intelligence, two public opinion polls showed, adding pressure on the government to reconsider its energy policy stance. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said on Wednesday it had conducted nationwide surveys last week on a new-reactor plan. The ministry commissioned Korea Gallup and Realmeter to su January 21, 2026

Korean transformer exports, stocks hit record highs on global AI power demand SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - South Korea's gains from the accelerating global shift toward artificial intelligence are extending beyond semiconductors. Exports of ultra-high-voltage transformers surged to a record high last year, driven by aggressive investment in power infrastructure for data center expansion worldwide. Exports of transformers rated at 10,000 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) or higher reached $1.3 billion last year, according to the Korea International Trade Association. It January 21, 2026

Former PM sentenced to 23 years in prison over martial law involvement SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday for his involvement in disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law debacle in December 2024. In a nationwide televised trial, the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul handed down the sentence, ruling that the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law constituted an insurrection. The court said, ", as prime minister, had a duty to comply January 21, 2026

Nomura flags heavy US investment burden for Samsung Electronics, SK hynix SEOUL, January 21 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics and SK hynix may need to invest between 100 trillion won and 120 trillion won ($74–89 billion) in the United States from 2027 to 2030 to secure tariff exemptions, according to a new analysis by Nomura Securities. That would translate into annual investment of about 25 trillion won to 30 trillion won, or roughly a quarter of the two companies’ combined annual memory chip capital expenditure, estimated at 120 trillion won January 21, 2026