Autumn arrives in Seoul Leaves begin to turn red, signaling the arrival of autumn, as seen from N Seoul Tower in central Seoul on Sept. 9, 2026. September 9, 2026

Korea-U.S. defense ties shift from one-sided to industrial partnership SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - Defense industrial cooperation between South Korea and the United States largely ran one way for decades, with Seoul buying American weapons and relying heavily on U.S. military technology. The once-skewed relationship is becoming more reciprocal as Washington increasingly looks to Korean artillery, shipbuilding expertise and manufacturing capacity to fill gaps of its own. Hanwha Defense USA's entry into a U.S. Army artillery program has provided September 9, 2026

Samsung's Lee buying $1.4 billion shares from mother SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong is buying nearly 1.94 trillion won ($1.4 billion) worth of shares in the technology giant held by his mother, Hong Ra-hee, in an off-market transaction next month, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday. Lee plans to acquire 7,188,793 common shares from Hong, honorary director of the Leeum Museum of Art, at Wednesday’s finishing price of 269,500 won putting the planned transaction at 1.937 trillion won September 9, 2026

Smilegate divorce sets Korean tycoon record as SK chief partly yields SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) – South Korea saw its two biggest tycoon divorce battles move in opposite directions Wednesday, as Smilegate founder Kwon Hyuk-bin was hit with a record 2.55 trillion won ($1.8 billion) property-division ruling while SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won moved to end most of his own dispute. The Seoul Family Court ordered Kwon to transfer about 2.55 trillion won in assets to his estranged wife, including a 35 percent stake in the privately held gaming compan September 9, 2026

Seoul weighs coalition role in Hormuz amid U.S. pressure, Iran warnings SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - South Korea is keeping its options open on a possible military contribution to the Strait of Hormuz, but President Lee Jae Myung's talks in Paris risk sending the impression to Washington that Seoul is placing greater weight on a French-British multinational mission. The framework could offer Seoul a middle ground between mounting U.S. pressure for support and Iran's warnings against military involvement. “The broad direction for internat September 9, 2026

Three domestic films set for release in time for Chuseok SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - A slew of South Korean films are set to compete during the peak box-office season of Chuseok or Korean Thanksgiving, which begins later this month. The lineup ranges from an office drama to a historical mystery and the final installment of a long-running crime series, setting up a three-way race at the box office, which has recently been dominated by foreign big-budget films such as Hollywood's epic saga "Odyssey" and the latest installme September 9, 2026

U.S. bidder challenges Hanwha with higher offer for Austal USA SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - A U.S.-led investment group has emerged as a rival to Hanwha in the race for Austal USA, offering as much as $1.35 billion for the American shipbuilding business, above the South Korean defense group's earlier proposal. “Austal has received a non-binding indication of interest from a syndicate led by Wildcat Resources LLC” to acquire Austal USA, the Australian shipbuilder said in a filing to the Australian Securities Exchange on Wednesday. September 9, 2026

Three in 100 Korean students report school violence SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) -Nearly three in every 100 South Korean students confessed they had suffered school violence, suggesting tougher monitoring and crackdowns have yet to rein in bullying, government data showed Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), the share of students reporting that they had experienced school violence rose to 2.9 percent in the first nationwide survey of 2026, up 0.4 percentage point from 2.5 percent a year earlier. “As young pe September 9, 2026

KOSPI tops 7,000 as fiber trade lifts Seoul and Tokyo SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - A fiber-optic supply contract signed in the United States reshaped trading across Northeast Asia on Wednesday, lifting cable and wire makers in both Seoul and Tokyo. The rally carried South Korea's benchmark KOSPI to its first close above 7,000 since July 23. The KOSPI rose 97.12 points to 7,051.64, a gain of 1.4 percent. The KOSDAQ, South Korea's secondary board for smaller and technology-focused companies, climbed 18.49 points to 830.37, u September 9, 2026

South Korea takes state-led route in AI race as latecomer SEOUL, September 09 (AJP) - America's biggest technology companies are preparing to pour roughly $725 billion into artificial intelligence infrastructure this year. South Korea cannot come close to matching that private-sector firepower. So Seoul is reaching for something Silicon Valley does not need nearly as much — the state balance sheet. The government's 2027 budget bill submitted to the National Assembly on Sept. 3 lifts spending on AI and three linked mega-pro September 9, 2026